I’ll always remember the primary time I set foot in a run specialty retailer. It was 1990, I used to be a 22-year-old beginner runner, and I had simply signed up for my first race — the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon. All I knew after I walked into the shop was that I wanted a brand new pair of footwear and a few garments to prepare for the race that was taking place in a couple of brief weeks. What I received was one thing far more — a deep dose of knowledge and a actuality test from the grizzled man on the retailer, who had been working since earlier than I used to be born.
From that day ahead, working specialty shops have held a particular place in my coronary heart. You recognize it the second you stroll in, the odor of the rubber and foam, the brilliant colours of the garments and the footwear and all the additional working stuff, and — most of all — the figuring out, assured glances from the parents working there which are concurrently useful and smug, concurrently figuring out and questioning, totally skilled and greater than barely curious.
Simply over a 12 months in the past, I wrote on this house about my choice to go away training and dive full-time into running-related pursuits. On the time, I deliberate to occupy my time with teaching, writing, podcasting, broadcasting, and, in fact, working. Over the previous 12 months, I’ve performed all these issues and liked each minute of it.
Alongside the best way, nonetheless, I discovered myself in a part-time job on the iconic Phoenix, Arizona, run specialty retailer Runner’s Den. What began as a 15-hour-a-week facet gig slowly blossomed into one thing I actually loved. On daily basis, individuals of all styles and sizes from all walks of life got here into the shop, and I helped them. Generally efficiently and typically not, however I spotted that I actually liked the work, and the work liked me. In actual fact, it didn’t even really feel like work.
The creator (left) with co-worker and good friend Derek Rehill outdoors Runner’s Den. Picture: Robby Foster
To be brutally sincere, I’ve by no means actually favored retail buying, and I definitely by no means envisioned myself working in a retail enterprise. However, over my time at Runner’s Den, I spotted that retail shouldn’t be all gross sales and gamesmanship. In actual fact, at its core, it’s actually all about constructing and sustaining relationships — with the shoppers, workers, manufacturers, and with the trade as an entire. And, within the strategy of constructing these relationships, I spotted it’s one thing that comes naturally to me and one thing that I get pleasure from.
So, subsequent week, I’m shifting on from Runner’s Den to grow to be the supervisor on the Sole Sports activities working retailer in Tempe, Arizona. Runner’s Den is owned by Sole Sports activities and, along with three different shops within the Phoenix metro space, represents the biggest working specialty operation within the U.S. Southwest. Shifting ahead I plan on persevering with to teach, podcast, write, broadcast, and, better of all, run. But in addition, I plan on bringing collectively 25 years of management expertise and 35 years of working expertise to make Sole Sports activities the best possible model of itself — and simply possibly, gentle a spark for some beginner runner on the market, like my spark was lit all these a few years in the past.
Bottoms up!
A throwback photograph from one other a lot liked native specialty working retailer, the San Francisco Working Firm, a couple of decade in the past. Picture courtesy of San Francisco Working Firm.
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week, appropriately, comes from The Store Beer Firm in Tempe, Arizona. Espresso Brown Nitro is sort of a chocolate espresso bar in a beer. Clean, not too candy, and simply plain tasty, Espresso Brown is just an amazing beer.
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