A New Challenge!

Posted by Ian On June 5, 2009

I'm pleased to announce that I have started my own little company - mare ad mare, which is latin for 'sea to sea' and part of the Canadian motto (check the cover of your new passports). Our goal will be to build a fresh new brand of clothing for Canadian (and wannabe Canadian) girls. I will be using this blog, much as I have in the past - to continue showing people around the globe (over 50 countries now!) what it's like to be a Canadian girl, tracing the footsteps of our 3 girls as we explore more of this great place we call home.

Un petit baiser

Unique shirt for Canadian girls

'Gimme a little kiss' - says it all. Now for big girls! Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

JUMP IN!

Fall shirt for Canadian girls

A big pile of leaves for you here! As a Canadian summer turns to fall, the leaves change colours and then fall off the trees. Kids rake them up and play! So go on, Jump into Fall with this Orange T. Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

Pass the Marshmallows!

Summer shirt for Canadian Girls

Summer in Canada is the time for camping, camp fires and of course - Marshmallows! Get ready to go roast some in this summer yellow T. Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

Spring...Finally!

Spring shirt for Canadian Girls

After a long Canadian winter, spring can never arrive too soon! Pull on this Spring Green T and go planting girls! Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

It's not ALWAYS cold in Canada...

Winter shirt for Canadian Girls

How many times have you had to tell someone that it's not always cold here? Well, sometimes it is cold - but to make your point, grab this little winter blue T and let them know that it's not just snow and ice up here all the time! Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

Un petit baiser

Unique shirt for Canadian girls

'Gimme a little kiss' - says it all. Girls, grab this little white T, and go get your kiss ;-) Check www.mareadmare.ca for more details. All designs copyright of mare ad mare.

We had the Westboro Community Sale this past Saturday, and I had reserved a table to get our new line of Tshirts out into the public for the first time. This was more than a little nerve racking - putting yourself and your ideas right into the public view like that - looking, hoping for their approval, but with the obvious questions 'what if they hate it'?!?! There have been some great comments from some of my readers on the brand and the Ts - and that gave me a good measure of confidence to get out there - so thanks to you for that!

Relatively high hopes
I had some dillusions of having a good day. I was well prepared, the table was setup nicely with well printed signage and holders, free colouring books to handout, a good display of the shirts, I even brought a pile of change to make it easier for people to pull out their $20's. But it wasn't quite the success I had hoped for...

I was thinking that it would make such a great story that I had gone out with my wares (old school like a fishmonger or something...) sold well, and made enough money to buy supper for the family and go forward from there.

Didn't quite happen. I didn't make enough for lunch, I didn't make enough to buy myself a beer... not one sale. Boo.

Not all bad!
While I had hoped to make a few sales, I had to remind myself that the real reason I was out there was to expose the brand to the public and gauge their interest. In that area, it went very well. I had lots of people taking long looks, smiling at the design/text - lots of 'cutes' and 'adorables' - I think the spread showed quite nicely in that way to attract attention. A number of people read the 'About Us' that I had put up and really like the idea, the theme, etc - even had a fellow former expat come up to me and discuss the same problems I had faced in trying to find something nice and Canadian for the girls to wear. She was among a number of people who said they would be back later - but also took cards and colouring books so they could get to the site. Coming back later never happened, but I did leave a little early (I was getting burned to a crisp!!) - and there was lots of other things happening at the Westboro Community Centre that day.

Not quite the right environment...
First off - it was a garage sale, and most kids were more interested in all the old toys that were strewn about... and for others rummaging around, I don't think the mindset was right for what I was proposing. And I mentioned it before, but there lots of other things there to keep the kids busy - a band, activities...etc

I had also hoped to have my chief sales associates (my girls) with me to help bring in the customers. They had a few dance sessions that day, and there was so many people/cars at the event, that it made it impossible for them to get back and forth. If I get into the Carp Farmers Market - I'll be sure to have them there with me!

I'm being tested
Like I said, it was somewhat dissapointing - but I view it as a test. I was rejected - do I have the guts to keep pushing forward? Yes. There were good points to draw from the experience, and I need to build off those. If everyone who has ever tried something new and crazy quit after their first failure - we'd be without a lot of really cool stuff...

Next Up?
I'm going to be heading downtown today, to the Ottawa Store in the Byward Market. I'm hoping to partner up with them, have them be the flagship of sorts for our line. Makes sense - it has lots of Canadian touristy types things, so I'm hoping they see it the same way. With them being right down in the market should have lots of exposure for the brand - keep your fingers crossed for me, I'll let you know how it goes!

BTW - went with Meghan's class to Bonnechere Caves yesterday, will post on that later too!

1 Response to "The Westboro Affair"

  1. Jenn Said,

    You should check out Glimpse Reviews: http://www.glimpse-reviews.blogspot.com/

    They do reviews of all-Canadian products - I'm not sure what their parameters are around reviewing stuff (I think you have to send them a sample) but it's GREAT exposure to hundreds of Canadian Moms (and maybe a few Dads too!)

     

    About Me

    My photo
    It's not about the money you make, the toys you have, the clothes you wear - it's about the life experiences you go through, the challenges you face and the stories you tell... Having just moved back to Canada (after almost 8 years in the U.S and Germany), we have lots to show our girls and our friends around the world about Canada. We're going to be telling our stories, hope you enjoy our adventures. Mare ad Mare means 'sea to sea' and we want to show the world, from Sea to Sea - this is what it's like to be a Canadian Girl!