Making the Scene at skucon 2020
Brian Eno, the famous music producer responsible for producing some of the most iconic artists of all time, such as U2, David Bowie, and Coldplay, once said that there was no such thing as a lone wolf genius.
In fact, Eno stated that “genius” is not an accurate depiction of a successful individual who rises to the top, that true, artistic “genius” only emerges from a community of very fertile, intelligent people who gather together to think differently.
He coined a term, “scenius” (scene+genius) to describe how the most talented artists arise out of a tribal passion and how “genius” only emerges from an ecology of gathered talent.
No truer words could be used to describe the scene happening at skucon, 2020.
From the feedback of attendees, they described the energy, the camaraderie, and the positivity, as electric. But what people shared most was a radical sense of discovery alongside like-minded, independent thinkers who shun the status quo.
“My favorite part of skucon is being surrounded by so many people that are smarter than I am. I learn so much from those discussions.”
This is what Eno meant: brilliant people learning from each other and emerging even stronger in their work, their art, their passion.
The day’s event kicked off with Memo Kahan, who, after over $50 million in revenue, nine offices, and 110 employees, reminded us that no matter how successful you get, no matter how big your company, or how long you’ve been doing this, you must always keep an open heart and mind, and question everything, even your own expertise.
Memo Kahan, PromoShop
“Would you buy from yourself?” Memo asked the room full of eager mavericks, “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they will buy from you.” It was clear to the entire room that a part of the success formula for Memo and his team at PromoShop is a constant focus on the fundamentals mixed with a heavy dose of humility, “It’s all about perspective,” Memo stated as he looked back over an amazing career to share his thoughts on what comprises success.
At the end of his talk, Memo was asked, “What would you say to a young Memo Kahan, ambitious to build an empire?” He responded without hesitation, “People. It’s all about the people. Sometimes we get so stuck on processes that we forget to ask the crucial question about how we can make their lives better.”
Daryll Griffin, Accolades, Inc.
Sprinkled throughout the day’s event were 10-minute segments called “skucon stories,” brief tales told from the trenches by some of the most enigmatic personalities in the business. From Jenna Quaranta of DSG International, who shared her story of surviving the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and how it shaped her life, to the lighter-hearted stories like Justin and Stacy Carter’s journey as they built a massive beast-of-a-truck called B.O.B. (Brand on Beast) as a mobile office to fit their eccentric, outdoor lifestyle.
Daryll Griffin, President of Accolades, Inc. shared her strategies for small companies to land and keep major accounts, dazzling the audience with her eloquence and energy, “If there is a Goliath in front of you, there is a David inside of you,” she quoted one author as saying. Karie Cowden shared a career full of changes that accented the fact that though we live in an industry full of variables, the one thing that makes the biggest impact is kindness and giving back. And finally, the day’s skucon stories wrapped with Brandon Pecharich, the host of PromoCorner’s video show PromoErrday, who talked about his experience building a daily video show; not only did Brandon tell us how, but he actually recorded a live show on stage to demonstrate how it’s done:
Vicki Ostrom, Futurist and Trend Editor with SanMar blew the audience’s minds with a non-stop, dizzying array of ideas from her presentation, “Trendspotting,” highlighting the four macro trends driving innovation today (collect, nourish, protect, and experience).
“Trends emerge as innovators address people’s basic needs in new ways,” Vicki quoted one author as saying. She helped the audience focus on the question why when it comes to trends, digging beyond colors, beyond styles, to deeper thinking about what people want out of life and how to apply product to meet their desires.
Vicki Ostrom, SanMar
Four awards were given out this year at skucon to:
Cody Belnap, Snugz USA / Supplier Community Champion Award
Katie Meenan, alphabroder / Supplier Connected Workflow Award
Rich Patterson, Patterson Brands / Distributor Community Connector Award
Joe Sommer, Whitestone Branding / Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year award.
And of course, Katie Meenan, being the intrepid badass she is, gave her acceptance speech in only the way Katie can, a rap >>
In the afternoon, five industry pros tackled the topic of “Working Better Together: Reimagining Supplier-Distributor Collaboration,” citing the challenges both suppliers and distributors face today regarding inventory, order accuracy, crisis management, and problem-solving. Distributors Kevin Felgate with Name Brand Promotions, Brenda Speirs with Buzztag, Kate Ivory with GIDI Promotions, joined Bobby Lehew with commonsku and Brandon Mackay with Snugz USA as they tackled the most pressing issues faced between suppliers and distributors, discussing openly the tensions created by problems and sparking a dialogue to promote change.
Left to right: Bobby Lehew with commonsku, Kevin Felgate with Name Brand Promotions, Kate Ivory with GIDI Promotions, Brenda Speirs with Buzztag, and Brandon Mackay with SnugzUSA
Brian Gill, Chief Experience Officer at thumbprint threw down the gauntlet to the audience, challenging everyone to embrace “elastic capabilities,” stretching yourself and your business beyond the services that have made you successful and (possibly) too comfortable. Brian brought clarity and focus to his talk with one point in particular, “Stop thinking about what keeps you up at night, and start thinking about what keeps your client up at night.”
Brian Gill, Chief Experience Officer, thumbprint
When this many smart people gather in a room, sometimes the best thing to do to spark ideas is to simply give them space and time to share. New this year was a series of conversations called “Table Talks,” deep questions meant to get at the heart of what matters most to today’s progressive promotional entrepreneur. From the feedback, “Table Talks” was a resounding success and no surprise, given the caliber of brain-power gathered in one room.
Lucas Guariglia with Rowboat Creative brought his badass Chicago-style attitude to skucon, sharing that raw energy he and his business partner Joe Zangrilli have used to build one of the leading merch companies today. Musicians and artists who remain fueled by their DIY beginnings, they have created projects for an eclectic array of brands from Louis Vuitton to Chance the Rapper. Lucas talked about “Building Brand Buy-in, Ethos, and Experience,” sharing tips on how you should intentionally and intelligently exemplify what you do by building your own brand.
Lucas Guariglia, Rowboat Creative
And finally, wrapping the day’s events was the closing keynote Brian Papé from Miir who talked about “Building a Brand That Matters” and shared how Miir transcended the commoditized drinkware category to create a unique experience through premium products that led to dramatic growth. “Brand is not the physical manifestation of a product; it’s much bigger than that,” Brian said, “brand is the feeling someone gets when your name is mentioned.”
We began the day with Memo’s comment about investing in people, and at the close of the day, we ended with this pivotal thought again. In a moment that became a bookend on the entire day’s talks, Bryan encapsulated the heart of what every entrepreneur desires to do: transform a brand that is a commodity into a brand that can have an impact on the world, he captured that essence of how to do this by challenging the audience to ask one question: “How can I use my product to empower people around me.”
Bryan Papé, MiiR
Left to right, several members of the commonsku team: Mark, Catherine, Aaron, Ashley, Dave, Aly, Joe, Sam, Robert, Kate, Bobby, Bre
On behalf of the entire commonsku event team, we can’t thank this community enough for just being you: For showing up, ready to learn, ready to share, and for making skucon the transparent and electric environment that it is, we are truly fortunate to facilitate yet another gathering of this amazing genius of a community, the skummunity!
Want to see more pics of the days events? Check out our facebook album!
Want to join this rad community of rebels and roustabouts? Check out skucamp!