Everything’s Better when you travel.  If there is one thing this company is founded on it is passion.  One of my personal passions is traveling and this weekend I had the opportunity to fly out to Kansas City and although it is not the most exotic of places (although everyone on the plane seemed to be coming home from Key West or San Jaun looking all tan and relaxed) I love every chance I have to get out my comfort zone.  I find that traveling not only opens your eyes to  a new perspective but it also has a way of making you thankful for what you do have.  On the way out to Kansas we had a layover in Charlotte, NC so the day progressed from the Northeast, to the South, to the Midwest.  It was a great sampling of the US in only an 8 hour period.  Each region has such a different pace and also a completely unique vibe…and this was only in the airports.  During the layover our flight was delayed and it left some time for me to sit and “people watch.”  I have made the mistake of watching the news lately and it seems like everything that is reported on is negative in nature and I admit it was starting to bring me down a bit.  What I saw today was different though.  In the same country where the markets have crashed, there is a different celebrity scandal every day, and cars are careening out of control, I saw families walking and laughing about the memories they have just formed together on their annual trip to Disney.  I saw a big brother pretending to box with his younger brother and then giving him a hug that clearly let him know that he would always have his back.  I simply saw people walking, talking and building relationships with one another.  Some were at the beginning of a journey while others were at the end but at the end of the day all of this travel is about people and relationships.  I feel like today I got a renewed sence of what is right with America when it seems like people want to talk about everything that is wrong with it.  I feel like here just as in any country, it is the simple things that bring the most joy and sometimes that is what we should focus on.  I hope that somehow as you read this you can think about one or two simple things that really bring joy into your life.  Try making that your focus, I guarantee that the noise that is the media  will start to fade into the background and you will be freed to instead focus on what and whom you love.

This post is a special thanks for the fine folks and the 700 Shop in Kittaning, PA.  I recently had to drive out to Western Pennsylvania for a trade show.  When I woke up in the morning I was getting ready at the hotel and suddenly had a huge pit in my stomach.  I realized that I had brought everything I needed, except for my suit, shirt and tie….kind of important for the show that I was attending.  Needless to say I checked my car two more times just to make sure I hadn’t packed in somewhere else.  Finally I called my wife and she let me know there in my closet at home was my suit, all pressed and ready to go.  This was going to be a bad day. 

I had to think of something quickly however and I happened to be traveling through Kittanning, PA and I asked the local gas station attendants if there was a store that sold suits.  Quickly they mentioned the 700 Shop was only a block away, it was devine intervention. 

Once I arrived inside I had the fine pleasure of meeting Turney Luke and his wife.  They have run this store for several years and it was in fact the only men’s store left in the county.  This day was quickly getting better.  Within minutes I knew I was in the right place.  They were extremely helpful in every way and we quickly had a suit, shirt and 2 ties (it was buy one, get one for a penny….got to get two!) picked out and ready to go.  Luckily, they were also having their annual Easter sale which was an added bonus.  The quality and selection were fantastic but it was the Luke’s themselves that made the simple act of buying a suit a memorable experience.  Once we got everything picked out they taylored everything on the spot and had me ready for the day in no time.  I came in looking rough and they had me looking like a pro within a half hour. 

Before

After

As I was getting ready Tunrey actually took my shoes out side and got them all polished and ready to go as well.  They literally looked brand new.  One thing he said to me that I clearly remember was “and they say customer service is dead.”  Not at The 700 Shop…that is for sure.  The Lukes have a great store, amazing customer service and now they have a fan for life.  They not only helped my out when I had a need but they did it in style.  This is a store I will continue to purchase from and that is really saying something considering they are a good 5 hours away from home.  I learned a lesson that day, well two really.  The first lesson is that customer service really does matter.  It is an often overused and undervalued word in todays society where ever business is quick to say that they have great customer service yet so few are willing to do what is takes to really prove that.  The Lukes did it without even trying, it is who they are and what their business is about.  I am not surprised at all that they are the only men’s store left in the county, no one else probably was willing to do business at the same high level you find at the 700 Shop.  The second lesson I learned that day was that life really is 10% about what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.  I thought it was going to be a bad day but it ended up being a fantastic day that left me fealing refreshed with a renewed purpose to really deliver the best customer experience possible.  Great customer service really stands out and leaves your customers feeling just that….great.  So thank you to the Lukes and if you ever find yourself in Kittanning Pennsylvania make sure to stop by and pick up some new threads and their fantastic store, The 700 Shop.

The Lukes: Owners of The 700 Shop

This week I had the fine pleasure of spending 4 days in the city of Pittsburgh.  What a great city that offers a combination of big city living and the appropriately slower pace of a more Midwestern type of area.  I would also be remised if I did not mention the amazing food out there.  Jimmy Johns, Primanti Brothers and Iron City made it a culinary experience!  Pittsburgh-ers will definitely know what I mean here.  When it comes to sports, I don’t know that I have seen a town that loves their teams more then the great folks of Pittsburgh.  The trip was a lot of fun and it also reminded me of one EBTee-er out there who humbly refers to Pittsburgh as the “City of Champions.”  Thank you Chuck for sending us this picture of your rocking your new EBTee!

Pittsburgh Fan for Life!

In early October, some of our friends went away for a girls weekend to New York City.  They rocked their favorite EBtees while touring the city and even wore them to the top of the Empire State Building!  They got some great comments about their t-shirts and had a blast while wearing them. There’s nothing quite like a weekend away with some of your best friends. Thanks girls for sporting our shirts with pride!

From Left: Laurie wearing “Everything’s Better with my toes in the sand”, Kate wearing “Everything’s Better in NYC”, Jess wearing “Everything’s better when we were dating”, and Adrienne wearing “Everything’s Better when girls get away”.

If you are at all like me then you probably have no idea what a dragon boat is.  Up until a few days ago I had not heard of this type of boat and certainly not this sport which happens to be the fastest growing water sport in the world. 

EBTees recently had the honor of providing the team shirts for a group of family and friends who were in the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival in memory of Daniel Herbst. The ”Danny Boy” team placed 3rd in their division by 1/2 of a second and 1/10 of a second from placing 2nd. Please feel free to visit the web site of Philadelphia Dragon Boat (http://www.philadragonboatfestival.com/) for more details on what looks like a fantastic event.  Who knows, maybe we can have an EBTees boat next year!  Please enjoy the photos that the team sent in.

We want to say a special thank you to one of our Facebook friends who recently made us aware of this amazing story.  Nothing can recount the story better then ESPN who has the complete story here on YouTube: J Mac\’s Dream

This is an incredible story of a young man who is constantly overcoming the adversity that autism has brought into his life.  He will be the first two tell you that he feels no different from the other kids in school and is thankful for the life he has been blessed to lead.   J Mac loves sports and that is his medium with which he connects with those around him.  He served as the high school team manager for four years and at the end of those four years his coach wanted to return the favor.  In a story that cannot be scripted, J Mac suited up for the final game of his senior year and the rest was history.  If I give any more detail it will only spoil the video.  Please watch the attached story as I am sure that it will be one of the brightest spots of your day.  To me, this story represents a young man who is dedicated, and father who has done an amazing service to his son, and a coach that truly understands the beauty of sports.  Ironically, to me, this story has very little to do with autism and I think that is just the way J Mac would have wanted it.  Enjoy!

If you ever find yourself on Route 73 in Hammonton, NJ, perhaps taking the back way to the shore, make sure to take some time to stop at Mr. Bills. As soon as I walked through the doors I knew this was my type of place. All of their sandwiches come with a least one full pound of meat and their desserts are not for the faint of heart. In fact, after my meal I was challanged by the owner, Joe Radano, to take on their two pound eclair. I don’t think so Joe! The atmosphere here is great and it will make the whole family feel right at home. With a Coney Island theme it will remind grandma and grandpa of their childhood while also given young customers a sense of a simpler time.

 When it comes to the food however there is nothing simple about it. The burgers were named to 2008 “Best of the Best” list Mr Bills is home to the only Pastrami Cheese Steak that I have ever heard of. In general, Mr Bills is a classic american eatery that will definately not disappoint!

I came across this story today and just had to post it here on the blog.  To me, there are very few stories that better summarize the American spirit then the USS New York!

This ship will be arriving in NY harbor on Nov 1, 2009 and commissioned in the US Navy Nov. 7.  If you are planning a trip to NY, you will be able to tour the ship during that week.  What makes this ship so amazing is that it was built from 24 tons of the steel that came from the World Trade Center.  It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship’s bow section.  When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, ‘those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,’ recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. ‘It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.’

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the ‘hair on my neck stood up.’ ‘It had a big meaning to it for all of us,’ he said ‘They knocked us down. They can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back.’  The ships motto: “Never Forget.”  To the families of those lost in the events of 9/11 our prayers are with you and you can be assured that we will NEVER forget.

This week I had the great pleasure of speaking to a class full on young and bright aspiring entrepreneurs.  All the the young men and women in the class were taking this after school class as an elective because they all had a passion for business and some of them were already off and running with their own businesses.  I was impressed with some students overall visionwhile others blew me away with their market research and fact based financial projections.  Their teacher, Jon Iannocone, has led these young men and women well this semester and I believe he is helping to plant the seed in our next generation of entrepreneurs.  As seems to always be the case, I was there to talk to them about starting up EBtees but I left feeling inspired myself.  I wanted to say a special thank you to the class for being so open and sharing your ideas with me, it was a blast brainstorming ways to improve your business models and also the work that you have already accomplished.  As we talked about in the class, many ideas are going to come and go but it will be those that have the courage to put their ideas into action that will see things come to fruition.  We also got to talk about how set backs or “failures” often become some of the greatest learning experiences that can make all the differencce in the world on future projects.  All in all, it was a great experience and I hope that these fine students walked away feeling encouraged and also empowered to put their dreams into action.  I firmly believe that relationship to business, our lives are often the sum of decisions we make and actions we take.  Based on the conversations with the students in Mr Iannocone’s class I would not be surprised at all if one or two of these young men and women are on the cover of Inc 500 someday and I am trying to get them to talk to some of my partners.  To the students: Thank you for a great experience and shoot for your dreams…but remember to take the actions necessary to make those dreams a reality!

We wanted to send a special shout out to the crew at Wawa Park who are now rocking their new EBtees.  Here in West Chester we have had the good fortune of recently having a public park put in a decent place to skate.  Since it’s opening Wawa Park has grown in popularity and also in the caliber of skater that it is attracting.  Here is a photo of some of the regulars!

Wawa Park Crew

These guys are out ripping every day and if you want to check out more you can see more footage here:

http://www.fairmans.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=273&Itemid=43

In addition I would like to say a special thank you to Dave Fairman of Fairman’s Skate Shop (http://www.fairmans.com/) in West Chester who is now the exclusive carrier of “Everything’s Better at Wawa Park” EBtees.  Fairman’s is a West Chester staple and prides itself on not only the quality of its merchandise but also the quality of its staff.  If you are looking for a skate shop run and worked by skaters then this is the place for you.  Established in 1977 Fairman’s has built a local and national reputation for being one of the top skate shops on the east coast.  If you stop in from time to time you may also get the chance to meet one of many of there sponsored skaters.  These guys eat, sleep and drink this stuff so you have got to check them out.  Ride on.