Coastal Creativity #235

Ben Davis:

They run into some of the challenges that boat ownership has and we try to just make that a smoother process.

Shana Ready:

I don't know. I call it Main Arise. I always think, you know, I love look at all this fashion stuff and I'm like, well would that work in Maine? I don't know.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to Love Maine radio show number 235, Coastal Creativity, airing for the first time on Sunday, March 20, 2016. Maine appeals to a broad range of people in part because of its beautiful coast. More than simply coming here for recreation, many people find creative ways to make a living with the water as inspiration. Today we speak with entrepreneurs Ben Davis, founder of True Course Yachting, and Shana Reddy, designer and founder of the Ropes. Thank you for joining us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

having recently brought a boat into my own family, I am quite excited to talk to this next individual who apparently has had boats in his life his entire existence, which I'm a little jealous of. This is Benjamin Davis. He founded True course Yachting in 2012. A generational captain, Ben grew up working for his family's charter sailing business. Immersed in the yachting world, Ben developed A strong affiliation and devout passion for the marine industry. His natural seamanship and leadership abilities have led to many opportunities to manage and captain boats all over the world, from the Eastern seaboard to Hawaii and Central America. Headquartered in Yarmouth along the Royal river, with a new branch office operating in downtown Camden, True Course Yachting has experienced rapid growth since its founding in 2012. Thanks so much for coming in today.

Ben Davis:

Thanks, Lisa. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So your new office is really new. It's within the last month or so.

Ben Davis:

It is the last couple weeks. We just had our big opening event with all of our industry partners up in Camden just a few weeks ago.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what that tells me is you guys must be doing okay.

Ben Davis:

Yeah, we're doing all right. We've got a growing team. We've got 10 people on our team right now and looking forward to starting the hiring program up in the mid coast and bringing some more captains and crew onto our roster.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

True Course Yachting does what you call comprehensive management offerings, which are port captain delivery and concierge services for somebody who's not in the yachting or boating world. What does that mean?

Ben Davis:

So what that means is basically what we're doing is providing concierge yacht management services for the people who own boats under 100ft, primarily owner operated. They don't want to rely fully on professional captains and crew. We provide the support for them to fall back on for all the things that they don't necessarily want to deal with on the day to day and they want to, they, you know, they're typically busy folks who want to enjoy their boat but might not necessarily have the time to, to, to do all the other kind of fringe stuff that we focus on.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So last summer when we were trying to get our boat out of the water quickly, we have, we have a little pursuit. It's by no means a yacht, not even close to 100ft. But we knew there was possibly a hurricane coming and we called you up and we said, hey, can you help us out? And you absolutely did. You managed to get it up out of the water, taken care of. We didn't have to worry about it. And so that sounds like you do everything from actually offering captains for people's larger vessels to the types of services that we enjoyed.

Ben Davis:

So we do a lot of project management like that, a lot of support. So we lean on the boatyards and the boat brokers and other professionals in our industry to do a lot of the hands on search stuff and we kind of act as a coordinator for all of that. So luckily that circumstance ended up pretty well and we got your boat out and safe.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think this is important because there are, although there are people who are like you in families that have been boating for many years, there are also people like me who may have lived in Maine the entirety of her life and still never owned a boat.

Ben Davis:

Sure. Yeah, exactly. We see that a lot. We see a lot of folks who might have done a lot of boating when they were younger and then, you know, they may have moved away away from the ocean and they didn't have that experience sort of in the middle of their life. And now they're having the opportunity later in life to come back and kind of rediscover boating how it used to be. And typically when that happens, they run into some of the challenges that boat ownership has and we try to just make that a smoother process.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So for you, you are involved with your family's charter sailing business and, and you've been associated with the marine industry. Sounds like your whole life. What was the path that you took to get to the place where you actually own your own business that now has a satellite office?

Ben Davis:

Sure, sure. So Kahuna Catamarans was the name of my family's business in Florida. Worked for the, for the family business there and after that made a bit of a jump out to Hawaii where I worked for Trilogy Excursions who were actually have come full circle and are working with again in a project management capacity, which is really fun. Got some great experience there. Got called back to Maine about four years ago, five years ago when I started working for the Bitterford Pool Yacht Club and in my last, last full season there, I, I started true course and that was almost four years ago now. So, so that was the, that was the path that, that really helped me progress from charter captain to the, to the private yacht world and then following that into starting this business and it's, it's the, it's the business and building the team that I really have kind of really found my niche, I think and, and I'm really enjoying so far.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

When you were working as a captain, you must have also worked with individual teams on some of the larger vessels, I would imagine.

Ben Davis:

Absolutely. Yeah. The. Whether it was private yacht stuff out of, out of Newport, Rhode island and yacht racing which I did there, or some of the, some of the larger charter company stuff which would be Trilogy and Maui. There were have, they did have pretty fairly large teams and got an opportunity to manage one on one and kind of develop those skills.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Not everyone feels drawn to Manage or lead or organize other people. Because if you're. It's one thing to manage yourself. It's another thing to sort of look at all the different moving pieces and people and try to get everything to work. What is it about that, that appeals to you?

Ben Davis:

I don't even know if it's that it really, really appeals. It's just, it's. It's what I. It's what I feel like I should. I should be doing. And it's, it's just. It's very natural. You know, I. I like. I'm pretty confident with what my strengths are, and I like to fill in those other holes with people that are better than I am. So. So building those teams and, and, and filling those. Those gaps in the places that we need them in different parts of the business is something that I. That I really enjoy and that. That I'm really drawn to.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One thing I've noticed about the. The marine world is that it seems to be people know each other. It seems like you can talk to somebody and they'll be like, oh, I knew this person when I was over in Italy, or, you know, I was around the world. And it just seems like it kind of. It makes the world seem like a much smaller place.

Ben Davis:

It sure is. It is a. It is a very small community. Relationships are everything in our business, in our industry, and that's one of the things that I love about. You can go anywhere in the world and run into an old friend or at least one degree of separation. That's one of the big draws, for sure.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what are some of your favorite stories about captaining or about some of the things that you've done since you stopped doing that?

Ben Davis:

Well, I wouldn't say stopped, because there's always the opportunity. Just a few weeks ago, I just got back from a trip bringing a boat from North Carolina to Florida for Breckmann Yachts. And I'm back down in Palm beach this weekend working with Breckman again. And so there's definitely lots of opportunity there, which leads to a pretty fun lifestyle at times. But some of the best stories definitely come from our customers, where we've had opportunities to both teach and support folks to be able to do things with their boats that they. They necessarily wouldn't have done. Wouldn't have done before I mentioned Trilogy excursions before, and we just started a project with them partnering with Gold Coast Catamarans in St. Croix, which is great because I've been away from Trilogy for some time now, but because Gold coast is an east coast based in the Caribbean. They're calling on us to use some of our project management team to help them build a new sailing catamaran from Maui, Hawaii. So that's a pretty cool story of, you know, keeping those relationships and everything coming full circle again.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is there a difference between yachting or sailing in places like Hawaii, the Caribbean, and places like Maine?

Ben Davis:

Yeah, fundamentally, it's all the same, but they're definitely. Local knowledge is a big deal. And also the different sailing cultures are very, very different. New England is historically one of the best places to sail in the world, and we definitely like to think that it also has some of the best boat builders and craftsmen here, specifically in Maine, and that's why we're here. That's a, that's a big reason. It's, it's got a really deep sailing culture and, and then the environment is, is just fantastic. There are lots of places to go and, and in my experience, being in the Pacific and, and then over here in the Atlantic, it's, it's the best place to be, hands down.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why? Why is it the best place to sail?

Ben Davis:

Well, one, you've got some of the best boat builders, so you have the opportunity to sail some of the nicest boats in the world, which is fantastic. But then it's also the environment, the, the islands and the season. You know, we're coming into the spring season now. It's all very exciting. You can feel the energy of the boatyard starting to get busy and, and the shrink wrap starting to come off the boats and, and all that. And I think everyone, even if you're not within the industry, I think people feel that, you know, they're driving down, they drive down the road and they can, they can see a little more action going on on the waterfront. And it's, it's really a culture around here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So for someone who is just wanting to either get back into boating or get into it for the first time, what are some of the things that you talk about with that?

Ben Davis:

Well, pairing the, the right boat with what they want to do and how they want to get back into boating is probably fundamentally the most important thing. And for that, we lean on some of our brokerage industry partners and people who sell the boats who are much better at finding that pair than we are. So we work with east coast yacht sales a lot here in Maine and all over New Eng. And those guys are real professionals at finding that right pairing. Because if you're not matched with the proper boat, it's really tough to find that to find that right blend. But then once they get put in the right boat, that's where we come in. And the experience of having the confidence on board and going to the right places and, and really being comfortable in and around the boat with their family is kind of what we excel at. Building that confidence.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes. I'm thinking about when we first got our boat just. And having not had a boat before, just actually getting the boat into the dock, just making sure that we didn't crash into the dock. And it's surprisingly more difficult than you might think.

Ben Davis:

It sure is. Yeah. We do a lot of one on one coaching with folks when they, when they build a new boat because it's. Boats nowadays are pretty complex. You know, there's lots of systems, there's electronics, there's. There's a lot going on. So we kind of start there. So people are familiar with, with all the components and systems of the boat and then we go into the boat handling. I work with a lot of families about how you communicate on board, which is very important. It can be kind of a stressful thing every once in a while. So. So that's a big deal. So it's really a pretty comprehensive how to. When we start working with people on board.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, that's actually an interesting point because I remember one situation. We have six kids in our family amongst the two, between the two of us. And five of them are in college, one of them is in high school. So they're all fairly old. But having never had a family boat together, just knowing how to say put that over there and put the, put the bumper or pull this in. And that can get surprisingly challenging. If you're in a place where maybe the wind is high or the tide's

Ben Davis:

in a strange stress level goes up a little bit. Yeah, absolutely. For some reason everyone's, everyone's communication changes from. From being in the kitchen together to being on the boat, the blood pressure goes up a little bit and we try to, we try to minimize that and make everyone really comfortable so that they, they can have a good time when they're bony. It's not a stressful event.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What I really enjoy about getting out in the water is just the opportunity to see the world in a completely different way. To see islands that I've known maybe like I've seen them out from the mainland or maybe I've driven over a bridge to them. But when you see them from the water, they just. There's something really unique about them and it really kind of reminds you of just how Vast. This body of water that surrounds us is.

Ben Davis:

Yeah, you can. That's one of my favorite parts about being here, especially in Casco Bay, because you can spend a lifetime exploring and you can rediscover it every season. And it's really, you know, another great reason to bring your boats here and to explore Maine.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what are some of your favorite places to go within Maine?

Ben Davis:

Casco Bagan is fantastic. Penobscot Bay. Really looking forward to this summer, having the new location in Camden to be able to explore Penobscot Bay again because there are so many great little seaside towns and villages to bring the boats in. And the communities up there are so welcoming to transient boaters that I'm really looking forward to explore Penobscot Bay more this season.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What about other parts of the world? What are some of your favorite places?

Ben Davis:

Oh, sure. Well, the Bahamas is great. We're in the Bahamas quite a bit in places like the Abacos Marsh Harbor. We've got some really great clients of ours that spend the winter in Georgetown, so we're fortunate enough go there. I'll be in St. Croix a bunch starting next month working with Gold Coast Yachts. I've never been there, so looking forward to explore there a little bit. And then, of course, there are lots of places to go in the Pacific.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So for people who are like you, interested in doing something within this industry, but maybe haven't. There's no. Doesn't seem like there's a particular map like how to start an organization like True Course Yachting. It doesn't seem like you. There's not a college course on how to do this or a business school course. It seems like there's a lot of figuring it out. What advice would you give them?

[Unidentified voice]:

A lot of.

Ben Davis:

Lot of making mistakes pivoting from those. I think if there's anyone out there that wants to get into the marine industry and is young and is willing to work really hard, they should come talk to me. I hope my email's on this so they can. They can shoot me an email. We'll get together for a coffee or something. But the biggest thing is start building relationships and get outside of your zone or your boatyard and go meet people. Because as you said before, it's a small community. The more people you meet, the better you're going to do. And I think that would probably be my best piece of advice was just to get out and meet the characters, meet the personalities and start making a little bit of a name for yourself.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What did your childhood look like why did you, do you think when you were a kid, did you ever see yourself doing this at this age?

Ben Davis:

I didn't, I don't, I don't think I would have seen myself do this. But now looking back, I can, I can see how it all happened. My parents are a huge influence in what, what, what I've done. My dad's probably got one of the best attitudes out there. He's the most positive guy I know. My mom's got this work ethic that's pretty unbelievable so that you combine those and that I guess, makes for a halfway decent entrepreneur. And that's kind of how I ended up here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is there anything about being an entrepreneur that you found challenging or intimidating?

Ben Davis:

Oh, it's challenging every day, but that's probably the best part. The not being afraid of the, of not having a day off for a really long time or maybe ever. You're always kind of on. But yeah, there's, there's lots of stuff intimidating. There's lots of scary stuff. But I think that's why we do it and that's, that's what I love about the challenge.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what are some things that you have found particularly intimidating?

Ben Davis:

Well, it's a lot of diving in head first when you're not quite sure if it's going to work out or not. And a lot of times it doesn't. But those times that it does makes it all sort of worth it. And then also the people factor is everything. Right. So building those relationships and figuring out kind of how you can bring the most value to folks kind of the easiest way possible has been really challenging for me. And that's not just customers. That's mainly my team. Right. So we've got an incredible group of people at TrueCorp that I'm really fortunate to be able to work with every day. And my journey in getting to know them and what kind of gets them up in the morning and setting out a path for them that they want to go down is both hard and the most rewarding thing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Where would you like to see yourself in five or 10 years?

Ben Davis:

Well, hopefully we keep growing like this and we'd love to have True Course offices down the coast and in Boston and Annapolis and Charleston and all over the place. So we've got pretty high goals, but I think we're on the path.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is there anything else that you think that people would like to know about True Course yachting as they're possibly considering? Maybe I'd like to hire Ben Davis.

Ben Davis:

Well, we're really. Luckily we've got such a depth of knowledge with the people that we're working with that, that we can really customize any program. So, so everyone has different needs when it comes to how they want to use their boat. And I would just encourage anyone, please reach out to me, reach out to me direct so we can, we can talk about it. And that's, that's the best first step and whether it's not getting enough time on your boat and how do we maximize that time that you do have, or there's some, there's some more challenges of you don't feel like you're using your boat well enough or maybe you don't know what kind of boat you should have. Let's talk about it. And I think that so far track records shown that we can adapt.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What is the website for True Course yachting?

Ben Davis:

It is www.truecourseyachting.com and I'm assuming on

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

that website they will have access to your phone number and your email address, the whole thing.

Ben Davis:

Yeah. And our Facebook page is pretty active. We're working pretty hard on that. And so you can find. Yes, absolutely.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I must say that I've really enjoyed working with your sister Emily, who is the social media online editor for Maine Magazine, Love Maine Radio and people at 75 Market street and if she, if this is a family work ethic that you're describing, then I certainly also see it in her. So if you are as hard working and as intelligent and intuitive as I've seen Emily to be, then I have no question that you will be just as successful as you are hoping to be in the next five or ten years.

Ben Davis:

Thank you very much. She coaches me along.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've been speaking with Ben Davis, who is the founder of True Course Yachting, a company that he began in 2012, which now has offices in Yarmouth and Camden. Please take the time to go find out more about his organization. Ben, it's been really great to have you here and I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Ben Davis:

Thank you, Lisa. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

a lot of fun for me every day to get on my Instagram account and see what's happening out in the world. And one of the people that I have followed for a little while now is actually in the studio with me today. This is Shaina Reddy. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Shana's career in apparel design took her to New York City and Boston. However, it was the natural beauty of her home state that drew her back and inspired the creation of the ropes. Shana is interested in jewelry that tells a story and that holds a memory. Shana spends her free time on the water with her husband and two children, lobstering on the family boat and exploring the endless islands and surprises off the coast. You have a great story.

Shana Ready:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you also have a great Instagram account. I mean, you have a lot of people who wake up every morning and want to know what Shana Reddy is doing.

Shana Ready:

Yeah, I know. It's been interesting. I sort of have. I love giving people something to look forward to, even if it is just a thought of the day. You know, my father in college always sent me these emails and it was the thought of the day. And my friends would always laugh and chuckle, but it sort of made the outlook of the day a little brighter, if you could sort of look at it that way. And social media has just been a really fun way for me to connect with people. I try to keep it very natural and not so staged because I do feel like there's a lot of people that it's very staged. But if I get a thought or think something's really cool, then I try to, like, share it with people. You know, hey, check this product out. Or did you see how beautiful just the water is today? You know?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. And your account for people who are

Shana Ready:

interested in following you is the Ropes Mane.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And the ropes is because you actually have bracelets that you create that are made out of rope.

Shana Ready:

Rope, yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me about that.

Shana Ready:

So that all started one snowy winter. I was just sort of digging in the garage through my husband's lobster gear. Found some snap hooks and, you know, some great rope. We had lying around, and I started making bracelets for myself. And I came up with several different ones, but I really kind of honed in on two that eventually came became the Kennebunkport in the Portland. And I started wearing them around, and my friends just loved the bracelets. And they're like, oh, you got to take these to local stores. And I was kind of like, I don't know, you know, it's probably just one of those, like, things that I, you know, put together at home. I like to do sewing and knitting and all sorts of stuff. So I just figured it was something like that. But, you know, eventually my friend literally, like, held my hand, and we went into Bliss and Angela Adams and all the local stores, and they began to really pick up on them and like them. And it just seemed like the right time for an item like that, a rope bracelet that was fashionable. And from there, it just sort of took off to my surprise, you know.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But you've always liked working with bracelets?

Shana Ready:

Yes. Yeah, definitely. Since I'm, you know, I'm a product of the 80s, so I was making friendship bracelets and loved it. You know, I had a wrist full of bracelets all the time making them for my friends. So now when I look back at things, it's a little ironic that I ended up being not only a jewelry designer, but I do some sort of weaving with this bracelets whipping. You know, it's a specific type, but, you know. Yeah. It is really interesting how life sort of turns like that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Your parents came from California with you when you. I think you were four or five.

Shana Ready:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And they became the owners of the Old Fort Inn and Kennebunkport. This was a big life change for them.

Shana Ready:

Yes, it was huge. They ran the inn for, I think it was 30 or 35, close to 35 years. And they. You know, my father always wanted his own business. And the way that hole came about was my mom bumped into a pilot, that. My mother was a flight attendant. She bumped into a pilot, and he was selling an inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. And my dad wanted to run his own business. Our friends and family thought they were absolutely insane, like, you know, leaving these great jobs they had in San Francisco, California. They had stability, they had family, and they just up and were moving, you know, across the country to a whole new occupation that at the time, innkeeping wasn't so popular as it is now, you know, so it was really risky. You know, luckily the risk worked out, but. And it was a great way for me to grow Up I met people from all over the world and that's where I really began to enjoy and love the lifestyle in Maine. I really, I loved being on the water, being able to walk down to the beach. Just the sense of community in Maine. The people are really nice.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So, yeah, it's also been important for you to make that available to your children. You have a 2 year old and a 10 year old and you spend a lot of time with them and Maine has been important to you and your family.

Shana Ready:

Yeah, I definitely, because I studied fashion design at the Rhode Island School of Design, I knew that I owed it to myself to, you know, sort of experience those cities in Boston and New York and, you know, see what fashion was all about. But I guess deep down I knew that wasn't the lifestyle I wanted. So I tried it for a little while and then I very consciously remember sitting in my cubicle in New York and looking around at all these young, you know, women working there and they were all really busy and loving their life in New York, but there was something missing for me there. New York is amazing in a cultural stance. From a cultural standpoint, there's a lot that's there kind of in your face and it can be really energizing and inspiring and fun and wonderful in that way. I guess I. It was at that point that I realized I preferred Maine. And I preferred not a slower life, but just sort of a lifestyle where I think there's so much creativity here in Maine, but it's not so in your face. You have to kind of like seek it out and kind of. It's like a hunt. Like, it's like you go down to the beach and you're like, what treasure am I gonna find? You know, same thing with you go to, you know, these little flea market and stuff and oh, what sort of piece of history am I going to find here? And what is that going to inspire? I really like that about Maine is you never know what's kind of around the corner. You know, even just exploring the coastline. You know, you go down a dirt road and you could find this beautiful beach that overlooks this island that you didn't ever know was even there. You know, so

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

that's interesting because the way you're describing the find is the way that you described to me earlier, how you got into making the ropes. It's really. So what is in front of me that I can weave into something else?

Shana Ready:

Yeah, I mean, I very much like accidentally became a jewelry designer. I didn't, you know, I didn't have a business plan. I didn't seek out to have my own business even. I just was doing something out of, like, my own joy and love. And, you know, it just happened to turn into something that I can still do and love and work on every day, you know, and I do. I feel like I continue to work on it every day. You know, there is no end all be all or right or wrong. You know, you're just continuing to explore, and Maine allows me to do that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Did it help that you had parents who were doing their own thing, they had their own business, and now you have a husband who also is an entrepreneur and he has his own business. Did it help to be surrounded by other people who were able to show you that it was possible if you believed in yourself, to move forward?

Shana Ready:

Yes, definitely. Although I would say my husband has a lobster business with his brother here in Maine. Ready Seafood and that. And then my parents inn, the old Ford Inn. Those are very different than what I do. So it was sort of inspiring to watch these people have their own business and definitely you learn from things they've done. But my path was very different, and I think that. But my experience in the cities in New York and in Boston really helped me sort of focus on the fashion point of what I do. I don't think that I just make a rope bracelet. I think I have created a style with the bracelet. I don't know how to describe it. Funny, it's sort of a look that

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I don't know. Well, I think that's a really good point because it's not. I like reading your quotes on Instagram, but I also equally like seeing what you do with the bracelets and seeing where the bracelets appear. Because you will pair a bracelet with a pair of jeans, but you will also pair it with something more tropical.

Shana Ready:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And your bracelets actually have been picked up by media outlets around the country.

Shana Ready:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So other people are agreeing with you that these bracelets really are kind of the, I don't know, a focal point.

Shana Ready:

Yeah. I think it's interesting. Somehow people can relate to them. It speaks to people, I think, because the. The materials I use are so basic and people can just sort of relate. And I think that there's something really nice about the sort of juxtaposition of putting this chunky rope bracelet on, but having, you know, a little black dress on and going to a cocktail party. It's sort of. You're dressed up, but you're not forgetting who you are or you're. You're Making a statement with this, you know, sort of chunky piece of jewelry. That is nice, I think.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, it's very mean.

Shana Ready:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I mean, it's kind of the whole. I've been astounded by how popular bean boots and flannel shirts have become over the last few years. I mean, because I grew up wearing these, I was also a child of the 80s. That's just what we wore. But it wasn't because the rest of the world wore it. There's something that's very grounding about Maine and how we choose to live our lives. And it doesn't mean we can't be fancy. We're just kind of this interesting combination. We can wear our little black dress and our bean boots and our rope bracelet.

Shana Ready:

Yes. Yeah, it's true. I think there's something really nice and rugged about Maine, and you have to sort of. I don't know, I call it mainerize. I always think, you know, I look at all this fashion stuff, and I'm like, well, would that work in Maine? I don't know. You know, definitely. If I were still living in a city and going out to these fancy parties, I could wear that. But it's like, you know, you have to think about what I'm doing here in Maine and whether or not that's gonna work. With your luck. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But your bracelets also have some really great colors. I think I bought the first ropes bracelets that I bought were actually in Kennebunkport in a little store there. And two of them had bright fluorescent colors because I was giving them to my teenage daughter and my younger daughter at the time. So, I mean, you. You've been able to make really interesting variations on a theme.

Shana Ready:

Yeah, Yeah. I love color. I get really inspired by color. I feel like it has endless possibilities. You know, any way you combine different color, I think it's really beautiful. And I like to give the people that wear my bracelets, like, a reason to keep buying them. And, you know, the only bracelet that I am, like, kind of committed to, I feel like, is my anniversary bracelet, My five year anniversary bracelet. I wanted a bracelet that would go with everything, and that was why it was so neutral. And it was just the two mixed metals and that worked. And then I feel like that will always be on the line. But then the other bracelets, the colors will change through the seasons, which I think keeps my customer entertained, but it also keeps me inspired and entertained. It keeps things interesting for me. You know, I love putting collections together for different companies that I work with. It's really fun.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tell me about some of these experiences that you've had with these companies, because you are your own self and your own entrepreneur, and you're very mean. But you also have been collaborating with some really interesting other people.

Shana Ready:

Yeah, let's see. You know, it's funny, they just all have kind of. I guess I was very lucky from the get go. I. My first ever exposure was an ELLE.com, and it was because a friend of mine was wearing my bracelet down in New York City, and her friend worked at Elle and loved the bracelet. And then I got this notice that they were going to feature it on the website, and I was like, I don't even have a website. I had no website at the time. So I'm freaking out. I'm like, well, I got to have someplace to direct people. So I literally called my friend up in New York. I'm like, can you, like, put a website up, like this weekend? I need a place for people to go. And she did. I literally just took quick photos on my iPhone and sent them down to her because I was like, just put anything up. Anything's better than nothing. And she did that. And. Yeah, I mean, so then it sort of just took off from there. I think that these different companies sort of came about. I guess I've been really lucky in my business where I've never had to, like, ask a company to work with me, really. They've sort of come to me, and I've just sort of let that happen organically, naturally, you know, and it comes sometimes at a nice time in your life and sometimes not so nice, you know, I mean, for instance, J. Crew, I got their order, and I'm literally. I was in the hospital having my daughter, Reese, and I'm sitting there getting this email and going, oh, my God, how. What a great opportunity. But how am I going to make this work? You know, here I am, you know, I'm this. I have this small business. I'm just having a child here, you know, and, you know, it was just a lot. And so I had to sort of make some sacrifices with her, with my daughter at first. And I wouldn't recommend it to everybody, but, yeah, it was interesting. And I think going back a little bit to the social media aspect is things are not always as they seem. You know, the J. Crew thing worked out. I had, you know, I had to plan everything. I luckily it was just me at the time working at the ropes. And I luckily had my intern that has now turned employee, was home from school for Her Christmas break, and we both just, like, you know, got through it all somehow. I don't know. I mean, I remember she was leaving me to go back to school, and I just had mountains of bracelets still to complete, and she kind of felt guilty, and I was like, it'll be okay, you know? And at the time, luckily, my daughter was sleeping a lot because she was very little. So that was happening. And then a couple months later, I got the call from J. Crew, and they wanted to feature me on their discovered, which was a really exciting opportunity also. But again, I had never left my daughter, who I just had. I was still nursing her. So there was a lot of stuff, sort of obstacles to get to getting me down to New York to do this, you know, this piece with them. But I did it. And no, it wasn't pretty. I was in the bathroom, you know, pumping milk, and, you know, but that's what I mean. Like, you know, it looks all glamorous, but, you know, behind the scenes, there's other stuff going on, you know, But I got through it, you know, and, yeah, that was a big accomplishment for me to do that big order for them. So that was good. And then we just kind of continue on with other companies we work with, you know, constantly. We get asked for to send samples out and stuff that can be used in photo shoots. Whether they're used or not, I don't know. You know, half the time they could be used, Half the time they don't. But, yeah, it's been an interesting journey.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You raise an interesting point, which is that it's almost impossible to compartmentalize one's life when trying to parent and also be an entrepreneur or even just have a job, and especially, I think, for women. We spoke with Erin Flett, who does her own designs, and Roxy Sugar, and she's done fashion. And both of them described really having to weave their children into their lives. And I know my son, who's 22. When I was in medical school, he was on my lap nursing, and it was midterms. He was born during midterms. I literally got up out of giving birth to him, studied, and went and took those tests. And I think that that is. It kind of shows us our strength. It shows us that it is possible to make it through. But it also shows our children how strong they can be, because if they grow up with a mother who's able to also pay attention to them but do things that she loves, then it causes them to think, I think I can do this as well.

Shana Ready:

Definitely, definitely I mean, my day to day is, you know, I always say I think I'm getting adult ADD because I'm just, you know, I'm making bracelets and then I'm putting a lunch together or, you know, or I'm trying to figure out, you know, what soccer game my son needs to be at or, you know, Reese is hungry and, you know, I just got two orders that need to be done by the end of the week. You know, I mean, it's just constant sort of a juggling act and trying to get every fit everything in and make sure everybody's happy. And, you know, like I said, it's not pretty. But at the end of the day, if everybody's sort of fed and bathed and in bed and homework's done, I'm happy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what do you do for your free time? I know that you like to lobster on the family boat. Yeah, that's kind of a summertime thing. Well, I suppose it could be more than a summertime thing. Probably your 2 year old isn't quite as excited about going on the lobster boat in January.

Shana Ready:

No. Yeah, no, we don't go out in the winter that often. No.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what do you do for the rest of your family time?

Shana Ready:

We love to travel. We cannot get away for very long, but we like those sort of quick mini vacations that just kind of revitalize you, you know, even if it's for two or three days, it's just like, oh, okay, like I can get through the winter or, you know, things like that. What else do I like to do? I like to read, you know, definitely. I like to kind of keep up with the fashion stuff, you know, that looking through magazines and looking online, getting inspiration and ideas. I like to paddle board, I like to ski, but I haven't been skiing much with my young daughter yet. But I do like to be outdoors and I try to get to the beach at least once a day because again, I just feel like there's always a treasure there to find and it's fun. We were just out. Was it yet? Maybe the day before yesterday we were out in our waders, you know, going through the water, taking my daughter and saying, you know, oh, look, there's a sand dollar, look, there's a sea urchin. You know, it's really fun to see what you can find, you know, in the shallow part of the water.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So where would you like to see your business go in the next five years?

Shana Ready:

I would like to just honestly sort of maintain my lifestyle and that's what I feel Like, I've, you know, I've created something that I can still enjoy my family and work and do something that I love. I. I don't see, you know, a huge. I don't see a ton of change. You know, I just. I want to continue doing this as long as it makes me happy. And, you know, I like that it's small, because I don't think that bigger is necessarily better. I think bigger can bring on more headaches. And I like that I still am a part of. I'm, you know, I'm a part of each and every piece that goes out of my workshop, and that's really important to me. I like seeing things from start to finish.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Are you surprised that a woman from Maine who was once a girl from Maine could actually be successful as a jewelry designer, as a. As someone in the fashion world?

Shana Ready:

Very surprised. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it still is unbelievable to me. I can't believe I've been doing this for almost six years now. You know, had you told me, you know, when I first started, no way. I would have been like, I don't think this is gonna last that long. You know, I mean, I still remember when I was just starting and both my parents and my husband were like, all right, this is really cool, but when are you going to start getting, like, a real job? And I was kind of like, well, it's either this or a real job, because this is becoming a real job. And, Yeah, I don't know. It's very surprising to me that I'm still doing this, but I'm so glad. I'm so thankful, you know, I think it's really fun. It's great. I have so many of my friends, or I've had some friends that, you know, don't you get sick of making the bracelets or wearing them? You know, because somebody that's in fashion, I would say, you know, you like a lot of change, like, to change your outfit and stuff. But I feel like there's a million different ways I can wear these bracelets, you know, by throwing something else on with them or a different cuff or. And that all has personalities, you know, I think also people's hands has a lot of personality to it. You can look at people's hands and see, you know, do they have nail polish on or do they have no nail polish? Like, long or short nails? Like, how much jewelry do they have on? It says about a lot about a person. It's like a personality on a wrist. Yeah. So I feel like I could be wearing something really fancy. But if I have this rope bracelet on, it says to someone that I'm down to earth, you know?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

For young men and women who are considering going into fashion or jewelry design, what suggestions would you have?

Shana Ready:

I would say that don't compare your journey to anyone else. Go with your gut and what feels right to you because there is no right or wrong. You know, I think that you'll know as you go along what feels right and sort of in the back of your mind, always have your non negotiables and stick to your guns with that stuff because only you know how you want your product to sort of come across.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I like it. Sheena. How can people find out about the Ropes?

Shana Ready:

I have a website, it's theropesmain.com and

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

they can also go to Instagram and they can follow you there. Yes, we've been speaking with Shaina Reddy, who is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and also the creator of the Ropes, a very successful jewelry business hailing from the southern part of our state. I have personally at least two of your designs and I love them. I will keep wearing them. I'll keep buying them for my now teenage daughters. Actually now she's 20 so I guess she's deserving maybe of another one entirely. But I appreciate the time that you took to come in and talk with us today. It's interesting to hear somebody say when I was told to get a real job, I said this is my real job. And I just kept on going. Yes, I appreciate that. Thank you for coming in.

Shana Ready:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to Love Maine radio show number 235, Coastal Creativity. Our guests have included Ben Davis and Shayna Reddy. Follow me on Twitter as DrLisa and see my running travel, food and wellness photos as bountiful1 on Instagram. We love to hear from you. So please, please let us know what you think of lovemain Radio. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring Love Maine Radio to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Bellaio. I hope that you have enjoyed our Coastal Creativity show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Not so long ago, I was driving down the road in Scarborough and I saw this new building and it said, salt Pump Climbing. I said, huh. I'm really intrigued by this because I know that climbing has become much more popular. It's not something that I do a lot of myself, but anybody who's interested in bringing this sort of thing to the state of Maine is somebody I want to talk to. So today we have with us Taki Miyamoto, who is a partner and general manager at Salt Pump Climbing, and Tino Fiumara, who is the head root setter and assistant program director at Salt Pump Climbing. Thanks so much for coming in.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thanks for having us.

[Unidentified voice]:

Indeed.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why is it called salt pump climbing?

[Unidentified voice]:

What do you think of when you hear salt pump?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Oh, my gosh. Questions asked back? I don't. I don't know.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, I think that's part of the idea with it, so that it sticks in people's minds and gets people thinking about what salt pump means. From our perspective, we wanted to tie it back to Maine somehow, a name that ties back to Maine. So we thought about the ocean and the salt. And at one point it was. Salt was one of the most valuable minerals in the world. So we like those connotations. It's still an essential mineral. So we like that connotation. And the pump comes from. We have a pond behind our building, and so water pump is where the community used to gather. So we like that connotation. And pump itself has a use in climbing. When you've climbed a lot or you're feeling pretty good, you say, people would say, I'm pumped. So had a little bit of a tide to climbing. So we combined those two words. It sounded nice. It stuck. And then one thing we did do with the name is that we didn't include the word gym. And that's because we aspire to be more than a gym. At some point. We want to be at home, away from home for people. So that's why It's Salt Pump Climbing company and not Salt Pump Climbing Gym.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I will probably never forget Salt Pump Climbing. So you have done your job effectively. Tino, what is a root setter?

[Unidentified voice]:

When you go into a climbing gym or any type of indoor climbing facility, you see holes all over the walls. And many people think that they're there just scattered about for, you know, so that we can scale them. And really they're kind of intricately designed routes, you know, courses in a way to follow that we actually set monochromatically. So you follow a certain color up, you know, and per the terrain that you're climbing, you can have a different style, different difficulty, a different feel. And you're creating all these different experiences on the wall. So I kind of, I'm an experience creator.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How did you get to be experienced in this and what's the skill set necessary?

[Unidentified voice]:

A lot of movement. It's 20 years of climbing in, you know, different places across the world and lots of different types of stone. And then on the inside aspect, thinking about your entire possible client population, from 2 year olds to 80 year olds, and body styles and morphologies, tall people, short people, how you can make something accessible to everybody, fun for everybody, yet also kind of true to grade and true to a certain sense of, you know, as we understand climbing to be from outdoors.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tina, I'm interested in your background because you've done a lot of different things actually both of you have done a lot of different things. As I'm looking through, looking through your background information. But you've climbed kind of consistently in your life, correct? Is that a thing? Once people start climbing, do they, do they just keep doing it because they can't stop for some reason?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah. And it actually fits very well with why Salt Pump is not just a climbing gym. Climbing is a lifestyle. And there's from the kids that come into it to like I was mentioning the 80 year olds who they're there regularly. And you have these multi generational populations interacting enthusiastically about the exact same thing. And that's one of the more beautiful things about climbing is that cross generational approach. As well as you can do it indoors together you can do it for fitness, you can do it for relaxation, and then you can travel the world because there's really no place in the world that doesn't have some form of climbable stone.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How about you, Taki? You went to Bates, that's I believe, one of your initial connectors with Maine. But then you practice as an attorney both in New York and also in Tokyo.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yep, that's right. Climbing has always been a constant since I started at Saltpoint. We like to say that climbing can enrich our lives and the culture can make the world a better place. So I think once people start climbing, they see a lot of parallels, usefulness in their daily lives and they make climbing, they try to make climbing a central part of their everyday life, whether it's just knowing people who climb a lot. So they come together at salt pump or go outside on the weekends or whenever they. Once you get hooked in sort of not just the act of climbing but in the culture of it and making your relationships, your, your whole life starts to revolve around climbing. So for me personally, that's always been the case. It's been a constant part, whether it's just sort of centering myself at the end, at the end or beginning of the day, thinking about things to look forward to.