Perfecting your craft.

I think we all, at some point, become inspired by others and their craft and find inspiration to dive into our own. It is inevitable that to be a crafty person, you seek and absorb stimulus from around you, what you seek, and sometimes from that which may have been unintended. I go in kicks - Fits of intense study and observation and eventually practice. I reserve a spot in my thinking chair often and surround myself with those articles of inspiration that fulfill my desire to engage in something creative.  Currently, my MacBook, the Toro Bravo cookbook, my Taylor guitar, and a residue of smoke salmon and cheddar knob in a small fiesta bowl litter my surrounding. Each of which has something to do with the fiercely creative mood I am in. Yesterday, I was able to find some walnut veneer to work into hangtags for Company 944, and in this morning's travel picked up 5 rounds of fir tree trunk that will play nicely into some form of retail POS. All in all, a wonderful weekend start mixed with the work I love and the inspiration I desire.

I had the extra special pleasure of taking my son to Tasty & Son's this week - Arguably the best restaurant on the planet (this week...) He tried something completely new - Chicken liver pate - and was marginally accepting but more likely not as impressed as the word liver means something somewhat negative to him. It's OK though, because he went out of his comfort zone and tried something new - something we can all take notice of and learn from. I loved the pate. It was the best damn pate I have ever had - made by a true artist who continues the pursuit of perfection of their craft.

Don't leave well enough alone. Continue to push yourself. Continue to explore and try new things. Turn things on their head, and back again, until the visual you see matches the abstract you were seeking. Get out of the comfort zone and try something ridiculous. It just might work.

Last US Bag Publishes Company 944 Catalog

LUSB has presented the newest member of the family, Company 944. This line originates to support one effort - Job Creation. In our efforts to revitalize a portion of Skamania County that we occupy, we fell short. We were unable to sustain the plant operations we hoped for, and reengineered our efforts to build from the ground up. The results? Remain to be seen, but we are confident we'll hire 4 new FTE's in 2015...

www.company944.com

Take a look and see what we are up to...

When Others Doubt You...

Use it as fuel. I have a few detractors in my life. Those that continually doubt your ability, tell you you 'can't' or 'aren't,' are those that most likely see their own shortcomings and wish to reflect those upon someone other than themselves. It is common for this type of bullying tactic to take place in the schoolyard, but when it is prevalent with those of a more mature age we have to question what might be holding them back. Here are two solutions to remedying this issue in the workplace:

1. Fuel for your Fire!

Place these fine words of 'encouragement' on your wall for motivation. Prove 'em wrong! Subtract the detractor from your equation by showing what you are made of. I do this all the time and it helps to build confidence over time.

2. Turn the Table!

No point in arguing - Ask the dark cloud in your life how they can help you succeed. Often times, they don't have anything to offer and this is a sure fire way to get them to realize they might not know everything as they think they do. If they are wise enough to recognize you are promoting a teamwork approach, maybe you can build a relationship of cooperation.

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At the end of the day, it is you that make the difference in your output. If others try to keep you back, send them to the rear view mirror and keep looking forward,

September 11

Seemingly many years ago, although not as many as one might think. I remember my friend Roy calling me that morning telling me to turn on the TV. He believed it was the start of world war 3. While that might be a bit exaggerated, it isn't far from the truth. With no immediate years an exception, the world has seen a fair share of disruption caused by us humans. War, poverty, oppression, and a disregard for others has created a volatile world, continually in flux over religious beliefs, property lines, natural resources, and of course, the differences we might hold in skin color, contribute to a boiling pot of aggression we do not seem to shake after years of learning otherwise.

Hopefully, and I have some faith in the thought, we can eliminate our incessant need for selfish behavior in either direction and attempt to change our ways.

Yikes!

I have been absent for nearly a month! I apologize... Summer fun and frolic have interfered.

Thought I might catch those of you up on some new things happening at LUSB. Our outdoor brand, GOTE Gear, has gone under significant design changes on the site to better improve performance and ordering for our consumer. While these changes are always intended to go smoothly, we always encounter a few issues that mess with our intentions. After a few weeks of fixing bugs and issues, we are close to having the site finalized.

Preparation for the NEW Bluefig site is underway. A new platform and all new look and feel will be happening in September. Keep an eye out for our newsletter for more information...

LUSB site will follow right after that. This will allow for full e-commerce of all of our goods we currently sell, including our industrial line!

College of Textiles

NC State is nestled in the research triangle, one leg of a powerhouse trifecta of academia. On a recent trade mission to NC State's College of Textiles, I learned that the academics institution's leading textile laboratories are a cornerstone for the industry I work in, although I would venture to say that few in our industry are aware of the power and influence such an institution has.

Touring the facility allowed us the opportunity to see how the College has enabled it's students and faculty to deliver innovative solutions, and much needed technologies to support the growth of the textile industry in the US. From a raw bale of cotton will come thread, engineered textiles, mildew-proof duck, fashion fabrics, and more. The shear breadth of technical understanding is thoroughly amazing, and the output unparalleled. While it is unfortunate more of this industry has not remained in the US, we should all be thankful for the hard work and diligent efforts these folks have made in building a world leader in textiles.

Of particular interest to me was the fact that the College of Textiles can work from 'molecule to market' - a completely vertically integrated supply chain within the four walls of the college. Remarkable in this day and age to see an industry so decimated by offshore competition thriving and succeeding in delivering the next great engineered solution. NC State is literally a beacon of hope in this still struggling fabric industry in the US. While academics and industry do sometimes collide, here we see a representation of where the two are paired perfectly. My only hope is that industry sees the remarkable value of NC State's College of Textiles and rewards it by investing further. Of concern was the fact that so few of our largest industry stalwarts seemed to represent themselves within the College. I hope that changes soon...

North Carolina State University Trip

Hey, been absent this week but back at it again. This week I am traveling with fellow companies Oregon Aero, Tactical Tailor, Bespoke Accessories Group, and Heather Clark of Alterations by Heather. We are visiting NC State's College of textiles, the world leader in textile design and engineering. This fascinating institution has a wonderful staff of educators dedicated to continuing the long history of excellence in textile development in the US.

Hunt Library at NC State

We were fortunate enough to have Dr. Istook and Dr. Leonas work with us for two days, along with the most passionate lecturer Debra McClendon, on a new endeavor to bring a formal, and much needed, industrial sewing school to the NW. We finished on Wednesday evening and were all inspired to get back to PDX and begin a series of action steps towards reaching our goal. Special thanks to Tony Erickson and Lisa Maxim of Oregon Aero for arranging our travel, and Senator Betsy Johnson of Oregon for contributing to the success of our mission.

I will write more soon on the impact of NC State and it's great programs.