Small Business Saturday - Oiselle Picks
Happy small business Saturday! Of all the holiday-created-shopping-mania days this is my jam. Small business gets me excited. Small business to me means a business someone created out of passion and elbow grease and a whole lot of sleepless nights. It’s a business that isn’t really a business at the end of the day but a solution, a tribe; a space bigger than a store front an idea larger than a shopping cart.
And I want to celebrate our favorite small {running} businesses!
1. Picky Bars: created by professional runners, Lauren Fleshman, Stephanie Rothstein and triathlete Jesse Thomas. Picky Bars were made in Lauren and Jesse’s kitchen until recently. The business is still run out of their house and the family of Picky pros has grown to six including Loren, Laurel and Patrick.
Twitter: @pickybars
Facebook: Picky Bars
Shop: www.pickybars.com
Deal: 30% off Picky Bars through Monday! Code: PickyThanks
2. Nuun: Nuun is a fellow Seattle small business. Twenty-two employees including familiar runner faces: @dailysweat, @arielledora, @runzoerun and their fearless leader, @runhydrated, who all work to hydrate the masses from their sweet ID Seattle office.
Twitter: @nuunhydration
Facebook: Nuun Hydration
Shop: www.nuun.com
Deal: $19.99 for all 4 packs!
3. Swiftwick: A sock company after our own heart. They had a lot of fun spreading the Swiftwick love at the 2012 Olympic Trials and even got some coverage in the Eugene press.
Twitter: @Swiftwick
Facebook: Swiftwick
Shop: www.swiftwick.com
Deal: $19.99 for all 4 packs!
4. Believe I Am: Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettin take the sports physcology tips they use and hand them off to us in visual cues, goal making walk through, and encouraging quotes from pro runners in their Believe I am Training Journal. The line has grown to include apparel, accessories and now even jewelry.
Twitter: @believeiam #sistersinsport
Facebook: Believe I Am
Shop: www.believeiam.com
Deal: Check out their gift packages and save money!
7. Alchemy Goods: Another local Seattle company. We partnered with hip urban upcycle company for our NYCMarathon Banner bag. Got dudes on your list? Their bike messager bags made out of bike tubes are rad.
Shop: www.alchemygoods.com
8. Another Mother Runner: Sarah and Dimity lead a tribe of mother runners. Their blog turned book(s) inspire, educate, coach and encourage moms to get out there and their chase goals. Whether it’s about health, me time or PRs, Run like a Mother or Train Like a Mother is a great gift for the mother runner in your life.
Twitter: @sbsontherun + @dimityontherun
Facebook: Another Mother Runner
Shop: www.anothermotherrunner.com
9. RecoFiT: I met Susan the year she launched RecoFit compression sleeves. She came out to Kingston for a women’s retreat and was so passionate about the product she’d created. I run in the sleeves all the time, they are so lightweight and comfortable but I can really feel them working.
Facebook: RecoFiT
Shop: www.RecoFITsports.com
10. Super Jock n Jill: We have to give a local shout out to our favorite running store! From The Monday Night Run to high school spike night this is more than a store it’s the heart of running in Green Lake.
Twitter: @jocknjill75
Facebook: Super Jock n' Jill + The Monday Night Run
Shop: In person!
11. Running Evolution: One more local shout out to our favorite running coach, Beth Baker. She will take you from coach to 5k and beyond. Her energy and sense of humor will ensure you’ll never want to miss practice.
Twitter: @runningevolve
Facebook: Running Evolution
Website: www.RunningEvolution.com
12. Handful: Out of Portland Oregon our favorite under the t-shirt casual bra is Handful! Created by Jennifer Fergesen athletic enthusiast and a woman with more energy than a 12 year old girl at a Beiber concert. If you’ve run Hood to Coast, you’re probably seen (or heard) their team. They are a fun group of women!
Handful is also an approved mastectomy bra, They are passionate about supporting women as they return to health.
Twitter: @handful
Facebook: Handful
Shop: www.handful.com
Of course we are also a small business, and today with every order you get free Oiselle shoelaces! Enjoy and shop small!
MORE STORIES
Core Routine For Runners: The Dozen
I was introduced to the "The Dozen" in the winter of 2012 by my favorite Oregon running family. I love this set of core exercises for its efficient targeting of core muscle groups, and because no gym equipment is required! You can do this on a grass field, in your hotel room, or really anywhere you can lay on a flat surface.
Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird
This past August, we launched our Year of the Underbird program: an open application for aspiring Olympic Trials marathoners, with a promise to select 5 women for a 6 month contract encompassing a stipend, gear, storytelling, and community support. As we reach the end of our flight with our selected athletes, we invited each of them to share a few reflections on their past 6 months as teammates.
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes
We are honored to support five exceptional Black women athletes challenging norms in the running industry: athletes, advocates, and powerful voices in the sport. We invited each of them to reflect on their journeys through sport: how their identity has affected their development, and how they hope to impact the rising generation of athletes. Hear from Madie Boreman, Kendra Coleman, Brenna Detra, Carmen Pelar Graves, and Ari Hendrix-Roach.