2021: Year of Change (January Newsletter)

Well, we are 28 days into the New Year and there has already been plenty of change. It was a remarkable month, from insurrection to inauguration. On the local scene there seems to be room for guarded optimism as well. At our January Board of Directors meeting this week, we enjoyed a presentation from various members about what they forecast for 2021. Here’s the top line:

Local PPP 2.0: Steve Espino, Banner Bank: funds are flowing again to help businesses. The application process is simplified. Application turn around is much quicker. Go to the Banner Bank website www.bannerbank.com for more PPP qualification guidelines. Funds are still available.
Consumer assistance: Hard to find a consensus, but it looks like there will be a third stimulus round of up to $1,400 for income earners under $75,000.
COVID Vaccine Assistance: Billions are allocated for STATES to speed inoculations.
China: Nikia Clarke, EDC: The Biden administration will calm relations with China, but trade policies will remain unchanged. Tariffs will likely remain as is for the foreseeable future. Trend to decentralize manufacturing remains.
Shipping Logistics: (see our new AirGroup monthly report section below) Chad Sprecher, Airgroup: 2 week ship transit time, but 10 to 15 day anchor time. 3 to 4 days for Clearance. Chinese New Year backlog is at historic highs. Expect delays.
Retail Trends: Dave Nash, Sun Diego: US retail is strong, constrained by product availability and regulations regarding consumers in-store. Hard goods in surf, skate, ride, dive, golf…. on fire. At last!
Commercial Real Estate: Andy Ewald, CBRE: very bullish on San Diego. Tech companies (and BIG investment dollars) are flowing into San Diego. Amazon will have 5000 employees here soon. Mixed space, office plus small warehouse space, is at a premium. Warehousing is being leased as fast as it is being built. Office space is reconfiguring but on the comeback with many companies reducing their footprint but planning on reinstituting modified office hours soon.

So we are bullish as well. San Diego will have a very good 2021. COVID will be controlled. Consumers will spend. Health and fitness continue to rise. Businesses will get support. Supply will continue to be back logged. Add it all up: 2021 might be a record year for SDSI Members!
-Bob

Read the Full Newsletter Here

Hasta La Vista, 2020!

From almost any point of view, 2020 was a year of tragedy. The sacrifices from the front line workers, the tragic family losses, the politicization of public health, the loss of jobs and the death of so many small businesses… it's a long list.

But 10 years from now, my guess is that 2020 will be seen as a time of transformation. Out of the turmoil, grief and anxiety, some truly transformative things are happening. People are prioritizing their health. Home officing has created a new work day and work place. Commute time is way down. Communication has been revolutionized, not by technology, but by the wide adoption of Zoom type technologies. Preschoolers are learning online. So are college students!

Where is it all going? Some place where people are healthier physically and emotionally, perhaps more balanced in work life, revaluing the importance of real time social interfaces… and most importantly, being inclusive, kind and generous. Call me an optimist!
-Bob

Click here for the full December Newsletter

Make Your Company Holiday Party Count

One of the most unfortunate parts of the pandemic is social distancing, especially as we approach the holiday season. Here at SDSI we look forward to our annual Holiday Party, because it is a rare opportunity for the Mentors and SDSI members to mingle and talk a little story. For a relatively small group of 115 companies and 70 mentors, you might expect a modest turnout of a Holiday Party… but we attract 150 plus people and honestly, it’s really fun. We fully intend to try our best to make it interactive in spite of Zoom, have some fun, and do good this year by helping support the Lucky Duck Foundation in their efforts to fight the human tragedy of homelessness. We will ask our members to buy meals or maybe a new parka. Click here for more info about the coat.

If you do not have a theme for YOUR company party, we encourage you to dedicate it to the LDF. There are plenty of opportunities to buy a meal or $125 buys a new parka/sleeper which means warm and waterproof outerwear, again, for someone who really needs it.

Join us: click here for more info. Let’s make someone else’s holiday season something special and unexpected!

bob

Click here for the November Newsletter

San Diego Startup Aculief Inc. Acquired in Multimillion Dollar Deal

November 16, 2020
Media Contact: Terri Somers, Somers Media
760-846-4339
terri@somersmedia.com

San Diego Startup Aculief Inc. Acquired in Multimillion Dollar Deal

First-time entrepreneur created the first wearable acupressure tool for natural headache relief.

CARLSBAD – Aculief Inc., creators of the first wearable acupressure tool for natural headache relief, announced today that the company has been acquired in a multimillion-dollar deal by a global Amazon retailer.

The Aculief device is a patented nylon clip that applies pressure to the hand between the thumb and forefinger, an area known as the LI4 acupressure point, which stimulates the body’s endorphins to naturally relieve headaches and tension. Aculief is doctor-approved and designed to be worn anytime for drug-free relief.

“After having the good fortune to help hundreds of thousands of people find natural headache relief, we’re grateful to connect with a company that can scale Aculief to a global market,” said Jonathan Doogan, Aculief founder and chief executive. Founded in March 2013, the company was developed with the mentorship of the San Diego Sports Innovators (SDSI) Accelerator, a 20-week program that helps business address their challenges and grow.

“SDSI was invaluable in terms of giving me the confidence to pursue Aculief full time,” said Doogan. “The mentors at SDSI were incredibly helpful and believed there was a large market for Aculief. They were also instrumental in helping me raise funding to accelerate the growth of the business.”

Doogan, 48, who previously worked in sales and business development for tech and alternative energy companies, is a first-time entrepreneur. After helping two companies successfully position themselves for acquisition, the Carlsbad resident decided it was time to pursue the business he had been contemplating since college.

“Having learned so much through the development and sale of Aculief, I’m excited to continue bringing innovative products to market, and I look forward to helping local entrepreneurs and startups succeed any way I can,” Doogan said.

# #

Perseverance... (October Newsletter)

So much is unsettled… election, Covid 2.0, the red tier/purple tier, opening/closing State roller coaster, more PPP. Masks, social distancing and hygiene are every day realities. With “tactics driving strategy,” it feels like it’s impossible to get ahead of the game.

But, in a world where health means everything, where the front line workers are doing so much for so many, where sadness and personal loss of family members is an all too common experience, there are some good signs.

The Sport and Active Living (SAL) industry is actually doing well. Consumers are changing. Home officing in some capacity will continue, and with it, the liberation from the formal 8 consecutive hour workday. That means more time for personal health or outdoor activity. For many SDSI members it represents an increase in business, an unanticipated and very welcome increase for most.

Our SDSI Accelerator has registered the largest number of companies in a single cohort ever! The entrepreneurial juices are flowing. Young people and their companies are busy creating tomorrow’s economy. It's awesome!

Of course, the temptation is to get back to work and bring opportunity up to scale, and do it now. But it’s time for even more patience, hard as it is to bear. Let's team up patience and perseverance, play by the rules and get back to business as soon as it is safe for everyone. The long game looks very promising!

-bob

View the full newsletter here

Business Recovery in the time of the Pandemic (September Newsletter)

Well it's time to stipulate a few things: If you do not believe, masks, social distancing and hand washing are fundamental to accelerating our recovery, read no further!

Ok, now that is out of the way, the same public health fundamentals remain in place; responsible behavior is both personal and a vital component of our business recovery. And it is the job of the elected officials to try to make policy to keep us safe. What an awesome and heavy responsibility. As a citizen, I feel the necessity to follow our elected officials directives.

But I, maybe you too, have that odd San Diego personality trait… the one with the angel of compliance on one shoulder and the devil of defiance on the other. It's a tug of war and in this pandemic environment, patience can be the tiebreaker. Patience is wearing thin.

While a majority of our SDSI member businesses are doing well, as San Diegans have become even more active and outdoor oriented, overall, it’s not good for the San Diego events landscape. No fans to see the “Slam” Diego Padres celebrate the playoffs, no college ball, no live events, no youth sports. In fact, over 60,000 employees’ jobs are at risk, just in those venues. And we are seeing youth sports teams & events leaving San Diego - taking their matches and business to other states that are more open.

On a Zoom panel discussion today, we discussed the current state of Events in San Diego. Execs from the events business and sector shared some very interesting and somewhat promising data about the future. Mitch Thrower, the Founder of Events.com shared a recent McKinsey study showing three scenarios for recovery, the middle on forecasting a return to business in Q3 and Q4, 2021. And among the panelists there was a belief that when business comes back, it will be different and importantly, at scale. Our businesses will be among the first to feel the recovery.

San Diego is an aspirational place in every way, including our efforts to comply, respect science and support public leadership. At the same time, I believe we are all ready to get back to work in a safe way. Let’s use our collective impatience to tell our story to our elected leaders. San Diego is ready. Play Ball!

-bob

Read the full September Newsletter HERE

The Power of a Trusted Service Partner Network (August Newsletter)

Covid 19 has made it apparent how very important it is to have established and trusted service partners so when $#!@ hits the fan, you have experts to lean on. Service Partners make up 30% of our membership and we have always been super proud of their dedication to our community, but never more than these last several months as they stepped up to help SDSI members navigate the Covid challenges.

It’s been said that “if you don’t know the name of your banker, and he or she does not know yours, you actually don’t have a banker!” Think about that for a minute. Not only did our bankers step up; legal, HR, commercial Real Estate, and many others, stepped up and got actively involved to help.

Our business tool box has consequently been expanded, and in many cases has made the ultimate difference, as we accessed CARES and PPP funding, qualified for an EIDL loan, understood how to re-negotiate lease extensions or manage expectations regarding our AP, or the nuances of furloughing a valued employee. These are our post Covid skills, and most of us got them from these very same people.

So now, unexpectedly, most Sport and Active Lifestyle sectors have rebounded. Our Pro sport teams, youth leagues and event companies have not been so fortunate. But we have survived at the baseline and even increased business at other levels. Demand in most sectors far exceeds supply.

Before we “move on” to the next thing, or revert to our “old” resources, let's stop and think. The SDSI service providers comprise a vital part of our community. Let’s focus our resources on the people and companies that helped us survive and then succeed.

So if you need a resource, start with SDSI: we got you covered from creative agencies, digital agencies, bookkeeping, investment banks, commercial banking, legal, accounting, freight, executive search, specialty financing and everything in between. You can see them all here, shoot Renne or me an email. We would love to get you connected.

Trust is more than a word; performance beats a promise. Big thank you to the SDSI service provider network.

-Renne and Bob

“Yes, all that is true, yet I remain optimistic” (July Newsletter)

SDSI Chairman, Bill Walton, hit the nail on the head… it is indeed a time of converging crisises… covid, social justice, climate change and economic and political turmoil. It's a troubling time with no short-term solution in sight.

It's an equally challenging time for business people. Running parallel to our concerns about the challenges of covid life are equal concerns about the viability of our businesses, our concern to get employees back to work in a safe manner and helping restart the economy.

It's here that we are seeing some reason to be optimistic: many of the SDSI companies have experienced an unexpected spike in sales over the last few months. Companies in “social spacing” activities are leading the way. Inventories are at historic lows in home exercise gear, bikes and ebikes, golf, stand up paddling, active wear, pickleball gear, skate and surf, camping and outdoor gear, RV sales and rentals. While gyms and our amazing YMCA are waiting for the ok to re-open, people have taken to the outdoors in startling numbers. A quick beach check, golf course tee time availability, sidewalk or street congestion all confirm, people, our consumers, are active.

There are macro factors in play as well as personal health rises to the top of the priority list, followed by home officing and the liberation from the traditional 8 hour day. And there are some technical issues as well: most of us planned for a down quarter or year and stopped all work in progress at the factories. The spike in demand burned through the inventory on hand. The long lead time for the off shore manufacturers has left demand in excess of supply… and likely to stay that way for some time. Throw in robust ecomm platforms and you have the very reasons that those of us in the Sport and Active Lifestyle industry have a solid reason to believe that our sector will lead the recovery.

As a side point, “optimism” is an excellent antidote to pessimism!
-bob

FOR THE FULL JULY NEWSLETTER CLICK HERE

Status of SD Sports - Return to Play Update

Aviators: have played the entire season in West Virginia with the regular season ending July 30th.. Broadcast schedule here.

Del Mar Races: Del Mar is operating and the horses are running on Friday’s, Saturday’s, and Sunday’s with no fans in attendance. Broadcast coverage available on TVG. Schedule here.

Farmers Insurance Open: No announcement yet from Century Club so still planning on January 23rd but the PGA has resumed. As of May 13th

Gulls: AHL cancels remainder of 2019-2020 season. As of May 11th

Legion: MLR cancels remainder of 2019-2020 season. As of March 19th

Loyal: The Loyal are back in play at USD’s Torero Stadium. No fans in attendance but plenty of coverage on TV for fans. View the schedule.

Padres: We are back to baseball! Fan’s are not allowed in attendance but the games are being shown on Fox Sports West. View the schedule here.

Seals: NLL looked at all possibilities and decided to shift attention to next season. As of June 4th

Sockers: MASL has concluded the 2019-2020 Season. As of July 1st

BLM (June Newsletter)

Seems to me that everything that could be said about the Black Lives Matter movement, has been said. Equally, I would say that everything that could be done to remedy the situation has hardly been started. I realize that “living the coastal dream” is, indeed, a bubble. I suspect most of us support the BLM efforts. I suspect that most of us feel that we are progressive in our thinking and fair-minded as well. I also suspect that many of us feel our companies are like-minded, and essentially free of the racism that seems abundantly obvious outside our ‘hood.

That's the danger of “feeling.” The facts are that our industries (surf, skate, cycle, Outdoor, swim…to name a few) have failed to attract diverse talent into our management teams. We have failed to create employment opportunities for young people of color. In most cases we have even failed to get school kids involved in our activities, thinking perhaps, that “they” will find their way to the beach of field or court like we did when we were kids. Not gonna happen unless you personally make it a measurable objective, and measure your performance.

I have heard the “what more can we do” argument many times. We are “just one company, etc.” 24 years ago, I had the chance to interview for the GM position at Nike Golf. Tom Clarke asked me if I knew much about Golf. My answer was “not much.” TC told me everyone in the Golf industry wanted the job. At the time golf was emerging from a cloudy past, of elitism, racism and sexism. I suggested to Tom, that if he wanted to import those traits into Nike, he could hire from the industry. But maybe it would be better to export Nike principles into Golf and make Golf look like Nike.

Golf looks like the world now… all inclusive. Businesses can make THE difference, specially in our space. It takes a commitment though, a real one. Enough has been said. Now its up to us to make changes happen.
-bob

Read the full newsletter here

Bike for Humanity II

Boston and New York City Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi, Ultramarathon Champion Dean Karnazes, and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton team up to host Bike for Humanity II to support Free Bikes 4 Kidz, No Kid Hungry and The Rex Foundation

Bike for Humanity (BikeforHumanity.com), a global initiative created by Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton in April, is gearing up for its second rendition with a star-studded cast of elite athletes and celebrities when the ElliptiGO Bike for Humanity II presented by Banner Bank and Events.com takes to streets around the world on Saturday, July 25. It’s an opportunity for participants to get out and ride their bikes for up to two hours during the day to support three outstanding organizations that are doing incredible work in the community.

Joining Walton in headlining Bike for Humanity II are ultramarathon champion and three-time winner of Competitor Magazine’s Endurance Athlete of the Year, Dean Karnazes, and Boston (2014) and New York City (2009) Marathon champion and Olympic Silver Medalist, Meb Keflezighi (kef-FLEZ-ghee).

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Bike for Humanity II is a virtual bike ride in which participants can participate anywhere around the globe. Individuals are encouraged to get out and ride their bikes for up to two hours in an area where they can practice social distancing. Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines continue to recommend a minimum of six feet of social distancing in an effort to stem the pandemic. It is CRITICAL to note that Bike for Humanity II is NOT a group ride and riding clusters are PROHIBITED due to the coronavirus.

Net proceeds from Bike for Humanity II will benefit three outstanding nonprofits, Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K), No Kid Hungry and The Rex Foundation.

Based in Minneapolis, Free Bikes 4 Kidz is a national organization that collects used bicycles, rehabilitates them with the help of volunteers, and then gives those bikes away to kids in communities around the country. Currently in 12 U.S. cities, FB4K’s goal is to give away 1 million bikes in the next five years in 100 American cities.

No Kid Hungry is a national campaign run by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. After 25 years of successfully investing in local nonprofits and helping find the best approaches to eradicating poverty and hunger, Share Our Strength launched No Kid Hungry in 2010.

Named after long-time Grateful Dead road manager Rex Jackson, The Rex Foundation supports creative endeavors in the fields of arts, sciences, and education. It aims to help secure a healthy environment, promote individuality in the arts, provide support to critical and necessary social services, assist others less fortunate than ourselves, protect the rights of indigenous people and ensure their cultural survival, build a stronger community, and educate children and adults everywhere.

For those who simply want to participate, there is no cost to sign-up and register for Bike for Humanity II, however there are multiple opportunities to donate and receive commemorative keepsakes, including medals, T-shirts and more. There are also VIP experiences and opportunities to win great prizes. Riders can visit www.BikeforHumanity.com to register and learn more.

Additional Bike for Humanity II partners include USA Cycling, Morgan-Stanley, Sierra Nevada, Sun Bum, Columbia Sportwear, prAna, The Grateful Dead, Shimano and Electra Bikes.

Status of SD Pro Sports - Return to Play Updates as of June 23

Aviators: Will play the entire season at the Greenbrier in West Virginia from July 12-30. 63 matches over 19 days. Fans allowed and they are following all health requirements in West Virginia. As of June 16th

Del Mar Races: Will return a week earlier than usually scheduled due to there not being a fair – July 10th.  Hoping to race in front of fans but can do it without if necessary. As of June 11th

Farmers Insurance Open: No announcement yet from Century Club so still planning on January 23rd but the PGA has resumed. As of May 13th

Gulls: AHL cancels remainder of 2019-2020 season. As of May 11th

Legion: MLR cancels remainder of 2019-2020 season. As of March 19th

Loyal: USL is actively preparing for a restart to the season July 11th. Will return in the home cities of the clubs vs a hub model. As of June 19th

Padres: MLB Opening Day is scheduled for July 23/24th with “spring” training to begin July 1st. This will be a 60 game season. As of June 22nd

Seals: NLL looked at all possibilities and decided to shift attention to next season. As of June 4th

Sockers: MASL had a plan in place to return to playoffs announced May 21 but later decided to not go forward with that plan… They are still monitoring return-to-play opportunities for the 2019-20 season. As of June 3rd

The New (ab)Normal! Let’s get Open… and Stay Opened! (May Newsletter)

I feel like I can say that none of us ever had a thought about 2020 that included this awful pandemic. It has evoked such a stream of awareness… that starts with the front liners who have selflessly served so many, who count the most… and reaches to our beaches, paths and courses, and with them, the businesses that are built upon our lifestyles.

But for all of us who have started a business, nurtured it, see it go through the spectrum of business cycles, it's heartbreaking. Life-long dream businesses are in jeopardy. Our sense of responsibility is torn between compliance and defiance. As employers, we know our colleagues are counting on us… and just as many people are counting on them… that is the wonder of California’s small business community. 90% of San Diego businesses are classified as “small.”

So, what to do? How about remain compliant. Follow social guidelines. Be patient. Be prepared. Spend a little money at all of your favorite shops and stops. For businesses, make sure you got the funding you deserve, either CARES or EIDL. If you did not, and are deserving, ask for help: we might be able to provide guidance.

Most importantly, lead by example. It’s always the right time to do the right thing. Following guidelines now saves lives and helps prevent a recurrence. That's a win!

Check out this 360 video from the fabulous artists at Jiva VR featuring Bill Walton, Rob Machado, and Tiffany Joh… pretty much says it all!

-bob

Read the full May Newsletter HERE

The True Meaning of Community in San Diego (April Newsletter)

With today being Bob’s birthday, we tried to create a zoom call with the virtual background of us being at his house in Cabo (where he was planning to be on his birthday) but he was unable to make the Zoom call so this is the best we could do.

Words fail me when it comes to thanking the many, many people who stepped up in the Coronavirus crisis. I hesitate to try to mention them for fearing of leaving an important segment out… but all hospital staff, police, firemen, food bank operators, homelessness advocates, pharmacists and staff, grocery workers, and owners, too, for setting aside a senior hour to protect grandparents and people with challenges, gas station operators, Home Depot staff, every single small restaurant and coffee shop who remain open in some format, just for us… caregivers, brave City, County and State Leaders (never more proud to be a Californian).

And to those in the business community who did all they could to service the community… local banks, local property management and real estate companies, accountants, volunteer CFO’s, law firms, HR companies who try to make sense out of the confusion.

And to local heroes like Bill Walton and Tony Finn who create Bike for Humanity and got 15,000 cyclists around the world to celebrate our spirit and donate to 4 great charities.

There are more… many more, but let me just offer up an anthem that I think sums up San Diego’s amazing strength of spirit and community:

"Lean On Me"
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise,
We know that there's always tomorrow.

Lean on me when you're not strong
I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on.

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show.

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you'll understand,
We all need somebody to lean on.

Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you'll understand,
We all need somebody to lean on.

If there is a load
You have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me.

Call me if you need a friend
Call me, call me, uh-huh
Call me when you need a friend
Call me if you ever need a friend
Call me, call me
Call me, call me

-Bob

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE

Bill Walton and Friends Inter-Galactic Bike for Humanity event to benefit victims of Coronavirus and healthcare workers set for Saturday, April 25

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
https://www.bikeforhumanity.com/
Contact: Scott Yoffe
Scott@YoffeCommunications.com / (619) 723-6850

Bill Walton and Friends Inter-Galactic Bike for Humanity event
to benefit victims of Coronavirus and healthcare workers set for Saturday, April 25

Basketball Hall of Famer and San Diego native Bill Walton is teaming up with community leaders and Events.com to host an inter-galactic initiative, Bike for Humanity, on Saturday, April 25, 2020 from 9-11 a.m. PT.

One hundred percent (100%) of all net proceeds from the event will benefit victims of the recent Coronavirus pandemic, along with healthcare professionals who have so valiantly treated them during this devastating crisis. Those proceeds will be distributed among four participating nonprofits, Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), the leading organization in the fight against hunger in the United States; Father Joe’s Villages (my.neighbor.org), one of the largest homeless services providers in San Diego; #GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), an organization that shares information and connects the community to help healthcare providers receive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and Champions for Health (championsforhealth.org), a San Diego-based organization whose mission is to improve community health and wellness, access to care for all and support for physicians through engaged volunteerism.

Individuals are encouraged to get out and ride their bikes for up to two hours in an area where they can practice social distancing at a minimum of 6’ 11” in honor of Bill’s true height (at least the last time he was measured). Current CDC guidelines recommend a minimum of six feet of social distancing in an effort to stem the pandemic. It is CRITICAL to note that Bike for Humanity is NOT a group ride and riding clusters are PROHIBITED due to the Coronavirus. Interested participants can ride anywhere in the galaxy as long as they are in a location where they can practice social distancing.

“I love my bike and I love being alive,” said Walton, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, of his reasons for helping to create this one-of-a-kind event. “These seemingly inseparable aspects of my life are great privileges, privileges that not everybody has, even in the best of times. However, with that privilege comes responsibility, obligation and duty. And with the global health Coronavirus crisis changing everything for everybody these days, we are doing something about and for the exacerbated challenges that so many of our communities now face, not the least of which are food and medical care.”

There is no charge to sign-up or participate in Bike for Humanity. However, there are multiple opportunities to donate and become more involved.

Participants who make a $25 contribution will receive a Bike for Humanity medal through the mail. Those who make a $50 contribution will receive a medal and a T-shirt. Participants who pledge $250 will receive the medal and T-shirt, along with a personally-signed “Thank You” photograph card from Bill, and they’ll be entered into an opportunity drawing for exclusive prizes, including Electra bicycles and an all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to ride with Bill. And for $5,000, riders will receive a medal and T-shirt, along with an all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to ride with Bill. Details on all the packages are available HERE. And it’s important to note too that for people who are unable to participate on the 25th for any reason, Bike for Humanity is an ongoing initiative and outdoor enthusiasts should be proud to don their Bike for Humanity T-shirts and medals and get out and safely ride their bicycles when conditions allow.

Events.com is planning a live-stream of the event featuring Bill and other interesting people, however it will air on a delay from 1-3 p.m. PT giving participants plenty of time to get home following the ride to watch.

For more information or to register for Bike for Humanity, visit the event’s official site, https://www.bikeforhumanity.com/. 

### 

Zoom In on the Community (March Newsletter)

A Note from Our Industry Chairman, John Sarkisian
This is an unprecedented time for our society and for our economy. However, we the business community, have been here before. In the early 90’s it was the Gulf War and the Savings and Loan Crisis. In 2001, the horrific 9/11 attack and still somewhat fresh in our memories the 2008 mortgage/ real estate crash. While each situation was unique, they all brought economic hardship and ultimately revival and growth. Now is a time for leadership and taking action for your business to survive and ultimately thrive.

First, it is time to recognize your most important asset and your largest cost: PEOPLE. Your leadership group will step up to the task and the ask. You as a group have the opportunity to take care of your team. You may have to let some of your team go with the hope you can rehire them in the future. You must right-size your business and maximize the cash you have to survive. On the liability side of your business it is the time to talk to your landlord, your lender, your suppliers and others. They are your partners and will work with you to get through this together. They want you to survive and know you will repay them for their help. Don’t leave any stone unturned to retain and acquire cash. Call a customer and see if they need product. Why not? You may be surprised.

While this is a difficult time it might just be the best time to be in the Health and Wellness/Sports and Active Lifestyle business. Our population understands the importance of health in their ability to fight off this and the next virus should it arrive. Once fear and uncertainty is behind us, they will be spending again with our companies.

Take care of your self. Each and every day be the best athlete you can be. Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery is critical for you during this stressful time.

SDSI and our SAL community collectively is here to help you

Zoom In on the Community “Good friends come out on Rainy days.” It started last week when we got the San Diego Pro Sport execs on a Zoom video meeting. We did not discuss the obvious… instead we talked about aligning our sport interests to celebrate San Diego sports the minute it is safe to do so. It was uplifting. This week we have had 2 Zoom calls with over 25 members - both industry and service providers… we got down to basic, actionable strategies about the employment issues, leases and abatement ideas, disaster aid, and crisis loans, to name a few. But mostly, it was an uplifting opportunity to compare notes with people we know and trust. By the way, that's a good definition of “community,” yours and ours. Next week we will continue these membership Zoom meetings. Nick will connect with invites or you can rsvp with him now on this link: (nick@sdsportinnovators.com.) Make it a point to participate. Our goal is to reach every SDSI member. You can “give or get. ” Believe me, both feel good.
-Bob

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE

Rob Machado, Breitbard Hall of Fame Inductee (Feb Newsletter)

If ever there was an iconic figure in our world of Sport and Active lifestyle athletes, its Rob Machado. His resume is magical… Pipeline Master, US Open Champion, soul surfer, environmentalist and a very humble person on top of it all.

Earlier this month the San Diego Sports Association welcomed Rob into the Bob Breitbard Hall of Fame. The Hall was started 67 years ago and includes 159 of San Diego’s greatest athletes, many of whom come from environments close to us… our own Bill Walton, Trevor Hoffman and Tony Hawk to name a few. It’s an amazing and well-deserved honor and reflective of the values many of our Oceanic brethren share. Thanks Rob, for all, from all of us!
-Bob

Read the full newsletter here

“If everybody had an ocean, across the USA……” (January Newsletter)

Not only do we have an ocean here in San Diego, we have an awesome micro climate and business ecosystem. We are geographically privileged… ocean to the west, desert then mountain to the east, Mexico (aka as the “new China” for its powerhouse resources), and of course the amazing Camp Pendleton buffer, manned up by 8,000 Marines keeping the OC and LA uh, “up there”!

But there’s far more amazing facts about San Diego:
• 2nd largest city in California
• 8th largest city in the US
• #1 in concentration of Military/Defense Assets
• Voted #2 Most Inventive City in the world 
• #1 most-patented Sports and Active lifestyle sector
• #4 in Top Life Science and Biosciences locations
• Young City:
•      #1 in Millennials as a percent of population 
•      Median Age: 34.9
•      25% of the population is under 20
• Forbes: Best Place to Launch a Start Up
• 80+ educational and research institutes in the region
• UCSD Graduates more engineers than Berkeley and Stanford… Combined

Add into all this data the SANDAG plan to connect the county’s 7 major residential areas with the regions 5 major employment hubs by light rail…all with met “last mile” autonomous micro cars, you can begin to see that San Diego is undergoing a transformation.

The really great news is the population shift we’ll embrace... a sport, active or healthy lifestyle… that's opportunity we can all embrace.

Can’t wait!
Bob

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Share Your Luck (December Newsletter)

Things to be thankful for… family and friends, our business community, our real home community, awesome weather, fabulous December sunsets, camaraderie, positive economy… and… wait a minute…

How about being thankful for Pat and Stephanie Kilkenny’s Lucky Duck Foundation for their amazing leadership and financial commitment to meet the homeless challenges head on, not by talking about it, rather by taking action and funding large industrial tent structures that serve as bridge shelters and sleep more than 650 people per night and provide safe housing, food, services and other critical needs to get them back onto the road of independence.

There are unofficially more than 26,000 homeless individuals throughout San Diego County. Be assured that every one of them has a tragic human story, and know that often the events that make for homelessness can happen to us all. A loss of a job, or a medical disaster… these, and many other personal disasters can happen to any of us.

Lets end 2019 with an act of thoughtfulness, compassion and good citizenship. Go to the Lucky Duck Foundation website, click “donate” and share your GOOD luck with others.

Bob, Renne, Nick and Dana…and special thanks to Bill and Lori Walton for being who they are!

Read the full December Newsletter HERE

Working with Heart (From Steven Morris)

This article was taken (with permission!) from Steven Morris’s newsletter… for more of these types of articles, visit themthdegree.com

During my time with Invitas, the year-long study of Conversational Leadership with the poet David Whyte and his talented faculty, one of our invitations was to “become intimate with a piece of poetry or verse and be prepared to share this with the group.” 

The intent of this, I later learned, was to commit a passage by heart so that it was internalized. And, when appropriate perform the piece. The performance for many is a completely different and somewhat daunting issue. In parallel, working closely with David, his faculty and my cohort, we developed a bond of sorts; a connection not just of the mind, but of the heart.

When we know something by heart our relationship to it changes. It deepens to our core. Like when we work closely with a team of people at work, partners in business, or life partners, friends, and collaborators. By committing to know something by heart we also commit to working with heart—the two are inextricable.

By living and working with heart, we create a deeper bond and impact with the people and the work we’re committed to. This bond stays with us, like a poem infused in our mind’s eye.
 

“A true vocation calls us out beyond ourselves; breaks our heart in the process and then humbles, simplifies and enlightens us about the hidden, core nature of the work that enticed us in the first place.”
― David Whyte 

Back to poetry by heart… 
What I discovered by knowing poems and passages by heart is that when we do so we become intimate with the meaning of the piece. In a way, we make it uniquely ours by bringing our own meaning to it.

By learning anything by heart, we do them with heart. I have now committed a handful of my favorite poems to memory by reciting them out loud to myself as I walked in the wilderness or along the shore. These poems I know by heart and I carry the wisdom within them as an ever-present remembrance. I sometimes use this poetry in my talks, workshops and work with groups as a language to move people beyond the vernacular in the workplace.

We have the opportunity every day, every week and every year to choose to live with heart. As you enter into your new year, I offer you this piece of poetry and wish you the peace and blessings for a prosperous, peace-filled, and lucid 2020.

May the clarity of your work be done with heart and may it take root for the benefit of many.