11/9/24
Fall CT Cup
Our last lacrosse tournament of the 2024 season was the Fall CT Cup hosted by Team CT Lax at the Sportsplex in Branford, CT. I was flying solo on this one as Dad was home with the kiddos and coaching Welles in hockey. Ironically, our first customer of the day had seen us the previous weekend at the Fall Bulldog Bash, and she was back for more hats! I recognized her immediately as we had bonded over the name "Welles" and our connections to THE Welles Crowther. If you haven't heard of the Story of the Man in the Red Bandana, we highly recommend you take some time out of your day to watch the ESPN Documentary. Your life will be forever changed. In our case, Dad had attended BC '09 and played on the Lacrosse Team, about 10 years behind Welles Crowther and when we had our first child we decided to name him after Welles. The amount of people we've met at lacrosse events who either knew of Welles Crowther or have some story relating to him is simply remarkable. Continuing to share his story is an honor we are blessed to have.
11/2/24
Fall Bulldog Bash
Lacrosse season was coming to a close but, luckily, we were able to sneak in a few November tournaments before the weather turned! Welles and Dad were busy with hockey at home, so Mom traveled down to Farmington, CT for the Fall Bulldog Bash by NXT Lacrosse. It was a beautiful fall day and we were in state we hadn't yet been in before. The feedback was awesome!! Connecticut is a hot bed for lacrosse and these boys were loving BrotherWelles. We met so many wonderful families that day. It's always nice to have Welles there in the tent with us, but on those days that he can't make it, telling his story and showing his pictures reminds us of the journey and all we've accomplished so far.
9/21/24
Andover Days
We were anticipating a repeat of Reading Days at Andover Days, but boy were we wrong. As they say - When it rains, it pours! Literally. It rained nonstop from morning until evening and there wasn't a dry a spot in sight. But, we still managed to have some fun and make the best of it. Welles has three younger sisters who have been wanting to start selling hats of their own so we recently launched the "Chick" hat. It has been a huge hit and brought an extra dose of fun and color to the collection.
9/8/24
Reading Days
Reading Days is one of the largest Town Events in our area so we figured we should check it out and get in on the action! Our new USA Flag Hat had just arrived and we were excited to see how they would do. As expected, they were a top seller that day and have been ever since. About a week after the event, Dad called Mom on his way home from work. He had been driving through Reading and, with excitement in his voice, he explained how he just spotted one of the middle schoolers walking through town wearing our USA Hat. How cool was that! This has since happened multiple times now and every time we see a stranger wearing a BrotherWelles hat it reminds us just how far we've come!
September 2024
Burlington Mall
With summer winding down and school in full swing, we were brainstorming ideas on how to keep getting BrotherWelles out there and in front of people. The Burlington Mall is a local shopping center that we decided to try our hand at for the month of September. Having never run a kiosk before, we had a lot of learning to do! Things like lease terms, COI, and getting professional signage done all seemed a bit daunting, but we forged through and got it up and running. Welles worked the kiosk when he could, which was mostly Friday and Saturday nights, while Mom held down the shop during other peak hours. I must say, while we are grateful for the experience, attending lacrosse tournaments was much more our speed. I am not so sure you will be seeing us back in the mall anytime soon, but who knows! As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
7/30/24
Lake Placid, NY
Welles' dad plays on the North Shore Men's Lacrosse Team. Each Summer, they travel up to Lake Placid, NY to play in an annual tournament. In the days leading up to the Men's division, there is a youth tournament called the Lake Placid Summit Classic. We figured why not make a week long family trip out of it with the idea of selling hats the first few days and then watching dad play on the second half of the trip. And, of course, we would squeeze in some sight seeing at Olympic Village and swim in the lake on off hours, making it a memorable trip for everyone! This was the largest event we had attended and we were in the company of well known and established vendors in the lacrosse community. Welles was up for the challenge and decided to get creative with his sales technique. He convinced his sister to throw on some BrotherWelles apparel and walk around the fields with him yelling, "Hat's for Sale". There's nothing like learning direct sales at such a young age! While they may have come back empty handed after their first time out, we had multiple customers later in the day mention that the reason they came over was because they saw our kids walking around the fields and working hard. By the end of the week, Welles would consistency come back from his walks with a couple of hats sold each time, and a smile on his face. Certainly a summer trip we will never forget!
7/24/24
Lemonade Stand
It was mid-summer and, like many kids, Welles had been itching to set up a lemonade stand in our front yard. Now with hats always on his mind, he was determined to sell hats instead of lemonade. So down to the basement he went to gather all of the necessary items - table, tablecloth, chair, sign, money box, and, of course, hats, shirts, and ties. A few minutes later, I looked out at the front yard to see him all set up and sitting there in his chair, ready to sell! He stayed outside for about 5 hours that day and made some solid sales. We live in a cul-de-sac and don't get much traffic but he managed to pocket a couple hundred dollars off of a hard days work, and with barely any help from his parents. Way to go Welles!
7/21/24 - DAY 2
Newport Lacrosse Classic
Day 2 of the Newport Lacrosse Classic was on the beautiful campus of St. George's School. We had learned a lot of lessons from Day 1 and quickly made some adjustments on the fly. Welles had been working hard on on growing his Instagram but it was always so awkward to ask customers to take a photo with him. So Mom came up with a clever idea of posting a sign that says, "FREE STICKER when you take a photo with Welles and tag it on Instagram!" Luckily, there was a Staples on the way to our hotel Saturday night so we made quick pit stop and put up the sign for Day 2. It worked!! Welles snapped plenty of photos with customers and in return, they got a free water bottle sticker. It was a win-win scenario.
7/20/24 - DAY 1
Newport Lacrosse Classic
We packed up the truck, loaded in the family, and hit the road to Newport, RI for our next big event - the Newport Lacrosse Classic by ML8 Events. This was a two day event. Day 1 was at the scenic Roger Williams University with views of the water behind the fields. We had plenty of space and were able to set up garment racks showcasing our new Lax Bro Shirts. Our branded 10x10 BrotherWelles tent topper had also just arrived. We love the pop of color on the top and this made us feel like we were becoming a real brand!
6/28/24
St. Sebastian's Lacrosse Camp
Welles' dad runs a youth lacrosse camp at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, MA every summer. Not only was Welles able to participate as a camper this year, but he was also given the opportunity to set up a table to sell his hats on the last day of camp. What a hit! At the end of the camp day, Welles hustled off the field to help with sales and share his story to the boys. Such a fun week all around. Thank you St. Sebastian's!
6/15/24 - Our FIRST Event!
MYL at Devens
Our shipment of hats arrived just days before the tournament. Thanks to Dad's connections with the tournament organizer of Mass Youth Lacrosse we secured a last minute spot as a vendor. We quickly ordered a few tables and a tent off of Amazon, and Mom ran out to Staples to get a banner printed. Ironically, this was also Welles' last tournament of the Andover Youth Lacrosse Spring '24 Season so he and Dad (coach) would be out on the field for most of the day while mom and the girls held down the tent. Welles' grandmother, Dee Dee, also came to lend a helping had. It sure takes a village! The event was a huge success and we sold over 100+ hats in a 5 hour time span - WOW! It was such a thrill to see all of our hard work pay off. After the event, we came to the realization that we were "on to something" and decided to sign up for more lacrosse tournaments. And just like that, we were quickly headed into a busy Summer of selling hats as a family of 6!