Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019 - 62

#replife: w/Dana Caraway

Keep Climbing
A DEDICATED CLIMBER AND YOGINI, DANA CARAWAY LIVES AND
breathes the outdoor lifestyle even when she's working on the road.
Twenty years ago she was a school teacher and took her kids to the
Boulder Rock Club on an outing. She liked it so much, she started working there as a second job. Soon, her career trajectory took off in the outdoor industry. She worked at La Sportiva, then took a position as brand
manager for Stonewear Designs. "I sort of fell into repping when I realized you can make the coolest stuff, but if you're not selling it, you're not
really going anywhere," she says. She moved to Bishop, California, and
started repping lines on her own. Eventually, she started up her own
agency with California and the Southwest as her territory. She now reps
eight lines at over 500 retail outlets with a team of young people growing into the business with her. Still the teacher at heart, she stresses that
she's always learning from them, too.
What's the most fulfilling thing about being an independent rep?
It's definitely getting to work with different brands. I really like having
the opportunity to sell everything from UGG robes to rock climbing
shoes. I love the diversity of what I'm able to rep. I mean, I love the outdoor industry, but it's fun to be able to dip my toe in fashion, too.
The most challenging?
Making sure that you're able to give the best representation to every single brand. I want to give 110 percent to everything. That's why you have
to hire a good team.
What can reps do to create better relationships with the retailers
they work with?
It's great to sell in, but you need to sell through, too. So you really need to
work with the retailers on their sell-through. You need to develop relationships to make sure that you're able to give them the best customer
service that you can.
What can retailers do better to get the most out of their reps?
Truly ask us for what they need. I mean, we are here for the retailer.
Granted, we are definitely here for the brands, to be best brand ambassadors that we can be, but we're really here for the retailer. So let us know
what we need to do to help.

62 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Summer 2019

AGENCY: Caraway & Co.
HOME BASE: Bishop, California
BRANDS SHE REPS:
prAna, Outdoor Research,
La Sportiva, Mystery Ranch,
Socksmith, UGG, Hari Mari,
and Helinox

Favorite place to play?
Any time I can stop in and take
a great yoga class I do it. I love
running, so any time I can get on a
singletrack trail and go for a little
run is awesome, too. Santa Cruz, California, has a lot of really fun singletrack for running and biking.
How do you live the brands you rep? What do you get out and use
that you rep?
prAna! I was just in India and did a 10-day yoga retreat. I climb-I live
in Bishop, so I climb-so I spend a lot of time in La Sportiva. Outdoor
Research offers a little bit of everything; I even use it for mountain biking. And I always have a Mystery Ranch pack on. I was in Egypt and
went on a camel ride with my Mystery Ranch pack on.
Are there any shops in your territory in particular where you
have built lasting relationships that go beyond the business side
of things?
Summit Hut [in Tucson, Arizona]. When they opened a new store, I
was there helping paint until 3:00 in the morning. Sports Basement
[in the Bay Area, California] is another one. I feel like we really respect
each other. I will show them everything, but I also need to understand
their store. I know they can't buy everything and I respect that.
How do you have a unique perspective on the outdoor industry?
I really want the next generation to come into this industry. So I really
encourage that next generation to be part of a rep group, part of my
team. I've been in the industry for a while, but I want people on my team
who understand that next customer and that next market.
Any last words of advice for retailers looking to succeed in the
current outdoor industry climate?
The people who really succeed are the ones who connect with their
community. I was just at Alpenglow Sports last night up in Tahoe,
and the owner, Brendan Madigan, is doing an incredible job. He
has a speaker series and "Tailgate Talks." Summit Hut is another
one. Sports Basement. They have multiple locations, but each one is
unique to its surrounding community. O.R.

Photo courtesy Dana Caraway

Dana Caraway developed busines savvy on the
path from school teacher to rep agency owner,
but she's always looking to learn more.

What's your favorite place to
eat when you are on the road in
your territory?
I go to Whole Foods when I'm
being good-trying to be good.
Then I have Chipotle just to get
something quick and eat it on the
road. You can take the napkins
and tuck them into your shirt to
have a little bib.

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019

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