Raising Brands… Eric Martin on business

Eric Martin understands the commitment it takes to build businesses and the role thrill seeking plays in keeping life in perspective. An entrepreneur, brand builder, he has spent more than two decades growing apparel, footwear, headwear and lifestyle brands across U.S. and international markets.

Since founding The Park Showroom in 2008, Martin has combined an instinct for emerging brands with expertise in sales strategy, data analytics, retail relationships and business development. Over his career, he has generated and managed approximately $600 million in cumulative sales, managed businesses generating approximately $50 million annually, and led teams of up to 55. Visiting stores across North America, Martin has been on the road mentoring his sales staff too many times to count on two hands. His brand portfolio includes On Running, Converse by John Varvatos, Goorin Brothers, Woolrich, Billionaire Boys Club and Scotch & Soda, with retail relationships spanning Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Foot Locker, Dick’s Sporting Goods, LIDS and DTLR. He also previously co-owned Media Playground PR before selling his shares to his partner.

Thrill seeking remains a necessity in Martin’s life. Whether snowboarding, riding motocross, practicing jiu-jitsu or backflipping off cliffs, he seeks challenges that demand preparation, presence and commitment. Adventure also expresses a lesson he wants his daughters to carry: fear deserves consideration, but it does not have to decide what comes next. He encourages them to trust their abilities, stretch their limits and keep pushing past “scary”, a principle that continues to shape his business, his parenting and his life.

GN: It’s 2008. The economy is shifting like it has never been before. You decide to open a business.

EM: Apparently, I interpreted “financial crisis” as a market invitation. I founded The Park Showroom and got an immediate education in adaptability. Some entrepreneurs ease into uncertainty. I went with the immersion program.

GN: Explain your job to someone who thinks a showroom is a particularly ambitious closet.

EM: I help apparel, footwear, headwear and lifestyle brands grow through sales strategy, retail relationships, data analytics and business development. There are clothes involved, yes. There are also forecasts, negotiations and people who would like everything delivered yesterday. The closet has responsibilities.

GN: What happens when your gut instinct and your spreadsheet disagree?

EM: They have a meeting, because apparently we needed another one. Instinct helps me spot an opportunity; the numbers tell me whether it’s working. I’m happy to believe in a brand. I’d also like evidence that someone outside the building wants to buy it.

GN: Have you sold enough merchandise to justify all this confidence?

EM: Across my career, I’ve generated and managed approximately $600 million in cumulative sales, managed businesses producing around $50 million annually and led teams of up to 55. So there is some supporting documentation. I understand confidence is available without it, but I took the longer route.

GN: Tell us more of the insight and what brands made a difference with all of your success. Off the top of your head, can you name a couple?

EM: My portfolio includes On Running, Converse by John Varvatos, Goorin Brothers, Woolrich, Billionaire Boys Club and Scotch & Soda. Retail relationships include Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Foot Locker, Dick’s Sporting Goods, LIDS and DTLR.

GN: Can you walk into a store without conducting an unofficial inspection?

EM: After more than two decades in the business? Unlikely. I’m looking at placement, pricing, assortment and how the product is performing.

GN: Why personally travel around North America mentoring salespeople?

EM: I’ve spent countless days visiting stores and working alongside my team because you learn things in person that never make it into a report. If I expect people to execute a strategy, I should probably be willing to leave my chair and help them.

GN: You also co-owned Media Playground PR. Was one inbox failing to meet your needs?

EM: Apparently, I had spare capacity for correspondence. I previously co-owned the agency before selling my shares to my partner. It’s another chapter in my entrepreneurial history. Somewhere along the way, I seem to have confused “opportunity” with “available time.”

GN: What did the pandemic contribute to your business, besides an exciting new understanding of uncertainty?

EM: An extremely thorough review of what actually mattered. I streamlined the business, reassessed priorities and focused resources where they could make a difference. Suddenly, “because we’ve always done it that way” required a better supporting argument. Preferably one with numbers. -

GN: What does relaxing mean to you?

EM: I’m aware that people sit down recreationally. I prefer snowboarding, motocross, jiu-jitsu and backflipping off cliffs. Physical challenges demand my attention and keep life in perspective. My inbox has yet to produce anything that deserves consideration halfway through a backflip, despite its obvious opinion of itself.

GN: Is the cliff jump really necessary?

EM: For the quarterly forecast? Probably not. For me, adventure is necessary. I need experiences that make me prepare, focus and work through fear. The cliff is one option. I’m not prescribing it to the accounting department.