What happens when the gear made for you is just a shrunken-down version of someone else’s? Women in the outdoors have been asking that for years. Robin Hall noticed kids had the same problem.
Robin is a co-founder of Town Hall, a Steamboat Springs-based outdoor apparel brand making durable, functional gear for kids, with kids helping design it. We met at Title Nine Pitchfest last year, and I’ve wanted her on the pod ever since.
Ask the People Wearing It
When Smartwool moved its headquarters to Denver, Robin and her co-founders decided they weren’t leaving Steamboat. They saw brands handling kids’ gear the way they so often handle women’s: “Size it down, throw some unicorns on it, and call it a kids’ jacket.”
So Town Hall asks the kids. A few times a year, kids pick the season’s colors, tell the team where the pockets should go, and say when something is ugly. They’re the reason Town Hall makes a bib instead of just pants.
Better gear means the whole family stays outside longer.
Slow Growth Doesn’t Mean Small Ambition
In 2021, Robin loaded up her car, knocked on 74 shop doors across Colorado, and came home with five purchase orders. Town Hall has grown slowly and on purpose since then, with its co-founders, retailers, factory, and even the local screen printer keeping each other accountable.
Robin also told me about staying up until 2 a.m. writing a full marketing plan, hitting save, and then realizing nobody had asked for it. That’s what being your own boss looks like.
The “No” That Turned Into a Partnership
The first time Robin applied to Pitchfest, she wasn’t invited. She emailed to ask why, and the answer was that they don’t do kids. The next year she pitched anyway and didn’t win. Two months later, Title Nine called and asked whether Town Hall would make a women’s jacket with them. They’re now in their second season together.
I’ve been trying to live that lesson myself lately. If there’s nothing to lose, ask.
Don’t Underestimate What You Have to Give
We also talked about networking that doesn’t feel like networking: being curious, telling people what you’re up to, and seeing what comes of it. Robin left me with a reminder I keep coming back to:
“Don’t ever underestimate what you have to give.”
Whether it’s kids’ jackets, skiing the trees in Steamboat, or napping, you know something someone else could use.
Follow Along
Whether you’re building a business, considering a new opportunity, or just need a reminder to go for the thing, give this one a listen.
Shop Town Hall: townhallco.com (store locator included)
Follow Town Hall: @towncallco_
Follow the podcast: @tarinitupco
Newsletter: tarinitup.myflodesk.com
Support the pod: buymeacoffee.com/tarinitup