The DHC Podcast
Ever wondered what it’s like to be truly involved in sports? Wonder no more!
On this podcast, I’ll sit down with players, GMs, owners, and passionate fans like you to uncover how they fell in love with sports. We’ll dive into their unique journeys, explore the business side of the game, and discuss the endless possibilities that the sport offers.
From behind-the-scenes stories to deep conversations about the sport, I’m here to explore it all—while having a ton of fun along the way!
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The DHC Podcast
The Art of American-Made Headwear: Inside Sandlot Goods PT 1
Thomas, CEO of Sandlot Goods, shares the story behind their American-made hats and leather products, explaining how quality manufacturing and positive workplace culture create products meant to last generations.
• Founded with the belief that everyone needs their own "sandlot" – a place where they work hard at something they love
• Started as a leather goods company before expanding into high-quality, American-manufactured hats
• Produces approximately 1500-1600 hats weekly through a meticulous 20+ step sewing process
• Uses duck canvas as their signature material, creating durable hats that develop character with wear
• Maintains rigorous quality control standards while balancing production needs
• Employs core values like positivity and pride in work to shape company culture and reduce turnover
• Creates custom hats for companies and other brands, including the New Heights podcast
• Planning limited edition releases featuring rare, unique materials in the coming year
• Focused on making high-quality products accessible rather than luxury-priced
Check out their Negro Leagues partnership hats and other merchandise at the Sandlot Goods website, where you'll find American-made quality that's built to last.
Sandlot Goods: https://sandlotgoods.com/
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What's your sandlot? Find your sandlot Like we're here to support whatever passion you have. Throw your sandlot hat on, get in the garage and start brewing beer or whatever it is. If you're doing it at 4 am before you go to your day job, like that's your sandlot and we're here to support that All right, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, welcome everybody to yet another episode of the DadHack Chronicles. My name is Ed, also known as the Deadhead, with me. Actually, I am flying solo tonight. My co-host, val, is not with us, so it's cool. No big deal, because I'm very excited for this. Guys, I have someone whose company I follow a lot and whose company I have given a lot of money to Thomas. How are you doing today, my friend?
Speaker 1:I am doing great, excited to be here. Appreciate you giving me the time.
Speaker 2:Absolutely no. Thank you, first of all, for allowing giving some time, taking a little bit of time out of your family time. I get that, so I do appreciate that. So, guys, if you didn't know, Thomas and I want to make sure that I I got that you're the CEO of Sandlot goods, Is that correct?
Speaker 1:Correct. Yeah, so I'm, I'm. I'm sitting as a CEO right now. Uh, and, and our founder, his name's Chad Hickman, um, and so he, he can't be on tonight, but, uh, he, he trusts me with the story of Sandlot and, uh, I'm pretty ingrained in our story and how we started, so lots goes to him. I'll give him the credit where he needs it. But yeah, I'm currently sitting as our CEO sport?
Speaker 2:I'm going to ask you that. But also, like, why hats right? Like I mean, you know, what is it that about hats and sporting that just got you interested in doing what you're doing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the it's a good. It's a good place to start because it kind of talks about how I got into the seat that I'm in. The company I started is actually called Made in Kansas City, so it's a local retail here in Kansas City and it's exactly what it sounds like. We work with 200 plus local artists and makers and we buy and sell their products. So we have 13 location 14, including our cafes and we buy and sell local goods. So Sandlot Goods is one of the very first companies we interacted with. This is back in 2015.
Speaker 1:So at that point it was just Chad Hickman, our founder, and a few other team members and they were making leather goods, actually Like we still make. If you're on our website, you can see our leather goods, our wallets, our journal covers and they're all. They're all yard ball. Yeah, that one's that one's been a lot of fun. We'll get to that. That's more recent, but I started interacting with them and we got to sit next to Chad for a long time and in 2019, Mating KC got some ownership in Sandlot Goods and it was one of the true Mating KC companies, meaning they were cutting and sewing and making the product in kansas city, and that meant a lot to us, uh, and so we got along well with chad and got some ownership in the company to try to help them grow it, uh. So really it was just more about chad's vision, uh, and how we could. We could truly make something here in the usa and manufacture it with with hands and humans that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Uh, I love that story, right, like that. It is made, you know, here in the US. And then I made an unboxing video a while back and I said, guys, they make it here, they make it, as a matter of fact, they make it in Kansas City. You guys got to go support it, you know, like it's not that expensive, right, and it's.
Speaker 1:I love their hands, by the way no-transcript entrepreneur that wants to start something just to sell it and go to the next I I want to have. I always talk about building a company that people want to buy, but mainly that I want to be part of, because probably no one's going to want to buy it and I was in a place that I want to go work every day, um, and so the manufacturing piece of what, what Chad was doing, and the cutting and sewing and the machinery.
Speaker 1:it just had more meat to it, more meaning to it, something that you could go to every day and problem solve and be part of and have a purpose that people understood. We want to make things. We want to make high quality things. One of the early sayings of Sandlock Goods was products that you're going to hand down to the next generation, and so that's a goal for us but we also want to make it approachable.
Speaker 1:We're not trying to make 100 hats. We're not trying to make something that's super luxury. We're trying to be competitive and someone like you that wants to buy six of our hats that's, that's what I want uh, somebody that's just a hyper fan and, um, obtain our, obtain our products assist a hyper fan and um obtain our, obtain our products.
Speaker 2:So so, and I'm sure you know this, so I'm gonna ask so why?
Speaker 1:why the name sandlot goods yeah uh, that's one of my favorite stories and, um, it's a.
Speaker 1:There's a marketing campaign that I really want to get to at some point, but I want to do it right that talks about this, and Chad would be okay with me sharing this.
Speaker 1:But he had a brother pass away and after that, as you would imagine, it kind of shook him up and kind of reoriented what his priorities are Always been a baseball fan and he essentially sat down and was like you know, if you go back to the movie which a lot of people think about, it's those kids had a place that they went to every day to not just have fun, not just to chill, but to get better.
Speaker 1:They went to this place every day to work their asses off and get better at the thing that they loved, and that's he kind of every day. That's where I want, that's where I want to go to work. I want to go somewhere that I just want to improve and work and get better and have fun while I'm doing it, cause that was a key part of what those kids did in the Sandlot. So, um, that's what he went for, uh, and so for us now it's kind of like we pass this around inside of the marketing thing I want to do is is what's your Sandlot? Find your sandlot Like we're here to support whatever passion you have.
Speaker 1:Uh, throw your sandlot hat on, get in the garage and start brewing beer or whatever it is. If you're doing it at 4 AM before you go to your day job, like that's your sandlot and we're here to support that. So, um, you know, I I've never been. I can't cut and sew hats myself. I'm just a huge fan of our team that can do it and I'm passionate for chad, about what we're trying to build. But, yeah, I truly believe we found our sandlot and, uh, we're trying to make that show through our products I love that.
Speaker 2:That's amazing, finding your own sandlot. I I never really had anybody really put it that way. It's like you know what's your sandlot and it's oh man, you're gonna have some fun with that market.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, no, it's great, we're gonna do some videos with it. I mean, I would imagine this podcast is is one of your sand lots and oh 100.
Speaker 1:There's just so many ways, so many ways to to get after it and we're lucky that you know it's our, it's how we make a living and that's the ultimate goal, right? But it doesn't have to be that it can be. It can be something like I said you do at eight o'clock when your kids go to bed and two hours just melt away like that and that's and if you don't have it? That's okay, you can find it, and that's where we're here for that.
Speaker 2:And it's never too late, right? That's the whole thing. It's like it's never too late to find yourself and you're right, though, by the way like doing the late nights that's usually like Sunday nights is I'm here editing and putting an episode out. But it's a lot of fun, though, right, Because no one is going to do it for me, I have to do it myself.
Speaker 1:Very cool.
Speaker 2:I like that. So what makes Sandlot such a unique, different company than the rest of the other tech companies? Because obviously there's a lot right. There's the New Eris, there's the 47s, there a a bunch of them out there. So, like, what makes you guys so unique in in a way, and that that sets you guys apart? Uh, I mean the obvious one is being manufactured in the usa.
Speaker 1:You know, there's only a handful of us.
Speaker 1:We're we're definitely not the only ones doing it. I never claim that we are. Um, I'm not sure how many people are doing it the way we're doing it or at the scale we're doing it, but it is that and I think if you ever get a chance to come into our factory, it's going to be hard to explain, but that's what makes us different. I think you'll walk in there and the biggest thing I wanted to do when I got to Sandlot Goods was kind of shake off all the ways people thought about manufacturing and sewing and make this place that you walk into. It's a story I like to tell. I had this guy that was trying to sell us cleaning services or something. I forget what it was, but he came into the factory and he had a box of donuts and we were having fun.
Speaker 1:that day, I forget what was going on, but we were making hats. You could see the machinery going and but I think it was someone's birthday or something, so we had a celebration and uh, he just kind of looked at me. He goes this place has some good vibes. I was like there's not many manufacturing places you walk into where the guy delivering donuts tells you you got good vibes and I think that's what it is. We're trying to really like I said I want a place I want to be every day.
Speaker 1:I'm not trying to figure out how to make the most money off of every single hat that comes off the line. Making money super important, but um, we're trying to make.
Speaker 2:If anybody tells you that, like they're not in it and like they're not want to be profitable, run away because they're lying to you cash cash is oxygen, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:but, um, we, we have a team and we stick to our core values really, really aggressively, and if you don't fit them, I don't want you to be there, because it's not going to be good for you long term. And so um Long answer, but I think what makes us different is a lot of things about quality and attention to detail, but really it's the group that's making your hat. It's a cool place to be and keep trying to make it cooler.
Speaker 2:Speaking of the process right, because obviously you have your process what would be the process of crafting, like, let's say, because I'm currently wearing one of the your Negro Leagues in which, by the way, I want to get into so bad right now I want to talk about this, but I'm wearing your Santulce hat, right, and there's the material is different, the way that you guys are manufacturing, you guys are making these hats, and you said they're made by hand, correct? Yeah so what is that process of crafting a hat?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's one of the coolest things. We tell people we're hat manufacturer and not until they get into our space do they see rolls of fabric coming off the shelf and scissors coming out to cut. They're like, oh, you actually make the hats and, and that's the thing, we don't just get blank hats and decorate them, right, we're, we're cutting hats down from rolls of fabric. So, um, we cut it down. Uh, we use different machineries, different cookie cookie cutters.
Speaker 1:The hat you're wearing has got six panels If you count all the seams up top it's got two visor pieces, a brim in the middle and an attachment on the back, and so it is a. I forget the exact number of steps, but 20 plus sewing steps that go into making a hat. It's a pretty complicated little product, oh my God, once you get down to it. But we are, I'm, very data obsessed, so we track every step of the process, um, and always tell my team it's not because they're trying to be big brother or watch and figure out how I need to know how long it takes to make a hat so I can price a hat to make sure we get paid enough to be making that hat.
Speaker 1:Um, so it's a multi-step process. We have several different sewing teams lead off team, crown team, post bed team and it turns slowly from a two dimensional product into a three dimensional product. We have a machine called a post bed machine that kind of brings this post out of the base of the table to allow you to sew three dimensionally. Then you have to get the button put on and then very last, uh, and then we do all our embroidery in-house and everything like that. So, um, one good opportunity to point out a cool, unique thing. So this is embroidered s like the hat you're wearing yeah front.
Speaker 1:Two panels will come to our embroidery team first. This is something you can't do unless you manufacture your own hats. We'll embroider on just this front panel, and then this will go to the sewing team, which allows us to put this hair cloth on the back. Yeah, usually, if you see an embroidered hat, you'll have the strings poking out the back and it's an unfinished look. We're just used to. But this you get to hide all that because we're manufacturing the hat. And so then the hat comes together after you.
Speaker 2:Uh, embroider it so well I'll be down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's pretty fun. So, all said and done uh, 20 to 30 minutes to make a hat in our production process. Um, we're making about 1500 to 1600 hats a week right now look at that.
Speaker 2:I'm looking at another one, the ethiopian. Uh closet and it's like you're right yeah, so you'll.
Speaker 1:You'll. Occasionally we make some blank hats and we have gaps in production, so we'll take a blank and then what we need to decorate it with, we'll decorate it, and then in that case we will have some embroidery that goes through through the hair cloth, and if chad listens to this, it's his least favorite thing, but it's a it's a necessity to be efficient.
Speaker 2:So occasionally you'll get a hat or a sale hat from us.
Speaker 1:It'll have that, but most of the time you'll have that hair cloth behind the embroidery.
Speaker 2:Interesting. I like that and, by the way, listen, your guy's a price point. Pretty good, I'll say that that's a pretty, you know, compared to a lot of the hats, the hat game has grown so much, right, I mean, you go to these events out there, right, Like you know, know sporting events, and you see, like so many people that are already designing and making their own hats and everything, and it's like a wild, wild world out there. Man, uh, you know, kudos to you guys that can do it. I know I I could never do it, uh, but that's amazing it's cool, it's been fun.
Speaker 1:I mean, I'm a rising tide guy. The bigger the hat game, the better it is for us. I don't want people to not be doing it. I think companies like Mellon that are putting hats out, that are pushing the price point up to $70 for a dad hat it's a luxury hat this helps us be able to Even our dad hat that's less of a unique custom looking thing.
Speaker 1:It's the highest quality dad hat you're going to get. It's one of the most comfortable dad hats you're going to get and I have no problem. I think it should be worth more than $40 a hat, but like I said, I want people to be able to get our hats.
Speaker 2:Appreciate it, yeah, at the same time.
Speaker 1:By the way. I also have one of god great, yeah, that's a. The shuttlecocks of kansas city mark uh because, yeah, nelson art gallery down here, so yep I actually I have it.
Speaker 2:So see again. I mean, you guys are taking a lot of my money. We'll continue to do so. So, um, all right. So you, you got the process, but what are the materials? Because obviously you spend a lot of time looking at materials there, right, what, what, what are the your most? Because obviously you spend a lot of time looking at materials there, right, what, what are your most biggest materials that you guys use when it comes to making these hats?
Speaker 1:So we we the materials is the biggest part of making sure that we have something that feels good, has the right weight and lasts. So that's what starts with. The simplest part is getting a good roll of fabric in the building. The hat that you're wearing and the hat material that I would say is they were most known for is our duck canvas, so you'd think of like a Carhartt type material. It's got a little some texture to it. It's a little bit thicker, extremely durable. I mean, I've run into some guys in Kansas city that are wearing a duck hat that is has been beat to absolute shit. It's got grease on it. They're like, yeah, my wife wants me to get a new one, but I just love it too much. It's cool to see. It wears really well. It's got a good structure to it. To be honest, it's a pretty good breathable material too, even in the summer. It's got some thickness to it, but compared to our wools and stuff, it's a good summer material.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can definitely tell a wool from a duck. You know duck cotton for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm wearing a cord hat right now. It's kind of hard to tell, but we're doing a lot more with different corduroys 8-whale, 14-whale. So it's definitely an area where we experiment, try new things, but the duck canvas is our go-to. An area where experiment, try new things, but the duck canvas is our go-to um, and then we'll just do a decent amount of um, some cotton on our dad hats, but we make sure it's a good, high quality material that doesn't have any imperfections in it yeah, I mean, I was looking at it.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh man, this thing is gonna. It's pretty legit, so you have your, your quality control. Obviously. Like how is that? Because I've always wanted to ask this, by the way. Like, how do you guys go through the quality process of like making sure that it is exactly how it is that you guys want it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's an area that is the most challenging part of what we do as a manufacturer. Okay, and I'd say Chad, our founder, will fail a hat and he'll hand a hat to me and I'll be like I don't see anything wrong with his hat.
Speaker 2:I can't find it.
Speaker 1:It's just different levels, and so it's really healthy, but we will butt heads and I'll be like man. That's not a hat that we can afford to fail, because I can give this hat to 100 people and 99 of them aren't going to find a defect in it.
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 1:Like the islets, a little off center or something you know, and so he's has an extreme high level, which is so good for us, and then we, you know, I got to talk him down to earth sometimes about what it means to exist. And so it's, it's, it's very subjective, right. I mean, we're back and forth on things like that, but um really it comes down to the quality of our sewers.
Speaker 1:They're so talented, um, they know what to look for and we're asking you know, we need high numbers, we need high volume, but also don't do bad work, and so it's this balance that they need to have. Enough balance, yeah, and they're so good at it, they're so talented, and so they. They'll find imperfections for us in the process. So, overall, it's having an eye of quality. We have a big quality control dashboard on our wall that shows our percentage. It's in the 90s right now. It's gotten as low as the 70s and we have some defects and everyone sees that big red number up there and it's like all right, let's, let's slow down, let's focus.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A thousand hats that we fail is worse than 10 hats that we pass. So, but again, we, we pride ourselves.
Speaker 1:Pride in work is one of our five core values and if you sew a stitch, like I said, there's so many pieces and so many people working on it, you know if you do a bad scene and if you hand that hat on to the next person, they're going to have to try and figure out making the hat and just gets pushed down the line. We're all about raising your hand if you find a mistake, and I'd rather throw out two pieces of a hat than an entire hat at the end of the line.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I mean again you're talking about obviously you're data driven, right, so there's different data points. It's like do I want to fill the whole thing? I mean, that's money already that we've already invested. You know we paid somebody to make this and we already spent money on the material that we don't want to fill it right away.
Speaker 1:And just being transparent. When we're working on a custom project for a client and you got the wrong color stitching from what we said originally, we're not just going to ship the hat and say, you know, hope they don't see it, let's get on the phone, get a video, be like hey, we have crazy high standards. Here's where your hat's at. Let us know what you want to do, um, just have the conversation with people, um, and, and usually they'll laugh and be like it's fine, we didn't know that we were using that color thread or something along those lines, right.
Speaker 1:we'll always find that our standards higher than others, which is where it needs to be, but we'll still send out a hat that someone gets in the mail and they find it in perfection and that's a, that's a dagger. You know, we, we don't want those hats to leave in our building, but we are human, we are making a lot of hats, and so we'll always own it and make sure that people are happy with their products.
Speaker 2:I was just going to ask you on that and you, you, you gave me. The right segue for this is do you work with other creators or companies to with other creators or companies to that you make them custom pieces for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so right now we do, I'd say, four main categories of sales. So we'll do direct to consumer, so that's our website, that's our brick and mortar. We'll do wholesale sales, so that's hats like you're wearing and I'm wearing, that we make as a sandlot product that we then sell to other people to sell in their stores. So that's our wholesale game. And then we'll do volume end user and so that is a company here in KC wants to custom make a hundred hats for their employees as gifts.
Speaker 1:So we'll work with them to design a hat that's special to their company 10th year anniversary, 100 year anniversary, whatever it is We'll make that hat for them and sell it as that product. And then some people are retailers that want a custom hat that has their brand on it. So I'd say the one example is we made the new Heights hats for the Kelsey brothers, the green new Heights hat. Taylor Swift wore one to a concert and three days later later they've ordered 6 000 of that hat for us to make, uh, to start fulfilling orders for them because demand is skyrocketed and so that's.
Speaker 2:I don't know why.
Speaker 1:Yeah it was, it was wild. Um we were, we were, our team was very tired of making those hats, but it was. It was definitely a blessing.
Speaker 2:So we uh absolutely yes, we do all that well, well, fun fact, the Kelsey brothers and I share one thing in common podcast. No, we went to the same high school. Oh really, mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:Very cool.
Speaker 2:Yep, we graduated from Cleveland Heights.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, I live in North Carolina, but from Cleveland.
Speaker 1:Gotcha All right.
Speaker 2:That's a cool note there you go See, like I said, usually on my videos, because it's the more you know. So there you go, the more you know. And yes, in podcasts as well, but theirs is a little bit more up there.
Speaker 2:But it's a good show. Yeah, it is a good show, it's hilarious. Um so, speaking of the hat, right, because obviously you make those, but do you guys have you ever thought about doing like limited? Do you do limited edition hats, like you know? It's like, oh, we only make it, like you know, 100 of these and then this is it. We're not making any more. Well, we'll make. Maybe later on we'll make another batch yeah, that's a.
Speaker 1:It's almost like I planted that question for you to help us push this. So this year we're planning on doing four or five uh lprs limited product releases.
Speaker 1:So we've done a couple in the past, um, but we really think it's something fun to do and it's a good way for us to get creative, uh, and find limited materials. That's going to be the driving factor is Chad is really good at sourcing cool fabrics, so he'll he'll find something. That's a, a raw denim that you know was made in the fifties and there's only X amount of it, and we got enough of it to cut down and make 50 hats, and so that'll be what drives it and we'll do, we'll do four or five of those this year, and I think quantities, again, it all be dependent on how much material is out there, cause I truly want it to be limited. I don't want it to be something that we just, you know, we only make 50. So there's only 50. So we could have made a hundred if we wanted to like this will be.
Speaker 1:This is it. You know, this fabric't get it again. So we made 29 hats or whatever it is, and then we'll launch a limited product release for that. So that's something we want to roll out in 2025.
Speaker 2:And, if I can ask, would it be sports related? Would it be anything specific to Kansas City?
Speaker 1:Probably not specific to Kansas City. We're really trying to. We love Kansas City and Kansas City is good to us, but we want to make sure that Spread the love. Or if we do something, we might do a small SG for Sandlot Goods on it, but I don't know. I will be the first to admit that my creativity is a fraction of everybody else's in the building, so we'll see what Chad comes up with, but it'll all be kind of what presents itself and what fabrics are out there and if there's something to be excited about.
Speaker 2:That's going to be cool. I cannot wait to see what you guys come up with In your opinion and you know, obviously you've had this conversation with Chad like, how has the demand for, like, high quality material hats, you know how has that changed? Right, Because the 80s and 90s they weren't so good to the hack community. But, like, when it comes to material that has evolved so much, you know, now, in 2025.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's evolved a ton. I think chad would be a better person on the hat, specifically the. To me it's just the consumer is demanding of more quality product. You know, in general, I think, um, there's been this shift of uh, mass produced where once or twice, and that's still out there and it's probably as big as ever.
Speaker 1:I know it's as big as ever, but because of that and because there is enough knowledge and noise around how that's not a good thing in a lot of ways. There is this kind of slow down culture of maybe.
Speaker 1:I don't want the $20 pair of jeans. Maybe I do want a $200 pair of jeans that I'll have forever and that bleeds into almost anything, and so I think, um, again, our, our hats are going to last today. Uh, yeah, I've washed and dried them, you know you can do whatever you want with them, and so, um, for us that there's a world of opportunity. It's not something I worry about, that we're making too high quality of a product for people to get. We want to make it not this bespoke we make three a week type of thing we want it to be quality for the masses, but, to your point, it is something that we couldn't be doing probably 10, 15, 20 years ago.
Speaker 2:Listen, I have a good friend of mine, patrick, who has a lot of hats. Right's one of those. I was like he'll wear them, but there's only one, maybe once a year kind of deal. Yeah, I'm more of the. I want a good quality hat that I can wear every day. That's, you know, like they're for me, hats are meant to be worn. You know, use and abuse them, and then I, I think they, the, the, the wear and tear is what makes the character of that hat, you know, because then it makes it yours.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at that point, and that's where our brand's at. I mean, I think we, you know, we did like if Sandlot was a commercial and you know it would be picking up a hat out of the dirt and hitting on your jeans and throwing it back on and wiping your brow type of stuff. And hitting on your jeans and throwing it back on and wiping your brow type of stuff and uh, I love the idea that some people think our hats are those kinds of pieces that they want to keep pristine and wear, you know, for a few minutes. Uh, that's great, I have no problem with that. But I also want to make sure that same hat, if someone wants to wear it every day all summer long uh is still standing up strong by the end of the, the end of the end of the summer.
Speaker 2:So, um, that that's where our goal is, and however people want to use it, no judgment on my end. Hey, as long as exactly let's get the hat right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, let's talk a little bit about your culture and all that. Like, you know, what's your philosophy? Uh, you know, as a ceo, like right now is running saying like because I mean you have your own philosophy. You came in and I'm sure you came in and you're like all right, let's, let's observe and this going on, and then, you know, build the philosophy how that, how that process, and what's your philosophy right now with that?
Speaker 1:The best way to put it for me is this being culture first. When I came in, there was a lot of good things happening at Sandlot, but there was a lot of things that weren't weren't great. I think the culture, the culture, needed a big, big reboot, and I knew I couldn't do that. I mean, I me coming in as an outsider not knowing how to make a hat. It was an uphill battle for me to sit down to these team members and make them think that I wasn't in there just to clean house. Uh, and so we, you know, I've read a lot of business books and, uh, I can be the. Uh. Chad and I will both always say this I can be the sucker if I'm. Whatever, the book I read last is what I'm talking about the most.
Speaker 1:But we use a different, a bunch of different processes for managing a lot of goals, a lot of scorecards, a lot of dashboards, but the most valuable asset we have by far is our core values. And that's a cliche, you hear it a lot from people, but it is also amazing that you talk to some business owners like, yeah, we haven't really got that going yet.
Speaker 2:I'm like it's just wild like why haven't, why haven't you?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, like what are you? What's, what are you waiting on? And and the cool part is if chad and I were kind of reflecting the other the other week about our turnover rate has just plummeted, like we have people that are coming in and are doing great and they're sticking around, and when we do an interview it is um, here's our core values. How do you feel about them? Which one stands out the most to you? You know, one of our core values is positivity. It's just as simple as that. It's positivity and if you're in it's, it's probably the easiest core value you can have to judge someone quickly in an interview. Like, I can tell if you're a positive person. I can tell this pretty quickly. The other ones are a little bit harder to eke out. But if you're sitting there just complaining to me about your last job, your whole interview, I'm here to listen, but you're not a positive person and it's not going to be a good fit for you.
Speaker 2:And so we're going to move on. Yeah, person, and it's not going to be a good fit for you, and so we're going to move on yeah, and I think it's it's.
Speaker 1:It feels a little cutthroat, but at the same time it's it's for both of us. It's it's for sandlot as a company and you as a person. I don't want to waste six months of your time and then we all find out it's a bad fit, you move on and so, uh, it's not much of a philosophy, I realized. But if I can give advice to anybody trying to do something, they want core values in place. Start there, because that'll set everything up.
Speaker 2:And it's just, it's just snowballs from there after that. So you're talking about your core values, right, you know you're like you're fostering positivity, and but also you talked about creativity, right and innovation, and how how is that being fostered every day when you, when you come into to the job?
Speaker 1:I think, I think it's honestly an area that I we can improve on, just because and I say that because everyone in our building is so creative.
Speaker 1:We have everyone in our building is so creative. We have, um, we attract and we keep very creative talented individuals. People that graduated art school come to us. People that have side gigs at home. They'll sew all day with us and they'll go home and keep sewing. We have people, uh, that just are extremely talented. Um, I do check-ins with every team member three or four times a year and, uh, just the feedback we get on on things and it's not even just like cool designs or ideas.
Speaker 1:It's creativity in our process. Um, just two weeks ago, we had somebody who had an idea about one of the stitches we do on a machine that we don't have a whole lot of. She's like, well, why don't we do that same stitch on our single needle? And it was just like give it a shot and it worked, and our production went up that day Like it was just, and so I think the best thing that we do is one of our core values is smart work, and it's just like if you have an idea, I'm all for it.
Speaker 1:Let's hear it. We're going to try idea. I'm all for it, let's hear it, we're gonna try, we're gonna do it, um, and if it fails, we'll go back, and if it doesn't, we'll keep moving forward, and so I think it's something we need to improve on. But being a being, an environment that asks for that creativity to come out of people is is the way you're going to really tap into it. Um, now, you have to have the kind of culture that, if it's an idea that they're super soaked about and it doesn't fit, or it's not a good idea, like, you have to be comfortable with not everything being an idea.
Speaker 1:We do uh, but that's part of the culture too, so right, I was like, listen, I a good idea.
Speaker 2:I just don't know if that's something that's gonna be for us right and it's, and it's having having the comfort level to say that, right there, I was like you know, it's like I, I appreciate you, thank you for bringing this to us. I just don't know if it's going to be something that we're going to be able to move on forward with.
Speaker 1:Keep them coming though like yeah, oh yeah, don't that does not mean that you start. That just means that that idea didn't work this time yeah, so, and that takes maturity and trust and, um, that comes with people being in the building for long enough, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode with Sandlot Goods.
Speaker 2:Ceo of Sandlot Goods. Guys, do me a favor, before you get out of here, before you start listening to another podcast, do me a favor, go to their website. Check out their merchandise, okay, specifically the Negro Leagues partnership that they have. I have like six or seven of them, I'm not kidding, I that they have. I have like six or seven of them, I'm not kidding. I also bought a CLE one. I bought this one. It's one of my running hats, it's one of the hats that I wear constantly and you guys are not going to regret it, okay. Now, after you do that, make sure you guys go and subscribe, hit the like button, share this with somebody else, okay, and then also, if you're watching the video, you give it a thumbs up. Okay, guys, and we'll see you guys in the next one.
