Behind The Scenes: Tribal Training Mug Club
3 Core Values Of My Business:
deliver premium quality products/services
create unique and memorable experiences
partner with great businesses and create new opportunities
After the Tribal Training team went 8/8 at Ironman Florida, I was itching to commemorate everyone’s accomplishment with something that checked all 3 boxes.
Since everyone on my team is addicted to coffee, I thought custom coffee mugs were a perfect idea.
But I didn’t want to just order some cheap, generic mugs that I designed online.
I wanted to find a local potter who could create something truly one of a kind.
My goal was to find a potter, share my initial ideas and let them follow their creative inspiration.
A key lesson I’ve learned in business: when hiring someone for a creative project, let the artist be the artist.
Mark Rossier Pottery
I got connected with Mark Rossier, a local potter in Niwot, Colorado.
We hopped on a call, I explained the project and emailed over some photos of our team kits to use as design inspiration.
Once he understood the vision, Mark invited me over to his studio to see his work and chat more on ideas.
I had 2 goals when I went to meet Mark:
decide on mug shape/style
confirm colors and design direction
I was blown away at the quality and variety of his work.
As you can see from the shelf of pottery below, there were tons of options to choose from.
As I chatted with Mark in his clay-covered studio, I marveled at the opportunity coming to life through my business.
I was…
bringing my creative ideas to life
creating something unique and special for my athletes
building a new business partnership
supporting another local entrepreneur
I see my business as my vehicle to maximize my impact on the world.
Together, we decided to go with…
a mug shape that was proportional in height/width (not short and wide)
yellow Earth tones and a matte finish (characteristics of the Florida beach)
hand-drawn tribal markings (similar to the background on the kits)
As the project progressed and more unique qualities were added in, I decided this mug idea needed to expand beyond just a one-time celebratory gift.
Tribal Training Mug Club Is Born
I started to see the team’s success at Ironman Florida as a launching pad for an annual “club” within Tribal Training.
The idea was simple: How do you become a member of mug club?
Join Tribal Training
complete a full distance Ironman
get a one-of-a-kind mug at the end of the year to commemorate your hard work and accomplishment
The mugs were ready a few weeks after I met with Mark.
Here’s how they came out!
Mug Qualities:
strong
durable
weathered texture reflects extreme kiln conditions they were made in
unique tribal markings on each mug
They encapsulated many themes of what it takes to endure and become an Ironman.
Here’s a video reveal of the complete set and a good look at Mark’s studio:
Thanks so much to Mark for helping me bring my idea to life and create something special for my athletes.