Bob Nanna, director of promotions and public relations for the Threadless t-shirt company, in Chicago, graduated from the University of Illinois, and then he went on tour. As a touring musician for twelve years, Bob did some excellent networking. So excellent, in fact, that it allowed a seasonal packaging position to become what he is doing today. Bob’s degree in communications and advertising, in his opinion, was never meant to actually support a career; it was simply the quickest way to get out of school, and onto the road. Yet, as fate would have it, his degrees now allow him expertise in a field in which he never saw himself working.

Bob’s story is an important one, because often touring musicians are not seen as people who integrate well into society, after their touring dreams have expired. In Bob’s case, however, he never would have been able to get to the position he has, without having gone on tour. He is able to work with bands, for promotions and contests, because he knows the bands, and is able to communicate more efficiently with them. Although parents may not enjoy their children being told to go on tour as a way to better their careers, they will like Bob’s advice to his 23-year-old self. “I would beat myself up, take my credit cards, and slash them up.”

Threadless t-shirts are designed by a community of users, based on an award program. They can be found at Threadless.com.p>

Brandyn was our tour guide for a day which would prove to be the most eventful and memorable experience of our whole trip. Brandyn introduced us to a variety of people and took us to the Nike basketball gym, the Jordan building, and the infamous Nike Kitchen (not the place where you cook food, but the place where they make Nike shoes from scratch). We also saw Lebron James walking the Nike campus and even got to shop at the Nike employee store where everything was 50% with no sales tax, thanks to Oregon state tax law.

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Dave Martinez is a risk-taker. He uses the notion of failure as motivation. He attended Cal State Northridge on scholarship while also working for UPS full-time. At the time, he was really into the rave scene and saw areas of opportunity in what these sound companies lacked. Boomboy and Shredder were the only two competing sound companies in the L.A. area. These two companies had a shared stranglehold on the rave market. Dave decided that he wanted in.

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P.J. went to San Diego State University. As a Marketing junior, he was the captain of the surfing team. With his team needing surf sponsorship, P.J. wrote a business proposal to surf companies like Reef, Rip Curl and Hurley. Through his efforts, his team was soon sponsored by Rip Curl.

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Ronnie Ghenender is a financial partner for the Lifted Research Group Clothing Company, better known as LRG. The retail industry has always been a part of Mr. Ghenender’s life as his father was a dress manufacturer. Ronnie has excelled in the retail business for over 40 years.

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