Brian Block

Hello,

My name is Brian Block, and I am currently -- or soon hope to be, your Midwest Rep for a number of fantastic outdoor products.  I currently represent all of the lines listed on the Home Page of this web site. At the moment, my territory includes the following states:

                MO,MI,MN,IL,IA,IN,OH,SD,ND,NE,WI,KS

                       (not all states for all lines, but these

                              states across the different lines)

A little Background:

I’m a born and raised Midwesterner, hailing from the non-metropolis of Ames, Iowa.  Prior to moving into the Rep Industry I served as a store manager/buyer/sales associate at Ames Outdoor in Ames, Iowa.  I’m a climber at heart, with a number of significant ascents under my belt, but I love all the outdoors has to offer.  Whether it be kayaking, mountain biking, snowboarding, backpacking, trail running, cycling, etc.  In conjunction, I also love to travel. Climbing has taken me all around the world, to see and be part of some really great experiences.  I see this work as an opportunity to become more intimately acquainted with our neck of the woods while furthering those experiences.

The photos along the borders of these web pages are mine from the

Denali East Face attempt. (I don't think it's an ego thing to have them on display....so much as it is a way of helping me to remember and to re-live the journey.)

My Philosophy of Sales:

Integrity for Longevity is my sales Mantra.  If you’re selling the right product for the right reason it’s not like sales at all, it’s more like “gear counseling,” as one of my former employees once said to me. I feel that sales is more a way of connecting people with what they want then selling them something.  In order to do this, one has to have the proper tools: knowledge of the product they’re selling, what differentiates products within a category, and the reason/asset that one product maintains over another. 

For me it’s inherently important that I believe in the products that I represent.  A number of the products that I represent you may never have heard of, but that’s not all bad.  The North Face was once a nobody, and big financial backing does not necessitate courteous service, attention to detail, or genuine concern for you at the store level. 

As a former retailer myself, I can empathize with the trials and tribulations of day-to-day sales needs.  Outdoor retail is a pyramid structure, with the in store retailers being the foundation upon which it is built.  Taking care of the retailers needs, and supporting them in whatever way possible I feel is essentially my job

description.  The products I promote will sell themselves on merit, and then name.

Tell me about you:

I’ll be the first to admit that the Midwest is an often-neglected territory, but I also know that it’s an important one to everyone that lives, works and plays in it.  Now that I’ve told you a little about myself, I encourage you to contact me and let me know what I can do to help make your business more successful. 

I want to be there for your store promotions, store sponsored activities, grand openings, or just to chat when I’m in the area; but I can’t be there if I don’t know when it is.  So, take a chance and drop me an e-mail, or hit me with a fax.  I’d love to hear about what’s going on in your area.

Brian Block

Ames Adventure Outfitters

5926 Village Circle

Johnston, IA 50131

Cell Phone: (515)-451-3983

Mobile Fax: (800)-895-3003

E-mail: brian@goaao.com

Sunday Park

The outdoors is in my blood.  Growing up in California, most vacations were spent in the mountains and desert.  Not only did we love the outdoors, it was also cheap (which was an important factor).  I spent a lot of time camping with my parents, my uncles and friends.  It was what you did and where you went.  Granted, it wasn’t the ultra light kind of camping.  Think more like the extreme car camping, huge tent, cheap synthetic bag and large camping stove.  We camped in the mountains around where we lived (Mt Baldy, Big Bear, Mammoth, etc),  as well as the National Parks (Sequoia, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Yellowstone) in the west and grew to love being outside very quickly.  Along with the mountain environment, we also spent a lot of time in the desert.  Most our time in the desert was spent dirt bike riding (yes, Brian, I rode one).  My brother got his 1^st bike at the age of 5 from my uncles who, along with my mom, grew up riding.  We would camp out with a group of friends who also rode.  In my teens, my uncles taught me to ski at Taos, NM (great place to learn).  Being surrounded by people that enjoyed the outdoors helped develop that love. 

Fast forward a few years when I moved to Chicago.  A friend of mine knew that I was looking for a job and he worked at Erehwon Mountain Outfitters.  I loved the concept of the store and applied and was hired full-time.  One of my first clinics was Marmot.  After learning about the company and the line, I made myself a promise that if the opportunity ever arose to become a Marmot rep that I would take it, never believing that it would happen.  At Erehwon, I was a key holder at 2 of the locations then was asked to move to another location to become the assistant manager.  After a while as the assistant manager, I moved to the corporate office to become a buying assistant.  After some changes at Erehwon, I became a full fledged buyer for Climbing, Camping Accessories and Gifts.  I was also known as the “Junk Drawer Buyer” (thank you Joanne).  Since I was the Climbing Buyer, I had numerous encounters with Brian as he was the rep for lines that I worked with.

In Fall 2005, Marmot became available.  As you know, Brian applied for, and got Marmot.  After talking to him about the line and his need for more reps, I kept hearing a little voice in my head saying over and over that I promised myself that if this opportunity ever came up, I would take it.  I had been with Erehwon for 6 years and loved my job!  It was very much like a family and giving that up was one of the hardest decisions I have made.  It has made the transition to being a rep an easier one.  Since becoming a rep in January 2006, I have never regretted my decision and look forward to seeing where this takes me. 

In December 2006, I moved to Des Moines after realizing that I was not home enough to justify paying the rent on an apartment in Chicago and moved into the AAO HQ (a.k.a. The Commune, The Lair, etc) and now have a great place to come home to and unwind and listen to the frog outside my window. 

Vanessa Hohn