The AFE school on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa.

Back from the Goose

Note: Written Tuesday, 3/30

Hello faithful readers. First of all, my sincerest apologies for the missing posts from the rest of my trip. To be honest, things got really busy with the investors in town, and while I look forward to recounting some of the events that transpired on those missing days, I did not have the time (nor my wits about me to successfully edit and type a blog post) for a couple of the days. However, it was a good weekend, and I will backfill Friday at the very least, possibly with a guest blogger as well.

Love from the goose.

For now though, I’ll sum up this trip from the comfort of my couch in Los Angeles. Yes, it’s good to be back in the City of Angels- after almost 13 hours of total travel time (yes, I’m including time to and from the airports), I arrived back home on Sunday night and have had a couple days to reflect on my second trip to Honduras. All in all, it was a very productive and fruitful trip. The goals outlined in my first post were met and then some, although I’m sure if the whole team was asked we’d be in agreement that we could’ve enjoyed an even longer stay and time together as a team.

Among other things taken away from this trip, it was great to meet all the smiling faces at the factory in Honduras. Lesly, Christine, Steve, Joel, all the other workers on the floor, and of course Darwin- I got to shake the hands of the hardworking people who are turning sketches into reality. Just seeing the factory abuzz with people bustling away was an inspiration and served as a reminder for those of us here in the States to do our job as best we can. The better we do our jobs, the more jobs we can provide.

The one and only Darwin Pavón!

The landscape of Honduras was different from my last trip, mostly because it’s no longer the rainy season. Looking back on photographs and comparing then to now, there’s a clear shade of brown that pervades the Honduran landscape that was previously green. The political state has also changed. Last July, Honduras was a the forefront of all news outlets due to the developing situation with ousted president Manuel Zelaya that resulted in public unrest in the streets of Tegucigalpa, and police checkpoints every few miles on the major roads. Thankfully, that time has passed, and there were few clues left behind to remind one of last summer’s turmoil.

Political art leftover from last summer.

Political commentary leftover from last summer.

The state of the people however remains the same. There is no way around it, Honduras is a country mired in poverty. The third poorest country in the Western hemisphere, the telltale signs are clear in just a quick trip through Tegucigalpa. It’s not a rare sight to see children running between cars stopped in traffic to sell their wares from window to window, nor is it rare to lay eyes on houses sheltering an entire family with nothing more than a corrugated piece of steel to serve as a roof. However bleak and or eye-opening, it’s great to know that there are people and organizations making a difference. The Micah Project is a home for Honduran street boys with the goal of getting kids off their addictions, and off the streets. The AFE school is committed to offering education to children who might otherwise have no other choice than to scavenge for recyclables in the city dump. Both are having success, and are growing. And both are inspirations to us here at Tegu.

The AFE school on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa.

At the Micah Project.

But what about the blocks? Oh yes, the blocks. The blocks are coming along quite well. As you all well know, we’re working away as hard as possible to make them as fast as we can, and we won’t stop until every child has the opportunity to stretch their imagination and creativity through unscripted play with magnetic blocks. And when that happens, we’ll move on to something else that stretches imagination. This is what we do now, and what we want to continue doing at Tegu, and this trip only emphasized that for the team. We believe in the power of the “Ah-Ha!” moment, and the inner genius in every child, big or small. And we hope you do too.

So from America, I’m signing off on this trip (b)log Tonight. Thanks to those of you who decided to start following Somewhere along the way, I think that’s pretty Cool. Don’t forget to keep an eye on this space for the missing day post, and also for the Rumble of more big news in the future. Something’s Coming.

-SoS

Day 4: Going in circles

Join our Sultan of Sketch as he shares the daily comings and goings of the week preceding the Tegu Investor Summit in Honduras.

9:43p I’m going to break away from the running blog today, and instead provide a recap with some interesting photos from the day. Honestly, today took place at a frenzied pace, and I didn’t have the time to jot down little notes on the computer along the way, so instead I’ll just show some photos (which, I hear are worth 1000 words.)

Using a compass to draw circles on the wall.

As I mentioned yesterday, one of my goals for the past couple days was to help spruce up the factory and lend an artistic touch to what otherwise might be a rigid and unfriendly place. After taking a look at some of the nice blank walls, I figured it would be pretty cool if we could add a pattern to a couple of them- one inside wall, and then the entrance into the factory.

The writing on the wall.

If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s the following:

- Drawing on a wall is easy. Painting on it is tedious.
- Paint brushes don’t come with erasers.
- Painting a wall should never be a one man job.
- It’s never the last coat. Ever. I can’t tell you how many times I said: “One more coat and it’ll be done.”

After a little exploring in illustrator, we finalized a pattern to be painted. The graphic story behind it is that each circle represents the creativity we want our blocks to encourage in every child- a creative thought, an idea, an “Ah-Ha!” moment. And each idea ripples outward and grows. That’s what we’re all about at Tegu: Growing a child’s creativity and imagination through play and exploration. Eventually, the ideas become so dense and numerous that the circles become a solid mass of color. And… well… there you have it.

It’s a little bit of a riff on the web graphic scheme (shown as a watermark in the LLH corner of our blog photos), but if you want me to explain the difference someday, just ask and I will.

Laying down the first of many lines.

One of our goals was to use up some of the paint we had left over and minimize the purchase of new supplies. Lest you forget, we’re still in the “start up” phase, so the more money we can save, the better. And while I think the design could have been more dynamic with the addition of some various shades, it was designed to work purely as a single tone on background.

I started on the one interior wall, since the exterior entryway was still being prepped for paint. The process is quite simple: Step 1, draw. Step 2, paint. Easy.

Standing on a ladder makes everything more enjoyable.

I’ve never done anything quite like this before, but I have spent my fair share of time drawing (even before I was dubbed a Sultan), so my hand is somewhat seasoned in its motions. A great instructor I had in school was a strong proponent for using your pinky finger as a reference point against a wall or chalkboard, as it provides stability. I couldn’t help but think of him each time my pinky touched the wall as I painted, as I will in the future every time that happens. God bless you Norm.

Freehanding around my pencil underlay.

This pinky is for you Norm.

I got a little bit of help in the middle of the day when Christine stopped what she was doing to help paint. Her disclaimer before picking up a paintbrush was something about “zero artistic ability,” however she could’ve fooled me- Christine wielded her brush with a total lack of fear and disregard for life and limb that would’ve made a Honduran motorcyclist proud.

Look, it’s Christine!

If you look closely at the colors of the paint above, you’ll see what I meant about every coat being the last coat… until the next one. Then again, it could partially be due to the fact that we were using the brushes on hand (foam) instead of the brushes in the next room (bristle).

Final touches…

We were on a time crunch, as the first wave of investors was coming into town this afternoon, and there was talk of a team dinner. Of course, I was unaware of what time it was, so it was a little bit of a curveball when Lesly yelled out: “20 minutes!” and I balked at the idea of rushing. Thankfully, at that point I was only about 30 minutes from completion so it didn’t completely throw me, and I did manage to catch the urgent pitch in her voice. I wrapped up the wall only 10 minutes behind schedule, tossed my computer in my bag, and we got home just in time for me to change up into some nicer clothes for dinner.

Done!

The yellowish hue and the sun on the wall would indicate that it was sunset when I finished. And it was. But hey, it got done, and I’m happy with the results. Sorry I wasn’t able to get a photo of the completed wall with accurate colors, but if you want to see what it really looks like, come on down to Zip Ameriteca Industrial Park, and ask for Chris. He’ll show you around.

-SoS

PS- I caught a gecko.

Déjeme ayudarle excepto el dinero en seguro de coche.

Day 3: Lord of the flies

Join our Sultan of Sketch as he shares the daily comings and goings of the week preceding the Tegu Investor Summit in Honduras.

5:55a Gooooooood morning Honduuuuuuuuuras!!!

6:38a Lesly has arrived to take me to the factory this morning. Brandon and Chris are supposed to have been there by now, but in a rare showing of sanity, they have slept through their alarms. Thank goodness. I don’t know if I can work with people who consider me “the late one” at 6:38a.

6:53a We’re taking a different route to the factory than the one Cindy took me on yesterday. The upside is that it’s a shortcut that bypasses some of the traffic on the main road, and therefore is slightly faster. The downside is that about 40% of it is unpaved and pockmarked resulting in a ride that would make even the most seasoned rodeo veteran wet his chaps. Think Mr. Goose’s Wild Ride, this road is something else.

The road to the factory is paved with… well… nothing.

6:54a Lesly mentions that a girl was kidnapped on this road last week.

6:55a Lesly gestures to the houses overlooking the road and informs me that a majority of the youths who live in them are involved in violent gangs.

6:56a Lesly points to a part of the road to identify it as the place where she saw a dead body.

6:57a Nate locks his door.

7:30a We make it to the factory (Hallelujah). On the way, we stop to let some workers hitch a ride in our car. It’s Buenos Dias all around. I accidentally say “Hola” instead. I really should learn Spanish. At least I didn’t pronounce it “Holla.”

8:44a There are a couple workers doing packout right now. I think I explained in a previous blog post about the challenge and problem solving that takes place in configuring magnetic blocks into a package so they are snug but still have some empty space, and it’s neat to see the assembly line of smiling workers getting the blocks packed into their boxes. Soon these will be opened up by happy children all over the US, I wish I could see the smile on the other side too.

Packout!!!

10:58a Still no sign of Chris or Brandon. I’m beginning to think they’re just playing hookey today. Jerks.

11:37a Well well well, look who finally stumbles into the office. It’s Brandon and Chris, strolling in. I’m hearing tales of “hardware store” and “paint supplies” but the glitter on their faces and strong scent of cheap perfume leads my inner Columbo to question that.

12:32p Brandon has resumed his mission to eradicate the office of flies with a renewed vigor. He’s recently taken to speaking to the flies before he introduces them to the business end of a rolled up pamphlet, which is pretty stupid, since the flies can’t understand him. Maybe if he was speaking to them in Spanish…

5:29p Wow, it’s been a while since my last update, but I’ve been busy. One of my goals this week is to try and make the factory a little more aesthetically pleasing, which basically means: Make it pretty. Since the time I was last here, many of the walls have been painted either off white or green. Some might find the green a little too bright, but personally, I love it- it’s a splash of saturated verde in an otherwise drab industrial environment. I’ve spent the past several hours mapping out and beginning to paint a graphic to help liven up the inside (and outside) of the factory even more. That’s not to say that exciting stuff didn’t happen between my last update and this one, it’s just that I was too engrossed in my painting to notice. However, I can assure you that Brandon probably killed another fly or seven with extreme prejudice.

Prepping a wall for some sweet paint!

A taste of what’s to come…

6:22p Well, it doesn’t happen often, but I would have rather stayed at work longer today. I’m smack in the middle of my indoor painting, but apparently we need to head out and head home. I look forward to trying to knock out the rest of the wall tomorrow, but I’m not quite sure how long it will take. It’s a little hard to tell so far, but I’m 93% sure that it will look good when it’s done. Which is good, because that means there’s a good chance I won’t have to distract you with more dead birds.

7:15p Cindy spent this afternoon cooking with the wife of a Tegu employee, and she had some nice piping hot pupusas waiting for us to chow down on when we got home. Yum. I wolfed mine down, and now am looking forward to getting on with some more painting. Yes, I took some painting home from the factory to work on here.

8:08p Kind of a side note, but one interesting thing about The Goose is that they are pretty short on street lamps, and while that makes the nighttime commute home a terrifying excursion into inky darkness, the upside is that there is very little light pollution, and the stars are readily visible simply by looking skyward. I didn’t really get a chance to recognize any constellations in the short time I’ve been outside at night (if only I had a map or something), but the stars are up there, and easy to see. It’s beautiful actually, although it’s not quite as perfect as wandering out to the end of the Malibu pier on an unseasonably warm Southern Californian evening and gazing up into the heavens while the waves softly lap the shore behind you… but then again, is anything?

Just like home!

9:07p Dinner was delicious again, but then everything is delicious after working in a factory for a whole day and then sitting in traffic for an hour to get home. We sampled the fare at a local Honduran restaurant that’s a favorite of Chris and Cindy’s. Brandon had the meat sampler plate, and I had the chicken. Both were delicious. We’re not sure what they pack into their refried beans here in The Goose, but they’re all delicious, especially combined with rice and meat. Anyway, as early as it is, I’m about to pack the running blog away for the night while I get some slides ready for our investor presentation. More tomorrow, thanks for reading!

-SoS

My gracious hostess slash fearless driver for today!

Day 2: Driving you crazy

Join our Sultan of Sketch as he shares the daily comings and goings of the week preceding the Tegu Investor Summit in Honduras.

Note: I may or may not have received a complaint about the photo of the dead bird from yesterday, so I will make the promise right now that this post will be 100% dead bird free.

7:40a For those of you who were following my West meets East blog, you’ll know that apparently when I am traveling, being awakened by a knock on the door is rather commonplace. I think perhaps I should invest in a travel alarm clock. When my gracious host Cindy knocked on the door this morning, I tried to ignore it at first. Maybe she forgot I’m here? Maybe I can sleep for another few hours? Maybe it was just a dream? Alas, no. If you’re unfamiliar with the time zones, you’ll note that 7:40a is actually 6:40a where I’m from. And if you’re unfamiliar with me, you’ll note that waking up at 6:40a is on my list of things to do right after “hike straight up a mountain for seven hours, then promptly get dysentery.” Oh, wait….

My gracious hostess slash fearless driver for today!

8:05a Cindy and I are on the road to the factory. Brandon and Chris are already there, having gotten an early start to their day. Not sure how they do it, but while we share enthusiasm, we’re not all morning people. The traffic on the way to the factory is making me a little homesick. Apparently drivers in The Goose learn from the La Cienega school of driving. We may be a few thousand miles from the city of angels, but it’s not like it’s a whole new world or something. It’s like LA, but the roads are bad, nobody has insurance, and everyone speaks Spanish.

Morning traffic.

9:23a I’m finally set up in my office away from home, although I have to say I miss my monitor(s). My itty-bitty laptop isn’t really the best platform to do any sort of graphic work, but we’ll have to make do for now. I’m sharing the “office” with Brandon and Lesly- one of our newest Honduran employees. Brandon is staring intently at his screen. I imagine there’s some sort of spreadsheet of extreme urgency on there right now. Time to plug in the earbuds and buckle down and get some work done. Will you count me in?

Brandon and Lesly hard at work.

12:02a On a conference call with Will and the retailer we visited last month. San Francisco, Connecticut, and Honduras. That’s a pretty big triangle.

12:51a Time for lunch. The factory workers are enjoying their meal under a tree outside the factory. I’m not going to lie, it looks wonderful out there. What I wouldn’t give to take a blanket out there and nap right about now.

The factory workers at lunch, plus stray dog.

1:30p Brandon is on a mission to vanquish this office of flies. He’s quite intense in his pursuit. Lesly is laughing at the absurd impossibility of this mission. It’s like trying to wash the stink off a Dodger.

2:18p Chris calls Brandon and me away from our work for a few minutes for a proper introduction to our various factory workers. We gathered the whole gang on the loading dock and said a few words. (I’m not sure which words I said… I think I need to learn Spanish.) It was an incredible sight to see some twenty Honduran workers all gathered together and smiling back at us, knowing that we’ve come this far. We’re looking at the people who handle every block that passes through these doors with our name on it, and we couldn’t be any prouder or more thankful for the work they’ve done. I don’t know if I can describe the feeling I got seeing them all gathered, except that it starts at my toes and makes me crinkle my nose. As much as I would have liked to have a photo of this event, I forgot my camera. Oh well, I’ll try to get some group shots on Thursday or Friday when the investors are here.

3:15p Clementine time. Clementime?

MMMGood ; )

4:51p I’m currently cranking away on a graphic that we want to try and paint on one of our walls. I hope it works out the way I want it to. If it does, I’ll post pictures. If not, I’ll distract you with another dead bird. Either way, it looks like I’ll be spending a good amount of my time tomorrow getting my hands dirty.

5:42p Okay, I’m not going to lie- I’m running on fumes right about now. Between all the travel that happened on Sunday and Monday and the six hours of sleep I got last night, I’m barely hanging in there. Thankfully we’re not much longer for the factory today, and I can’t wait to get back to my host house and kick off my shoes. The sun is setting behind the mountains in the distance and it’s painting a picturesque scene.

Dear sunset: If James Blunt saw you on the subway, he would write a song about you.

6:14p Time to GO!!!

7:25p I have to say, the commute from the factory to Chris’ house is just fantastic. And by fantastic, I mean: Absolutely horrible. Roughly twenty miles, it ranges from high speed white knuckle blind passes as you cross the double yellow into oncoming traffic to get around a janky cargo truck moseying along at 18 MPH, all the way to completely stop and go jam packed gridlock. Chris explains the cause of the traffic on this road: The main road out to the factory was just never finished. It was 99% of the way done, but then construction just up and stopped, and now there’s a 100 yard section of unpaved road. Think of it as a 100 yard speed bump, and you can understand the gridlock. It’s a seemingly contradictory combination of patience and aggression that is required to man the wheel of a car out here. It’s nuts. Today it took an hour to get home.

When you’re stopped in traffic, you can take pictures of The Goose at night.

7:26p Oh yeah, and by the way, don’t forget to ask Brandon about his questionable idea for a giant horchata bottle. Most likely he’ll laugh uncomfortably, and then try to deflect the conversation. Don’t let him. Press onward.

7:47p Time for dinner. Soon. So I’ve been told. I hear we’re going out, but I’m not sure where. I’m kind of hoping for Dunkin Donuts…

If this was a pie graph, the amount eaten would represent the percentage of Nate that will be awake at 6:30a tomorrow.

10:00p Dinner was delicious. Chris and Cindy took us to a local pizzeria where we regaled each other with interesting stories about topics that most definitely are not suited for the dinner table. The pizza was very tasty though, and it was dispatched quite hastily. It was at dinner when I was told my ride to the factory tomorrow morning will be arriving at 6:30a. I said that’s fine, but I didn’t know what she was going to do for the next three hours as I slept, and then eventually woke up. 6:30a? What am I, an astronaut? I’m realizing that if I go to sleep right this instant, I will still get less than eight hours of sleep, and that’s not likely to happen since these photos aren’t going to format themselves. So on that note, I’m signing off for tonight at the early hour of 10:05p. Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll be sleeping in an hour.

-SoS

editors note: Nate was NOT sleeping in an hour.

Day 1: For the birds

Join our Sultan of Sketch as he shares the daily comings and goings of the week preceding the Tegu Investor Summit in Honduras.

Miami from the plane

4:59a Bienvenidos a Miami. After 4+ hours in seat 9F, I’ve arrived in Miami for my four hour layover to Tegucigalpa, which I’ve decided to refer to as “The Goose” from now on. I think the sleeping pills did the trick, as I was out for most of the movie (The Blindside). I would’ve loved to have spent more time in the marshmallow cream cloud playing with the unicorns while wearing shamrock glasses, but if you must be awakened from a dream, it’s nice to know you’re almost at your destination. I woke up just in time to shove everything under the seat in front of me, and then was jolted awake again when the plane touched down. Sleep is sleep, even if not the most restful sleep. Time to begin the long trek from Concourse D to Concourse E.

It’s kind of pretty, ’til you realize it’s stuffed fish…

5:32a Found out I’m just one frequent flyer level away from access to American Airline’s Admiral’s Club. Drat. The nice lady behind the counter asks me if I have an Amex Platinum card. HA! Do I look like I would have an Amex Platinum card? I did grab a handful of candy from the bowl on my way out though, so I can’t say my ascent to the 5th floor was entirely unfruitful.

5:55a Waiting patiently at gate E7. There are a few birds who are also apparently waiting for the same flight. And by “birds” I mean actual birds, not some sort of Miami slang for “chicks.” No free WiFi at MIA either, in case you were wondering, but they do have avian life for your viewing pleasure.

He had friends too.

6:06a Ha ha ha. The mother next to me is trying to get her daughter to stop jumping by attempting the tried and true parenting trick of counting to three. Except she’s counting in Spanish. Is it weird that after she said: “Uno, Dos, Tres” I immediately thought “catorce?” Thanks U2. (Then, I thought “cuatro cinco cinco seis”… Thanks Offspring.)

6:47a I love that the Samsung mobile charging stations look like IV stands. I love that the guy sitting across from me looks like he’s getting an IV after a long day of travel. I hate that airport seats are connected and when a plus-sized gent sits down four seats away, you find out exactly how wobbly the legs are.

7:33a I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep in these chairs, so I might as well get on the internet. As I pull out my credit card to pay, I realize that tucked in behind it is my never used backup card- an Amex Platinum. HA!

7:35a Almost two hours after hour first interaction, the nice lady behind the counter at the Admiral’s Club informs me that an Amex Platinum issued by BofA does not count. Then, to further cement the fact that I don’t belong, she shows me a picture of the two Amex cards that would work: Platinum, and Black. Drat. Drat. I noticed they moved the candy bowl to the other side of the counter. Back down to the common folk I guess.

8:02a Hello pay internet. Time to post up what I wrote a few hours ago.

9:44a They’re calling my number, time to pack this baby up and head down the jetway. So long Miami, I’ll be seeing you again in a week. Well, the airport at least.

Rainy days and mondays always get me down.

10:52a Welcome to Honduras. Got a cool video clip from my window seat of the 180º banked turn into the airport, unfortunately it’s too large to be uploaded here. The flight was a couple hours, but we’re back in the Mountain time zone. Pacific to Eastern to Mountain.

11:21a Why is it that immigration lines don’t adopt the “one line, separate windows” process that banks and DMVs have? Is there anything more frustrating than choosing the wrong line and watching everyone else on your plane get through before you? Note: If you ever travel with me (say, to London perhaps, on a date?), do not get in the same immigration line as me. I always manage to choose the 405 FWY of immigration lines. Thankfully Chris and Brandon find me. They’re not holding a sign. I’m slightly disappointed.

12:01p On the way out of the airport, we stop to get some some supplies for the factory. For some reason the rent-a-cops in Honduras are more intimidating than they are in the US.

Honduran guards mean srs bsns.

12:53p Lunch. The food court at the mall we stopped features a Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Little Caesars, Burger King, and Church’s Chicken. It also features free WiFi. Hard to believe, but it’s easier to get work done at a food court in Honduras than it is in the seventh busiest airport in the world. I ordered the Chicharron de carne plate (which to my best understanding is fried salted pork), replete with the smallest soda in the world. Not that I’m complaining, that’s the most soda I’ve drank in a month.

More lunch, with my 10 oz soda.

2:10p After a harrowing journey at high speeds, we’ve reached the Tegu factory. It’s a little overwhelming- the last time I was here back in July, this place was nothing more than a shell of a warehouse, complete with wasps, foul smells, and a layer of dust covering everything. And here we are now, up and running. I’m looking forward to getting the full tour from Chris.

Boxes of blockses.

Boxes of blockses in boxes!

2:20p Aside from the factory workings inside, there is quite a difference outside as well. When I was here in July, it was the rainy season. Now in March, we’re smack in the middle of the dry season. I took a picture of a tree outside the factory then, and look at it now. What a difference 8 months makes.

Dry season (now)

Rainy season (then)

2:33p During our tour, we discover a dead bird. It looks fancy. Poor little guy flew straight into the wall. Lisa? What kind of bird is it?

Poor little guy…

3:08p Following the short tour, Brandon and I are working at our makeshift desk in a spare room in the factory. He’s sending emails to me while I sit under a meter away. That’s okay, because I’m typing about him behind his back. Take that Brandon! Now time to tackle some emails.

4:32p Conference call time. Brandon, Chris, and myself are huddled around our VOIP phone in our makeshift office, while we conference in Will from Eastern command. We go over the agenda for the rest of the week. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering why Will is still in Connecticut and not here with the rest of us, the simple answer is: He has a “beginners arts and crafts” class on Wednesdays that he can’t miss. I hear they’re making potholders out of yarn and popsicle sticks.

7:03p About to pack it up for the day and head back to the Haughey residence for dinner. It’s been a long day, and I’m looking forward to sitting on something that is not: An airplane, an airport seat, or a hard plastic folding chair. I’m signing off for now, thanks for reading! More tomorrow.

-SoS

All my bags are packed…

I don’t think it’s possible for me to pack for a trip without John Denver crooning in my head, and this occasion was no different. It’s Sunday evening, and I’m headed down to Honduras for a week, my second trip there since I’ve joined the Tegu team. I’m looking forward to the trip, but mostly because I have been promised that there will be absolutely zero hikes involved. (If you don’t know the story behind my last trip, ask me about it sometime later, preferably not while eating.)

Leaving LAX

Currently I’m seated at American Airlines gate 48A at LAX, awaiting my 9:25p flight. The journey to Tegucigalpa usually involves flying first to Miami, then switching planes and heading down to Honduras and the craziest airport landing ever. Seriously, if you have time, search youtube for “Tegucigalpa airport landing” and see what I mean. I’m typing as fast as possible, since LAX has decided not to offer free power. Thanks a lot LAX. And to think I just used to complain about the lack of WiFi. Given this precedent, you might be inclined to believe that anything associated with LAX might fail, and if you watched the TV show, you’d be right.

Looks like I need a travel adapter for LAX…

So there are two main reasons for my journey south(east?)ward, but to say that the purpose of this trip is two-fold would be vastly inaccurate. The reasons for this trip are so numerous that there would be enough folds to create some sort of complex work of origami. Maybe a swan. Or a crustacean of sorts.

First and foremost, Tegu is holding an investors summit next weekend. Put simply, we have invited our investors to come to Honduras and get a first-hand look at the operation. This includes everything from the factory (now up and running, woo-hoo!) to the employees, Honduran and domestic, including yours truly. As such, I have packed my most convincing requisite designer uniform (black turtleneck + beret of course) for our meeting. I expect this to be an exciting time for the investors, as they have an opportunity to see their money at work. They’ll also have a chance to meet and get to know the people, faces, and stories behind the blocks that everyone can’t get enough of.

The second largest reason for my journey is for me to see our production operation, and I’m excited for that. The last time I was down in Honduras, we had just secured a factory space, and there was nothing but a gigantic expanse of polished concrete floor waiting for industry to settle in. And since then, industry has settled in. As a designer, there’s an immeasurable benefit in being able to know exactly how something goes from a sketch on a napkin (I can’t wait ’til we can afford real paper) to a finished product with a waiting list. The more information about the process, the better the design. That all being said, maybe I just want to try my hand at operating the ripsaw.

The smaller folds of course, include things like getting the whole team together all in one place. While I will miss conversing with Will over video chat (and subsequently drawing mustaches on screenshots of his face) I suppose I can trade the humor for the increased productivity and collaboration. I’m looking forward to visiting Chris in his home again, and helping lend some bonafide American community to him and his wife for the week we’ll be there. (In order to make him feel at home, I promised him I would overeat and then buy something frivolous on credit, all while being particularly indifferent to the sport of soccer). I’m looking forward to meeting and working alongside the Honduran employees working hard to make this company great. Too bad Danny Millaaaaa isn’t coming along this time, he could film my best Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs) impersonation.

The Goose!

We’re boarding now. I’ll be blogging regular updates from The Goose, so keep an eye out here. I’ll do my best to keep you all posted with how the trip is going. I may even take odd photo requests… Thanks for reading!

-SoS

The day after Today

I look forward to the day when the name “Tegu” immediately conjures up images of fantastic magnetic wooden building blocks in the imagination of a complete stranger pulled off the street. In fact, I think I can safely say that the entire team here at Tegu looks forward to that day. Of course we know it won’t happen overnight, or possibly even in the next several years. These things take time, and we’re more than happy to do our part to get the word out there.

We did recently take a small step forward in this endeavor that was reaffirmed to me on Sunday. But first, a little background information.

As we are growing and maturing as a company, one of our largest priorities is finding ways to get the word out on the street. (Of course, I am talking about the mean sensible car-filled streets of suburban USA). Through various efforts, we have seen Tegu featured in multiple online publications and blogs. We have seen Tegu profiled in print in numerous periodicals. And we have even seen Tegu blocks manipulated in the beautifully manicured hands of several morning show personalities on the small screen. (Sadly, our attempt to pitch placement in James Cameron’s Avatar did not go through)

Through a fortunate turn of events, we were recently featured on a segment about awesome indoor winter activities on NBC’s Today Show in January. The Today Show is televised nationally, and reaches roughly six million viewers. Needless to say, we were excited for the opportunity, and as it turns out- rightly so. If you haven’t seen the segment yet, you can see it HERE.

A screen capture from our 30 seconds of fame!

Following our segment on the Today Show, we had an increase on our waiting list of over 200%, and our Facebook fan page saw the biggest influx of new fans since our initial push. These are all great things.

New facebook fans!

But sometimes it takes a specific instance to really drive things home, which leads me to my story from Sunday.

I was talking to a new friend and we were going through the basic Los Angeles introduction song and dance: Where are you from? (nobody is from Los Angeles) Valley or Westside? (Westside, thankyouverymuch) Favorite earthquake story? (Loma Prieta ’89, up North) Etc. etc. And the inevitable “So what do you do?” came up. When it was my turn, I proudly stated that I was a toy designer for a start-up toy company, and that we are making magnetic wooden blocks.

“Magnetic wooden blocks? Were you guys on the Today show?”

: o (That was me, after her question.)

Now that was great to hear, but it was even greater to see her eyes light up as she asked! It was the first time ever that I had met someone who had heard of our blocks before I met them, and positive proof that the Tegu story is reaching real people out there. She went on to share about how Tegu had caught her attention as a great product for her nephew, and that definitely put a smile on my face. In fact, thanks to my interaction and the Today Show, I expect one more fan on our Facebook page today. So, if you’re reading this (and you know who you are) thanks for reaffirming our efforts in one fell swoop, and bringing us one step closer to our goal.

-SoS

The Air Up There

Greetings from 32,000 feet up. (Why is it that everyone doing anything on a plane has to TELL everyone they’re on a plane? Will that novelty ever wear off?) Google maps is showing that Will and I are currently high in the air over King City, CA on our way back down to Los Angeles. We spent the day traveling North to the beautiful city of San Francisco to meet with a retailer who has expressed an interest in carrying our blocks! This is great news of course, and if everything manages to work out for both sides, hopefully in a set time frame you will begin to see Tegu blocks in stores!

Will, hogging the window.

I know what you’re thinking: “What store is it?” Well, for now that’s going to remain a little bit of a mystery for several reasons. However, I can tell you what store it’s NOT. Despite the benefit of 24 hour access, we decided 7-11 wasn’t the right fit. Also, as much as we encourage building, it’s not Home Depot. Helpful, huh? Alright, I will say that it’s a well known retailer with stores across the country. Is that better? Well with crossed fingers, when the timing is right we’ll be happy to announce the next step for Tegu right here on this page.

While we originally intended to stick to direct sales this early in our infancy, the foray into the world of retail is something we’re definitely open to. Of course it raises a new slew of questions and unknowns, but we’ve never shied away from a challenge before, so why start now?

Some quick notes from our one-day trip up to the city by the bay:

• San Francisco is such a beautiful and walkable city. Will and I were able to get from SFO to our destination using only public transportation (BART) and our own feet. Try that in LA.

• Is there any situation more nerve wracking than having to figure out how to use an automated ticket machine for a subway in a new city? All of a sudden you feel the glaring eyes of the six people behind you in line wondering why it’s taking you four minutes what they can do in 8 seconds, as they enviously spy other faster moving lines next to you.

• Had lunch at Delica on the Embarcadero in the old ferry building. It was delicious, and now I’m wondering why I didn’t take any photos. Waterfront dining at a pedestrian price. What a concept!

• If you are traveling through LAX with your Tegu blocks, expect to hear the magic words “BAG CHECK!” as you proceed through the xray machine. However, if you are traveling through SFO, a couple hundred neatly aligned magnets in someone’s luggage don’t seem to phase them as much.

Okay, we’re getting bumpy over Buttonwillow right now. Those familiar with Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco will recognize the freeway exit. I believe there is an In-N-Out there, but I’m not certain. Plus, Will snagged the window seat, so I can’t peek out to check. (His penance is that I won’t let him out to use the restroom.)

Thanks to all of you again for your support in 2009, and for your continued support into 2010. Look for more regular blog updates from yours truly in the year to come, and keep your eyes peeled here for all things Tegu!

-Sos

Tegu | Blog

#Innovative toy company committed to harnessing its profit to benefit the struggling nation of #Honduras. We've created magnetic wooden building blocks!

Tag Archives: SoS

Back from the Goose

Day 4: Going in circles

Day 3: Lord of the flies

Day 2: Driving you crazy

Day 1: For the birds

All my bags are packed…

The day after Today

The Air Up There