Over the past couple of weeks, I rolled out my latest product release on Bike198.com…the “Live the Ride” wristbands.

Backing up – awhile back (about 6 months ago), I was trying to figure out another physical product I could release that would increase brand recognition and be easy to put together. After some thought, the idea of the wristband came up so I asked our Facebook followers what they thought…and they loved the idea.

Like most ideas that are well received, this one sat on the shelf for awhile. It is easy to come up with the idea, but you have to actually follow through with it for it to become real. I wasn’t following my own action advice and eventually I decided to take the plunge. I found a company online that was willing to give me 100 bands for free if I ordered 100, so I figured that was the perfect opportunity to pilot my idea.

After about 3 comps and a wait of several weeks, the bands showed up on my front doorstep from China. Immediately, I took the picture above and posted it on Facebook. The wristbands have arrived, stay tuned on how to get yours.

I installed the Jigoshop plugin in my WordPress install, setup a product page [you can see it here], threw them up for 4 bucks a piece with free shipping and sent the link to my Facebook fans. The orders started trickling in and I started shipping the bands out via snail mail. The order process was working and my initial sale release was a success. It was time to hit the big list…my newsletter.

The Bike198.com newsletter is composed of 15,000+ riders from around the world. Once it hit the wire, the orders really started pouring in. Now…I was expecting a rush of orders due to the email blast but I was not expecting something that ended up being really cool.

No one was ordering one band at a time.

Most of the orders that came through were for 2 to 4 bands. Not only did this make scaling the cost of packaging and shipping easier, but it was really cool to see people get excited about this product enough to order more than one! The smallest percentage of the orders was for a single band.

So now…after the initial big order aftermath, the orders continue to come in daily and I am looking at having to make a bigger order with the band company to fulfill demand. The little, simple idea worked.

What have I learned from this project?

As with all things I do on this site or any other I own…there are things I take away from every situation.

Followers of Websites Like Simple Products

In the past, I have released t-shirts, jerseys and other more expensive items. While these carry a higher rate of return, they also come with a small quantity sold. If you are looking to increase brand awareness, you need as much of the product on the streets as you can get, so the low quantity is not as appealing (given that your core profit is not just from physical product).

With the bands, I was able to tap into a section of the lives of my readers by providing a cheap way to show their love for all things biking while also increasing my brand awareness. I am not going to become a millionaire off this idea but it is great for my site and my goals.

You Can Never Make Some People Happy

Right after I released the bands, I had several people say they would buy a band if the money went to charity. Look…I believe in giving to charity and we even donated half the profits of the kit sales to Livestrong, but every now and then it is ok to release a product without that kicker! At 4 bucks a pop, I am technically selling these at a loss if you factor my time into the equation. There will be some people that believe everything on the web should be free or for a cause. You have to block those out and move forward with your business plan. It is ok to profit…who wants to work for free all of the time?

Make and Sell Products Based On Goals

With this wristband, I was looking for a way for my brand to be on the wrist of riders while they road their bikes. I also wanted it to be catchy enough that other riders would ask about it. The project is achieving that goal while also putting a little bit of money back into the business. If your goal is different, you would need to look at something that carried higher profits or was free based off your needs. When dealing with physical products, you have to plan exactly what you want to get out of the deal, make sure you have an audience that will buy based off those goals and then you need to implement accordingly.

Not every idea is a great idea if those factors are not considered ahead of time.

Asking Prior to Developing is ALWAYS a Good Idea

Just like I did with the bands, I asked people I would eventually be selling these to if they would actually buy (Facebook was great leverage for this). That gave me a general idea on the potential success rate of the project. While all opinions before release should be taken with a grain of salt, if you get overwhelming support for the idea initially, you are generally on to something good as long as it goes with the goals you have defined.

Be Prepared for Undocumented Costs

I bet you can guess that writing out all of the shipping addresses and mailing these bands is not a time efficient task. I had blocked time away to package and ship these wristbands before they actually went on sale. If you are thinking about releasing a physical product, you have to consider the back end management that will be required to actually get the product in the hands of your customers.

Test Your System Before Going Live

Before I officially released the bands, I bought my own. Then…when I was sure I could get my transaction through, I sent the link to a smaller control group before hitting the big list. The last thing you are going to want to deal with is lost sales due to a broken checkout system or the inability to ship efficiently. Be sure to check and double check your system before taking everything fully live.

Excited About The Potential And Looking Forward

This project gave me insight into what my readers wanted in terms of a physical product that also increased the spread of my brand. The trick is to apply what I have learned from this project and find something else that can meet the same goals moving forward.

The feedback on the bands has been fantastic and  I am looking forward to the positive effects they have on my business in the future. Who knows…there might be a series of these that eventually match stickers, t-shirts and miscellaneous bike components. The sky is the limit as long as you keep an open mind and actually act on the ideas you have.

I post a lot of pictures on Facebook of my kid…A LOT. The funny part is I always try to catch him doing something interesting. Whether that is smiling, frowning or just being silly, the pictures are of a split second in time when he is exposing some emotion he is feeling at the time.

Now, for someone just looking at the pictures, they might think that he is always this way! 1 click and post and you are good to go! Yeah…not so much. I put together the sequence above to show what goes into getting that moment. Sometimes it takes 30 exposures or more to get that shot I am looking for. Most of the time he is doing it until I pull the camera up. Then I get the “what the hell is that look” and I have to start from zero again.

Either way, it is still fun to play with the little guy to get the shot I am looking for. It is by far the most fun I have had with a camera.

Here are some more shots…

Serial entrepreneurs run into a major problem in life…we try to make money off of everything we do.

While this can be a great thing in many aspects, we run into one major problem that is ultimately not a good thing. We create a life that is nothing but work by thinking that everything has to create a revenue stream. Our hobbies, our free time, our passions…they all turn into billable hours during the day as we can’t seem to turn the entrepreneur brain off for 5 freaking seconds.

It’s ok. You can love to do something that other people make money at without having to do the same thing yourself.

In life, we need passions and hobbies. We need to be able to escape the life of work and be able to truly enjoy ourselves. For me, that used to be riding my bike…then I turned it into work with Bike198.com. What used to be my escape was now my source of income so every ride became a test, review or brainstorming session. It actually got to the point that my personal bike was never getting ridden and my brain just continued to run 24/7. It was stressful and it sucked.

About a year in, I made an important decision that has helped me get an escape and stress relief back. Even when I was riding heavily during the peak season and reviewing products was the #1 most important thing I was doing for my business, I would grab my personal bike and go on a “just me” ride. No reviewing, no content generation…just me, the bike and the dirt like it was the good old days. I was getting back to what I really enjoyed every now and then and that was making me happier and better at my “work”.

During that time, I also started taking up photography as a way to keep creative and have an outlet. I had always enjoyed it, but I decided to really invest in trying to get better.

But…I’m not going to lie…

Even during that time, I was thinking of ways to make money off of photography online. And that was stupid. Maybe I could start a blog as a regular guy reviewing photography equipment! Wait…turning it into work again. Not only was I not a pro level photographer, but I was taking something that was supposed to be a fun hobby and tried to turn it into work! I guess that is how our brains work sometimes, but I squashed that idea about as fast as it started.

I guess the point of this whole story is to calm down and just enjoy some things in life. While we can get so focused on starting new ideas, it is becoming increasingly important to enjoy life and find things that make us happy with no stress.

Yes, starting a business or finding new ways to make money off of something you are good at can be joyous and fun, you are still adding a stress to something that started off with a simple goal…to be a hobby, not work.

Do not confuse “I love what I do” with “I have to work at everything I do”

The ultimate goal is to love your work and love your personal life. But, I do believe we often fall into a trap where our brains tell us “since you love what you do, everything you love should be ‘what you do’” and that could not be farther from the truth.

Even if you are on of those lucky individuals that has found to a way to make what you love to do and your passion a way to live a stable life, you still need to get out every now and then and enjoy that activity without the stress of work. It is important for your mental health as well as your work. You will work better and be happier…and who doesn’t want that?

As you go throughout your day, think about how you can sit back and enjoy yourself without any reservation. Then, actually take the time to escape and enjoy it.

We are starting to get into that fun stage where he becomes less and less of an infant and more of a baby. Things like tummy time, interaction with my wife and I and activities like this are starting to be a lot more fun for him and us. I am really stoked about the next couple of months. From what I have heard, 6 to 9 months is something really special.

On a side note, the iPhone 4S takes pretty damn good video if you have the right lighting. I just wish my hands wouldn’t shake.

Ironically, working from home also has its share of struggles and adaptations that make it not suitable for everyone. There are certain major advantages like the zero commute, limited work interruptions that make you crazy efficient and the ability to get up and get a snack when ever you want to.

However, there are certain aspects of the work at home experience that take some serious adjusting like the lack real people interaction, general boredom and not seeing daylight as often. So…we have to look for ways to keep our sanity while capitalizing on the fact that we don’t have to go into an office everyday.

Here they are…the 7 tips…

I put together these tips in an attempt to help others, but to also remind myself to act on them to keep my own craziness at bay.

1. Get A Dog – Seriously…any pet will do really that will actually acknowledge you when you speak to it. I can’t tell you how many times my two boxers have been there during the day so I just don’t get lonely. The house can get very quiet day in and day out, so something that looks up at me and wags its tail several times a day goes a long way.
2. Take Regular, Scheduled Breaks – I schedule them just as if I were in an office that had lunch hours or any other break from work. You can get into a rut of working through lunch and losing track of time in your house. In the beginning, I would find myself eating lunch at 3 or 4 just because I got into a grind and forgot to stop. If it is nice outside, walk outside. You don’t have anything to really look at but keeping in touch with the outside world is essential.
3. Plan Your Day – Write a list of things you have to do every day and stick to them. I remember back in college, I would always leave my apartment to study. I found I was a lot more efficient out of my home than in. If you are working from home, you don’t always have that option so the best way to stay productive is to check things off of a list. When you don’t have someone looking over your shoulder to see if you are checking Facebook instead of working, there is more of a tendency to slack off and watch the hours pass.
4. Work Out of the House Every Now and Then – I’ll pack everything up and work at Starbucks (or anywhere else with free wifi) every now and then. It is just a nice change of scenery that allows you to gain perspective back. Even if you aren’t talking with people, the ability to be out with people can go a long way mentally. Luckily, my business allows me to do this, but if yours doesn’t…maybe just block off time to get out.
5. Keep the House Clean – While you are probably working hard all day (or at least acting like it), make sure when your wife/girlfriend/roommate/whatever comes home that the house is clean. If they do not work at home, they will not understand how you were so busy that you could not put your plates away and clean up the kitchen a little bit. Doing a little bit extra around the house since you are home and they aren’t goes a long way for a happy house overall.
6. When It Is Time To Clock Out…Clock Out – Even for those of us that own our business (and for those that work for companies outside of your timezone), when it hits quitting time, stop working. Just because you work from home, that does not give an employer the right to work you 24 hours a day. If you own your business, you also don’t have to keep everything rolling 24/7. The people you work with should be quitting at some point in time as well. Enjoy home as a home when you are supposed to.
7. Create an Office – Even if it is just a corner of the room, make a dedicated space that is your office and that is its only purpose. DO NOT use the kitchen table as your work space. Not only will you have to clean it up every night for dinner, but then you are making your living space your office and that is not a good thing for you mentally.

Those are the things I have done at home that have seemed to help a lot during the day/week/year. If you have any others you think should be added, hit up the comments section and let me know. I am always looking for more ideas!

Obviously, at 16 weeks we are a long ways off from him actually saying a word, but this interaction seems to go a long way in encouraging him to make sounds and move around. Plus, he seems to love it and we get to see him smile a lot.

While we are going through these things in early development, I am trying to capture as much of it as I can because I know it is going to go by quickly. He is already growing like a weed and time is starting to fly by. As he continues to become more “human” and less infant, it has been awesome to mess with him.

We Come Pre-Wired With A Lot Of Stuff

Until you watch a kid grow from a dot on an ultrasound to becoming their own person, you don’t really realize how much of what we do on a daily basis was pre-wired in us from the beginning.

For example…

I was watching Daniel the other day as he was trying to put himself to sleep. All of the sudden…he started rubbing one of his eyes. No one told him to do that when he was really tired. That was an instinct that turned on randomly and now he does it every time he is REALLY tired and about to fall asleep. Until that moment, I didn’t really think of that action as something that was instinctual and not learned.

The flipside to that is that he hasn’t learned sympathy yet. When he was sick a couple of weeks ago, he would cough, sneeze then smile at us like he had one something funny. He didn’t know that he could play it up for more attention…just that he felt funny and was making new noises. As he grows up, he’ll figure out that being sick and injured brings you a certain level of attention as people react…and that will change his behavior.

It is amazing what the human brain does on its own and how we effect reactions over time. More is coming I am sure…

I spent this rainy weekend in Atlanta hanging out with my family. We didn’t do anything really special. Mainly we just hung out at the house and went on a few adventures (gun range on Saturday and out shopping with my parents on Sunday), but for some reason it is different now.

My wife has been transitioning back to work, so time at home is her time to snuggle up on the couch with Daniel and play with him when he is awake. It is growing up quickly so she is trying to remember this time as best she can with being away from him so much during the week.

Normally, we would have been itching to get out and do something but now it is satisfying just trying to make him smile all day long. I guess that is also one of the luxuries of only having one right now. All we have to entertain is ourselves and him. That will definitely change if we are able to expand the Sutton clan in the future.

I have been trying to do what I can during these times to make sure we capture the moment with pictures. It is also…by far…the most fun I have had with a camera. Especially now that his motor skills are improving, it is almost like I want to spend the entire day snapping a thousand pictures, but I also have to remember to interact with the moment and not just try to capture it.

Coming into fatherhood, I pretty much knew what to expect. So far, it has been almost exactly what I expected, but it is also one of those situations that you can know what to expect but not really know what you are talking about. It is an experience that you have to experience to really know…even if you have an idea.

I understood the mechanics and what to expect on a day to day basis. That part is rather easy to put together if you have any exposure to kids. What you can’t know is how much this little life is drastically change everything you feel. I started to see the world, my future and my family differently from moment one. Up until this point, the only human life I was really responsible for was my own. Now, I have this little man that looks up at me and smiles, laughs and cries. All he can hope for is that his parents do their part.

So here we are…a little over 3 1/2 months in…

And life is awesome.

We have tried our best to bring Daniel into our life and not flip our lives upside down for him. It was a promise that my wife and I made to each other before he was born. So far, we have done a pretty good job of that but it hasn’t been perfect by any means. We are doing a good job of getting out with him, but we could use a little bit more time for just ourselves. We just aren’t putting in the effort in that area that we really need to right now…and that needs to change.

It hasn’t been 100% easy, but anything worth having in life almost never is. D ended up getting sick from his first week at daycare (also something completely normal but new to us) so we had our first sick child experience. Luckily, the little guy kept smiling all the way through. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he would cough, sneeze and then laugh at me like he had done something funny. I guess he didn’t really know the difference other than he was making new sounds he had never heard before.

But..even through the harder times, the rewards and laughter that come out of the process are unlike any other and each day brings on a new set of challenges and adventures.

We get to watch this little guy grow up…and time is starting to fly by just like everyone tells you it does. Right now we are just trying to suck in every moment and enjoy the life of parenthood while also trying to not become too obsessed/serious with him. Life is all about balance and the more balanced we are in this house…the happier we are.

So…onto the next stage as he starts to learn how to use these things we call arm, legs and fingers. If only I could really understand what he is trying to say when he talks to us. Either way…its cute.

Oh yeah…did I mention being a dad rocks?

However, one of the biggest driving forces in business that brings you to those “next levels” is generally one that now one really talks about. I find it ironic…but I also understand why. I do not thing it is something that people want to talk about. So what is it?

To make the big gains, you have to step outside of previous comfort zones.

Ok…I know…right now you are thinking, “Robb…yes, we already know that. This is not new news so why are you treating it like it is?” And you would be right, but I am not talking about gingerly taking on new stresses like calling a new client for the first time, stepping out there and talking in public or finally deciding on a new logo. What I am talking about her is stepping WAY outside of where you feel comfortable to the point that you almost feel like you are in the wrong spot.

Anyone can make small gains by staying relatively comfortable and edging that circle out slowly, but the owners that make the big gains jump outside that box with both feat ready to take on new challenges. They take on the projects that they are not sure they can handle.  They get tasks done in timelines that were thought to be impossible. They reinvest back into the company through capital and education.

Bottomline…to make big gains in business (and in life for that matter), you need to make big, sudden gains in expanding what you consider normal and your area of expertise.

It is all about taking that calculated risk to achieve the impossible. Are there new markets you need to attack that has a risk of failure? Is there the next capital reinvestment gain that could land you more opportunities (for site owners…redesign…for brick and mortar…expansion…for consulting…new markets and clientele)?

Some of the more stressful situations in trying to make those big gains is wondering if the risk is going to pay off. But…when it is done right…they pay off in a big way and even if they don’t, you learn more about the process to insure success for the next time around.

There is one thing for sure though, you do not get anywhere by sitting still and staying completely out of risk as you sit safely in your comfort zone. It is time to get out and see what you are really capable of.

Note from Robb: As you can probably tell by the article and how I treat content in general, I write this sort of content when I need it the most as well. Sometimes by saying it outloud…you force your own hand at getting the job done and hold yourself accountable.