We had the good fortune of connecting with Vince Coleman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Vince, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balance for Work/Life can be an elusive thing, much like contentment. Additionally, each business owner must find what is best for their wellbeing as well as family. I have been Full-time in my business ownership for almost 9 years at this point. With each passing year, the Balance between the two, shifts. The first year or so, I pursued work more than time off, in a means to grow the business to a capacity that I could take more time off. Fast forward to the past couple years, where my business is thriving and Im actively looking for more time away from it. It’s a great reminder to start fresh and reanalyze your own business with each passing year. This coming year (2024), Im looking to take 3 days a week off, with 4 full days of work, which seems to be a great balance for me and my wife
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My Business was created in 2013. Similarly to most small start-ups, I was inspired from a hobby at first, and soon made the plunge into small business entrepreneurship. I started the business alongside working a full time job. Starting with only a couple hundred dollars, with each sale, I put the revenue directly back into the business. Soon, the leather work and accessories started to take off. I quickly found myself facing the challenge of jumping full time into leather work and leaving my old career behind. That was the single most challenging decision to make for my business.
Our Brand is different than most leather shops. We Only use American Bison for all of our accessories. Additionally, We don’t use any machines for production of our goods. Everything is done by hand, including the stitching (the old fashioned way). Additionally, We back all of our hand-stitched accessories with a lifetime guarantee.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Steamboat Springs, where we are blessed with endless outdoor options. Depending on the time of the year, activities vary greatly. Summer-
Hiking the Devils causeway on the Chinese wall loop, a stop at Antlers Bar and Grill in Yampa for a pint and local beef burger. Fly fishing on the Elk river or at Chuck Lewis park. Cocktails and dinner near the yampa river at Mountain Tap brewery is great. A nice night out would include dinner at Primrose Restaurant, which we also did leather work on for the dining area. A mountain bike ride on the Stinger loop on Emerald mountain is a must for the adventure seekers. Another all time great hike is the Zirkel Circle just east of Clark, with a delicious wood fired pizza at Clydes pies at the Clark store to finish out a day.
Winter-
A cross-country ski on Bruces Trail on Rabbit ears, or AT to Walton peak would be in the cards. Make sure to snag some Sammies from Yampa sandwich co. for the day. Skiing Steamboat Ski area, or Howelsen on Free Sundays are also a treat.If you’re lucky enough to catch a first Friday art walk, Westerly and Romicks are my two favorites. Another fun activity I love bringing folks to, is snow tubing at Saddleback Ranch. After a day out in the cold, Cafe Diva is a great cozy spot to warm up and dine on some delicious fare. Fish creek falls is also a super fun winter hike as well as summer. Make sure to caffeinate at Beard&Braid or Big Iron Coffee before heading out too!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shout out to Andrew Petty with Andrew Petty coaching. Andrew and one of the mastermind groups he spearheads called ” The Graveyard Group” was instrumental in my business and personal growth.
Website: www.colemanshaberdashery.com
Instagram: @Steamboat_Leather
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteamboatLeather1/
Yelp: Coleman’s Haberdashery
Other: Google Maps- Coleman’s Haberdashery Email- Colemanshaberdashery@gmail.com