Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Blomquist.
Hi Nathan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since 15 years old, I started selling Nike SB Dunks on Ebay but as I got older I really wanted to do my own brand. When I was 18 for my marketing research project instead of using standard companies for the project, I asked if I could do research to start my own brand and Common Apparel was the consensus after my research.
I have been skateboarding and snowboarding my whole life and something about sweatshirts weren’t tall enough, when you jumped, flipped, or hit rails, standard basic blank hoodies would rise up and expose skin and especially when you fell, snow would and ice burn would happen, especially in -10 degree weather in Minnesota.
Being so young we didn’t know our worth yet so it was a passion project and we didn’t know what we were starting, we had fun with it, made videos, designs, and made clothes we want to make. It turned in to something over time and organic. It eventually caught on to next generation and what we were doing impacted others we found out and supported our venture and demand became a thing.
I started it with Billy Bottoms, Jake Braseth, and Jesse Paul to sta but since we have always dreamed of being professional snowboarders or skateboarders but didn’t expect to organically get in the scene the way we did. Today being the age we are we adapted, learned the industry and made it rt not just a career path but a lifestyle. We didn’t strive for money or fame, just enjoying the time we had in the PRESENT. I know times change, people change, chapters in life occur, but I still think there is a common bond of everyone that has seen it, supported it, or watched it grow and it is amazing. There are hundreds of people like Sam Garneau, Sam Jorgensen, Max Ronning, Colton Allen, Danny Kern, and many more to list (HERE) that has been involved with the chapters of growth that has created what Common is today.
“No money, still rich”
“Quiet when necessary, back with purpose”
– Nate
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As stated earlier not knowing our worth we did it out of passion, I guess you could say “resume builder” if you kind of think about it, I feel Common lead the path to where a lot of riders are now and continuing the love and passion of the snowboard community. The struggles for me as a founder was as we scaled, there were hidden struggles as a “leader” of the brand to adapt and taking drastic measures to keep the brand alive. It came down to working capital and drive to scale as it took off, I was in business camps, mentors, and have always personally had a thing for business but I still preferred the design/creative side of the whole venture which allowed me to learn all the printing skills/marketing/design but still obviously trying to sell what we create. It wasn’t what I was making, it was what WE were making, and the people behind it. Over time it’s easy to let the true roots of making something when money comes in to the picture. My goal was to inspire as years went on so profit wasn’t the main focus, just sustainability and keeping the brand alive. Unlike most brands paying in to trade shows, doing sales, we travelled, slept on floors versus hotels, and really engaged with the community and made an appearance to really show its possible to be a part of something , support something, and just show everyone are people and we all have something in common, and that is snowboarding and skateboarding but also design / creation of media/art goes hand in hand. It really felt good at the beginning, its a feeling you know if you know but as time goes on, bills need to be paid, new chapters in life of your friends continue their journey, money was the most terrifying thing to me personally because my motives changed as I realized, this could be all of our careers, we all have seen pros we look up to and that point realizing that than risking everything and not thinking about what this could grow in to, so that was struggle for me, so access to money needed to do that , some decisions really change the brand, whose included in the money side, which can lead to resentment and I look back at it and know I could have done things differently but I learned from it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I would say I am more of a philanthropist, thinking outside the box person with ties in business and creative output. I always say “its a waiting game,” and don’t rush things, let it happen. Instead of following trends, do the opposite, create your own and disrupt the industry. I think we were considered a small percentage of the industry and we could have organized better and sent it as a “brand or company” with structure but I don’t mind the way we did it. We actually turned down a lot of corporate retailers at an early age then did try it prior pandemic and stuck to our core values selling to core shops, which as we know slowly go under since retail is the hardest game to jump in to, it takes community and passion to keep things alive going the core route? What is selling out is always the question, what is cool? But there’s decisions we made that allowed us to get our foot in door of real brands doing what we could have done, but I feel its an amazing thing having multiple avenues to follow.
I would like to be known for doing snowboard/skate films with analog video cameras of 4 year projects, core values, friendships, not following the trends, and supporting REAL projects and not just social media for entertainment / marketing purposes. I feel organic person to person, events, pushing the next generation, surrounding what we do with the community around us and not behind a screen. I feel either one people get discouraged watching behind screen, stuck, or just think thats not possible. IT IS POSSIBLE. Get your ass out there and connect with the ones doing it, thats what I love about everyone at The Impaler Mag, Cal Surf Boardshop, Strange Brew, and all the crews you know you are that really were real.
What sets us aside from others is we did things differently, because we didn’t’ get paid to do our “jobs,” so we had an advantage to really change looks, products, design, entertainment in a different way that was RELATABLE to anyone wanting to be involved. Budgets are cool, free product, traveling, etc… we did that but it took a team, love, and pushing our friends around us, not for a proposal.
Common always had start and kill projects, which was maybe my ADHD over the years, getting bored when things start up we create something new and as I look back I really think it was a key point to our success because we were always pushing to test the limits and do things outside the norm. Not just talking about it but actually doing it. Or at least trying to do it.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
That I seem extroverted and calm, but I was terrified constantly as the brand developed, and it was hard to handle sometimes or ask for help. I really admire people that are a leader and have that skill, I feel I was for a bit but it can be draining to trust others when your in moment but in the end a team is what you need, so facing that today I wish I did talk about it and the hidden demons I had from the stress/chaos / trying to wear many hats / spreading yourself thin. You always think you got it on your own, but asking for help I wish I did.
Pricing:
- $30 Hats
- $40 Tees
- $80 ONE OF KIND PIECES
- $0 When your the homies (recommend not doing this these days like we did)
- $PRICLESS Community and Engagement
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @commonapparel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commonapparel
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-blomquist-98711744
- Youtube: Just type “Common apparel” or “Impaler magazine”
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trap-zilla
- Other: https://www.snowboarder.com/news/nate-blomquist-founder-common-apparel-snowboardings-30-30
