Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryon Patten.
Bryon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Hello. I’m a designer, photographer and an occasional Wedding DJ. Here is my story…
People often ask me where I went to school. I just smile and say, “I went to the school of You Tube.” I was always a creative person, but was never good in the classroom setting. The creation of video tutorials, has put me in touch with industry experts that can teach me whatever I need to know with a click of a button. I owe these people to a lot of my success.
I started out as a production designer for 47 Brand (Formally known as Twins Enterprise) back in ’04. Our office was on Yawkey way above the souvenir store and it was a very interesting time to be a 2o something working and socializing in Boston. I was there to see the Red Sox win their 1st world series in 86 years! I also learned a lot about the sports industry, about fashion and the consumers that I was designing for.
When I first started, I was basically placing logos on hats, changing the colors when requested and following some very simple design templates. We weren’t doing anything crazy or innovative, just basic embroidery on basic hats. Being the creative person I am, I started taking the extra steps to design hats using different fabrics, creating logos with layered applications and using vintage cotton threads. I quickly was promoted lead designer and started taking the company to a whole new level. Twins then acquired a small apparel company called “Banner” and the merger then turned into what is known today as 47 Brand.
I was also doing a lot of photography in my spare time, and had been working as a 2nd shooter for weddings on the weekend. The art director at ’47 at the time new this we had just acquired an NFL license. This was huge for the company, but was also going to be very challenging. Somehow, we needed to provide photo of every Hat, T-shirt and basically every product we had. Online retail, was just starting to get big, so we only had to provide images when requested. Now I somehow had to shoot thousands and thousands of different products. It was a huge undertaking, but I was up for the challenge and was giving my own department of one to manage.
We I invested in equipment, built a studio in the warehouse and I was off and running. Or should I say shooting. I was photographing each product, color correcting and clipping them in Photoshop to get rid of the background. This was very time consuming back in the day. I finally suggested creating templates, where I should one shirts and changed each color, so I had to do was Photoshop the graphics one. This change, tripled my production and was able to hire other employees to assist with the process.
Then we started to focus on our own website and social media accounts. This allowed me to be more creative and take my photography to the next level. We started hiring models for big budget photoshoots for our wholesale catalogs. The first few were done in the warehouse using backdrops and then soon after we were heading out to locations in downtown Boston, The Blue Hills and Fenway Park.
After a few years and watching the company grow, I felt the need for a change. To stay challenged as a designer, I was asked to design T-shirts and hats for local companies, such as Reebok, Saucony and Chowdaheadz. It was fun and realized how much joy I had creating a product or design from start to finish. I was getting tired of the city life and was and newly married and wanted to start a family. This is how I started talking with Ryan Gormady the owner of Chowdaheadz.
After some negotiating, we came to an agreement and I made the jump from my corporate big business management position, to a little suburban family run company in Woburn, Mass. I had just bought a house in Woburn, so my commute went from an hour each way to 5 mins. From there I never looked back.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Making the jump from a big corporation and a small business definitely has its challenges, as the sole creative person, I’d be designing the products, photographing them, and even modeling them if I had to. The contrast was very different, but also very refreshing. My creative juices are flowing every day. Sometimes, I’d designing a line to t-shirts. The next day I could be doing a photoshoot. The next day I’d be creating web graphics for our website.
My biggest challenge was changing my way of thinking. At ’47, I’d be designing or photographing products that weren’t even being shown to buyers 6 months down the road. With Chowdaheadz, we’d be trying to stay on top of what’s hot right now. I’d design a shirt on Monday morning and sometimes, they’d be in the consumer’s hands on Tuesday!
Please tell us about Chowdaheadz.
For almost 15 Years Chowdaheadz has been serving New England with wicked awesome lifestyle gear. It’s been my project for the past 5 years to make it a household name in and around Boston. I’m the graphic designer, product developer, photographer, and occasional model. It’s not uncommon to see my face on our website or Facebook ad. I’d proud of turning a sports driven t-shirt company, into a lifestyle brand that has something for everyone. I think we stand out by creating designs and products that are fun and wearable and that really stand out. It’s funny, when you see big named companies knocking us off. Means you’re doing something right.
And if any needs a wedding DJ, I can do that too. Ha ha
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
In theory, I probably would’ve made the jump to Chowdaheadz years ago. But I learned a great deal about the sports/apparel industry that is invaluable in business and in life. That they cannot teach you in school.
I also, learned that I’m someone who can’t be doing the same thing over and over again. That’s how you get burnt out. You always need to push the envelope, strive to be better and do what you love. I love my family, being creative and music. And I surround myself with those things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chowdaheadz.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chowdaheadz
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chowdaheadz
Image Credit:
All Images by Bryon Patten and Bob Canto
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
