Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Hall. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Robin Hall, her husband and their two boys have lived in Steamboat Springs for 14 years. Robin concluded a wonderful 11-year career with Smartwool in 2020 when she made the decision to stay in Steamboat Springs and pass on the move to Denver with the brand. Robin held a variety of roles at Smartwool including Finance, Strategic Planning and Project Management, Chief Information Officer, Director of Retail and Director of Sustainability, which gave her ample opportunity to learn and make an impact on all aspects of the business. Her skillset is deep in the foundational principles of a business – 1) building and leaning into organizational mission, vision, values and purpose 2) developing strategic initiatives which translate to the desktop level and 3) business process design and project leadership.
Robin’s favorite part of her job with Smartwool was co-leading the Advocacy team for 4+ years where she had the opportunity to develop strong relationships with Smartwool’s non-profit partners and build great community bonds. Her partnership with the Nature Conservancy has gone beyond Smartwool where she currently serves on the marketing committee for the Yampa River Fund. And her love for helping to get kids outdoors continues through relationships with SOS Outreach and the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Prior to Robin’s time at Smartwool, she worked in Summit County with Vail Resorts in Finance and she and her husband grew up together in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Robin’s #1 StrengthFinders Strength is Positivity, she loves a good challenge, she leads with her heart and she has found a deep passion for the outdoors and the industries that support it. The Steamboat and Yampa Valley communities mean the world to Robin and she is excited to have started a new outdoor brand to give back to them. Her company, Town Hall, creates sustainable kid’s outdoor apparel, putting the planet and community first. When not in the office, Robin joyfully spends a lot of time chasing her kids around the ski mountain, explores the road and mountain bike routes of Routt County with friends and travels the globe with her family, thriving from new cultures. Robin recently completed her goal of running every single street in Steamboat in order to see all of this great community and try something new during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a business during COVID wasn’t an ideal landscape, to say the least. However, it gave me the opportunity to deeply involve my family and, more specifically, our kids in building the business. Every day is different when you have a business – some days you are on your toes and some you are on your heels. That’s where you need to adapt and embrace the process and have grace with yourself. Tactically, cash flow is a big challenge when you start an apparel brand. So, we are learning every day and building deep partnerships with our vendors to support each other’s goals and needs.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Town Hall Co. was started in Steamboat Springs, Colorado by parents who wanted a better choice when it came to their kids’ apparel. We wanted to use our years of experience in outdoor apparel to create a new standard in outerwear built specifically with kids in mind. Kids aren’t mini-adults. They are full-size versions of themselves who need clothes built around their unique needs. And they are inheriting this world, so we want to make sure that everything we create is sustainably made. We use as much recycled material as possible. We believe in reducing our manufacturing footprint. And we don’t believe in taking shortcuts. Our goal is to be planet positive – to leave the planet better than we found it. We’re all about building quality gear that lets kids find joy in the outdoors and stay warm and comfy doing it.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve spent my life being pretty methodical and am a planner at heart. I am very cautious about risk-taking and typically think through all angles of a decision to ensure, hopefully, a positive outcome. However, that does not always happen and you have to take a leap. The biggest risk of my life has been starting Town Hall. I am so thankful for my business partners and my family for keeping me honest, calling out potential pitfalls and cheering me on. While it is a financial risk, our hearts are 100% bought in and we are incredibly grounded in our purpose and values, which makes every decision easier and our community support drives us to be our best every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.townhallco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/townhallco_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Townhallco
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@townhallco_
Image Credits
Elisa Maines Photography Alex Johnson Photographer Tim Murphy Photography
