Meet Sarah Laughlin of Slope Threads in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Laughlin.

Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a third-time start-up founder or co-founder with a background in marketing. I am a Colorado native but spent a decade in corporate marketing roles in Washington, DC. I returned to Denver in 2017 to embark on an MBA program at the University of Denver and have subsequently launched Slope Threads. Slope Threads is just wrapping up its first season in business!

Slope Threads is my new venture which combines my passion for skiing and the outdoors with my background as a marketer. I believe there is a unique confluence of market factors which bode very well for Slope Threads. These factors include the rise of e-commerce and consumers’ increased expectations of on-demand delivery of just about anything. Another factor is the expansion of the sharing economy.

The “sharing economy” has already revolutionized the taxi, hospitality, and freelance industries and thrives on big items that are expensive, hard to store, and that spend a lot of time not being used. Naturally, this trend is now taking the outdoor industry by storm! Consumers- especially millennial consumers- are less obsessed with ownership and “newness.”

As they flee the suburbs, their living spaces are shrinking, and they are looking for ways to cut down on items they have to pay retail prices for and store in their apartments and condos. I have always had a lot of creative ideas and a knack for problem-solving. I was always bored at my traditional “9-5” and became very intrigued with the idea of starting my own company about five years ago.

I had the idea for Slope Threads after spending years schlepping my ski gear back to Colorado to ski every year. The idea really stuck once I saw that some of my friends had actually shipped their gear to our Breckenridge Airbnb to avoid packing it and flying with it. From that point on, the wheels have been in motion.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hahahahaha. No. Starting a company is terrifying. The personal and financial risk is very scary, especially if you have led a “cushy” financial existence to date. When I was just getting started, I would also think about the opportunity cost often and the six-figure marketing career I gave up to chase a dream.

Prior to launching Slope Threads, while we were still building out the e-commerce platform and acquiring inventory, I think I woke up every morning for almost a year asking myself if I may be completely delusional. Once we received our first orders, the self-doubt started to fade, and I no longer wonder those things anymore.

Overcoming the self-doubt to launch your dream into the world is the hardest thing to do. Even when we launched, I didn’t feel I was ready. But it was already November, already snowing, and I realized if I was going to do this, I had to just let ‘er rip. It was never going to be “perfect.”

Once we launched, our operating costs were much higher than we anticipated and that was very stressful. As an MBA student, I learned to build out financial models and felt confident in my projections. But I learned very quickly during our first few weeks and months in business that those meant absolutely nothing in the reality of operational surprises, etc.

I thought I had a co-founder at one point and that didn’t work out. It just wasn’t a good fit. That was another set-back, and I realized I would have to get through the season on my own. That’s a lot of pressure.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Slope Threads story. Tell us more about the business.
Slope Threads is “Rent the Runway for Ski Apparel” We are on a mission to get more people on the mountain for less money and less hassle.

At Slopethreads.com, customers can rent name-brand ski gear (soft goods only) for an affordable daily rate- $35. They can also add on helmets, socks, sunscreen, and other accessories. They can order anything they might need for a day on the slopes (minus the actual skis and snowboards). We ship for free nationwide.

The best part is we ship the gear directly to their doorstep, for free, and they also receive a pre-paid shipping bag to send the gear back. Ski gear is actually quite expensive and the outfits we rent retail for around $600. We are one of the first-ever companies to offer something like this.

The high-end ski outfits, the free shipping both ways and ease of the service set us apart from our competition.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am not sure I believe in luck. I believe in good ideas, taking action, resiliency and building community to support my endeavors.

Pricing:

• Full Ski Outfit Rentals from $35/day- Free shipping both ways

Contact Info:

• Website: slopethreads.com
• Email: sarah@slopethreads.com
• Instagram: @slopethreads
• Facebook: /slopethreads
• Twitter: @slopethreads

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver 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.