Happy Friday Crusaders,

Last week I talked about the importance of taking the time to unplug and recharge. One of the ways I like to unplug and recharge is to attend local festivals around Sacramento.

This Saturday The Annual Farm-to-Fork Festival takes place on Capitol Mall between 3rd – 9th Streets. The Festival is a free event from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm featuring locally sourced food, wine, and beer vendors, along with farm displays, kids’ activities, cooking demonstrations, live music. Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork Program serves as a year-round platform to highlight the farms, restaurants, organizations and individuals that contribute to the local culinary and agricultural landscapes. The Sacramento region has been an agricultural powerhouse for centuries, boasting a year-round growing season, ideal climate and a mouth-watering bounty of crops. Chances are if you are enjoying a meal in the Sacramento region, it came from a local farm. Join in on the fun. Come out and support the local Farm-to-Fork movement.

Have a fun weekend!

So it appears that today, September 22nd, is the first day of fall for 2016. The weather won't stay this cool for most of the weekend but as I write this, it definitely feels like Autumn is here. 

Football is in full swing, basketball will be here soon enough, and pumpkin-flavored everything is right around the corner. 

Luckily for us in Northern California, it will still be warm/hot out, with a cool enough breeze, and possibly some rainfall throughout the next couple months. Pretty much the best of both worlds. 

Use this time to take in the moment and enjoy whatever activity you want, indoors or out. Take it all in and enjoy it because it's a great time for SlideBelts and life in general!

Look back at the last few months and reflect on what you've accomplished. Kudos card if you can come up to me and tell me what goals you have set and achieved recently.   Then go set some more!

This last weekend I traveled down south to visit the University of Mississippi to watch the Ole Miss vs. Alabama football game. I had been looking forward to this trip for the last couple of weeks and was very excited when the day came for me to leave.

After a very long night of travel, I had arrived at my destination. As I slipped off my sweatpants and put my regular shorts on, I reached into my suitcase for my belt, but I couldn't find it. When I realized I had forgotten to pack it I asked myself the ever so common question "really, Connor?" How does someone who works for a belt company forget to bring a belt? I still don’t know the answer to that question, but I had to fix the problem. I am ashamed to say it, but I went to the store and bought myself a belt...and, yes, it had holes.

I wanted to share this “really, Connor?” moment with you because it made me really appreciate how great our product is.  Over the course of the weekend I constantly caught myself trying to tighten the belt by pulling the leather through the buckle, or trying to release the belt by pulling on the buckle, which I was obviously unable to do. It was easy for me to feel the difference when first making the switch from a regular belt to a SlideBelt, but it is even more noticeable when having to go back and use a traditional belt. 

Anyway, this experience made me that much more proud of our products and our company as a whole. Keep up the great work, and make sure you packed a belt before you go on your next trip!