Industry Profile: Magical Go-Go Co-Founder Sarah Cameron

Job Title: Co-Founder, Co-Owner & Co-Director of Magical Go-Go® and POM POM®
Employer: Magical Go-Go, LLC (POM POM and Magical Go-Go)
Years on snow: Since I was 4…wow, that means 31 years. Yikes.
Days on snow: As many as I can get. With 2 kids in tow we’re now weekend warriors but are also able to get out for some night riding during the week which is always fun. Makes you really appreciate the times you get to ride. Oh and I would also definitely count the epic times when I’m pulled by the 4-wheeler in the backyard. Next year we’re hooking up the snow-maker for the backyard park.
Currently Riding: GNU B-Nice 146 waxed with Sonic Boom on base, traction wax on top, Bonfire Boots, Burton Lexa bindings.
Currently I am: Overtired.

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Shay: Tell us a little bit about yourself
Sarah: It’s kind of weird to talk about myself, and when I do I sort of wonder if I should be writing a biography because my life seems a bit crazy, but this is how I would describe myself. I am a pretty creative and high energy person, and sometimes wonder if I have ADHD. I went to 3 different colleges (loved them all), graduated from Mt. Holyoke College with a degree in philosophy and then went on to 2 different law schools (loved them too) and passed the bar. I Practiced law for a bit (did NOT love that) and then took some time off to figure out a plan B. In between all that I started my own greeting card company, almost signed an animation deal, got a licensing agent, wrote a screenplay, became licensed to sell life insurance, thought about teaching, getting a degree in architecture, graphic design and interior design. I was a freelance writer for a major greeting card company. I started college at NYU to become an actor. I’ve driven cross-country (highly recommend), lived in New York City, Burlington, VT, Boston and Northampton, Mass. I love the northwest. I also love New England. I love the ocean, the mountains and the 4 seasons. I love to snowboard, surf, run and jump on my trampoline. I want a new dirtbike. I have been a vegetarian for 18 years and can’t remember the last time I drank alcohol. I love to hike, camp and sit by a fire. I dream about exploring the country in an RV. I have a secret passion for cars. My first was a $300 MG Midget that didn’t run. After I took some time to figure out a plan B, I ended up moving back in with my parents, interned at LEGO® in the legal department, met up with Roger and got engaged 4 months later. Not long after that, Magical Go-Go was born and the rest is history.

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Shay: How has snowboarding changed your life?
Sarah: Snowboarding has made my life what it is. It has given me direction and passion. It has enabled me to work with my bestest partner-in-crime, Roger. Creating this business has been the most challenging work I have ever done, but it continues to be the most rewarding. One might think that after going to law school your life is pretty dialed. In my case, I’m very glad I misdialed that number.

Shay: How did you get your start in the industry, who or what opened up more opportunities for you?
Sarah: My start in the industry wasn’t exactly planned. After Roger would come home from work, he started making skate wax in our laundry room. Soon enough we would spend our evenings melting wax on the kitchen stove, cutting out labels and shrink-wrapping. There was no plan; it was just an after hours hobby that kids responded to. It was pure fun; it wasn’t about money. It was about getting kids psyched to skate. Well this went on for a while, and after a few kitchen fires (no injuries), I started to question where this ‘hobby’ was heading. That’s when I took the helms and decided we needed to commit to this and make it legit. We both knew we had something unique and went full force. We created our own opportunity. After working on Magical Go-Go for a while, I soon realized how much the industry is male dominated and how so many products and companies are really marketed to guys. That’s when I came up with the idea of a wax company for girls. I saw an opportunity and seized it. The shock factor got me psyched. It was totally unexpected , which is exactly what I loved about it. POM POM is more than wax. POM POM is a brand that was created to give attention to the rad female riders out there who are continuously overlooked and overshadowed by guys. POM POM is lucky to have an insane team of riders who are dedicated and psyched to push their level of riding and provide inspiration and motivation to other girls. POM POM is about progressing snowboarding and showing the industry how important girls are to the future of the sport. And yes, it’s all because girls can wax too.

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Shay: How has your previous education or work experience helped you in your current job?
Sarah: I am a firm believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. My education and work experience has not only helped me in my current position, it led me here. Undergrad led me to law school. Law school led me to LEGO. LEGO led me to Roger, which led me to Magical Go-Go, which led me to POM POM. Thus, although I’m not practicing law, it is essentially what brought me to where I am now. All my education and slew of prior jobs has given me invaluable experiences that inevitably influence our business in some capacity. No matter if you’re a sandwich artist (been there), attorney(done that) or college painter (that too), what you learn on the job can be applied to many facets of running a business.

Shay: Tell us about your role at Pom Pom and a description of the work you do?
Sarah: It’s pretty much Roger and me working on everything together. I am in charge of the brand direction for POM POM, which is definitely my most favorite part of the job. I love coming up with new ideas and bringing them to life. Aside from that, my role also includes everything else that is involved with running a business: managing house accounts, calling new accounts, producing samples, chasing past due invoices, communications with reps and accounts, sourcing, ordering, paying bills, managing the production schedule, etc. You name it, we do it. We’re a small operation—Roger and I wear many hats.

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Shay: What’s an average day like at work for you?
Sarah: Ah, that’s a loaded question! Another part of my day ‘job’ is raising two kids under the age of 5. Our business is quite interesting and unique. It’s great that it’s Roger and me running it—which means we are able to work odd hours in order to get things done. That being said, an average day for me usually includes opening up the laptop by 5:30 in the morning and closing it some evenings by midnight. That’s also the hard part. We don’t really ever turn it off. We recently told each other that we would talk about the business only through email. I actually think it’s a good idea. When you work with your spouse, finding that balance between work and home life can be tough—especially when we are so passionate about our business. So to get to your question, I try and have an agenda and deadlines for the week as far as what needs to get done, and from there, I try and address whatever else is thrown my way in the interim.

Shay: What are some memorable experiences from working in the industry?
Sarah: This past February Roger and I finally put up a booth with our New England rep (Chris Piatek) at the regional show in Providence, RI. It was so awesome to finally do a trade show and have our own presence there. We’ve been wanting to do it for a while, but we’ve just had to pace ourselves. It was rad to have such positive feedback and meet so many New England accounts face to face.

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Shay: What do you think are the biggest challenges that the snowboard industry faces and what changes would you like to see for the future?
Sarah: I think a challenge for the industry is accessibility and cost. Accessibility has always been an issue and the cost of being able to snowboard just keeps getting more and more expensive. We’ve gone back to riding a small local hill and you know what? It’s been awesome. We try and get friends together as often as possible for night riding and we’ll ride the same 3 trails for 2 hours, but it’s so fun. As much as I love riding fresh pow and the big mountains, I also love riding with friends. That’s how snowboarding started for me. As for changes in the industry? I’d love to see more women working in higher positions within the industry. I’d also love to see more shops start to cater more to female riders. The amount of girls who snowboard is growing and girls love to shop. Need I say more?

Shay: Education vs Experience…which do you think is more important?
Sarah: Both. They go hand in hand. An education can never be underestimated and at the same time, experience is where you figure out what it is that you want to do—where you fit in. Experience is how you learn to utilize your education.

Shay: What advice would you give to people wanting to work in the industry?
Sarah: Be passionate about what you do. If you love what you do, you won’t mind having to do the grunt work so much.

Find out more at:

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Twitter: twitter.com/iheartpompom
Website: www.iheartpompom.com