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Hard Night Good Morning is grateful for all veterans and current military members and the sacrifices they have made to protect our country. We are inspired by their tenacity and hard-working spirits, so this month we decided to feature a veteran-owned business as “Our Inspiration”.
Chris Griffin started Halio in 2017, with a mission of offering high quality athletic wear while also giving back. As the line continues to expand, Chris says, “I am inspired to grow Halio every day solely from seeing the impact it has not only on the lives of the women who support the brand, but also the charities and non-profits we donate to. Knowing that part of our mission is to make a positive impact on our environment and society is a huge reason for starting the brand. Receiving messages and videos from people who are able to benefit from this positive impact reassures us that it's working; and to work harder to compound the positivity.”
We always love hearing about everyone’s daily hustles, and what they do to make it all happen. Chris’ days are filled from the time he wakes up to the time his head hits the pillow, because Halio is a 2-person team, run by 2 active duty service members. There is always something that needs to be done! His day-to-day looks a little something like this: “Monday through Friday starts at 05:00. I'll head into work where I am currently the National Marketing Photo Manager for the Air Force. I'll balance projects that look like major productions (coordinating talent/locations/shots) to different forms of social marketing and the imagery used to communicate our messages and lastly, photoshoots for the actual projects. After what would be a normal day, I head to the gym to squeeze in a 30-40 minute workout. This is a solid commitment during this time, because I know if I don't get it in, it won’t happen. From there, I go home, check all new orders placed that day, and answer any customer service emails. I'll research new influencers to send marketing packages to and have local ambassadors come over to test out new samples for adjustments and test shots. Later that evening I drop off all customer and marketing orders at the post office and head back home to work with manufacturers on new samples and adjustments on upcoming pieces for our seasonal launches. Around this time, it’s between Midnight to 1 a.m. so I’ll go to bed, wake up, and start again. Weekends vary from photoshoots to community events and even more research on products and marketing opportunities.” WHEW! Clearly, he has a lot going on, but he manages everything so well!
As you can imagine, Chris has had his fair share of “hard nights”. One of this hardest was prior to their first ever fitness expo. They were very excited to be exhibiting at one of the largest expos in Dallas, and were even launching their Spring Collection on the first day of the expo. Chris says, “It's challenging enough being in charge of all logistics and a team to make sure everything is all good to go for the expo, but to manage the company's main source of income at the same time was definitely a lot to handle”.
Right before the launch of the new collection on the brand’s website, he was met with errors on the site and got locked out from updating the inventory. This posed a critical issue, since customers were eagerly awaiting the launch. After hours on hold with tech support, and being told everything would be fixed in the morning, he woke up to exactly that! In fact, it ended up being one of their largest online launches to date, and they had an amazing experience meeting new Halio customers at the expo.
When it comes to being a “boss man” or a successful business person, Chris believes there are 3 things that drive success: passion, innovation, and stamina. “Having passion is important, because you need to LOVE what you do. You're going to spend long hours, miss events with friends and family, and it may not be profitable for a long time. But the passion will keep you on the right path and help you to not chase vanity. You need to be innovative because the landscape is always changing, and if you're not open to change, your business will die and others will pass you by. You need to keep an open mind and think YES before you ever think NO. Lastly, stamina is huge because without it, you'll gas out and everything will go away because you can't maximize opportunities.” Chris understands the importance of pushing forward: he never wants his competition to pass him by because he was taking a break.
Chris followed his passion because he is able to have a positive impact on people’s lives. It’s a major part of the foundation that explains why he does what he does, and will continue to do so going forward. “It’s in the DNA of my character,” he says.
We greatly admire Chris’ drive and love for impacting people in a positive way. Chris and the entire team behind Halio inspire us.
About Chris Griffin and Halio:
Chris Griffin is a 14-year Air Force photographer, marketer, and brand owner. Starting his professional career in 2005 as a photographer, Chris has deployed to Iraq, Jordan, and other forward operated missions. He's covered humanitarian missions in Japan, Uganda, Thailand, and Guyana, highlighting the stories of those in need and giving them a voice in a noisy world. In 2015, Chris started building brands for major fitness influencers, grossing over $5 Million. Feeling the need to create a brand in line with his vision, in 2017 he created Halio Lifestyle Athletica, a fitness apparel brand focused on giving back and offering high quality products at an affordable price for anyone to purchase. As Halio's mission grows, so does the time and impact Chris spends on the mission.
For more information, visitwww.haliola.com.
There’s busy, and then there is “dashing in heels” busy.
We know our founder, D’Andra Simmons, would agree with Gretchen Bauer, founder of BSWANKY, when she says that every day running your own business is an adventure...an adventure that absolutely requires dashing in heels.
