In the running and walking specialty world, there are the very visible running and walking stores that sell training, shoes and gear. But then, there are also the brands behind the stores that are not so visible. The brands that help stores bring in new product, educate staff and host events.
At Charm City Run we are lucky to work with a variety of incredible brands, including our team from Brooks: Mike Gohn, Connor Skutches and Brennan Schwab. You might run in a Brooks shoe or be a part of our training groups sponsored by Brooks. These three are part of the driving force making sure that we can continue to bring you the shoes and experiences you love. I had the chance to ask these three a few questions about their role at Brooks and involvement in the running/walking community to bring their very important behind-the-scenes jobs into the light.
From right to left: Connor, Mike and Brennan with their favorite Brooks shoes!
Mike Gohn is the veteran of the group. As our Brooks Sale Representative, he has been with the company for 19 years, but doesn’t think of his job as sales. Rather, he’s explains that it is about helping people. His background in the fitness industry started when he majored in Kinesiology and then went on to work at the YMCA and sell exercise equipment to gyms.
Now, Mike’s responsibilities include both “front of the house” and “back of the house” tasks. Front of the house (read: front of the running store) activities include helping fit customers for shoes, hosting clinics and events, assisting with product placement and providing our staff with strategies to move product. In contrast, back of house tasks include helping us maintain our inventory and managing our product orders.
Brooks Guru and Field Representative Connor Skutches is Mike’s partner in crime in the Mid-Atlantic region. Connor has been a part of the Brooks teams for three years and previously worked for a run specialty store in Pennsylvania for five years. He took a break from the running industry when he majored in Political Science but then questioned why he ever left. His favorite part of the job? Working with the whole spectrum of people from the retired to young children.
New to the Brooks family is Brennan Schwab. When I met with the group, he had been working for the company for only 11 days as a Guru in Training. But, he is not without his own experiences in the running industry; Brennan worked for a running store in New York for two years and was a high school track coach for seven. He shares that so far he loves the social aspect of the position and hopes to “educate, motivate and provide” to help running stores accounts like us achieve our goals.
All three agree that one of the best parts of the job is planning and attending local events. Some past Charm City Run favorites have been the St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K and meeting Lewis Kent at a beer mile event in Annapolis.
The best pair of Brooks shoes, however, is up for debate. Connor favors the Launch, while Mike likes the Ghost or the Grit and Brennan’s top pick is the Caldera.
We’re glad to have these three as part of our Brooks support squad!
Participate in our next Brooks sponsored event, our 15th Anniversary Pub Runs on Thursday, June 8th at all Charm City Run locations! We can’t wait to see you there.
About the Author: Lizzy Peper
Lizzy is the Marketing Manager for Charm City Run and currently training for half marathons. Previously she worked as a part time Sales Associate in the Timonium store. Lizzy ran competitively as a member of the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams at Towson High School and Marist College. She co-captained the Division I Marist women's cross country team in 2015 and graduated in 2016 with a degree in Communication and a concentration in Public Relations. Check out her personal blog at pepinurstep.com and follow her on Instagram at @peppysteps.
