Marathon mementos: Missoula business creates custom bags using personal memorabilia

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

So you’ve run the race, finished the marathon, and you’re heading home with your race T-shirt, bib number and all the other stuff you got when you registered and completed the event.

Now what?

The afterglow of a hard-earned accomplishment lasts only so long; then what do you do with all that race memorabilia?

Stefanie Fisher, a 24-year-old Missoula runner and entrepreneur, has created a solution to keep the experience fresh.

Her company, Mile 22 Bags, is all about creatively commemorating significant achievements in a person’s life, such as a first marathon, half-marathon or any other milestone.

In the basement of her South Hills home, and with the help of local sewing experts, race T-shirts and other swag are transformed into an attractive collage that is displayed under clear vinyl in the form of cordura messenger bags, totes, wallets and handbags.

From this humble location, Fisher has launched a national retail company and in just six months bagged a business for herself.

While packing a box of orders for a Washington, D.C., specialty running store, Fisher said she’s stunned by her unexpected success.

“The business has taken off really fast,” she said. “I never imagined I would be at this point in six months. I thought maybe in five years.

“The biggest change has come in the last month, where I’ve gone from being a Web-based business and going to expos, to getting into retail.”

Just back from a whirlwind business trip to Seattle, Fisher has landed 14 new contracts with retail stores there, which are part of growing list of accounts she has with shops along the eastern seaboard.

Currently, she has coast-to-coast accounts, and will be meeting with other out-of-state retailers after the Missoula Marathon trade show, where she will have a booth displaying her merchandise.

Her product is unique, part functional art and part vanity wear, which is particularly appealing to women.

“For women, accomplishing a hard-to-reach goal like finishing a marathon is significant,” Fisher said, “and women’s love for handbags is significant, so this is an easy combo to market.”

“Besides, what else are you going to do with all that stuff you get at races?”

The bag concept, Fisher said, was born out of necessity - and frustration.

When she graduated from the University of Montana’s business school in 2007, it took her seven months to land a job in her field in Missoula.

The work environment was so frustrating, it motivated her to think about how to be her own boss.

Encouraged by a former UM business school professor, Michael Braun, and emboldened by a sewing class she took at Selvedge Studio last summer, Fisher stumbled into her heart’s desire.

The first bag she made for herself, commemorating her finish in the 2008 Boston Marathon, garnered so much attention she knew she was onto something.

After fine-tuning the concept, Fisher decided to test out her products at the Las Vegas Marathon in December.

Putting everything on her credit card and without a thorough business plan, Fisher followed her heart.

“I bought a booth at the expo there, took my two best friends, called in sick at work, and told myself if we sell $25 in merchandise, I’m quitting my job,” Fisher said. “I sold $75, and it was a done deal. When I got back, I gave my two-week notice and began this company.”

Ever since, orders have come streaming in and the company has grown so rapidly that Fisher has hired two employees.

The name, she explained, came from a brainstorming session with her fiance, Joe Sample, and a friend, both runners. Their conversation turned to a central theme: that a marathon is really achieved once people hit the 22-mile mark.

“Every marathoner seems to remember mile 22. That’s really memorable, because for most people, they haven’t run that far before, and that’s where you hit the wall,” Fisher said. “That’s when the finish is so close and where you have to dig deep to push on.

“That’s where you earn your marathon.”

And that’s where you earn Fisher’s stylish, one-of-a-kind custom bags.

“What makes this bag special is that you have to do something to earn one of these,” she said.

As the orders have rolled in, Fisher said she’s learning that the bags have an equal appeal for seasoned runners who are interested in having a bag made out of some of their most challenging and memorable races, or a reflection of the sheer number of races in which they have completed.

Fisher has partnered with Team in Training, which uses marathons as a way to raise funds for cancer research. She gives

40 percent of her sales to the cause.

At the Missoula Marathon on July 12, her company will be doing the same for Youth Homes, a Missoula nonprofit that serves children in need, and 40 percent of the proceeds she gets from sales at the organization’s post-marathon lunch will go directly to Youth Homes.

“I really believe in the power of a company giving back and I am doing my best to support organizations when I can,” Fisher said.

Because most of her business and customers are from out of state, Fisher is looking forward to creating bags for runners in her own community and showing people how she can turn their memorabilia into something really useful and special.

Then she’s off to California to nail down new accounts with 75 speciality stores.

“It’s been really fun so far to make this work,” Fisher said. “I feel so blessed that I can do what I love and that I can do it from Missoula.

“I’m just stunned by how fast life can change.”

Reporter Betsy Cohen can be reached at 523-5253 or at bcohen@missoullian.com.

Copyright © 2009 Missoulian

We just launched our new colors!  Peacock, black, and Barn red.  The exterior of all bags will now be made out of Cordura fabric which is: fade resistant, water proof, extremely durable, and easy to wash!

Let us know what you think of the new colors!

What’s a bag party?  If you are raising money for TNT we will send you our bag party kit that includes:  all of our demo bags, a presentation to help you host a party and educate your friends that come, and easy to use order forms so you can get all your friends signed up for a bag!  And here’s the best part… we will give you 40% of the sales for your fundraising!!!

And they are going great.  We have had a party every weekend for the past few weeks and have at least one per weekend for the next month!  All the host have sold at least 10 bags and as many and 40 bags. 

Right now we are limiting parties to 2 people hosting per week.  But because you all seem to be excited about hosting a party to raise your funds and we love helping you we are going to add another party for every week.  So if you have a date in mind get signed up for it.

See our TNT Bag Parties page on our site for more information.

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to let everyone know that I am back from going out to Washington DC to meet with some potential retailers.  I also stoped in Coeur D’Alene, ID and Spokane, WA.  In total I meet with 13 different stores in the DC area and it’s looking great for all of you that would like to be able to purchase a Mile 22 bag at your favorite running store!!

We will be sending our shipments to the stores the first week in June.  Let us know what you think of the display and the fun way we are selling the bags!

More on this soon,

Stef

Here’s my “how I got stated in the crazy world of marathons” story:

Everything was not going according to plan when I was a sophomore in college. So I did what anyone would naturally do. I packed up and moved to China to go to school. (Okay… not everyone would think that to be a logical choice but it seemed right at the time) Once arriving in China I found my niche and started working hard at it. Unfortunately my niche was in the area of eating a significant amount of Chinese food without getting full. I was lucky though because I meet a girl named Glory to share in my passion for consuming Chinese food. Four months into our Chinese eating experience I noticed that I had gained about twenty pounds. While I could have slowed down the eating at that point I decided that your only young once and I loved the food so I would continue eating it and make figure out how to lose the weight once I returned home to Montana.

Glory and I, during our internships at a sports marketing firm spent a lot of time suffering the web. When we both came across runners world we got an idea. We decided to train for half marathons once arriving back to the states. I had never considered myself a good runner but was willing to do anything to get healthy again.

So we got back, trained, and on August 14, 2004 I did my first race. Americas Finest City Half Marathon in San Diego, California! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and training for it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I ran a 1:43:00 and am so proud of that day that when you see me at the expos you will also see my Mile 22 Bag made out of the race memorabilia from that day.

And since that first race I haven’t ever looked back. I love running and now triathlons too! I race whenever I get a chance and train through the winters in Montana.

So let’s hear your stories!

Stefanie

Up here in Missoula, Montana we don’t actually have a local team in training group so my knowledge of the organization was limited to the people I’d see on race courses. To be honest, I’ve never noticed all that many people sporting the bright purple jerseys. But at the Rock n Roll I got a glimpse into what seems to be an enormous organization that is motivating people to not only accomplish huge goals but teaching them how to do that with a purpose. While I was already amazed with the group from meeting participants at the Mile 22 Bags booth it wasn’t until the expo was over that I got a glimpse into the best part. Saturday night after two long hard working days at the expo I decided to take a quick dip in the hotels hot tub. Trying to get from my room to the pool wasn’t easy. I encountered group after group meeting with their Team in Training groups the night before the race to have some last minutes motivation. All these groups seem to be united, driven, and show support for one another. I LOVE IT!! So while I don’t really know much about the group I encourage anyone interested in training for something they never thought possible (like a marathon) to look into Team in Training in their area. I know I’m going to be finding out how to get one started here in Missoula! Here’s the site for anyone interested in these amazing people: www.teamintraining.org

Also, I just spoke with a team in training employee and I will be donating a bag to a silent auction! I love being able to get involved. All of you out there that do Team in Training…I would love to help you too!

I would love to hear from people involved in this organization. How you got involved, if you’d ever trained for something like a marathon before, what you do to raise money, etc.

Next weekend I am excited to be at the Surf City Expo with a great friend of mine, Glory. Glory and I lived in China together and eventually decided to train for our first half marathon together!
Stefanie