Nate Giska

Nate Giska

Store Manager & Merchandise Manager · Vail Resorts Retail

Breckenridge, CO

In My Own Words

I am an ambitious, passionate and hard working individual in Breckenridge, Colorado. Currently, I work for Vail Resorts as both the Store Manager & Merchandise Manager at the Columbia Store on Main Street in Breckenridge. A unique, hybrid position in the company only held by few individuals.

Previously, I spent 5 years as the owner & operator of retail boutique, Blacklist, specializing in Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Apparel & Footwear. During that time, I also spearheaded the opening of a unique, neighboring bar & restaurant concept called, The Crvsh Room. I served as the Managing Partner for 2 years.

Upon selling both establishments, I spent a year working as US Sales Rep for companyBE, a cloud-based software solution for small/medium size brands & retailers. I visited over 100+ retail stores, prospecting leads, generating sales of software and website solutions, and consulting with business owners and managers.

In 2015, I joined up and coming Snowboard brand, United Shapes, as the Director of Sales. I traveled the country, visiting snowboard shops and building our distribution from the ground up. Today, United Shapes is represented in legacy accounts Worldwide with YOY sales growth in the 200th+ percentile.

Next, I aligned with locally owned, Breckenridge Ski Enterprises and moved to Breckenridge. My role was Store Manager of the 2-floor, Columbia store. A unique, $1M+ location serving as the only independently owned Columbia in the country. Quickly, I turned an under performing store into a growing and highly competitive store in the local market, awhile taking on additional responsibilities including preseason and in-season inventory buys, retail marketing, social media, event planning & IT.

In October 2017, Vail Resorts acquired the Breckenridge Ski Enterprises stores and I accepted a position within Vail Resorts Retail to manage the newly acquired, Columbia Branded store.

Work Experience

Store Manager & Merchandise Manager

Vail Resorts Retail

2017 – Present

- Exceeded winter sales & profitability budget while maintaining 98% managerial audit score - Developed a staff with a high level of guest service & received mystery shopper scores of 100% - Executed preseason inventory purchases and managed in-season inventory levels

Director of Sales

United Shapes Snowboarding

2015 – 2017

UNITED SHAPES is an independent collective dedicated to developing progressive, high performance snowboard designs for the next Golden Age of snowboarding. - Responsible for acting as the main Sales Rep for all US territories and achieving sales goals - Coordinate tradeshow schedule, retailer marketing, and production with all company divisions - Developed distribution strategy including acquisition of Key Accounts and order management

Store Manager

Breckenridge Ski Enterprises Inc.

2016 – 2017

Columbia Breckenridge is the only of its kind, independently & operated serving as a premier 2-floor storefront in one of the largest and most influential outdoor regions in the country. - Generated a 50% Sales growth to $1.5 annual revenue, while lowering inventory 22% & increasing profit margin by 6% - Received One Breckenridge 'Annual Customer Service Champion' for 2016. - Recruited and developed a full-time, year round staff in a Resort town traditionally characterized by Seasonal employment and high turnover. - Collaborated with Columbia Corporate team on full fixture & store remodel to elevate in-store & brand experience. - Worked closely with Store Owners and Columbia Corporate to develop pre-season events and marketing initiatives resulting in new customer acquisition and store/brand exposure. - Responsible for working with owners to achieve specific predetermined financial goals and sales growth, determining and initiating seasonal inventory ordering needs.

Independent Sales Representative

CompanyBE

2014 – 2016

- Prospect, generate, qualify and call on client leads to establish new accounts in national arena - Attended quarterly trade shows and visited 100+ accounts nationwide in year one - Acquired company’s largest client to date and grew existing client base by 10% in year one

Independent Business Owner

Blacklist Flagship Store

2009 – 2014

- Maintained annual sales growth of 10% each year by implementing constant marketing efforts - Grew profit margins by 45% from year 1 to year 5 with concise P&L management - Secured product & marketing collaborations with industry leaders Vans, Huf, Spitfire, Skullcandy & New Era - Hosted Annual "Summer Slam Skatepark Contest Series" with support from various companies

Managing Partner

The Crvsh Room Bar & Eatery

2011 – 2013

- Developed and implemented a business model driven by social & guerrilla marketing - Received Top 3 "Best Local Bars" award in Greeley Tribune's Best of Greeley 2013 - Grew sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon to #1 Account in Northern Colorado in first year of business - Spearheaded First Friday Art Walk and worked with DDA to create First Friday marketing plan

Digital Marketing Coordinator

SKY Nightclub

2010 – 2013

- Booked & promoted a sold out Pretty Lights Music show - Drove Tuesday night and Saturday night sales by 150% through ongoing weekly events - Grew social media presence into an active live music and nightlife community

Demo Staff

Burton Snowboards

2013 – 2013

- Assisted in setup and take down of the Burton Mountain Festival stop at Keystone resort. - Responsible for product knowledge and communication to customers. - Setup snowboards suitable to customer wants and specifications.

Marketing / Event Staff

Skullcandy, Inc.

2011 – 2011

Worked various event for Skullcandy the Summer of 2011. - Journey's Backyard BBQ Tour at Flatirons Mall - Zumiez Couch Tour in Littleton, CO - DJ at BC Surf & Sport BBQ Tour at Broomfield Skatepark

Event Staff

Echo Mountain

2008 – 2011

- Founded "College Battle" event and worked various events for Echo Mountain just outside of Evergreen, CO. - Organized inaugural "College Battle" event which brought in $2000+ in sponsorship dollars and drew 150+ competitors from 6 different schools stretching from Crested Butte to Fort Collins. - Event setup and contest judge for events: Liptricks not Lipstick, Last Park Standing & Intergalactic Pond Skim

Marketing Coordinator

Blacklist

2006 – 2008

I worked with Blacklist to develop & implement marketing initiatives and events to grow revenue and generate more brand recognition. In addition, I was in charge of production for all branded clothing, accessories & promotional products. - Go Skateboarding Day Event - Blacklist "Block Party" - Crimson Skateboards demo

Independent Marketing Representative

A.D.D. Marketing

2008 – 2008

Independent Marketing representative for the 2008 Winter X-Games. - Hosted weekly grassroots promotional events - Developed co-operative marketing efforts with local businesses - Executed various guerilla marketing initiatives - Distributed promotional materials - Generated weekly marketing reports for account representative

Education

Bachelors Degree

University of Northern Colorado

2006 – 2010

Bachelors Degree

Interests

MusicSnowboardingTravelSkateboardingPhotography

Industries

FashionLifestyleOutdoorSkateSnowStreetwear

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