AFTER A YEAR OF SOUL SEARCHING CHILL ENTERTAINMENT FEELS LIKE IT'S BACK IN THE GROOVE. 2017 has been a year of discovery for the principals at Chill Entertainment, one that at times felt very uncertain. After massive growth in 2012-2013 the company expanded so quickly that it began to feel as though it was bursting at its very seams. The pressures of rapid growth began to wear on the principals and at time much of that stress could spill over and began to impact its creativity.
Despite several attempts to grow the team, finding the right combination of people and talent proved to be difficult for this little company that was born out of a simple idea and a occasional flare for the dramatic. At its beginnings, skating was a lifestyle, or interest, and despite years of coaching and programming, it was never a business, or a corporation with employees, CFOs, marketing strategies and clients who paid thousands of dollars for a single day's work. The transition from skating professional/contractor, to CEO and executive manager would be both fulfilling and stressful at the same time.
The rapid advancement of BH Skating which would develop into Chill Entertainment happened within our initial 5 year plan. It was then that we discovered that we needed a new 5 year plan however we did not truly know which direction that plan should take us in. Advancement meant more personnel to manage, more inventory to maintain, and all the while continuously motivating a growing team to support your vision for the future. Somehow this was easier with athletes when they were paying you, however paying employees and needing their 100% commitment was and is, a full time role. Unfortunately these demands led us further from our creative goals for the company, and financial ability to remain adaptive to the changing economic environment. Then in 2015 the company's founder and principal visionary was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that would threaten the company's continued existence.
Fortunately, the changes made to accommodate the needs of our CEO also helped the company focus its energies to target its efforts for more effectiveness. Our CEO oversees the company's sales and marketing strategies and therefore any absence in this area would be felt in sales. As a result of our CEO's limited availability the company had to ensure that redundancies were eliminated, and that expenses were more accurately monitored. The result was to expand our products and services, in particular the development of our consulting services, that would expand our market reach and diversify our sales opportunities. These steps also allowed the company to focus on the development of seasonal niche market clients which additionally addressed issues of product maintenance. Partnerships with production companies has helped to address labor and personnel matters.
Therefore as we look back on 2017 we are happy to say that we do so with great positively, as we look ahead to 2018 with enthusiasm to continue the work we have already started to ensure that are always creative, always progressive, and always ahead of the pack, where we have always been; as leaders of the mobile skating rink events movement, and the continued promotion of skating for fun and entertainment.