May 23, 2007 by rfueyo.

If you ever Google “revisor” you get a lot of government listings and many listings in French and German that appear to also be government related listings. Let me say that the ReVisor® we speak about on this post has nothing to do with a government agency, department, or otherwise governmental in any shape, size, or matter. Now if the government wanted to mandate everyone that ventures outside must wear a ReVisor® to avoid the harmful affects of the sun… hey, we are all for big government in our lives on that count. Heck, what a great platform to run for President. “When I am elected President, all Americans, indeed all free people everywhere… make that all people regardless of freedom, political, religious, sexual, or sport preference, will wear a ReVisor®!”

Sorry, I got a little carried away. I would lose them at the sports preference I am sure.

In a nut shell, the ReVisor® is the easiest, most effective, most comfortable solution to add significant sun protection while wearing your favorite cap or visor.

· Sun protection for your neck and ears

· Easy on – easy off, it works with any cap or visor

· Light and comfortable weighing only 2.5 ounces – wear it all day

· Adjustable – 1 size fits all – Kids Too!

As one of our founders loves to point out – you get it or you don’t. If you like to avoid the wrath of your dermatologist or worse, the chance of Melanoma, you’ll get it. Click on the photo below to see the ReVisor® commercial (reduce the size of your window to improve the resolution) featuring Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs.

Tight lines and straight drives,

Rick

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May 22, 2007 by rfueyo.

A good friend of OPI and the owner of the successful Longer Life Bait company, Todd Rogerson, is on an important trip presenting his product line of top notch bait well pumps, systems, and accessories to the biggest players in the outdoor retail sporting goods business. Todd’s product is awesome. His system can turn just about anything into a live bait well. Longer Life offers pumps that work on a variety of power sources, the pumps are quite (a good thing when fishing), and they can even get wet (another really good feature when fishing).

Longer Life has good distribution through out the US with many of the bait & tackle shops, marinas, and even hardware stores. The product is also in several of the larger regional sporting good retailers. The best thing is that Longer Life thinks of its clients first. Plans for expanding his business into the world of the big box retailer has come with an emphasis on maintaining the high service level his current clients have come to rely on. Todd has it going on and his products will do very well in the big box players he is visiting with this week. We wish him well.

Tight lines and straight drives,

Rick

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May 21, 2007 by rfueyo.

It has been a long time since posts but we have been busy. The new year brought on Dealer shows and new orders. Merchandising of the product has changed, and we continue to promote the ReVisor through special promotional ventures. If you enjoy flying planes, perhaps you saw the ReVisor at the recent Sun-n-Fun fly in?

One special treat was the taping of our second show with Bob Stewart and Southwest Florida Outdoors on the Toyota Tundra Fishing Block Saturday mornings. Last time, ReVisor spokesperson, Wade Boggs, company President Brett Snyder, and Captain Jim Lemke had a great time boating tarpon in Tampa Bay along with snook and redfish along the Bay’s flats.

This time, Wade, Brett, and Captain Tom Larkin team with angling legend Stu Apte. Among the highlights, watch the two Hall of Famers hook up a slew of grouper in 10 feet of water! Great stuff. Oh yeah, they also hit the inshore slam with the linesider below as the clincher.

Till next time, tight lines and straight drives,

Rick

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November 8, 2006 by rfueyo.

We recently filmed a television show produced by Robert Stewart and Making Memories, Southwest Florida Outdoors on Fox Sports Florida.  Yesterday we received a copy of the finished show which will air in January of ’07.  Our soon to be announced ReVisor® spokesperson was the guest host.  A signed copy of the show along with a Temple Fork Outfitters fly rod and reel outfit, and of course several ReVisors® will be included in the silent auction of the Fisherman’s Ball fundraiser for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

The show was shot in Tampa Bay over two days in late August and early October.  Admittedly, I am biased, but the show was great.  Captain Jim Lemke took the unidentified spokesman and OPI President, Brett Snyder out for tarpon, snook, reds, and anything else that wound up “on”.  “Just get on fish,” producer Bob said.  No doubt a fishing show without catching fish would be pretty weak.  Now you know why it took two days of filming.  To Captain Jim’s credit, he got us on fish, they simply were not biting. 

One fish that did bite was a nice 40+ pound tarpon that must have wanted to make it in show business.  Captain Jim had us sight fishing for tarpon under one of the Tampa Bay bridges.  Tied up under the bridge, we look for the large, dark tarpon shadows on the dark side of light line coming from the road above.  Using live greenbacks for bait, we entice the silver king by casting into the light.  When they hook up, it is a mad scramble to untie and get the boat out from under the bridge and away from the pilings.

The first hook up was with a large, 60+ pound tarpon that fought like the dickens to stay near the pilings.  On one rather acrobatic leap, the tarpon smacked one of the pilings well above the water mark.  That one will hurt for awhile.  We got him boat side, rested and revived to swim off with one last splash for good measure.  Good fishing, good TV.

Then it got better.  After a few misses and the light and tide working against us, the unidentified spokesman had fish on!  Much better at getting untied and away from the pilings (or maybe this one saw his buddies piling scar), the tarpon headed the right way.  Jumping immediately and near the boat in the still dark morning hours, the tarpon was a natural in front of the camera.  While the unidentified spokesman (Wade is such a shorter description, I can’t wait until we make that formal announcement) was fighting the good fight, Captain Jim was giving the viewers the play-by-play.  Almost on cue, the tarpon took a big jump just off of Captain Jim’s left side.  Good fishing, good TV.

Then the came the clincher, apparently the tarpon was not getting the air time he felt he deserved for all his great acrobatic display.  Now on the stern side of Captain Jim’s redone Aquasport, a special guest star tarpon took one more dive and then launched himself into the air with a double twist and a perfect landing… right next to the center console.  Fish on, I mean in, fish in, fish in the boat!  Once in the boat, the poor guy got a good dose of stage fright and decided he really did not want to be on TV after all. 

Quick work by el Presidente got the tarpon under control and back in the water where he belonged.  A little nursing and water back in the gills and our star want-a-be was back among his buddies.  Can you imagine the stories those two tarpons are going being to be telling their buddies.  Word is the tarpon hook ups went down pretty significantly for a week or two afterward.

We did go on to hook up some snook, a red or two, but between Captain Jim, the unidentified spokesman (next week, I promise), the President, and producer Bob there was a combined 150+ years of fishing experience on that boat.  No one can remember landing a tarpon in quite the manner we all just experienced.  We were using Quantum spinning gear so I suppose the only thing that could have made the story even more incredible was if Wade (damn, I mean the unidentified spokesman) was using the TFO set-up.  Either way, the winner of the auction item is getting a great fly setup, great sun protection with the ReVisor®, a Hall of Fame autograph, and one great fish story – caught on tape!

Keep on eye out for Southwest Florida Outdoors on Fox Sports in January and learn an incredible technique to boat the silver king.

Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,Rick

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November 1, 2006 by rfueyo.

For a small company launching a new product, the internet has come through again.  I have written about getting on the Orvis site before.  Well Amazon lists about 1600 Orvis products of which the ReVisor® is one.  So we are now on Amazon too!  Go to Orvis or Amazon and search for “reverse visor” and there we will be.  Isn’t the internet great?  Our e-shop site is going through an overhaul and the folks at our host, 1and1.com, are not quite as fast at fixing the issue as I would like.  Who knew using Paypal would be so hard?  It’s not, I am being sarcastic 1and1.com.  Some parts of the internet are not so great. Ultimately the ReVisor®, sold at Orvis and Amazon, is a great thing.  More good news to come soon.   

Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,  Rick   

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October 31, 2006 by rfueyo.

Many folks from the Tampa Bay area “summer” in Western North Carolina only to come back for the start of school, football season, and warmer weather.  An article on MidCurrent.com gives those looking for a non-Florida fishing experience a reason to stay in NC a little longer.  The article gives some great advice on what, when, where, and how to fly fish the streams in that area.  If you have to ask the why you are not reading the proper post. 
Florida is great because we can fish while most folks are shoveling drive ways.  The MidCurrent.com article gives those Florida folks with a place in NC (or like me, folks who have good friends with a place in NC) a great reason to make sure all is buttoned up for winter and another reason to wear your ReVisor®.

Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,

Rick 
 

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October 26, 2006 by rfueyo.

As a marketer and fishing enthusiast, it is a great day when I can marry both passions.  As the marketing director of an innovator of outdoor products I admittedly have quite a few of these great days.  Yesterday was one such great day.  Strolling through my blogs listings I came across a great post on the Blog pages of MarketingProfs.com, a wonderful site for marketers.  Ann Handley wrote a post back in August with a great marketing-fly fishing metaphor.  Check it out if you are trying to learn about marketing any product or service or if you want to read a unique prospective on fly fishing.

Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,

Rick

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October 25, 2006 by rfueyo.

Much has been written about the affects the internet has had on our every day lives.  For a small or emerging business the internet has become an essential tool in developing an effective marketing strategy.  Recently, OPI has been much more organized in its e-marketing efforts.  We have begun the release of newsworthy information via the press release.  The website has been changed and will continue to have ongoing changes to improve our position in the search engines.  And, you are reading our blog that will continue to promote OPI, sun protection, and fishing – fly, in-shore and off-shore, and even some bass fishing.

The point to all this rambling is we are already seeing results.  This morning I received an email from the folks at MidCurrent.com (http://www.midcurrent.com/news/2006/10/fly_fishing_products_opis_revi.html).  The site provides a tremendous amount of quality information on the sport and passion of fly fishing.  They were kind enough to write about the ReVisor®.  We thank them and I have enjoyed perusing the site.  Needless to say, it has been bookmarked and will become a constant visit. Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,Rick 

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October 24, 2006 by rfueyo.

It seems sometimes that we have big news to share every day of the week.  My perception is quickly related to reality when I discuss some of the great happenings with my wife.  Her response has become my barrometer of what is news worthy and what is categorized in the so what department. 

Using PR.com, we released three items that have some significance for our company and for those so eager to get their hands on our great product, the ReVisor.  The first one (http://www.reversevisor.com/11.html) was dated back in August when we officially launched the product nationally at FFR (http://www.flyfishingretailer.com/flyfishingretailer/index.jsp).  The industry expo exposed us to the fly fishing industry and it was a meaningful and if not outright profitable show.  Meaningful because we confirmed the value of our product in that market and overall acceptance of the concept.  We received many compliments from those in the industry a long time and as one of our founders likes to say, they get it.

It was not outright profitable because we did not close one deal at the show.  But - there is always a but following a negative thought if one is a positive thinker - we have established several great prospective clients that should only enhance the image and profitablity of the company once we close negotiations - please note the continued possitive tone.  FFR was earlier this year and attendance was down.  NVU, the fine group that manages the show has announced that the ‘07 show will revert to its former later date in September.  All the folks we met who have been attending the show for years feel this is an important and well received change. 

Our next release (http://www.reversevisor.com/11.html) announces our agreement with Orvis (http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=41XA&dir_id=758&group_id=12436&cat_id=12445&subcat_id=12446) to sell the ReVisor on their website.  I mentioned this in my first note here and suffice it to say, that the fact we are carried by Orvis says it all.  No need to say anything else.

The last release is very cool for us.  The Pediatric Cancer Foundation (www.pcfusa.org) is a local non-profit that was started by the parents of cancer survivors to raise funds for research to rid kids of cancer.  Cancer is bad, but watching a child have to battle the desease is simply wrong.  Several years ago, the Mercury Grand Slam Invitational Fishing Tournament was established to help raise funding for the Foundation.  Anglers team up with a celebrity and a professional guide and compete in a two day catch and release tourney for the largest aggregate catch of the inshore slam.  There is an off-shore division fishing for different species of course, going at at the same time.  Last year, between the tourney and the Fishermen’s Ball, over $1 million was raised.

We hope that those anglers on the sixty some odd boats throughout Tampa Bay catch a bunch of fish, bid high at the auctions during the Fishermen’s Ball, and enjoy the fact that if they wear their ReVisor, they won’t have fried ears and burned necks. 

Next time, I’ll talk about the awesome catch our soon to be announced spokesperson made while filming a TV show.  Not too many folks can boat a tarpon in the manner that our spokesperson can.  A great story.  Perhaps in homage to the recent Esquire Magazine slow reveal of their most beautiful woman announcement, I should attempt the same slow reveal concerning our spokesperson.  Okay, here then are a few clues:  he/she is not Scarlett Johansson, he/she is larger than a bread box, and he/she is very well known for hitting and fielding.  Most importantly, he/she is very proactive in his/her sun protection, he/she loves and uses the ReVisor, and he/she loves to fish - fly, spin, inshore, rivers, just get him on the water.  Damn, okay, our spokesperson is a spokesman.  That is it till next time.

Wet lines, straight drives, and all the best,

Rick 

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October 17, 2006 by rfueyo.

As the Director of Marketing for a small but ambitious outdoor products manufacturer, I have decided it is time to launch my first blog.  There are many reasons why this is a good thing and potentially a very bad thing.  Ultimately, I hope this blog will enlighten readers to some very cool products my company is developing, shed some light into the marketing efforts of a small firm trying to gain traction among some very large competitors, and provide a laugh or two… hopefully not always at my expense.