So, just under 11 years ago there was a wedding. The couple was poor and they couldn’t afford a bartender so they asked a couple of cordial and jovial friends, that worked at the local gear store, if they would bartend in exchange for tips and leftover booze. It may well have been the easiest money these guys ever made, especially if you consider Scotch Whiskey a form of currency. That day ended up being a pretty darn fun second stage ‘interview’ with Ross Mailloux (which actually eventually led to more than one a hiring but we’ll get to that in a couple years time) that in essence turned a one-man sales rep gig into something that deserved a company name.
In the autumn of 2009 Ross Mailloux took a leap of faith and joined me to help me with a growing business. Ross and I had worked together as I was his Petzl sales rep and he was a buyer at the loacal Valhalla Pure store. We had done some indoor bouldering, climbed a nice rock climb on our mutual beloved Mt Yamnuska, and then he proved his worth with strong Ceasar’s and problem-solving skills when we ran out of gin midway through the wedding day.
When Ross started we were representing nine outdoor brands out of a very small office shared with my wife Marion. To steal a phrase, it has been ‘hair-straight-back’ ever since. My fondness of Ross has only grown over the years, to the point where I love and appreciate him more than a brother. We have worked in lockstep all the while promoting and pushing each other to achieve personal and professional lifestyles that at one time would have seemed impossible.
If you know Ross then you will know that any accolades I could stow upon him are but a glimpse onto the true richness that the man brings to the table in all that he does. Let’s hear a shout out to the one the most talented, sincere, loyal, trustworthy, clever and hardest working dudes any of us have ever known.
Thank-you brother!
Rob O.
PS: You aren’t getting off without a roast. A photo speaks a thousand words.
The good time DJ
