Hey guys!

Its 4am… Ive been sick with the flu… I have been sleeping all day…

and now im on my lap top trying to get some work done! In the midst of returning e-mails and looking at pictures of Brandons new hair… I kind of got mushy for a second. I just would like to take a time out and let everyone know how thankful I am to be apart of this company and to have so many people who support not only Vanilla’s team of skaters, but Vanilla as a whole.

Its crazy how far I have personally come. I can remember FIGHTING to just place at a national competition. I was just a skater. Before I was sponsored, I payed for my own way. I always had to scrounge up money to go and skate somewhere just about every weekend. I did this for about 4 years. I always was slightly jealous of team Reidell. I wanted to go and do shows… I wanted everyone to know who I was… and most of all I wanted to be recognized for my talent.

I remember the day I got sponsored by Vanilla. It was WSA nationals 07′. I finally felt like I made it. I remember Mike handing me money for my gas back home, spending money, and paying for my hotel room. I looked at him, and almost started to cry. I still can remember what he told me “Vanilla will always take care of its skaters. We are for the skaters!” It was the craziest feeling I ever had. Even though no one knew what Vanilla was (except for about 5 of us) I had complete faith that Mike would take his company and make it far in the skating world.

Fast forward about 3 years later… im still here, not only as a sponsored skater, but also the president of Vanilla Derby. With in the 3 years I have been with this company…I have gone to numerous trade shows, created my own boot, I have three posters, a sweet new lap top, I have a cute little Blackberry (that somehow I always manage to break), I have flown everywhere to do shows, and now im on my second boot creation. I also have great relationships with rink owners across the nation. Some, I talk to on a weekly basis.

I am so proud to be apart of this company. My team is like my family…

and im so happy that I am able to share all of these experiences with them. I started out as just a skater… and now Vanilla is my career.

Vanilla has taken me to new heights that I never thought I could achieve.

I now know that Mike was right when he told me that Vanilla is for the skaters. I look back now… and wonder why I was even jealous of Team Reidell.

And now im done being all mushy.

Moral of the story is: Keep working hard… it will all pay off in the end.

xoxoxo

Stephanie