Meet Chris Rohrer | Small business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Rohrer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ve always been a big risk taker. I’m not carefree by any means — I try to make calculated decisions in everything I do, but looking at my life this far I think I’ve had a tendency to make most decisions that would be categorized as risk/high reward. My decisions always been about the future. In terms of my career, that translates to either looking for opportunities to build skills or making decisions that would put the company in the best position long-term. Salary or immediate payout has ever been a driving force in my decisions. My personal financial decisions reflect high risk/high reward as well. A big part of this is belief in the long-term payout of where I invest my money, but I’m also at an age where I think high risk investments are okay. If I were closer to retirement or building a family, I’m sure my decisions would be different. In my opinion, this is the time to take bigger shots. At the end of the day, I can accept failing and the risks that come with my decisions, but I need to look back and know that I did everything I could to make it work and put myself in the best position possible to succeed.What should our readers know about your business?
RARR is a training apparel brand with a focus on comfortable fabrics and functionality. We focus so much attention to the details during the production phase, including developing our very own fabrics and making custom accessories for each item (zippers, drawstrings, necktape, etc.). My wife and I started this company after living in China for five years and working for garment factories, so we have always had a strong production background. For us making great apparel was the easy part since we had the knowledge and resources. Developing the brand, sales and marketing have all been the largest challenges we face as we had to get everyone else to find our gear. We have definitely taken some major steps, but we are still learning and so far from where we want to be in the long-run. I realize this is a process, though, and with every day we shed doubt and add confidence. I’d say I’m most proud of beginning to develop a team, both through employees and a network of partners. Building those relationships through communication and mutual benefit is the foundation of what allows us to continue to take steps forward. Without this team and community nothing would be possible.Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Absolutely. I am so thankful to my family, and my wife in particular. Without their support there is no chance I’d have been able to see the company progress to this point. My wife has sacrificed so much to allow us to pursue and grow the company. It’s come with a lot of long nights working and financial decisions that put the company before our personal needs. There are also time when I have self-doubt and anxiety about the future, and she’s always there for me to pull me up. I couldn’t do this without her and so appreciative of everything she has done and sacrificed.

Website: www.rarr.com

Instagram: @rarrbrand

Image Credits
The Northern Agency