Bernardo Brothers Travel West for Business
NOVUS Clothing Company owners and brothers Nick and Garrett Bernardo recently traveled out west to Colorado and Missouri to meet with existing partners and new prospects. With the trips happening on back-to-back weekends, there was a lot of good news to share each week when they returned.
The duo left for Denver on April 1 to meet with four accounts made up of two organizations the company already works closely with and two new connections.
The Bernardo’s with NOVUS board member Monica Kerber in Denver.
“We met with the Archdiocese of Denver, Golden View Classical Academy (grades K-12), FOCUS, and Christ in the City,” NOVUS CEO and creative director Garrett Bernardo said. “The latter two have been some of our favorite people to work with over the years while the first two are brand new accounts that we have been working in the design process with.”
This was one of the brother's first intentional business trips out west to meet with clients in person.
“Getting to connect in person with the people we have been doing business with is a huge part of why we do what we do,” Bernardo said. “It's easy to get into a rhythm of knocking out orders together, but when you get to see the accounts you work with in action and be on the ground at their operations, you really gain a whole other level of appreciation for the relationship.”
Beyond strengthening the relationships in person, these trips and meetings give the company the opportunity to develop products for specific accounts.
“It also allows us to really develop products that speak to the missions behind each of the organizations because we have real-life experience seeing where they operate and who the people are behind it all,” Bernardo said.
The new connections at the Archdiocese of Denver and Golden View Classical Academy are important to the company because of their need for corporate apparel, an aspect of the NOVUS brand that the Bernardo’s hope to expand.
“Golden View will help us further expand into the school spirit wear demographic in Denver, while the Archdiocese will be a great partner from the corporate side of things,” Bernardo said. “It's connecting with the right people that makes all the difference and Nick and I want to make the most of these opportunities to further expand the NOVUS reach out west.”
The Bernardo’s outside of Arrowhead Stadium’s Pro Shop.
The Bernardo’s were even able to fit in a visit with longtime friend and NOVUS supporter Thomas Wurtz, director and founder of Varsity Catholic, and Monica Kerber, a NOVUS board member.
The Bernardo’s attending Harrison Butker’s private event in Kansas City.
“We discussed plans for throwing another epic event at the FOCUS Conference, SEEK23 in St. Louis this upcoming January,” Bernardo said of his conversation with Wurtz. “We’ve only been able to hang in person with Monica twice before but she has become part of our family, with her guidance and expertise as a board member and mentor being second to none. We actually brought her to sit in on a meeting with us and it was fun to all be strategizing together and to give her a pulse of what goes down in our meetings with clients!”
During their trip to Kansas City the following weekend, the brothers attended a private event hosted by Kansas City Chiefs kicker and NOVUS partner Harrison Butker and had the opportunity to meet with the Kansas City Chiefs Pro Shop.
“We had been in touch with the KC Chiefs Pro Shop and had scheduled a meeting to present NOVUS as a future vendor for the upcoming season,” Bernardo said. “This was a big opportunity for us as we had been trying for the last couple of years to book a meeting.”
The Pro Shop meeting was a success and the company is now working on projects to be sold to fans in the stadium and more.
The Bernardo’s with the Pro Shop team in Kansas City.
“We really hit it off with the staff there and we were able to tell them a lot about our journey and our past launches with Harrison that have been successful,” Bernardo said. “We’re currently in the design stage of putting together some mock-ups for training camp apparel for fans and we’ll see where that takes us.”
NOVUS is also now in the pursuit of getting licensed with the NFL which would allow them to use the KC Chiefs logo on products.
“Getting licensed with the NFL would be a game-changer for sure!” Bernardo said.
While attending Butker’s private event, the Bernardo’s had the chance to meet and talk with several successful businessmen and women that inspire them.
“We had the opportunity to meet NFLPA representative Andy Studebaker (former linebacker for the Chiefs), Steve Dunn (Chairman of the Board for JE Dunn Construction) one of the ten largest contractors in the US, and Lamar Hunt Jr. (Owner of Kansas City Mavericks Hockey Team) and the son of Lamar Hunt who founded the Kansas City Chiefs and helped start the NFL,” Bernardo said.
Speaking with individuals who have done business at the highest levels encouraged the brothers to continue pursuing their dreams and the NOVUS mission. They hope their team will be able to work with these new connections in the future.
To round out their trip in Missouri, the Bernardo’s met with their new friends at Benedictine College, a private Catholic university located in Atchison, Kansas.
“We’re are in the beginning stages of working with Benedictine College’s bookstore and athletic department,” Bernardo said.
While the NOVUS team grows, new opportunities present themselves, and more connections are made across the country, the company is excited to increase its business and positively impact communities all over.
As for what to look out for next?
“Stay tuned for some exciting news with the Chiefs Pro Shop and Fitness Center, ‘Chiefs Fit,’ this summer!” Bernardo said.
To learn more about the Chiefs Pro Shop line and the new Stadium Collection, click here!