From the start,“Go big or go home’’ was their mantra(口头禅).Their first financing— that $l million—was due to be signed on September 11, 2001. By the time they got it, two monthslater,says Ryan, "we had$16 in the bank and personally owed$300,000.”
Seeking a national retailer(零售商)proved just as troublesome.The friends set their sights on Target,known for its trendy,affordable goods.“But Target didn’t like the product or the brand,”recalled Ryan.“We thought the deal was dead,but then a new buyer saw that even though we weren’t selling big volumes, we wereprofitable, just on a smaller scale.”They won over Target.