Study Like A Champion

It’s midterm season. And with midterms comes all-nighters in Lamont, 6-packs of Red Bull and countless Brain Breaks. Luckily, Freeze is here to help you get through this tough academic time. This month, we’re teaming up with Study Like A Champion to bring you awesome Freezebies to take your studying to the next level. Founded by Bret Bechis, a recent Stanford graduate, Study Like A Champion is a clothing brand that caters to the college student. Freeze had the opportunity to chat with Bret about his company, his college years, and how he has become a champion in his own right.

Freeze: What’s SLAC - study like a champion all about?

Bret Bechis: SLAC is about applying an athletic mindset to academics to take on your exams with resolve and indefatigability. It’s about loving the process more than the result and it’s about handling your business in the classroom day in and day out. As SLAC sees it, students are on the path to forming and realizing dreams, the type of stuff upon which legacies are built. SLAC equips champion students with products, apparel, and services designed to breed success at every step on the academic path.

The SLAC Study Hoodie, for example, is a technical jacket for exam time. It features: a “do not disturb” sign on the back of the hood, glow in the dark drawstrings for late night walks home from the library, iPod compatibility in the kangaroo pocket, a full-zip for heat control, a hangtag that doubles as a bookmark, and of course, a super soft and cozy fit!

SLAC’s mascot, the martlet, represents the brand's plucky spirit. First used in medieval family heraldry, the martlet is an icon of independence and intellectual curiosity, possessing feathers in place of legs and an undersized beak. Unable to land, the martlet's perpetual flight symbolizes a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and truth. Unable to easily secure a meal, the martlet's blunt beak represents resolve and perseverance. Like the martlet, the champion finds a way despite the odds.

SLAC seeks not only to forge relationships with students, but also student organizations, sports teams, tutoring companies, and teachers. Through its Campus Fund initiative, SLAC allocates a portion of sale proceeds to under-funded schools to help send students on college campus visits. These visits are often highly instrumental in shaping the goals of young champions, and SLAC is proud to contribute to the process.

Freeze: What was your inspiration for creating your own brand?

Bret: SLAC is an idea that developed out of my own experiences in school and athletics. I've been lucky enough to experience an amazing and challenging education through law school, and pursue both baseball and alpine ski racing at very high levels growing up. Much of my academic success came from applying lessons learned from athletics to my attitude and preparation in the classroom. SLAC has been my way to pack these experiences into a single positive, and proactive message for students to relate to.

Freeze: What’s your favorite college memory?

Bret: Great question, there are so many to choose from. One favorite has to be weekly twilight barbeques during the fall of my junior year. I was fortunate enough to live in an apartment with a small but amazing patio which my roommates and I equipped with a hammock, mini Weber bbq, and tv (a tv placed in the window looking out onto the patio). Nearly every Friday evening, we would grill up burgers, hot dogs, and smores, turn on a football game, and invite friends over to ring in the weekend. Our apartment was in a pretty central location on campus, so the company consisted of friends, neighbors, and passers by dropping in to huddle around the bbq and share stories about the week. The combination of great people, food, and football under the stars couldn’t be beat!

Other favorites include: building a beach on the roof of my apartment senior year, and coordinating the Fourth of July fireworks display for a minor league baseball team I interned for as a Junior.

Freeze: What’s been the most challenging aspect of starting your own business?

Bret: The most exciting and biggest challenge in starting SLAC has been wearing multiple hats in the operation. SLAC has six parts to keep track of: product development; business operations; business development; accounting; legal issues; and web development. The challenge lies in being able to keep a close enough eye on all areas to keep the entire operation moving forward.

Freeze: What advice can you offer for other college grads who want to start their own company?

Bret: Trust your instincts: If you have an idea, the chances are it’s a good one. Even good ideas, though, need polishing. So write it down on a piece of paper, pin the paper to the wall so you’re always reminded of it, and revisit the idea whenever you feel inspired.

After a month or two of refining an idea, start trying to answer a set of broader questions: (1) what does your company do? (2) who is the target audience for your company? (3) why is the product/service useful? (4) how is the product/service offered different from other existing alternatives?

Find a mentor or two: Once you have answered the questions above, you should seek out mentors in the space your company seeks to occupy. There’s no one better to speak with than people who’ve already been down the road you’re trying to navigate, and usually there’s no one more encouraging either.

Planning vs. Starting: Planning is essential to success but too much planning can be an inefficient use of time. Yes, it’s true. For a prospective company, try to map out a timeline and operation plan for the next year. Yes, a one year plan. Then start. Make sure you start. If you don’t actually start your company no one else is going to for you. Actually testing out your company will allow you to make changes you could not anticipate in the planning stages, and will allow you to plan out a revised strategy come next year.

Freeze: What’s your personal style?

Bret: By my nature, I seek out contrast - I listen to Lupe Fiasco, Enrique Iglesias, and Itzhak Pearlman. I spend my weekdays in the city and weekends in the mountains/at the ocean. I respect the old school by surfing in board shorts, skiing in a one-piece suit, and rocking New Balances, Reebok Pumps, and Wallabies. My car has a cassette deck in it. I talk to strangers in supermarkets, at coffee shops, and on airplanes. I’ve never met a burger I couldn’t conquer. Rudy, Scent of a Woman, and Good Will Hunting are my most-watched movies. I can BBQ a pizza, although my favorite meal to cook is Sunday brunch. My favorite authors are Ayn Rand, Tobias Wolff, and Henry David Thoreau. My favorite children’s book is The Polar Express. I collect pocket squares, dress socks, and recently started a belt buckle collection. My primary colors are neon; my favorite fabric is corduroy. I believe everything is negotiable and prefer in-person conversations over emails. I have received a traditional education I’m most comfortable deploying in nontraditional ways.

Freeze: What’s the best part of your job?

Bret: SLAC is about gusto and being proud to do your best. The best part about growing SLAC is having the chance to conjure up that spirit in others.

Freeze: What study tips can you offer for other college students?

Bret: Successful studying begins with organization and planning. The tips below all help add a little structure and a little sanity to the exam prep experience:

Make a Finals Calendar

Making sure you have enough time to prepare for midterms and finals is huge to keeping cool when the pressure is on. To do so, try marking your finals off on a calendar, then work backwards, filling in open days with study sessions. For each study session, choose one topic area in particular to focus on. That way, you’ll chip away at the most challenging material without the stress of trying to learn an entire subject in a night.

Make Sure You Have Plenty of Space to Study

It sounds like a no-brainer, but students often forget that having plenty of space to spread out and get set up is very important for dominating the books. If you can find one, I recommend an old, thick, sturdy mahogany desk. I’m pretty sure simply sitting at one of those makes you smarter.

Take a Study Break

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot study productively all day. Even when finishing a paper or prepping for finals, don’t forget to take a study break. A good rule of thumb is to take a ten minute break for every hour you study, and never go more than three-hours without taking a break. That way, you’ll stay focused and won’t burn out.

Let Your Friends/Family Know When You’re Going into Study Mode

You wouldn’t be where you are today without the support of your friends and family, so don’t ditch them when it’s time to put in long hours. Instead, send them a heads-up that you’re going to be churning through textbooks in the library and you’ll call them back in _____ days once things cool down. They’ll understand, and might even send you a care package!