I was once a business partner, in what would have been a
great new roller derby league in Florida.
One business partner was a former roller derby skater and trainer named Erwin Miller. Our other business partner was (and remains) Pam Burke, a very knowledgeable business person, with strong organizational skills.
Our plan was to combine Erwin's skating knowledge and skater training,
with Pam's and my business skills. The idea was a good one in theory.
The problems began to arise when Erwin decided to attempt a takeover
of the business. He has little business knowledge, but he attempted to
undermine any ideas that Pam and I put forward. The readers of my daily
roller derby blog, have a pretty good idea what those ideas were.
Erwin did not like them because he wanted control. His ideas for
marketing, publicity, public relations, and promotions were weak at
best and destructive at worst. After all, he is from the "derby is
different" and "if it is derby, they will come" school of anti-
marketing.
Those ideas are based on the theory that somehow a roller derby business is not really a business. Yes, you read that correctly. The other concept is there is no need to market the sport as people will simply rush out to watch. Not knowing about the sport, or even that a game is being held, is no deterrent. Obviously, fans of the sport were thought to be psychic.
There is a need for strong business sense and planning. In our case, Erwin Miller was opposed to applying business principles to roller derby. He insisted that "derby is different" and that somehow, ordinary business ideas do not apply to roller derby. He did not like any innovative marketing ideas or listening to the fans or skaters ideas. He believed "If it is derby, they will come."
He sabotaged any and all proven and innovative ideas.
He preferred no league at all, to one he didn't control.
The game was to be an "ad-lib" "working" game, where the skaters would
work together and there would be no pre-determined outcomes. That
would enhance the excitement for the fans, and give the game back to
the skaters. Erwin tried to change that over and over. First he would
talk "real" game, which it wasn't. He would then talk a "set" game
like RollerJam. We had thought the issue was settled.
In fact, no issues were ever settled with Erwin.
Pam and I had a well
thought out and constructed business plan. We covered marketing,
promotions, publicity, finances, and long range planning. We included
the ideas of the skaters and fans in our plans. Erwin was busily
undermining that solid plan with his weak "if it is derby, they will
come" mentality.
In mid 2002, Pam and I wanted to meet with him to discuss the issues,
including the game venue. Pam and I believestrongly in controlling your own building. It is necessary for financial viability and long term league stability. We had a building, but Erwin selfishly destroyed that deal. If he had not done
so, there would be a fully operational roller derby league in Florida
today.
In the meantime, my mother had become ill with breast cancer and Pam
had some personal family tragedy as well. We were understandably
sidetracked from derby for awhile. Instead of supporting us, Erwin
used that to go behind our backs, to join with a former skater named Gary Lockamy, who had been a skater in the RollerJam roller derby league. Gary was NEVER a partner in the league.
Together they went to Witchita, Kansas of all places to buy track
parts. Pam and I wanted to hold off on the track, until we had our
building secured for games and for practices. Erwin never listened to
any advice. He wasted thousands of dollars, in his obsession about
the track, on his Witchita wild goose chase. In his mind, he was
leaving our league, and he and Gary were going to do it Erwin's way.
We know how that turned out. I don't see any sign of Gary, and Erwin
is still, over a year later, "working" on his super secret track obsession.
Rollersport, his supposed league, is still nothing but a website and a lot of talk.
After Erwin Miller had solidified his partnership with Gary Lockamy, he
attempted to use legal means to push Pam and me out of the incorporated leahgue companies.
When that failed, Erwin resigned. By his resignation, he left everything
in the company to Pam and me. He even stated as much in his e-mail to
the skaters. Many copies of Erwin's e-mails had been sent to us by
various skaters.
Pam and I were shocked at the suddeness of the resignation, and its
abruptness. I phoned Erwin to find out his reasoning. What I heard was a
smug self satisfied response. His new league was going to span North
America and the world. Skaters were going to pour into his training
centres. He was going to have no outsiders (meaning non-roller derby skaters) like Pam and me around.
He told me right on the phone that I was an outsider and that he and Gary
knew it all. There would be no non-skaters in management in his league.
Erwin then proceeded to e-mail various former RollerJam skaters and potential
trainees. He told them that Pam and I were outsiders and were opposed to
all of his brilliant ideas. He said we were inflexible and unable to
help with a league as he saw it.
Of course we opposed his ideas. They did not work before. What made him
think they would work now?
He announced that he had found the "perfect arena" for his games. It was
a fairgrounds between Orlando and Daytona at Deland, Florida. Pam and I
ran the numbers on that venue. There was no way it could work
financially. The stated rental was only part of the cost. It also had
many added hidden costs, and the fairgrounds held the concessions. In
the past, when I offered to provide some numbers and a business plan,
Erwin had laughed at me. His mentality was" if it is derby, they will
come."
The numbers in my business plan for that type of venue could not
work, and I said so. Pam said so too. She could not make any budget work
for the fairgrounds. In the end, Erwin did not skate there....or
anywhere else. He announced a venue he had not actually leased! His
business plan for the fairgrounds was so bad, it would have been
laughable, if it were not so sad.
He invited the skaters to his Rollersport "headquarters". They were in
a storage unit in Daytona where he had stored his precious track parts.
The turnout, by all reports was not great.
When Pam and I had a skater meeting earlier, Pam and her daughter Heather secured the use of aluxury condo. What a difference! Of course, our policy for any league is to be professional and first class, within the necessary confines of our budget. I can't say that for Erwin and Gary.
Erwin got into a rush. He prematurely put up his wbsite, as he feared
Pam and I would set up a league of our own and bury him. He also had
warned the former RollerJam skaters that if they spoke to Pam and me,
they could not skate for him. Since we have had contact from most of the
skaters, he will either have to renounce all of the RollerJam skaters,
or go back on his word yet again.
As of now, Erwin Miller has not completed his super secret track or
secured a game or training venue. There is no longer any sign of Gary
Lockamy either, not even as a name and photo on Erwin's website. Erwin discarded him too.
As for the vow of no non-skaters in management, Erwin seems to have
forgotten that one too. His nephew Andrew Brumana is now listed as a
vice-president. Andrew Brumana was never a skater in any league.
The sad part is Pam and I had a chance to get a very good permanent venue and Erwin was opposed to that concept. He may have even deliberately derailed it.
That building is no longer available as an option.
In any case, there could have been a functioning league in Florida for
the past year. The league would have been skating regular games.
That dream never happened because of Erwin Miller's opposition.
The moral of the story is: be careful of your business partners.
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