When the Goodwick family has an idea, it runs with it. That’s exactly what happened when a voice in Jesse Goodwick’s head told him he could build a business out of a hobby he picked up. Out of necessity, Goodwick — a former ski and snowboard instructor in Colorado — began making bandana facemasks, or “snowdanas,” to brace his and his fellow instructors’ faces from the cold. “I needed a facemask, and the crap I saw in the stores, I just hated them, so I made my own,” he said. That’s when the idea hit him. He could actually make a business out of this. After the seed was planted, the idea blossomed into Team Phun, an apparel company focused on bringing together diverse lifestyles to promote the idea of fun, friendships and fashion. “When I started it, I was hanging out with nerds, preppies and jocks, but everybody has their own way of having fun. It’s about bringing all those people together as a team,” he said. Goodwick ran with his idea all the way from the fresh powder of Breckenridge to the sandy shores of San Diego’s coastline. Once he settled into Pacific Beach, he started gathering the troops. With a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Goodwick had little experience in the business realm. He didn’t let that stop him, however. He got plenty of help from those closest to him — namely “Papa” (David) Goodwick, who ran his own B2B marketing firm for 30 years, and brother Jamie, who recently graduated with a B.A. in business marketing. He also enlisted the help of sister Linz for public relations and his roommate, Nick Moyal, for everything else. “Everyone in the family has control of such different ends of the spectrum. We all trust each other’s executive decisions,” said Jamie, who, as president, is responsible for external relations and marketing. “Jesse, the CEO, manages the nitty-gritty stuff and Linz helps with PR and networking. Nick Moyal, the account executive, could really be considered one of the Goodwicks, as he has played a huge role in our local presence. Papa Goodwick, the vice president, keeps us all in line.” The family operation even enlisted the aid of another Goodwick, who is a woodworker, to help the team convert skateboards into dogfeeders — one of Team Phun’s latest products. “We’re pretty all-accepting of the designs. We’re always open for new things,” said Jamie. “Recently, we launched our women’s brand, so we have a lot of crop tops, razorback tanks and T-shirts. We realized when we started just doing men’s apparel, a lot of women didn’t like wearing the T-shirts with the longer sleeves, so we adapted to that.” So far, Team Phun has found their bright, good-humor products appeal to a variety of age groups and lifestyles. “People that are 65 and who like animals are looking at our pet feeders, and 14-year-old girls are looking at our crop tops. It’s just such a big variety,” said Jesse. “In the end, we want to support anyone who wants to have fun. We feel our products convey a feel-good message through entertaining designs and colors, no matter what age.” Team Phun apparel has been worn on the back of a vast range of personalities from all walks of life, including musicians, equestrians, extreme-sports athletes, canines, a VAVi kickball team, a YouTube sensation and even a competitive eater. “We have had huge success with our Sunday Phunday tanktops and neon trucker caps. These products, among others, have been socially accepted from Southern California to the East Coast, even overseas in New Zealand and Australia,” said Jamie. Team Phun uses top-quality American Apparel wear, and the team players hand stitch or sew all of the “stamp of approval” tags on each and every shirt themselves. They also offer a custom creative service, their Craft Corner, where the crew can “upcycle,” or upgrade, a long-forgotten or outgrown T-shirt into a brand-new custom pillowcase. From Aug. 20-23, Team Phun will represent Pacific Beach in their first major exposure to the retail world at the MAGIC Fashion Marketplace in Las Vegas, where they will showcase their 2013 spring and summer line. “We are extremely excited and have been preparing very hard for the show,” said Jesse. “All of us here at Team Phun are excited to see what the future holds. We are working hard to provide our community with fun and fashionable apparel and accessories that promote their unique lifestyle.” Team Phun apparel and accessories can be purchased online at www.teamphun.com or in stores at Rail II Rail in Mission Beach, Ray’s Rentals in Mission Beach or Beach Mailbox on Grand Avenue.
