Through the Looking Glasses

You may have seen them around campus.  Maybe you caught a glimpse of them on DuckVision at Autzen Stadium.  It’s possible you passed a pair during a recent trip through the Duck Store.  Shady Peeps brand sunglasses are showing up on Ducks fans’ faces all around Eugene and Portland.  Don’t know what I’m talking about, yet?  Shady Peeps are the polarized, university-themed sunglasses that come in yellow and green here at UO, and they are blowing up with the help of Caleb Iorg, a UO alumnus currently pursuing his MBA at Oregon.  I spoke with Caleb about the success Shady Peeps is enjoying and how he sees the Oregon MBA education as a great way to contribute to the growth of the company.

Nate: What is Shady Peeps and how did you get involved?

Caleb (pictured right): Shady Peeps is a local company that sells university-themed sunglasses.  The founder, Jason Bolt, designed a wayfarer style pair of sunglasses with a blend of value and quality that allows fans to support their team with their shades.  I partnered with Jason in early September to bring a business education to the company and help him think strategically toward the future.

Nate: Do you relate what you learn in class to what you are doing in the real world with the company?

Caleb: Absolutely.  Small businesses become somewhat consuming and I am always taking what I learn in class and applying it to the company.  So far my tax accounting and new venture planning classes have been the most directly applicable to my role with Shady Peeps.

Nate: What’s been an interesting part of building a business like this?

Caleb: The most interesting part for me is how dynamic the business is.  At this point, we are making decisions and developing strategies in real-time and the future success of the company hinges on these decisions.  It is difficult to know what to do without past history to look to, but there definitely is not time for second guessing.

Nate: How does it feel to see your products around campus and at the football games?

Caleb: It’s amazing!  One of the most exciting parts of being involved in this company is walking around campus and at football games and seeing the shades.  The Stanford game was unbelievable – seeing fans on DuckVision throughout the game with their Shady Peeps was awesome.  Building the brand and watching it take off has been extremely fun and rewarding for both Jason and I.

Nate: What is something most people don’t understand about what you are trying to do?

Caleb: I think we desire the shades to be more of an everyday pair of sunglasses than just a novelty game day item.  Jason designed the product with certain technical aspects, such as polarized lenses and UV protection, that makes them a high quality pair of sunglasses – not just a gimmicky pair of Duck shades.  We are hoping new alternative colors will help open up the everyday usage.

Nate: Define what would make Shady Peeps a success in your eyes.

Caleb: In the short-term, Shady Peeps will be a success if the UO student body embraces the product and incorporates it into the student section culture.  The fan base follows the students and so winning over the student section is the key to success for us.  Also, in my eyes, when Lee Corso puts on a pair of Shady Peeps when he picks the Ducks to win the national championship… it’ll feel pretty successful.

Shady Peeps brand sunglasses are currently sold at the Duck Store and other local retailers, and are rolling out to other regional universities.  Caleb Iorg can be contacted at caleb.iorg@gmail.com.  Visit the Shady Peeps website at www.shadypeeps.com