I get a lot of questions about SlopeFillers. And by a lot, I really do mean a lot. As I interview marketers for blog posts, I am frequently asked, “So why are you REALLY doing all of this?” That is a completely fair question. I recently updated the about page with these juicy details, and I know you scour that page daily for updates, but a blog post is probably a wise thing to do as well…just in case.

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SlopeFillers: When did you start SlopeFillers?
Gregg: I started the blog back in June of 2010. It took me a few weeks to get in the groove, but since then I’ve posted every weekday. Yesterday was the 175th post.

SlopeFillers: What is the goal of SlopeFillers as a resource?
Gregg: The blog is really designed to do three fairly simple things: create a collection of good/bad/ugly/successful ski resort marketing materials, analyze current trends in ski resort marketing, and provide on-going ideas, tools, and inspiration for resort marketers.

SlopeFillers: So who the heck are you?
Gregg: I am a marketer/skier that has always been intrigued by the product of skiing. I’ve been working in marketing for 7 years as a web marketing director, social media guy for a bunch of projects, and owner/marketer of my own businesses. I also do a fair amount of web design and coding for the occasional web app as well as some video dabbling.

SlopeFillers: So why SlopeFillers from a personal perspective?
Gregg: For a few years I’ve lived on a personal Google-like 20% principle, putting about a day a week toward a fun project or learning something cool. SlopeFillers is one of those 20% projects. I couldn’t find a resource to satisfy my own curiosity and a blog seemed like a good solution to both the resource and curiosity dilemmas.

SlopeFillers: That’s nifty and all, but what are your REAL goals?
Gregg: Well, first off, it might be good to note that I make no money from the blog. I didn’t start it with this secret plan to build a reader base and then launch a big ticket product. I’ve actually turned down three offers to put ads on the blog, and have no plans to monetize it. When I created the ski resort website WordPress theme I debated charging for it, but it seemed hypocritical to try to milk a few bucks from the same resorts who were providing content for the blog.

It may sound crazy, but I am really not sure of the end goal of SlopeFillers. Right now I’m learning a ton, meeting amazingly talented marketers, and hopefully providing a useful resouce. I figure with a combination like that, it’s hard to go wrong.

SlopeFillers: Ok, so what would be the MOST LIKELY end result?
Gregg: Most likely? I’d probably look for a job in resort marketing. For a few months I’ve been on the fence about whether to keep working for myself. If I were to decide to look for a job at a resort, I wouldn’t expect anything to be handed to me by any stretch, but part of me hopes that SlopeFillers would help give me an extra boost as I began the job hunt and maybe open an extra door or two.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.