EMPOWER TEAMS AND DRIVE SALES WITH STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION | WOW RESORT CUSTOMERS WITH EVERY INTERACTION
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Lakeshirts is more than just a high growth $200M+ t-shirt company. We're a place where ideas come to life, t-shirts reign supreme, and creativity meets culture. Our atmosphere? It's one-of-a-kind. Think non-corporate, fast-paced, and fun, where decisions happen in real-time, change is embraced (we are NIMBLE & open-minded), and success is a personal journey defined by you (living out our value of Meritocracy). As one of the largest screenprinting manufacturers in the United States, we decorate a wide variety of garments, hats, stickers & novelty socks for the resort market, supported by nearly 1,000 ah-mazing team members from sea to shining sea.
We're looking for an experienced, strategic, and creative sales leader to step into the role of Vice President of Resort Sales, guiding our resort apparel and headwear sales divisions, including brands like Blue 84, Zephyr, EMI-TGT, Yesterday's, Aksels, Altered Latitudes, and Lakegirl.
In this role, you will drive growth through strategic leadership, collaboration, and mentorship while overseeing the development and performance of a high-performing sales rep force. This includes delivering innovative training initiatives to enhance selling expertise and soft skills, fostering collaboration with cross-departmental teams, and building a culture of accountability, creativity, and excellence. You will shape our market presence and achieve ambitious sales goals as a team.
It's equally important that this person is a humble, curious, and collaborative leader with a servant leadership style who thrives on empowering teams, working across departments, and driving innovation. Understanding what it takes to sell unique product combinations, proficiency with data analytics, and ten or more years of sales leadership and rep management experience are key qualifications for the gig. It would be a benefit if this leader lives near our headquarters in Minnesota; boots on the ground at HQ help team members embrace our creative, driven, collaborative culture.
We're not your average company, either in culture or performance. We love our products, our customers, and-most importantly-our team. Much like the customers we serve, we like to win, and we know the best team makes that happen. Team is one of our core values, reflecting our collective drive to succeed. As a brand and a company on the rise, we thrive on delivering exceptional results in a collaborative, innovative environment where everyone contributes to our shared success.
Much like Bigfoot, this is a rarely seen opportunity that doesn't present itself often, so don't wait to apply.
Essential Job Functions | Lead + Train + Motivate + Collaborate + Grow Reps + Drive Growth
- Lead & Motivate: Inspire divisional sales leaders by setting clear goals, addressing challenges creatively, and driving consistent achievement of sales targets aligned with company objectives.
- Recruit & Train: Develop systems for recruiting, training, and motivating a diverse, high-performing sales force across in-house, in-territory, company, and independent reps.
- Strategic Planning: Set priorities, establish KPIs, and execute sales strategies informed by market analysis and accurate forecasting to stay ahead of trends and uncover new opportunities.
- Training & Development: Design programs to enhance skills, product knowledge, and strategic selling while fostering continuous improvement and professional growth.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with business development, marketing, finance, and operations teams to align on sales plans, expand market share, and deliver a unified customer experience.
- Leverage Technology: Implement innovative sales tools and technologies (e.g., AI-driven tools, CRM, LMS) to empower teams and streamline sales activities.
- Performance Management: Set metrics, conduct reviews, and create plans to address underperformance while driving continuous learning and development.
- Customer & Partner Relationships: Strengthen partnerships with key accounts, suppliers, and stakeholders through events and trade shows to deepen relationships and grow the business.
- Foster Innovation: Promote a culture of creativity, collaboration, and customer-first innovation to explore new sales strategies and deliver exceptional results.
Qualifications | Big Picture Thinker + Sales Leader + Creative Problem Solver + NIMBLE + Proactive
- Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, or Marketing preferred, with 10+ years of sales leadership experience managing and mentoring high-performing teams.
- Proven Sales Leadership: Demonstrated success in training, coaching, and motivating teams to consistently exceed sales targets while driving revenue growth and expanding market share.
- Sales Strategy & Innovation: Strategic mindset with experience developing innovative sales strategies, penetrating new markets, and optimizing team performance.
- Technical Proficiency: Skilled in data analysis, CRM and LMS systems (Salesforce & Brainshark preferred), and tools like Excel and PowerPoint to translate insights into actionable strategies.
- Collaboration & Communication: Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally and build lasting partnerships.
- Adaptability & Problem-Solving: Creative and agile thinker who thrives in dynamic environments, embraces change, and drives continuous improvement (one of our core values).
- Cultural Fit: High EQ, team-oriented, humble, and approachable, with an enthusiasm for fostering a positive and collaborative team culture. An ability to recognize our culture, contribute to it, and be a part of it; big egos, game players, "me firsts", entitled, and other such traits need not apply- we kind of mean it (plus, must love dogs!).
- Travel Flexibility: Willingness to travel 40-50% of the time based on business needs.
WHY LAKESHIRTS IS THE PLACE YOU WANT TO BE. At Lakeshirts, we believe in making work as awesome as the apparel we create. We're not just a t-shirt company- we're also a hat, sticker, and sock company (and so much more!). We're a place where creativity meets culture, where ideas and innovation are encouraged, and where the atmosphere is truly one-of-a-kind. As one of the largest screenprinting manufacturers in the U.S., we decorate a variety of garments and accessories for the resort, licensed collegiate, and K-12 markets, supported by over 1,000 ah-mazing team members from sea to shining sea.
OUR CULTURE TRULY SETS US APART. Life at Lakeshirts is all about embracing our core values, having fun, and working with great people who make every day an opportunity to thrive. We're looking for those who want to roll up their sleeves and make an impact while enjoying a culture that values creativity, teamwork, continuous improvement, and empowering each team member to define and elevate their success. We also foster a strong sense of community and are dedicated to wowing our customers on the daily.
LIFE'S BETTER IN A T-SHIRT & SO IS WORK! Here's what you can expect when you join the Lakeshirts team:
- Compensation| Work Hard. Get Rewarded: Guided by our value of meritocracy, we offer a compensation package that reflects your unique skills, talents, and contributions. You are not just a number-your success, ideas, and efforts directly shape your growth and earning potential, empowering you to take your career to the next level. And there is an option to be paid daily! Pay for this role is $150,000-200,000 depending on experience and qualifications.
- Insurance Benefits | We've Got You Covered: From health and life insurance to voluntary benefits like dental, vision, short-term/long-term disability, and critical illness & accident coverage, we've got you covered; benefits kick in the first of the month following 60 days of full-time employment
- Paid Time Off |Life Outside of Work: Enjoy up to 22 paid days off during the first year because we know life happens outside of work & we want you to be able to enjoy
- Profit Sharing | If We're Profitable. You're Profitable: When we win, you win
- Retirement Planning | Free Money? Yes, Please!: Our 401(k) program helps you plan for the future
- Onsite Perks |Get in my Belly: At our HQ in Detroit Lakes, enjoy hot breakfast, lunch, and snacks from our subsidized cafeteria
- Dogs @ Work| Yes. It's A Thing. And It's Pawsome: Bring your furry friend to work, because we believe dogs just make everything better
- Relaxed Dress Code | Wear What Makes You Feel Your Best: Whether it's jeans, tees, and flip flops- we believe comfort fuels creativity, and we offer an employee merchandise discount to keep you & your family well-stocked
- Flexible Work Schedules |Full Time, Part Time & Everything In Between: Because we understand the importance of work-life balance
- Unique Culture | That Is Priceless: We make work fun; we believe in teamwork, giving back to our communities and doing what we love with great people, and always rocking a t-shirt, a hat, and some cool socks
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive and should in no way be considered a contract or guarantee of employment. Employee may perform other related duties as needed based on the ongoing needs of the business. Minnesota is an Employment-At-Will state and implies no specific length of employment.
