brrr° Presented at the 5th Vietnam Textile Summit 2021
Perpetually Cool: How Advances in Cooling Textile Technology Can Help Combat Global Warming
With a passion for textiles, Courtney holds a B.S. in Clothing, Textiles, and Design and an International MBA.
With 15+ years of experience in the textile and apparel industry, she has spent 7 years of her professional career working in China & Taiwan. Her French and Chinese language skills have opened many doors to grow her wide industry network.
When she is not out hiking with her dogs, Courtney develops and sources quality, sustainable textiles by leveraging her global manufacturing connections to benefit all consumers.
As brrr° VP Sourcing and Product Development, her goal is to keep the world cool by bravely innovating without boundaries and fostering creativity for exponential growth!
Find out more about the Vietnam Textile Summit here
brrr° Adopts Texbase & Launches Online Material Library
brrr° delivers a new digital material library to customers, powered by Texbase!
Bozeman, Montana (January 14, 2021) – Texbase, Inc., a cloud-based data management and collaboration platform for the textile and consumer products industries, announces their continued collaboration with brrr°.
brrr° is an innovator of fabric technology that is “Proven to Keep You Cooler”. Their exclusive, patented yarns and specialized manufacturing techniques combine natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying technology to create a Triple Chill Effect® for an instant and permanent cooling sensation that won’t ever fade or wash out.
brrr° chose Texbase to accelerate the process of turning innovative material science concepts into commercialized fabrics. Texbase Materials provides the digital assets needed to clearly define yarn and fabric attributes. Texbase Testing captures the data that confirms physical properties and quality metrics while Texbase Color allows brrr° to easily track the color/lab dip approvals by customer.
In addition, brrr° recently launched a new digital fabric library powered by Texbase that makes it easy for current and prospective customers to find the best brrr° fabrics for their products. (Check it out here)
“We are fully leveraging Texbase! Not only are we using it internally with our global team but we’ve also integrated it with Salesforce and launched a digital fabric library. Without Texbase we would need to hire additional staff to keep up with our demanding development timelines. The ease of use and reliability of Texbase Testing to ensure our Triple Chill Effect® on all of our fabrics has been invaluable.”
About Texbase
Original post can be found here
brrr° Introduces Advanced Cooling Fabric, brrr° Pro
The leader in cooling fabric technology creates new performance cooling textile aimed at the athletic and fitness market.
Athletes, trainers, coaches, and anyone with an active lifestyle deserves to wear better fabrics that help them perform their best as they compete, recover, and play.
Many garments on the market say they are “cooling” but they’re really just good at wicking — they don’t actually draw heat and moisture away from the skin.
We created a new advanced performance cooling fabric called brrr° Pro that works harder than ever to keep you cool.
brrr° Pro Polyester uses enhanced cooling fibers, hyper wicking, and performance drying to elevate the Triple Chill Effect® that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin.
We’ve been working on brrr° Pro for more than three years, and we experimented with dozens of formulas that were tested on more than 1,000 kgs of yarn before choosing the best combination.
For the past three years, we’ve been working on a new concentrated cooling technology that harnesses the power of micro-cooling technology and advanced dispersion techniques to intensify the cooling power of brrr°.
We have a provisional patent for brrr° Pro, and we’re excited to introduce it to the athletic and fitness apparel industry. Like all brrr° products, brrr° Pro is independently lab tested by globally recognized third-party labs and proven to outperform other brands.
We think athletes, trainers, coaches, and anyone with an active lifestyle will love the way brrr° Pro keeps them cooler, drier, and more confident so they can perform their best at work and at play.
Interested in being cool? Click here to connect with a cooling expert from brrrº.
Mary-Cathryn's Response to "Made a work mistake? Seven smart things to say to your boss"
Even the best employees will make mistakes at work from time to time — it’s part of being human. Leaders want their team members to come to them quickly and honestly acknowledge the issue. However, many may hesitate to do so out of a fear of punishment or damage to their reputation.
Trying to hide a mistake is never the way to go; if you share the mistake with leadership and let them know you want to help make things right, you can work together to quickly resolve the issue and minimize — perhaps eliminate — any negative consequences. To help, seven members of Business Journals Leadership Trust share things you can say when you’ve made a mistake at work to calm the anxieties that may arise on both sides.
1. ‘Here’s exactly what happened.’
An honest explanation is what is needed from someone making a mistake. We are all human; we make mistakes. Owning a mistake is something that some people avoid. I always say, “I do not know what I do not know,” and that runs true with mistakes. If someone makes a mistake and I do not know about it, then it cannot be fixed. – Brandy McCombs, IBC
2. ‘I made a mistake, and I won’t make any excuses.’
Honesty is always the best policy. If someone makes a mistake, proactively brings it to my attention and admits to making the mistake without making excuses I will almost always work with them to find a solution. Doing this shows character and should be rewarded, not punished. Everyone makes mistakes. –Brock Berry, AdCellerant
3. ‘I need your help.’
They should say, “I have made a mistake. This is what I think we should do, and I need your help.” As a leader, you should create an environment where everyone feels safe to let you know that they have failed, and now we all get to learn from it. Fail forward fast! –Paul Herring, 101 Solutions LLC
4. ‘I want to do what I can to fix this.’
I appreciate team members who are genuine and take responsibility for their actions. Stating, “I made a mistake, but I want to do what I can to fix it and make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future” is important. –Christen McCamie, Nesta Real Estate Consultants
5. ‘Here’s what I want to do to correct it.’
“I made a mistake” is half of the discussion. The other half of the conversation should include, “and here is what I can do to correct it.” Accepting responsibility is important, but so too is accepting your role in correcting the problem. Having solutions already considered lessens the anxiety associated with the original mistake. – Paul Weber, EAG Advertising & Marketing
6. ‘I have ideas to keep this from happening again.’
Acknowledging the error and taking responsibility for what happened is of first importance. Then the employee should offer potential solutions to the problem and action steps that will ensure that the error does not reoccur. They should come in with these solutions prepared. This shows management that they really care and know how important it is to avoid this error in the future. – Zee Ali, Z-Swag
7. ‘I have learned from this.’
Encourage a culture of honesty, integrity, and forgiveness. We’re all going to make mistakes, so confess it right away, take ownership of it, do everything you can to correct it and make it right, and then learn from it and move on. It’s important that employees see the bosses behave this way too because that will show them the company’s values in action. – Mary-Cathryn Kolb, brrrº
Original Post: Biz Journals
How Fabric is Changing Our Lives
The textile industry has made leaps and bounds in recent years by developing numerous performance fabrics that are changing our lives in ways large and small.
Major advances in performance fabric include the use of cooling technologies, wicking and drying capabilities, recycled material, organic plant material, and even components that were adopted from industrial applications such as carbon fiber and other abrasion-resistant materials.
Many retailers are remaking their most popular exercise, casual and office attire clothes with cooling fabric that draws heat and moisture away from the skin to keep people more comfortable as they go about their day.
We especially like these lines by ADAY, Atlas Menswear, Southern Tide, Kit and Ace, Coral Coast Clothing, Mizzen+Main, that feature brrr° cooling fabric.
Cooling technology is also making its way into everyday wardrobe staples such as these socks from Bigfoot Sock Co.
Another great example of advances in fabric is the uniforms and other apparel that Nike designed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Nike created a windbreaker jacket and matching pants made from recycled plastic bottles, and its Air Vapormax sneaker is made with 75% manufacturing waste. Drawstring cords, zipper pulls and the Nike swoosh logo are made from recycled waste rubber that was melted down and refashioned into functional pieces. (The Olympic Games were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and were rescheduled for 2021.)
Some companies are taking a cue from industrial technology to add rip-stop technology and abrasion resistance to their fabrics for garments made for hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. Ceramic and other carbon fiber technology is similar to the materials used in automobiles, jet planes, space shuttles, and the International Space Station.
We look forward to being part of the next cycle of development in performance fabric, and we are committed to being a leader in making cooling fabrics even better than they are today.
brrr° is constantly pursuing advances in chemistry, dispersion techniques, raw materials, recycled content, manufacturing and other elements that can make our cooling fabric even cooler.
To learn more about how brrr° can improve your fabrics, please reach out to us here.
What Can Performance Fabric Do For You?
Some people gravitate toward performance fabric because it helps keep them cool.
Others may be more interested in wicking and rapid drying functionality.
For some consumers, wrinkle resistance and machine washability might be the most important consideration.
And for people with sensitivity to sun exposure, the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of clothing might tip their purchasing decision.
Performance fabric has come a long way in recent years, with innovative companies focusing their research and development efforts on integrating many of these benefits into their textiles.
As a leader in cooling fabric technology, brrr° has worked hard to incorporate all of these benefits into its textiles.
We combine the powers of natural cooling minerals, active wicking, and rapid drying to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that instantly and continuously draws heat and moisture away from the skin for all-day comfort.
brrr° fabrics are machine washable, and many are also wrinkle-resistant for hassle-free laundering. The majority of our fabrics have a UPF of 50+, and some of them have a UPF of 200+. Each of our products is independently lab tested to prove its superior cooling, wicking, and drying capabilities.
As we continue to invest significantly in R&D to develop new cooling fabrics that have more qualities and characteristics that consumers want, we are committed to finding new ways to make our cooling fabrics even better in our next-generation offerings.
Find out more about brrr°’s library of hundreds of cooling fabrics by reaching out to us here.
Six effective ways to secure customer feedback feat. brrrº
Atlanta Business Chronicle Leadership Trust
A business performs best when leadership has insight into customers’ wants and experiences. Such insight can help guide service offerings, provide marketing copy and more. In theory, getting customer feedback is easier today than it ever has been — online surveys, review sites and multiple social media outlets offer tools for both businesses and consumers. However, persuading your customers to share their experiences can be challenging.
Below, six leaders from Atlanta Business Chronicle Leadership Trust share strategies about when and how businesses can approach their customers for feedback, as well as what they should do with the information they receive.
1. Have someone else solicit feedback.
Asking for candid feedback can be awkward, and a fear of offending or hurting feelings can make people reluctant to say what they really think. So have someone else do it. Ask a trusted person from your marketing or PR team, a consultant, an outside adviser, or even a board member to ask specific questions (for consistency), and make sure some of those questions are about what could be better. – Mary-Cathryn Kolb, brrrº
2. Show your commitment to customer care.
The entire customer journey experience — from a website visit to a phone call, email or in-person interaction — is paramount. Every touchpoint should be one that reinforces your business’s commitment to customer care. If this is done successfully, the customer will be more inclined to provide feedback without your needing to ask. – Don Dodds, M16 Marketing
3. Always respond to all feedback.
I’d recommend making it a clear goal to seriously respond to all feedback (positive and negative) your customers give you. This way, you will get an active feedback loop with your customers. – Mats-Ola Bydell, Odgers Berndtson
4. Ask what you can do to improve.
We ask our clients to rate their satisfaction level at the end of each project. We ask them not only what they felt went well with the project but also what we could have done better. – Michele Grant, Block + Tackle
5. Start by building a strong bond.
We kick off every client relationship with a half-day offsite that encourages team bonding. Everyone working on the project, both on the agency’s side and the client’s side, attends with the goals of getting to know each other better and setting a foundation where trust can begin to build. We find that a trusting partner is more likely to openly share feedback. – Jeff Hilimire, Dragon Army
6. Focus on encouraging referrals.
We always strive to perform the best we can, and we have an annual stewardship review with our clients to receive direct feedback. However, the best feedback we can receive is when a client refers us to someone new — it’s the best strategy for us to know if we are executing on our client service commitments and goals. – Neil Metzheiser, Lockton Companies, LLC
What Women Want: Undergarments That Keep Them Cooler & More Comfortable
The women’s undergarments industry is going through radical changes, and much of it revolves around functionality and comfort.
Startup brands such as True & Co., ThirdLove and Shapermint are taking cues from direct-to-consumer retailers like Warby Parker and have launched growing businesses driven by internet and social media campaigns aimed at convincing women that their products are the perfect blend of comfort, functionality, and design. 
One innovation is personalized fit quizzes that help women figure out what size to buy, and which products will support their unique body style the best. This is key because as many as 80% of women may be wearing the wrong size bra, in part because sizes can vary drastically from brand to brand, according to a survey by Victoria’s Secret. Most online-only brands offer free returns or exchanges for items that don’t fit.
Modern women prize functionality and comfort, and Millennials are drastically changing the bra buying landscape by shopping online more often than Gen X and Boomer women. Millennials are also more likely to wear sports bra styles, according to research by NPD Group.
Wireless bras, bralettes, racerback bras and bras inspired by athletic apparel are getting more sophisticated, with support technology come from performance fabrics and the structure of the garment so it doesn’t dig into the skin or chafe the way bras did for generations.
Designers and manufacturers of bras, underwear, shapewear, slip shorts and other undergarments are also using more stretchy, breathable materials that help keep women dry and more comfortable from dawn until bedtime.
These materials also make it possible for women with active lifestyles to wear the same bras and undergarments from the office to the gym, and most of the garments can be machine washed on gentle cycle with a simple mesh bag for easy maintenance.
We hope to see more retailers push even further by incorporating cooling fabric into their next generation of bras, underwear and other undergarments. brrr°’s patented technology uses a special blend of natural cooling minerals plus active wicking and rapid drying to create a “Triple Chill Effect” that won’t ever fade or wash out. brrr° fabrics are independently lab tested to prove the cooling properties, and they consistently outperform other brands.
Find out how brrr° cooling technology take undergarments to the next level. You can reach us here.
Our Commitment to You During COVID-19
The global coronavirus pandemic is truly an unprecedented situation that is affecting our families, our businesses and our way of life. Our thoughts go out to those who are sick or directly impacted by the virus and we extend our heartfelt wishes for a full recovery.
We are focused on the health and safety of our brrr° family, and all of our team members in the US and Taiwan have been encouraged to work remotely, communicate with customers through digital channels, and minimize travel and conference attendance. This is an easy transition for our highly mobile and sophisticated team, and we continue to deliver the highest levels of service as we practice social distancing.
Although we are in uncharted territory, our commitment to your success is stronger than ever. Our factories are operational, and our supply chain partners are undeterred by current production restrictions. We are confident that we can continue to deliver our proprietary cooling yarns and fabrics on time and with the highest quality.
We have an amazing team at brrr° and we are here for you. While we are facing some significant headwinds, we are confident that we will overcome these obstacles and be better for it.
If there are any ways brrr° can help you or your team with our technology or services, please let me know at mckolb [@] brrr.com.
Sincerely,
Mary-Cathryn Kolb
Founder and CEO, brrr°
Talking About Cooling Comfort at Trade Show Trifecta
Advances in cooling performance technology were hot topics on the January trade show circuit, and brrr° was delighted to be front and center in those conversations.
We kicked off the month with the Texworld show in New York, where we debuted our new pop art campaign that highlights the cooling comfort of brrr° technology. We create a Triple Chill Effect by combining the powers of natural cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying for a crisp, fresh experience that lasts all day.
At the PGA Show 2020 in Orlando, our customer Southern Tide had a beautiful display of shirts and other apparel made with brrr° cooling technology. Attendees loved the cool-to-the-touch sensation of the button-downs, shorts, and polos.
We wrapped up January with a strong appearance at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, where the coolest new apparel and gear are on display.
Staying cool and comfortable all year long is essential, even in chilly temperatures. The wicking and drying capabilities of brrr° fabric help you perform better and feel your best during winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hunting, running or whatever else you have planned.
Although we’ve been working hard, we’re not working up a sweat as we kick-off 2020. You know why. #brrrcool
