Bode Miller (44) is in his element. A new element. The Olympic skiing champion is presenting the latest collection from US outdoor brand, Aztech Mountain.
“It’s fascinating,” said the best professional US skier of all time, who is a four-time world champion and today co-owns the US brand Aztech Mountain: “You come here and you think that you have seen everything in sport – and then you see these innovations and it blows your mind. I really like the power that comes from the ISPO Munich.” Bode Miller said back in 2017.
ISPO.com: Bode Miller, how’s your second career going – your life as a businessman?
Bode Miller: It’s a hard business. We have a lot to do. But it’s going very well. And it’s great fun controlling the fate of a dynamic, innovative company. We are still quite a small team, but a really strong one, here at Aztech Mountain.
While I was still competing, I already had a lot to do with products and I gave it a lot of thought, how you could improve them. But now I am responsible for that, both in the development and in the business. And that’s a lot of fun.
ISPO.com: What’s harder work?
Bode Miller: Sport was harder for me. This business is a lot of fun for me and at least there’s no torment, as there often has to be in competitive sport. And it’s a very creative process. We can move really quickly. That’s quite an advantage over bigger companies who are slower to get going. Every change always costs such a lot for them.
ISPO.com: In 2017 at the ISPO Munich, as you presented the new collection, you announced: “I will keep pushing the guys, just like I always did as a competitive sportsman.” How well have you been able to push Aztech Mountain in 2017?
Bode Miller: There are always so many gaps in our market, the outdoor business is always on the move. And there is so much that we could do better. But we are a small company and you have to watch out. If you try to do too much too quickly, then you can quickly run into problems. We have been so successful with the products which we make and love, that has become a balancing act: To drive on with innovations and to push them, while improving the portfolio at the same time, which is not so easy. But we have succeeded in that.
ISPO.com: So, what was the result?
Bode Miller: Our aim is to do it better than the others. And we’re on a good path there. We have grown bigger. We have secured our share of the market from our competitors. That is good for us. But we do have clear target groups. We don’t have to reach everyone. Aztech Mountain stands for high quality clothing. We don’t produce mass products.
ISPO.com: Is that why your name doesn’t appear on any of the Aztech Mountain products? That would be quite a boost – your own Bode-Miller collection.
Bode Miller: No, we don’t need that. The Aztech Mountain brand should stand by itself. I am a co-owner, I have a share in the company. I can open doors, sure. But we have a distinct, high quality target group who we want to reach. My name would address a broad spectrum, and that could bring a quick boost, but that is exactly what we don’t yet need at this moment in time.
We have to support the dealers, the retail market is important for us. I can make a personal appearance without my name on our jackets. To be quite clear about this, every store that we visit, every dealer wants to take up our brand into their portfolio. And sometimes, we just have to say no, because we couldn’t keep up with the production. So then we say, place a bigger order for the next time!
Bode Miller is a good example for how (former) sports pros can use their impact to become successful in business too. The ISPO.com interview gave important insights on the thoughts of Bode Miller and is a good reminder that sports pros can still be successful after their career.
Lastly, we will answer frequently asked questions about Bode Miller.
The former professional skier Bode Miller celebrated his 44th birthday on october the 17th 2021.
Bode Miller is currently involved into several projects such as building up his own ski academy, commentating sports events and promoting businesses.
At the end of 2021, Bode Millers net worth was estimated at around 10 million US dollars.
