Tell us about how you got into skateboarding?
My neighbor had a skateboard and that was the first time I saw a skateboard. I was 5 years old at the time and I would go over his house and we would butt board down his driveway. Then skateboarding followed me. The bug did not set in until my I went to the skate shop and saw what real skateboarding was and I wanted to know more. The shop owner (Tony) was telling me about a team he had called the Stony Brook night rollers and found out my father was part of that. That same month I upgraded from Walmart Nash special to a blank complete. I saw the x games and saw the nine hundred. Since then, skateboarding has been a fixation in my life.
How did you produce the name Wayward Soul?
It organically grew. During COVID I felt like I lost my identity. I was not doing art, I had a failing film company, my relationship was falling apart, I was still recovering from a broken back, and on top of it I was sick for 2months with COVID. So, I felt lost. I was watching old king of the roads and it sparked my interest in art again. So, I thought it would be cool to throw art on boards and get back to my roots. At first, I was thinking lost soul, soul search, Gypsy soul, etc. Then it hit me I am just going to call it Wayward Soul because I am just going to do what I want and go on this journey with my art. Wayward Soul was never going to be a brand just an ally for my art and it took legs of its own. I would not have it another way.
Is it hard to build a team? What does it take to be part of your team?
It is extremely hard to build a team. In the beginning I was choosing people based on skill and not for their personalities or for them. Talent is not everything. It is what you do on and off the board that matters.
What does it take to be on the team?
Well simply talk to us. Skate and vibe with the team. If you are out of state. Talk and connect. Does not hurt to skate our product so we know you actually are down to support. Message the pros as well. Billy Holop and Trevor Munnerlyn are amazing people. I am also incredibly old school so if you send me a VHS tape like I had to do better the chance for you to get sponsored.
With the industry being flooded with new pros that we never heard of from smaller brands. What is your opinion on that?
The market is over saturated and everyone and their mother owns some form of skate company now. Everyone has a lifestyle brand that makes boards, and they do not even know who Tony hawk is. Even Gucci and high-end fashion are making skateboard. In one aspect it is cool to see the progression from big box stores to local smaller brands. It helps the youth understand their identity and where they belong. In another it is also bad in a sense of how skateboarding is being put back into a box. Where you have this brand is only for these people and this brand you cannot rock because it is for these people.
As to Pros I think the era of the Pro Skater has been Dead for a long time. The pay is not what it was, and the status is not as elite. I noticed a lot of the smaller brands just look at followers and how many clips someone can put out a week. Also, some brands give out boards to their homies as a last hoorah because they are that good and never made it to the next level. I will admit I am guilty of doing the same for a few individuals. The turnover rate is remarkably high, and it takes double the work to stay relevant. The one brand that I feel truly got it right in this new era has been Revive. Andy Shrock made the correct moves 10 years before the era of micro brands and local pros.
What makes Wayward Soul different than other brands out-there?
What makes use different… like I said small brands has put skateboard back in a box. Wayward Soul is not a punk or thug brand, we are not cool or trendy, we are just a bunch of Social Outcasts. The brand is what our riders and customers make it. We are skater owned and operated. The brand would not be what it is today without its team and the community built around it. The Moto Bill and I produced is S.O.U. L (Social Outcasts are Undefined Legends). You come as you are, and you are forever a soul.
Do you or do you have someone produce the graphics for wayward soul?
It is a collaborative effort. It the very beginning I was doing the graphics. Then I would have series ideas and would sketch them, but I could not translate the art style I wanted. So, I would team up with other artist to create the vision. I have had leading artist work with us like DJ Gyulay, Skullflesh, Shinobi Skateboards, and Ms. Echeandia. Also, Bill and Trevor have been incredibly involved with the creative process and giving that special touch to the board series.
Do you think it is hard being from New York to get your brand out-there compared to some brand from Cali?
100 percent. New York is the cool and trendy capital of the world. That goes double being from Long Island. Anything from Long Island is wacky and anything from the city is chill. If you are not FA or Supreme you are going un-noticed. You have to work three times as hard to break through gatekeepers and the politics.
Let us say: I am a shop owner, you come to my shop & you want me to carry your brand. How would you get me to carry wayward soul in my store?
I would reach out first and create a connection and do what we are doing now and have an open dialogue about the brand and the history of the shop. If there is an interest, I would offer you a few samples for the shop team to try out and yourself. Then I would check in again for feedback see if it were something you would like to have in shop.
What is Steve Glassner day like?
Primarily, I am a Single Parent, and my daughter means everything to me. So, a normal day looks like get up, get my daughter ready for school, make breakfast, drive her to school, go to my 9-5, answers email, talk to other skate vendors and scout out trending prices and talent. Check in with Billy and Trevor since they took the reign as team management and filmers. Chat in the SOUL chat, fill orders, RnD new product, pick my daughter up from school, do homework and make dinner, then my daughter and I would get a front yard session or a bike ride. Most of the time I am playing with dolls or stuffed animals freeze dance. Get ready her ready for bed. Then said in done, I am updating the website, working on social media, emails, edits, promotion plans, scanning footage, working on graphics, packing up packages, then after that I am exhausted, and it start all over the next day. It is a crazy and hectic schedule, but I would not have it any other way. Somehow is still find time to get a session in and film with the team.
Thank you for talking with us & wish you the best of luck with Wayward Soul. Is there anything you want to say to someone that wants to start their own brand?
Thank you TSM MEIDA for having me.
For anyone looking to start a brand realize that even though you think your shit is cool. Not everyone is going to like it. Being the new kid on the block will bring you a lot of hate so be prepared to back yourself up. Not every shop will want to carry you and people are going to ask for sponsorships and hate you when you turn them down. Take chances and make mistakes. Do not be afraid of failing because you already won. Keep a reminder of why you started your brand and be humble. A brand is a lot of work and heart ache but will be rewarding if you keep it slow and steady.
