Been There, Done That...Earned The T-shirt

Kara and Ron Shovlin move quickly around the roomy lower-level office that houses their growing business. Ron moves boxes and hangs inspirational posters on the wall, while his petite, energetic wife straightens up the place and goes through their inventory. They have a seemingly endless schedule but they make it work - this is not the type of couple that backs away from a challenge; and their goal is to inspire others to push themselves as well. In fact, they "dare you" to set goals and achieve them.

The Shovlins, of Westfield, are inspiring people through their clothing line, which they've dubbed I Dare You Challengewear. The items included in the line of T-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, hats and other exercise apparel all share something in common: they feature the words "I Dare You." They started selling the clothing in 2009 and despite a recession, they've continued to find success.

Call it a mixture of marketing, hard work, late nights, creativity and chemistry. To see the high school sweethearts together is to understand what's behind all that positive energy. These are two people who love being around each other. From the smiles to the compliments - and the fact that they practically finish each other's sentences - it's obvious that they are each other's biggest supporters.

It also doesn't hurt that the couple is no stranger to business. Ron - a former high school athlete - is the owner of the Mattress factory in Fanwood. He's worked for the company since he was 13 years old, and for years, Kara has been helping run the operation as well. But she also brings another aspect to I Dare You - the desire to encourage people to get active.

A group fitness instructor with a deciated group of students who would probably follow her to the North Pole if they offered a Zumba classes there, Kara has taken on several fitness challenges. From a 5K to a triathalon, she knows what it's like to take on a dare and cross the finish line with success. And it can't hurt to look good while you're getting there - which is another element that led to the I Dare You line.

Kara, who will quickly take a pair of scissors to any shirt or piece of exercise clothing that she feels like modifying - had been searching for clothes that were fun and functional. And as the saying goes: necessity is the mother of invention.

Alone in the car...

The parents of two young boys, it was rare for Kara and Ron to be alone in a car for any length of time. But following the death of Kara's dad two years ago, the Shovlins had about eight hours of time to themselves as they made their way home after spending time with family out of state. As they talked and drove, the couple hatched a plan to create fitness clothing that could be fun, functional and fashionable.

Stopping along the way at a store that sells activewear, the couple left, wishing they could've found things to wear during workouts that were "edgier" and had messages that challenged people to do their personal best. In the hours that followed they started to plan it all out. But they still needed a name. Something inspirational and fun. As they drove through Dare County in North Carolina, it hit them: why not call the line "I Dare You."

The first lap...

They had the idea, they had the name, but they still needed something else to help define the I Dare You line. They thought of a "smiley face" as their logo, but it wasn't edgy enough. After browsing the Web, Kara came across a winking cartoon skull, which, after some modification and trademark hurdles, became the "face" of I Dare you. They dubbed him Max Brio - a name Kara devised after looking in the dictionary and discovering the definition of brio: enthusiastic vigor; vivacity; liveliness; spirit. It all seemed to fit.

Ron and Kara began by selling the homemade T-shirts at a local school fair. People responded positively and sales began to pick up, despite the struggling economy, which has prevented many entrepreneurs from embarking on business ventures in recent years.

"Recession or not, we've come up with this idea that we really believe in," Ron said.

The couple was also looking to have a business that would allow them to work together more and that would give them a little more freedom and flexibility in the future. Sure, they've looked at each other and thought: "What are we doing, we're in a recession?" But for the Shovlins, that just means they have another challenge to take on.

The ground floor...

As the I Dare You Challengewear line continued to grow, the Shovlins made the decision to move the operation into an office on the ground floor - or as Kara calls it, the "lower level" - of a small office building in Westfield. There, they have shelves filled with clothing for adults, as well as sports-themed clothing for kids. They have a press that they use to imprint the clothes with their logo and a large, white dry-erase board where sketches of new ideas wait to be worked on.

Kara especially spends a lot of time in the new space, processing orders, making new shirts - and cutting up her own - folding the merchandise and keeping the business running while Ron holds down the fort at the Mattress Factory. Even the couple's two sons have gotten into the act, posing as models for the childrens' I Dare You line on the business website, http://www.idareyounow.com.

You have to earn it...

Even when they're trying to make a sale, the Shovlins continue to challenge customers to achieve their goals. In addition to the clothes bearing just the Max logo or the words "I Dare You," they have car magnets and shirts that challenge athletes to finish 5k races, triathalons and half-marathons, and they've jokingly told customers "you can buy it, but you can't wear it until you finish the race."

So far, there have been quite a few people who have stepped up to the challenge, and earned the shirts they wear.

Tovah Segelman of Scotch Plains, a fitness instructor and a triathalete who recently completed the Half Ironman competition in the Poconos, is a fan of the label and the message the Shovlins are sending.

"Life is all about challenging yourself to reach goals you once thought were impossible. As an athlete, I have never been 'in it to win it.' My only goal has always been to challenge myself, to improve on my own performance, beat my times from last years' races, and go further and faster than I have before," Segelman said. "I wear the I Dare You brand to challenge myself to be the best athlete I can be."

She wears it for nearly every race she joins, and also sports the Shovlins' clothing line when teaching.

"I wear the I Dare You brand when I teach to motivate class members to challenge themselves, push themselves further than they thought they could, and and to continue to set new, more challenging goals for themselves," Segelman said.

Kara and Ron have also inspired others through to take on challenges they never thought they'd be able to accomplish. Ann Marie Tetar, 51, one of Kara's group fitness students, recently completed her first triathalon.

"Staying active at the age of 51 is so important; when I wear an I Dare You hat or shirt it tells people that I challenge myself everyday to stay active. Recently, I finished my first triathlon earning a "Tri, I Dare You" decal for my car," Tetar said proudly.

The road ahead...

As the Shovlins' success with I Dare You continues, their plans include changes to their line of kids' activewear, which will feature updated sports logos. They currently sell the clothing online as well as at venues such as the Westfield Street Fair and similar events. Kara said their goal is to continue to inspire people and challenge them to do their personal best.