I’m David Raymond, the Creator of Gritty and This Is How I Work
In 1978, Philadelphia Phyllis trainee David Raymond donned the Philly Fanatic costume and introduced the world to one of the most famous costume mascots in sports. After working for 15 years as a fanatic, Raymond went into business creating his own mascots. And now he has created the most famous mascot in years: the Philadelphia Flyers Gritti mascot. (The working title of this post was “Daddy Gritty.”) We spoke with Raymond about the journey from Phanatic to Gritty, how to clean a suit, and why he switches apps to tasks every two years.
Location: West Grove, PA Current concert: Emperor of Fun, Raymond Entertainment Current computer: Lenovo Yoga 700 Current mobile device: iPhone 7 One word that best describes how you work: Oh my gosh, it’s simple: fun.
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
My father was the head football coach at the University of Delaware. He’s a local celebrity and icon, and all I grew up wanted to do was play football for him and be a coach like him. I ended up going to Delaware and playing football for my father. He didn’t want me to be a football coach. He felt that this was not the best way for me, thank God. He helped me do my Phillies internship in 1976. I was an intern for two years and then they formed Phanatic in 1978.
Some of the skills that helped me become a good performer were understanding the athlete’s point of view. And, of course, the [point of view] of a Philadelphia fan – I knew that as well because I was one of them. This gave me the opportunity to be successful as a performer. As a performer, I learned everything I needed to know about developing a great character brand, even though we didn’t call it that back then.
When I started my business, I wanted to create brands with great character for companies, if they could achieve the same success as Phanatic and the benefits that Phillies have. From this I realized that the most important thing in terms of a 45,000 foot perspective is how powerful fun can be. The fanatic taught me that fun isn’t just fooling around; fun is not just a vacation. Entertainment is truly a tool you can use every day to become happier, healthier, and more productive. What we do is create powerful entertainment.
Tell us about a recent work day.
For me, every day excites because I work with different people and different clients. So I talk a lot on the phone and on social media. And then I speak to bands not only in the Philadelphia market, but across the country as a keynote speaker, so I meet people face to face all the time.
My day is always different. The only monotony I find is that I have an office at home. I am dealing with a need of a client, with some kind of design function that we need to revise, and I wash. Anyone with a home office realizes that they are distracted by household chores. So every day I get up and look at my priorities to focus on them. I post regularly, write blogs, and then talk to clients.
How does it feel to take Gritty ? It looks like it might be your character’s loudest launch.
Here in Wilmington, Delaware, I was interviewed by the local News-Journal, and I think that’s exactly what I said. I don’t think there was more [reaction to another talisman].
The difference is that Phanatic didn’t really have negative recoil. And Phanatic was on every TV show; he has been all over the world. But he did it over a 40-year career and more. It seems that Gritti has traveled the whole world in two weeks.
So for me it was pretty amazing and a lot of fun to watch, obviously because I’m involved with the project, being one of the people the Flyers approached to try and get it right.
I also know the performer very well – it was part of my job, it was also to find a good performer – and I am very happy and proud of him because he is very talented and deserves it all.
What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?
I do all my work on my phone and I have a Lenovo Yoga laptop small enough to drop my bag and get on a plane easily. An IT issue can quickly take out of action, so I have a good local IT company to handle it all.
I have a radio app where I can listen to home radio. I’m a big sports fan, so I listen to Philadelphia WIP sports radio anywhere in the country.
How is your workplace arranged? Who is in the office?
Well, there is David Raymond, the CEO, there is David Raymond, who is in charge of accounts receivable and collectibles, there is David Raymond, who is in charge of communicating with customers … So you put it all together, there is one person in my office, which is typical of many small businesses.
Then I have a studio that I rent out where I work on sewing, sewing and sculpting. I have a designer in Atlanta, Georgia who has been working with me for over ten years. We are very economical and flexible and profitable because we are lean. One of the funniest things I do is walk into a studio. We have creative people with work tables, sewing machines, vacuum forming machines and painting stations, all kinds of wonderful creative things. I manage the build there and make sure it meets our specifications.
Tell us about an interesting process you have at work. Your site mentions cleaning and repairing mascot costumes.
We unpack the package, detail what is there, and identify the problem. Usually the client tells us what is bothering him. Then he goes to the studio. I have several places where I can get suits. We have specialists who know how to sew and troubleshoot. This can take anywhere from a week to two weeks.
This is followed by a complete cleaning and disinfection of the suit. We wash what we can wash. What we don’t do, we put in a small cabinet that shines with ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and let in warm air to dry the suit. Therefore, the costumes do not smell after drying, which is a big problem for our business – the smell of bacteria and the safety of the artists.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
In a Word document, I have a to-do list for each day. I put them in categories, be it public speaking, character branding, marketing and sales, finance, and I have a category for stupid things. You are driving yourself crazy if you think that everything you are going to do will be perfectly accurate and worthwhile. It’s great to insert stupid things.
The funny thing is that usually after two years I get bored with [my current method] and will do it differently. Maybe on my phone, maybe Outlook. I used to think I was failing when I dropped one. Then I realized that I would just switch to another form. For a month I am not organized because I just got bored with one method and I just come up with another. I start thinking, “Hey, this is great, this is new, and it’s easier to do.”
How to recharge or relax?
My life hack is 30 minutes walk every day. Stephen Covey talks about “big rock events” : plan big things first so the little things can seep through them. It is a double rock event in the sense that it is healthy [physically and mentally]. I meditate a little, but I end up walking more and more.
As I walk, I just let my thoughts wander. If I found it difficult to come up with something creative, it usually comes to me. I write blogs every week, so my blog theme usually pops up in my head when I do that 30 minute walk.
I love to paint and paint. I’ll take pictures of my kids and try to sketch them as I learn how to use shading. Mostly pencil drawing, some colored pencils.
These are puzzles. I get a jigsaw puzzle from a thousand pieces and lay it out. It probably takes me a week to assemble a puzzle from a thousand pieces. I grab a cup of coffee in the morning, go in there and struggle a little. I completely forget about everything.
What are you reading now or what do you recommend?
I read more for distraction and amusement than to study, much to the annoyance of my brother-in-law, who is a very successful businessman. He always tries to give me a new book and asked if I had read it and I said, “No, I put it in a pile along with all the other books you gave me!”
I try to read self-development books, but I never finish reading them. I feel guilty, but I understand that they just do not understand me. Many of them, you read the first three or four chapters, and they seem to be repetitive, trying to tell you the same thing in 15 different ways. And I just put it in place. [But] Stephen Covey, I was a big fan of him, and Seth Godin.
I make audiobooks. I’ve read every novel John Grisham has written, including [outside the legal genre], The Painted House, and The Pizza Game .
I read most of Stephen King’s early work, such as Pet Sematary and It . I always hate it when they make a movie from his books, because they never reach the books.
Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?
Someone like Justin Timberlake. I kind of look at him as the modern-day Sammy Davis Jr. who can sing, dance, act, he is funny … That’s who I would like to be, someone who can sing, dance and have fun.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My dad told me to stop talking so much – and then look at the job I got! I got a job that influenced my entire business career because I didn’t say anything.
But my dad’s problem was that he didn’t want to bother people. If you are going to build a business, you must understand that you are not interfering with anyone. You are trying to help people. So this is the best advice and the worst advice in one fell swoop.
In fact, what he was saying was listening. And I think listening is the best advice you can give anyone. If you even pretend to listen, you’ll like it better. If you really listen, you will become smarter and better able to help people.
What problem are you still trying to solve?
I always think, “I haven’t done enough. I’m not doing enough. “
I’m not a huge fan of Tony Robbins, but he talks aboutsix things we all need . The most important thing is to contribute. We all want to contribute. I still don’t get it. I was not happy with the fact that I contributed. And this is a daily struggle. I’m starting to give myself some leeway and respect, but it’s not easy.