We had the good fortune of connecting with Olin Littleman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Olin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to create a product that represented who I am as a five-fingered spiritual being (Dine’ Bila Ashdla’ii) when I traveled to golf tournaments, events, and outings. As Native American people, we are talented and have beautiful ideas and designs with spiritual meaning, and I also wanted to share those designs and ideas with people throughout the world. My uncle (Dad) James Little, a world-renowned goldsmith, has this mindset and shares his ideas, prayers, and designs through jewelry.
The first official products were Pendleton golf covers made from a Pendleton blanket. I had asked my wife to create the golf covers because I wanted them to represent me while on the golf course. At first, the covers were meant just for me, however, a few people began inquiring about creating their custom golf covers. Slowly more people were requesting a custom golf cover and the business began to blossom.
Then we moved on from golf covers to caps, t-shirts, stickers, towels, polos, basketball shorts cuts, sun sleeves, neck gaiters, and headbands.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My professional background is in Information Technology (IT) and has been in this field since 2001. Currently, I work as a Systems Analyst for a school district on the Navajo (Dine’) Reservation. The old saying goes that technology is always changing and Moore’s Law confirms – the idea that technology doubles every 18-24 months. Moreover, during the Pandemic, we had to rapidly adapt to all these changes such as one-to-one instructional devices, limited WiFi signal, new learning platforms/apps, remote support, inventory control, device repair, and numerous other variables. Research, inter-departmental training, trial and error, and teamwork helped our IT department get through some tough months.
Just as technology changes, I am starting to understand that you, as a person, also have to change. Complacency creates stagnation, comfort, and resistance. Creativity can never flow in a complacent state. At the beginning of the pandemic, one of the main obstacles was the deployment of one-to-one instructional devices (aka laptops) to thousands of students in our District. Our team created a plan to unload, unpack, scan, and document the thousands of laptops in a database. Then we created a code to log each student into their laptop with their network credentials. Next, we moved the units to all seven schools in our District. Finally, we deployed each unit to every student in our District. If we stayed complacent, this feat would’ve never been accomplished.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our hometown is in Chinle, AZ and we live near the Canyon De Chelly National Park. I hosted a few people and took them to Canyon De Chelly. We visited numerous overlooks such as the White House Overlook and Spider Rock Overlook. Furthermore, I took them down the White House Overlook trail which is around 2.5 miles round trip, which can be an exhausting hike. The beautiful scenery around Canyon De Chelly speaks for itself. In one instance, my family cooked a homemade meal (Navajo Tacos) for the visitors.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, God for providing courage, strength, and wisdom through trials and tribulations. Secondly, my wife (Kimberly) and children (Nicolas, Monica, Cheyenne, and Lauren) for supporting me through thick and thin. My business wouldn’t be where it’s at if it weren’t for the following business owners who offered their guidance: Todd Batt (All About Golf), John Black (Tee Claw), Lamar Cooke (Bison Trail Embroidery), Rich Eberhart (Eberhart Embroidery), Jay Swainston (Ardham Technologies), Randy Yellowhair (NVJO Athletics), Anthony and Kyle Littleman (Roc’N LM Productions), and Troy Little (Roc’N LM Restaurants LLC).
Website: https://www.rocknlmgolf.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocknlm/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olin-littleman-03b239101
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RocknLM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocknlm/