Edmonton’s Wesley O’Driscoll, recently welcomed us to Nowhere Fast Studio where he filled us in on the what it takes to start up a small business, the community he’s rapidly grown around the shop, a few of his favourite places and people in YEG and what Birks he’s currently rockin.

 

Can you tell us about the concept behind Nowhere Fast and how it came to be what it is today? 

Originally Nowhere Fast was a Black & White Photography Publication, we've been pivoting for over a decade now. It's incredible what people have let us get away with... I'd like to think I'm easily accessible to my customers, I converse with them all day, six days a week. The phone number we have listed on Google and Instagram is my personal cell number so I'm as in-touch as I can be with our community, I've always tried to listen to people, and what we're currently doing seems to be exactly what people want from us. There was a huge void in Edmonton for something like this, the infrastructure was already there... I've always wanted to have a shop like the one we've grown into. To be honest, this was the vision for it all. It took a lot of learning, and I have a lifetime of learning left to do, but this is what it was supposed to be.

What makes Nowhere Fast different than other skate/clothing shops? 

I'm really trying to push the notion that skate shops are key to a city's community, and that they can apply to a wider audience than solely skateboarders. I'm in a wheelchair, I don't Skate, so I try to have everything skaters need, but I also try to buy brands and pieces that speak to people like myself, who don't Skate either. I grew up skating, filming and photographing it too, so I'm not a complete poser. I try to look at buying for this shop from the point of view of a skater, as well as a fan of skateboarding.

 Wesley wears the Birkenstock Boston

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own small business?

Be willing to make mistakes and learn the hard way, it might help you in the end. Starting and sustaining a business is really hard though, I'm always adapting in order to keep up with the industry and continue improving. I look up to people like Louise (owner - gravitypope) who have been able to maintain their relevance for decades. 

What are you currently feeling inspired by? 

Customers are an endless source of inspiration for sure. The conversations I'm lucky enough to have with new and/or return customers are absolutely incredible. The pace that the skate scene is growing at is really astounding, helping new people who come into The Studio for their first boards or first anything is motivating as hell. 

 

What are some of you other interests outside of the shop and brand? 

The Studio consumes a lot of my mental energy and output, I'm not complaining at all because I enjoy it. I like just being out around the city, being immersed in what people are doing and seeing growth and change happen around me. I try to take photos whenever I can, too.

 

Are there any initiatives or community projects you are currently working on?

I'm currently part of a group of people who are working to get a skate plaza developed in the downtown core. I can't really disclose any specifics due to the nature of the project but part of it involves the creation of a non-profit organization, Was Here Leisure Foundation. What I want to do with this is basically, if you want to skateboard and your main obstacle is financial, we want to help get boards to people who maybe couldn't afford to get them previously. I have a ton of ideas to help grow the community and this is one I'm looking forward to implementing.

 

Where would you like to see Nowhere Fast in the next 5 years?

Growth... more of everything, more stores, more products but maintaining the original structure that made us anything in the first place. I would always want customers to be treated the same at anything with our name on it, I never want to dilute the vision but also don't want to spread myself too thin. I have really big aspirations for Nowhere Fast but I'm taking it slow.

What Birkenstocks are you wearing and why did you choose this pair?

I'm wearing Boston Clogs and they're pretty much all I've been wearing lately. The way they sit on the footplate of my wheelchair is pretty ideal. The slip on is easy to put on and the closed toe helps to keep them in place on my feet. My disability makes it hard to find the perfect shoe, so I'm pretty picky and these check all the boxes. 

 

Any other local businesses, people, artists or groups you would like to shout out?

So many... Rosewood Foods. Sepps Pizza. Tony's Pizza Palace. The Butchery by RGE RD. Bua Thai. Noodle Feast. Viphalay. Dang Good. Nong Bu. Izakaya Tomo. Under the High Wheel. Overflow Cafe. New York Bagel Cafe. Zwick's. Brio Bakery. Doughnut Party. Dead Friends. Good Information Music. The Artworks. Record Collector's Paradise.