|
Todd Smith Products
The
dog, who later proved very friendly, left me alone and shortly Smith
joined me for our interview.
The
conversation covered a variety of topics: the start and growth of his
business, how products are made and where the business is going. Smith
is soft-spoken with a gentle sense of humor.
Getting
Started In
the fall of 1977 Smith was in his second semester at Hampshire College
in Amherst, Massachusetts, studying economics. Walking through the
gymnasium, he saw Allan Jacobs working out. It was the first time
Smith had ever seen a juggler.
"Allan
took me under his wing," and had Smith working two to three hours
daily right from the start. Although he spent a few days with balls,
within a week he was passing clubs. After two months, he was working
out eight hours daily, while "still pretending to be a
student..." Smith
was using European style clubs that Jacobs had made, similar to those
made by Jay Green, the leading club maker of the time. Smith bought a
set of his own and began performing in the fall of 1978.
He
and Jocko McCaine street performed in Cleveland in the summer of 1979,
doing juggling, movement and gymnastics. However, by the start of 1981
two things put an end to his performance career: a need to get serious
about his "straight" education and a knee operation to repair
torn cartilage.
In
the semester prior to graduation, Smith began selling props, largely by
word-of-mouth. Once out of school, he went full time into the business
with help from Tom Bryant, who continues working for him to this day.
|
