Tessa: Yes, I have lived with "The Beard" for 12 years now, married for 10. When I met him he had trails & ramps in his backyard and we still do in our current house 12 years later. BMX has been a huge part of my life for the last 12 years. Now I watch my son Ryder (4 years old) flow through his little line in the trails and Kanon (1 year old) run up and down the ramps. I love everything about BMX. I have very close friends that risk their lives each time they ride. I have so much respect for everything about BMX. I couldn't imagine my life now without it. I'm so lucky that my man is into something like BMX and not baseball haha. Many of my friends are in my life now because of BMX somehow. I call most of them family now. 
We have a lot invested in it personally and so to me working in the industry is just second nature. I think there are very few people in life that get to work a job that they actually want to do. I played a big role in helping Matt with the business side of Failure from its start. I've handled everything from working with international distributors, to ordering shirts, to web updates...you name it. We live about 45 minutes away from System Cycle. They have distributed Failure for going on 5 years now and have been a huge help to Matt. I took a break from working when I had my two sons so I could stay at home with them. Prior to that I had worked as a top sales consultant and trainer for about 6 years for a company as well as some spokesmodel work for Guiness. When it was time to start back to working again Matt & I proposed the idea of me doing sales work for System and they were pumped on the idea. 
I would much rather sell something I am stoked about and something that we have so much invested in already anyway. I am now an independent sales rep for System Cycle and all the brands they carry. All of my shops are based on the west coast. It totally rules being able to work from home on my own schedule and I'm super stoked that I am working in the BMX industry. 
Do you get strange reactions from dealers when they hear a woman's voice on the phone or when they see you show up at their door selling BMX stuff? Tessa: Haha, actually it's been a very positive reaction so far. Everyone has been very receptive to me and sometimes even more so I think because they are talking to a woman. The chance to actually talk BMX with a chick probably doesn't happen for them as often. Most of the people that run shops are men, so I think it's very refreshing for them to hear a woman's voice. I don't think it really matters, but I definitely do not think it hurts.
This is Girls Week on FATBMX. Do you also ride yourself?
Tessa: Unfortunately for me I have a rare bleeding disorder and the i
njuries that would for sure come with riding a bike would be way too risky for me. It would have ruled my life if I could have picked up a bike when I met Matt 12 years ago and rode every day in our backyard. Instead I'm always sitting on the side lines behind a camera usually. I am actually very athletic though and I love sports of all kinds. I mostly love to snowboard, wakeboard and play frisbee golf to mention a few. This fall I did actually get myself a DK Opsis to mess around with some flatland for fun. Don't hold your breath for any video parts from me anytime soon though haha What to you is so attractive about BMX?
Tessa: I feel like I should say something like how I think boys in girl pants are so attractive haha, but how about I give you the real answer. No seriously, It's not really that hard for me to explain. It's actually very simple. I don't think there are very many sports that can say they have progressed as much as
BMX has in the short 12 years I've been around it. It's always changing and always exciting. It's so awesome seeing someone work so hard filming an amazing video part. Or getting chills at a contest watching the guy that finally puts everything together and pulls something for the first time that he has been working so hard on. Then watching all of his competitors come rushing around him in support because they are so stoked for him. Or standing in the crowd at Nora cup and watching Chris Doyle win Dirt Jumper of the Year and seeing the sea of friends around him lifting him up while the entire building is shaking from everyone cheering for him. It really is an honor for me to be a part of it even if it is from a distance. BMX rules. Does living with the Beard make your house a BMX place 24/7?
Tessa: Definitely! When I met Matt 12 years ago at our original house he had trails and ramps. Back in the day we have had dudes ride here like Chris Doyle, Fuzzy Hall, Shaun Butler, Brian Foster, Ruben Alcantara to name a few. I couldn't begin to name everyone that have come to our house to ride. We have
seen so many pros, BMX road trips & magazine photographers at our house. We bought our current house specifically for the yard, so we could build trails and ramps again. Some of the highlights here have been Props Road Fools, Red Bull Backyard Build-off and tons of jams that Matt has put on in our yard. Of course there are always the local regulars that come around too. It's a lot of work keeping the trails & ramps going all of the time. We have put a lot of our own personal money into our yard so that everyone has a place to ride. We have always been really open to anyone coming to ride and the only rule we have is if you ride here you wear a helmet. Sure there 
have been times when I have to run quickly to throw on a robe because I just got out of the shower and some kid is knocking on my door to use the bathroom, but it is so worth it. Most days weather permitting there will be someone riding in our yard. Especially now that Ryder is riding, it's definitely a BMX place 24/7. Pretty much every day he will ask me if he can ride. Seriously...the most rad thing ever. I'm pretty sure he will be schooling Matt before too long. You're not exactly based where the BMX industry is. Does that hinder in any sense or do mobile phones, DHL and computers suck up a lot of the distances and make you feel close regardless?
Tessa: Actually the
re are a lot of well known BMX brands and companies based out of Ohio. Some of the best skate parks such as Chenga, The Flow & Rays are within a few hours drive from here. DK, System Cycle & Greenhouse Distribution are all based out of Ohio. I actually work out of home and I do everything by phone and email anyway. I could do my job from anywhere really, so that rules. I definitely enjoy the chance to meet in person with my shops at System Symposium and Interbike. It would be so awesome if I could stop in the shops from time to time, but for now this works just fine. 
What BMX brands are in your portfolio? Tessa: Only the best of course :) DK, Shadow Conspiracy, Failure, Subrosa, Mankind, Metal, ODI, Props, Kenda, Kool-Stop, Sunringle, KMC, ACS, Tangent and Maxxis
What's one product that you think you'll be able to sell a lot of?
Tessa: That's a hard one to answer because there are so many. But since it's girls week and all, I hope to sell a lot of Nina bars because Nina rules!
Do you run into girl BMX riders a lot?
Tessa: There have been girls at our house riding for sure, but I wouldn't say a lot. It made my day a couple months ago when a wh
ole group of young BMX racer girls came out to our trails. It ruled watching them get through lines that some dudes couldn't get through haha. It was so awesome. What do you have to say to all the BMX Girls out there?
Tessa: It takes a lot of balls and by that I do not mean balls haha to get out on your bike around a bunch of dudes and ride. Ride to have fun and don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't ride just because you are a girl. Just follow these two words from Eddie Roman's classic video....RIDE ON!
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.