When Fred Bohm started a side business designing upscale cleaning kits for hunting rifles in Denver, he probably never envisioned it would lead to relocating his family to Sonoita and a major career and lifestyle shift.
In 2015, Fred and his wife Hazel had just bought a house and were expecting their first child. At that time, he was working as a successful specialist in motion design for a Denver ad agency, as well as a photographer for various hunting related activities. And he had his gun cleaning kit venture. When Hazel asked “When do you think you’ll ever see your family?” Fred undertook a major re-evaluation of his lifestyle choices. “Working for someone else is hard,” he told the PRT. “Working for yourself is hard. You have to pick the one you love.”
Having grown up hunting, hiking and fishing with his dad and older brother in New Jersey, Fred realized that he was most interested in preserving legacies—that owning firearms that had belonged to his father and grandfather, and the memories those guns bring forth in him, was important.
He decided to keep his ad agency job, but add “soft goods” to his little business. He would produce hunting related items that were worthy of being passed along to family members.
His mother Kathy agreed to sew fabric prototypes of the soft goods— gun cases, bags, etc., that would ultimately be produced in leather and canvas—and Hazel would help with books.
Marketing was initially through Amazon, and Fred was somewhat surprised to see the business take off quickly. In 2016, when the ad agency insisted he cancel a scheduled photography trip to do graphics for a Super Bowl ad, Fred gave notice and risked going full-time with the little business he named Sage & Braker after his two hunting dogs. (Braker is still with him, now partnered with a young dog called Pistol.)
Everything operated out of the Bohm household, with the small third bedroom becoming office and sewing space and their single car garage converted to warehousing. Things grew, with Sage & Braker producing precision stainless steel and brass cleaning picks—as well as a cleaning spray that contains no harsh chemicals—while continuing with gun cases and carry bags. Fred obtained warehousing and fulfillment space in Denver where shipping of orders occurred. The risk of leaving the ad agency began paying off, and, along with his continued professional photography, the little family was doing well.
Still, he and Hazel wanted a lifestyle more in sync with their values. Online marketing was directed to avid hunters, especially those seeking upland game, guides and shooting enthusiasts. Sales were 99% online with a small percentage through high-end gun stores, so they didn’t need to stay in the Denver area.
“We wanted out of the city and wanted to give our kids the type of experiences I had as a child,” Fred said. That meant a small town, outdoor life and community. The family began a months-long journey across the West looking for their perfect spot. Boise was a contender, but ultimately Sonoita won out.
Fred was aware that the Sonoita area welcomed lots of upland game hunters, especially those seeking the Mearns quail, fitting well with both his business and personal values. He and Hazel began looking at properties in this area. They settled on a local property that even included three mini horses to the delight of children Atlas and Greta.
In May, 2022, the Bohm family became Sonoita residents. The kids quickly joined the local sports scene and enrolled in Elgin school. Fred made trips back and forth to Denver for the business and continued his photography and hunting pursuits.
One year later, wanting both to quit driving back and forth to Denver and to reduce warehousing costs, Fred purchased the building that formerly housed the Vineyard Café and began a full gutting of the property, doing most of the interior work himself. Shortly after, Fred’s mom Kathy moved into the casita at Fred and Hazel’s home where she continues to sew soft goods prototypes.
Now he has office space, as well as room for warehousing and order fulfillment. There is a lounge area where hunters will be free to bring their dogs, sip coffee and tell tall tales. During prime hunting season 20 to 30 guides bring their clients from all over the world to this area. They will all be welcomed at Sage & Braker after a day of hunting.
Although no retail sales will occur from the space, the Sage & Braker line is on display. Those initial cleaning kits have been joined by a full range of products to clean and maintain firearms. An in-store display is made of the back end of an old pickup with products like the Range Bag, which are meant to open wide and be used while in the field, displayed on the open tailgate.
Fred’s marketing is online, much of it via Instagram. Sage & Braker functions on a day-to-day basis without much drain on Fred’s time. He is able to devote a great deal of time to his two children and the lifestyle dream they pursued in coming here.
When asked what’s next, Fred says that incorporating the children into his travel and hunting is already starting. When Sage & Braker needs an employee to handle order fulfillment, that may well become a first job for one of the kids.
The lifestyle dream that led to big risks is paying off and the Bohm family foresees many years in Sonoita.
Visit sageandbraker.com for more information and to view their full line of products.