Cousins and Sullivan met in the early 1990s, hawking nordic wares on the retail floor of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's Skinny Skis. Over alternately caffeinated (at work) and beery (after work) brainstorming sessions, they dreamed up "a new brand with an authentic mountain-town image geared to the backcountry athlete," says Cousins, 34. Three years later, in 1997, the two borrowed from family and friends to launch Cloudveil—named after a peak in the Tetons. BIG MOMENT: Choosing breathable, weather-resistant—and underutilized—Schoeller fabrics to produce the Serendipity, the industry's first soft-shell jacket. The piece led them to $1 million in sales by 2000. ROLE PLAY: "Steve's foot is fully on the gas, while I have the steering wheel and the brake," says Cousins. "When he speaks, it's walk softly, carry a big stick," says Sullivan. "I just swing the stick." GETTING TWISTED: "Most of the samples from our first spring line got sucked away in the tornado that hit the 1999 Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City," says Sullivan. "That was a real bonding moment." UP NEXT: Last year, they sold the company to Sport Brands International. Still running the show, the pair plan to open Cloudveil's first store next year.