We've been making gear for families on the go for 25 years. But somewhere along the way, we realized we hadn't really told you where we go.
That changes now.
Today we're launching "Love What's Local" — a new content series from BANZ® Carewear USA, written by our own COO Shari Murphy. It's part travel guide, part venue review, part real-mom dispatch from the field. And it lives across two new blogs we're building just for it: Go With BANZ (travel and local living) and Game Day with BANZ (sports and stadium and fan life, coming soon).
Meet the Voice Behind the Series
Shari Murphy joined BANZ in 2006 as office manager — back when the brand was sunglasses, hats, and some swimwear. Her oldest was 7 years old. Twenty years later, she's COO, and her youngest is 17. In between: five kids, every product line BANZ® has ever made, and more sunscreen-stained beach bags than she can count.
She didn't grow up in the industry. She grew up in the products. Office manager to marketing manager to business development to product development and operations — she's touched every part of this brand. And her kids have been along for all of it, from the early sunglasses days straight through to the earmuffs, the hats, the app, and everything still to come.
Her youngest — now 17 — still wears the Kids Banz earmuffs she got at age 5. That's not a marketing story. That's just Tuesday.
That's the spirit of this series. Not polished travel influencer content. Real family life, real places, honest recommendations, and the kind of practical protection advice you can actually use.
What "Love What's Local" Is
Every installment is a first-person story from a real place — a venue, a city, an event — with three things woven in every time:
- The experienceWhat it was actually like to be there — no PR version, no sponsored spin.
- The family angleWhat parents need to know before they go. Practical, honest, useful.
- The protection momentThe real scene that made us think about sun or hearing safety — because it always comes up, and it always matters.
We're starting in Kansas City, because this city is having a moment. Our first post covers the opening night of Morton Amphitheater — KC's stunning new 16,000-person outdoor venue — and why a toddler on her dad's shoulders with no ear protection sent Shari home to write.
The Two New Blogs
Travel · Local Living · Venue Reviews
Where you'll find travel content: venue reviews, city guides, concert season survival tips, and local adventure roundups. Think of it as the family travel blog you didn't know you needed — written by someone who has to pack the diaper bag and run the Amazon listing at the same time.
Game Day with BANZ — Coming Soon
Sports · Stadiums · Game Day Guides
Dedicated entirely to stadiums, arenas, and the beautiful chaos of taking kids to live sports. NFL, MLB, NBA, college football, Friday night lights. If there's a crowd and a scoreboard, we'll cover it.
Why We're Doing This
After 25 years, we know that the moments that matter most to BANZ families aren't in a studio or a product photo. They're at the stadium. At the concert. At the beach on a Tuesday. At the air show where nobody told you how loud the jets would be.
We make the gear for those moments. It seemed about time we showed up for them too.
Read the first post →
Follow along @banzcarewear · #LoveWhatsLocal
Shari Murphy is COO of BANZ® Carewear USA, a 25-year-old children's hearing and sun protection brand trusted by 2M+ families across 6 continents. She joined BANZ in 2006 as office manager and has grown with the brand for 20 years across marketing, business development, and operations. She has five children — ages 17 to 27 — all raised in BANZ products. Her youngest still wears the earmuffs she got at age 5.