Life is Good continues Optimism and Heart in the Wake of Boston Bombing Tragedy

Bert and John Jacobs believe life to good. So that is exactly what they named their now thriving company, but it was not always that way. In 1989, the brothers began selling t-shirts door to door and on the streets. As they tell it on their website, the early years were something less than profitable. They lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and as two single guys at the time, they say “chicks were not impressed.”

Searching for an answer, but ever optimistic, they found it in the form of a drawing on their apartment wall that served as a kind of early brand and logo called “Jake.”

Bert and John recall;

“Jake's contagious grin, simple as it was, seemed to express everything the Jacobs brothers believed in.

  

One fateful September day, they printed up 48 Jake shirts for a local street fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They laid the shirts out on their rickety card table. By noontime, all 48 of those tees were gone. A star was born.

Soon Jake was introduced to local retailers, and his simple message of optimism was embraced like nothing the brothers had ever seen. As demand for product soared, Jake's team grew, and the Little Brand That Could began to spread across America.”

Today, Life is Good has 260 employees and continues its emphasis on simplicity, humor and humility.

The more you learn about this company, you will find, they have a whole lot of heart and an abundance of love.

Life is Good is based in Boston and during the Boston Marathon, the company had several employees in the crowd promoting the company’s brand. One was seriously injured.

In a story for Inc. Magazine Chief Optimist Bert Jacobs says, their employee was badly burned, but grateful he survived and knew that others were much worse off. (Sounds like a perfect employee for Life is Good to me.)

Bert continues; “The day after the attacks, our employees started asking whether we could do something to raise money for the victims and their families. I said no. I felt like we had to get our own house in order, to feel like it was OK to get back to work, before helping somebody else. But we're a brand about the power of optimism. We should be leaders of the spirit when bad things happen. So by Sunday, I changed my position and said we should make a T-shirt.”

Make a T-shirt they did.  Bert tells Inc., “We looked at what was already out there. A lot of "Be Strong" and "Boston Strong," that tough Irish mentality. I don't knock that. But it's almost like they're suppressing emotion: We're so strong, let's just move on. Life Is Good focuses on what's right in the world.

No matter how you slice it, this was a hate crime. But instantly afterward, all these people--the first responders and the people who helped people on the street and opened up their homes and ran to the hospitals to give blood--performed acts of love. So we created a shirt that says "Boston" on the front and "There is nothing stronger than love" on the back.”

The company’s sales plummeted after the attacks, and Jacobs says the T-shirts helped to head the company and sales bounced back because of the t-shirt. “We have 260 employees, and there is not a single person who did not touch that shirt. From start to finish, we got it out there in just under 30 hours. We're not built to turn something around that fast, but our people figured it out. They worked day and night. We're proud of their hustle,” said Jacobs.

In fact, according to Jacobs, the T-Shirt may be their fastest selling product ever with over 70,000 units sold in the first week. Life is Good had a goal of raising $50,000 to $100,000 and now it looks like they could hit a half a million. All proceeds are going to One Fund Boston.

Life is Good’s good works are not limited to the tragedy in Boston. Fox News reports, has raised over 9 million for kids in need.

Without a doubt, Bert and John Jacobs and the entire Life is Good team emulates the Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi model. They focus on core principles like Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude, Passion, Purpose and Imagination. What they call optimism. They believe that by focusing on and staying true to their core values, that success will find them and it has in a big way.

Life if very good for Life is Good.

Click here to learn more about the Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi model.

Be Great!

MB

Share Some Enthusiasm in Honor of Fathers Day

In “Don't Seek Success – Be Happi” I define “Enthusiasm, the second core principle in the book, as “The cheerful giving of one’s time, attention and energy to particular activities, causes, goals, or persons.”

For Fathers Day yesterday, Marlo Thomas recalls a story about her legendary father, entertainer, Danny Thomas. In a touching video, she recounts how her dad was always on the road while she was growing up. At 12 years old in the 4^th grade, Marlo wrote an essay that basically said she wished her father was home more, not tomorrow, but today. She entitled it “Viva Today.” When her father called from the road, she read him the essay and it changed Danny Thomas and his families life forever. Thomas called his agent and told him to get him off the road. He returned to Beverly Hills and his family and became a television star with his long running comedy series, “Make Room for Daddy” which aired for more than a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. Watch MarloThomas tell the story on the video here. She recounts an interesting story of how the show got its name.

Marlo missed her father. She was wishing he would cheerfully give her his time, attention and energy on a regular basis and he simply could not do that on the road. Mr. Thomas got the message and found a way to share his enthusiasm with his family by returning home and staring in his own television series. Danny Thomas also found time to share his passion and enthusiasm for helping children with cancer by founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 1962, passing that passion and enthusiasm on to his daughter who has championed the cause since the death of Danny Thomas.

My Father, Charles “Chuck” Brooks is also an excellent example of sharing enthusiasm. Whether it was coaching my little league team, spearheading a community fund raising drive and ballot initiative to build a new community swimming pool in his home town, Chuck was always cheerfully giving of his time, attention and energy. He also had an incredible gift for making everybody he came in contact with feel special and worthwhile.

I tell the story in Don't Seek Success – Be Happi about how it did not matter whether it was a waitress at a restaurant or a blackjack dealer at a South Lake Tahoe casino; by the time his visit was over he had made a new friend out of a complete stranger and knew their entire life story. He would listen and learn about their aspirations, challenges, joys and sorrows.

Years ago, I accompanied my father to his favorite Tahoe casino. As we were walking through the casino floor on our way to have dinner, I was amazed at the warm greeting he received by what seemed like every blackjack dealer working that night. My father was not a high roller or an especially big tipper by any stretch of the imagination, yet the dealers who were not busy wanted him to stop and talk. They all had a story they wanted to share. He listened, asked questions and encouraged them.

You could see, from their expressions and demeanor that they enjoyed him and appreciated his interest. He was sharing his enthusiasm with them by cheer-fully giving them his time, attention and energy and they loved him for it. Over an hour later we finally arrived at the restaurant where he immediately struck up a conversation with the young hostess.

My Father passed away several years ago, but his enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. Today, Charles “Chuck” Brooks has a park and swimming pool named for him in our home town of Woodland, California.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad. I miss you.

In honor of Fathers Day, why not share your enthusiasm with family, friends, and total strangers. It will make their day and yours too.

For more on the principle of “Enthusiasm,” see Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.”

Be Great!

MB

6 Year Old Dylan Siegel Knows How to Be Happi

Dylan Siegel has discovered what “Be Happi”is all about. He embodies each of the core principles of “Be Happi,” belief, enthusiasm, heart, attitude, passion, purpose, and Imagination and Dylan is only 6 years old!

The first grader wrote a book entitled “Chocolate Bar” to raise money for his best buddy, Jonah Pournazarian who suffers from a rare disease called glycogen storage disease type 1B.

In an article entitled “Boy, 6, Writes 'Chocolate Bar' Book To Raise $30,000 For Friend With Rare Liver Disease” Ron Decker of the Huffington Post reports that sales from the book and chocolate bars donated by Whole Foods have topped $30,000.

When Dylan approached his parents with the idea, they suggested a more traditional method of fund-raising like a bake sale or lemonade stand. Dylan quickly rejected those ideas and had the first pages of “Chocolate Bar” to his parents in less than an hour. Chocolate Bar is the term used by Dylan to mean Awesome.

Here is how Dylan is living the “Be Happi” model;

Dylan has belief. He believes his friends disease can be cured and his friend, Jonah will someday be able to live a normal life so buttressed by the success of “Chocolate Bar,” Dylan has a goal of raising one million dollars for research to find a cure.

Dylan has Enthusiasm. He is giving his time and energies to helping his friend.

Dylan has Heart. He has a Moral Heart by doing the right thing in helping to find a cure to help Jonah and others with this rare disease. Dylan shows a Mental Heart by having the discipline to stick with the project and produce the first pages of his book in less than an hour. And of course, Dyan is showing his Emotional Heart in his concern and love for his friend.

Dylan has a positive Attitude. He knew what he wanted to do and did not let anybody steer him in another direction.

Dylan has Passion and Purpose. Dylan is passionate about helping his friend, Jonah become healthy. This has led Dylan to his purpose of helping to find a cure for Jonah and others with the disease by raising money for research.

Finally, Dylan has Imagination. He envisioned writing a book called “Chocolate Bar” which was different and unique. He did not want to do something that had been done before.

Dylan Siegel is living the Be Happi model at 6 years old.

For more on the Be Happi model, see Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi.

Be Great!

MB

Heart, Attitude and a Big Splash of Enthusiasm is Alive and Well in Indy.

Heart, Attitude and Enthusiasm are alive and well in Indiana at least with Indianapolis residents Art Bouvier and Jhaqueil Reagan. In a story by Melissa Knowles titled, Stranger’s Generosity Changes Teen’s Life and Employment Status for the Yahoo News Blog “Trending Now,” 18 year old Jhaqueil was walking to a job interview when he encountered Art Bouvier spreading rock salt outside of his restaurant after an ice storm and asked how far it was to 10th and Sherman. Bouvier told him it was at least 6 or 7 miles and recommended Reagan take a bus due to the distance and severe weather. Reagan thanked him and continued on his way.

Later while driving to get coffee with his wife, Bouvier encounters Reagan again, still walking. Bouvier pulled over to offer him a ride. In the car, Reagan explained he was on his way to an interview at a thrift store and had no money for bus fare. He told Bouvier and his wife that his mother passed away a couple of years ago and he was taking care of his two younger siblings. Reagan dropped out of high school, but was able to get his GED, he explained to the Bouviers.

Bouvier was so impressed, that he told Reagan he would offer him a job at double the salary even if the young man was offered the thrift store job. Jhaqueil Reagan accepted and recently started his new job at Papa Roux, the restaurant Bouvier owns.

In Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi, I break down the principle of Heart into three parts; the Moral Heart is defined has having the courage to do the right thing regardless of the risk of opposition, disapproval of others, social embarrassment, or exclusion. The Mental Heart is having the courage to engage in something with passion, determination, discipline, and stamina. The Emotional Heart is having the courage to love without which we cannot be kind, true, forgiving, generous, and emphatic.

Art Bouvier shows us what it means to have a Moral and Emotional Heart. He picked Jhaqueil up, gave him a ride and then after hearing his story, offered the young man a job because it was the right thing to do. Bouvier’s Emotional Heart kicked in with kindness, generosity and empathy.

How many would have taken the time to pick a strange boy up and offer him a ride? Let alone give him a job on the spot at double whatever the other establishment was going to pay?

There was another reason Bouvier offered the young man the job. He loved Jhaqueil Reagan’s Mental Heart! Without question, young Jhaqueil Reagan shows all of us a thing or two about a Mental Heart.

The Mental Heart is defined by passion, determination, discipline and stamina, and Reagan has all of those traits in spades. He loved his siblings and was passionate about taking care of them. He was determined to find a job to support the family, perhaps trying to keep them out of Foster Care. He showed incredible determination and stamina in trying to walk over 7 miles to take an interview for a job. Bouvier was impressed to say the least.

In addition to his amazing Mental Heart, Jhaqueil has an awesome Attitude, the fourth core principle in the Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi Model.

Given his circumstances, Jhaqueil could have easily fallen into anger and bitterness. Instead, he chose to act positively regardless of the horrible situation he was dealt at such a young age.

Let also not forget, Jhaqueil Reagan’s Enthusiasm. He says, “My heart’s just racing right now. I’m just too excited, just excited to start.”

Jhaqueil Reagan will no doubt be very successful in life. Perhaps someday he will even buy Art Bouvier’s restaurant. One thing is certain, add a little belief, passion, purpose and imagination to Jhaqueil’s heart, attitude, and enthusiasm and the sky is the limit.

As for Art Bouvier, he used his Heart to make a very good choice in the hiring of Jhaqueil Reagan.

Be Great!

MB

Don't Seek Success - Be Happi Releases!

Don't Seek Success - Be Happi To Let Success and Happiness Find You! has been released! The 170 page book is available both in print and digitally exclusively on Amazon's Kindle. Don't Seek Success - Be Happi can be ordered here. The book is also available on Amazon at this link. The Kindle Edition can be ordered here. If you are a member of Kindle Prime, you can borrow Don't Seek Success - Be Happi for free. Simply log into your Kindle Prime account and instantly download the book. 

What's the book about?

Don’tSeek Success – Be Happi is the one book the self-improvement industry doesn’t want you to read and perhaps the most honest self-improvement book to be released to date. While self-improvement experts from around the globe preach success and financial well-being as the end game to happiness, Brooks argues that when we focus on success and material wealth, believing that is the key to happiness, we more often than not, wind up disillusioned and disenchanted with our lives. Something is missing, but we can’t quite put our finger on where to find that elusive missing link to happiness.

If the ticket to happiness is not money, status, and power, what is?

It is quite simply to “Be Happi!”

By practicing and focusing on the seven core principles of Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude, Passion, Purpose, and Imagination in the “Be Happi” model, success and happiness magically finds us!

At just over 168 pages, in Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi, Brooks has written a self-improvement book for the average person, staying away from complex theory and filled with practical tips, common-sense advice, personal anecdotes and thought provoking examples to illuminate his points.

Some of what you will learn in Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi;

• How to believe in yourself and replace negativitis with positivitis.
• What enthusiasm really is and how to infuse it into your life.
• How to find what you were really born to do in this world.
• The real definition of success.
• Two dirty little secrets the self-improvement industry does not want you to know.
• How to regain your child-like imagination.

Written in a friendly, fun and engaging style, Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi is sure to motivate, energize, challenge, inspire and pump you up creating a world of possibility and potential.

Order Don't Seek Success - Be Happi today!

Kindle Edition.