For the Influencers: Trends, Creativy...Contagious.

"The tipping point is the biography of an idea, and the idea is very simple. Ideas, and products, and messages, and behaviors spread just like viruses do...."

- Malcolm Gladwell

In this melting pot of a world we dwell, trends and creativity are influenced by an assortment of ideas and cultures.  From fashion, to films, to music & art.  Influences are shaped and molded throughout history and most certainly play a major part in all that we do.  This video, appropriately named Influencers, lays down a short yet beautifully effective look into the minds of some of America's foremost trend and style connoisseurs. Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, Influencers really strikes a cord with the LifE KiT family. As with any budding brand we truly believe in what we do.  A select few are among us. They are the movers and the shakers of the conventional. These individuals are not different for the sake of being different, because honestly they can’t help it. Their voices are the authority of cool and their movements are mimicked by the masses. Some refer to them as prophets of social trends or as visionaries of the next big thing. Plenty of others contribute their unconventional wisdom to the creativity, enlightenment, and Boxless thinking that moves us all forward.  All true of course…let’s just call them “The Influencers.” -LK

Pee and Grow

An interesting concept to say the least, a small village in China had a bright idea that instead of flushing their community's “waste” in to the sea, they would reuse it to fertilize plants.  By setting up a system to capture sterile urine they are able to minimize 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that could be emitted into the atmosphere by the use of artificial fertilizers.

Often the solution is closer than we think.  -LK

Haitian Cholera Outbreak

Still suffering from the devastating earthquake that hit one year ago, the Haitian community is now suffering from a potential Cholera outbreak.  Cholera, an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae, breeds in contaminated drinking water and food supplies. With more than a hundred confirmed dead and thousands more affected, relief agencies are scrambling to ensure that this outbreak does not become a national pandemic.  Forgotten about in the minds of most since the cameras have disappeared, the Haitian community is indeed in need of additional support and assistance, more specifically access to clean drinking water.  Aid workers are working feverishly to install water purification systems across the country in order to combat this outbreak. 


(Seen here is a video from Operation Blessing as they install a water purification system.)

Jay-Z: Decoded

Jay-Z gives a short blurb on his latest project, Decoded.

Tube it or Lose it.

Fluid Sculpture from Charlie Bucket on Vimeo.


Not a lot to this other than some very creative work.  Watch. -LK

Much More Amazing

Lately we must admit we’ve had many of our LifE KiT Loyalist in a bit of a tizzy.   Our most sincere apologies and a thousand pardons are certainly in order.   Now a days, our behind the scenes efforts seem to take most of our Energy and Time.  But as for now……we’re definitely back to the basics.  With a new home on the horizon it’s hard to tell where your favorite lifestyle brand will end up. 

One thing is for certain……things are about to get much More Amazing. -LK

Imagine that

Reality is fake and Dreams are real.  Everything that is was birthed from a dream of someone who challenged the conventional and took a risk on What IF.....They allowed their imagination to take control of their destiny and they never turned back.

Your imagination is your most prized asset that no one can ever deprive you of. You can be locked in a cell or stranded on an island, but your imagination can still run wild. By all means let it dream, let it hope, let it pray. -LK

Uncommonly Common

Definitely a  lengthily and intriguing piece, WATCH, LISTEN, and LEARN as the “Oracle of Omaha” and the “God of Hip Hop” sit and discuss their path to success and the art of giving.





Jay-Z And Warren Buffett On Success And Giving Back from StapleNews on Vimeo.

“The first rule is don't lose, and the second rule is never forget the first rule. It isn't so much having a lot of brilliant decisions; it's just not having some terrible ones.” – Warren Buffett

“One of the biggest things in business is to open yourself up for change. We don't have to change who we are, we have to change the way we go about it.” –Jay- Z

“There's a whole bunch of things I don't know a thing about. I just stay away from those. I stay within what I call my circle of competence. Tom Watson [IBM founder] said it best. He said, "I'm no genius, but I'm smart in spots, and I stay around those spots." – Warren Buffett 

You never forget those true things that you stick to, your basic things that make you successful...and for me, its that truth, finding the truth of the moment, of where I am at the time, not trying to cater to a certain demographic or being something I'm not, not driving the truck over a 10,000 lb. bridge. -Jay-z

Everything you earn is cumulative.  That doesn't mean that industries stay good forever, or businesses stay good forever, but in learning to think about business models...But if you've got the principles, if you know what makes a good business, if you know what makes a good manager, if you know what makes a good product, and you learn that in one business, there is some transference to other businesses...Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to focus on. -Warren Buffett


Finding the common in the uncommon. -LK

Sunday on a Saturday/Domestic vs. Abroad. [Double Entendre]

I always find it amazing how the paper system works and how the Sunday paper from another state could be delivered on a Saturday evening (we purchased this piece of press @ approx. 8:48p)...Secondly, the title in itself was very interesting as this is one of the things we find ourselves in the board room arguing about consistently, whether or not to take our production efforts overseas or keep them domestic..we pride ourselves on being an American brand from top to bottom and would certainly like to think that we will some day very soon provide jobs for more americans..of course this argument has two sides..domestic production comes with considerably higher costs than does overseas, but in the end we hope that our supporters will value a brand that not only gives back but also creates fruitful opportunities as well. -LK

Help Wanted!

What better day for us to get philosophical on you then on a Sun...not really our lane but every now & again we like to spread a little something different for you to ponder on..Enjoy. -LK

Wanted, a woman who does not fear ridicule and humiliation. Wanted, a man who clutches his aim with an iron like grip, who never flinches from unexpected difficulties, who calmly, patiently, and courageously grapples with his fate; who dies, if need be, at his post. Wanted, a woman who overfills her place, who is larger than her calling; who sees self-development, education, and diligence as pillars of success. Wanted, a man who mixes common sense with intellectual theories; who prefers substance to style, who does not allow his sheepish skin to spoil his common touch.

Wanted, a woman who is well balanced; who is upright and uplifting, who is firm but fair. Wanted, a man who will not lose his individuality in a crowd, a man who has courage of his convictions, who is not affraid to say yes, though all the world says no. Wanted, a woman who is loved and who loves; who walks through life under an umbrella of faith. Wanted, a man who is his brother’s keeper. Wanted a man who is guided and will be humbled enough to follow when necessary. Wanted, a woman who will compel others to sit up and take notice, who knows how to say “I can.” Wanted, a man who will live up to his God-given potential. The world waits for such an individual. If you can fill the order, please step forward. “

Excerpt from “What makes the great GREAT,” BY Dennis P Kimbro, Ph.D.

Mr.West is in the Building!!

Please take heed to the wise words of Brother West. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. -LK

Marc Ecko Interview

 

Successful entrepreneur Marc Ecko sits down with Jeff Staple to discuss the industry, tough times, and his humble beginnings.  

Film School customs & Buttons..

We actually managed to slide in a few hours of much needed work this weekend as well..with a good bredren of ours heading off to film school we were called upon to supply some very important 'going away' presents & this included a set of our yet to be released "Summer Shades" lanyard as well as the 'Smores' bracelet.. not to overdue ourselves we also decided it would be a good idea to retire a couple of old faithful buttons we currently have in circulation in various places throughout the country...but not to worry as you can see in the background we have the next batch coming your way shortly...June 1st..Start something NEW. -LK

(The "Summer Shades" lanyard will be available to M/F)

World Market Memorial Tour..(cont.)

Aside from some minimal road tripping the weekend gave us an opportunity to venture out into some new places with the trusty Rebel XTi in tow and what we came up with was a short lesson on attention grabbing....good packaging is a must, anything that can ultimately set yourself away from similar products is always a win & wine bottles seem to do a very good job at this, I've seen many a design that required a 'double-look' & even a purchase strictly based off a catchy package design...and of course 'Responsible Usage is Encouraged'..-LK

      

Aside from the eye pleasing wine bottles....Jack Daniel's pecans?

 

Paintings of far away lands always seem to ring a certain tone..they require an even deeper gaze as you think about what it must be like to walk amongst the locals.....

..& for the finale..Licorice Gum? I'm not aware of a single soul who has even the slightest interest in any licorice product, who or what would want to chew it?

 

Another Day another eatery.

There are an enormous amount of food blogs on the web suggesting the best dishes for you to dive into so we'll leave that to them but nonetheless our memorial weekend pretty much began here & we managed to get some pretty decent views, if you're ever in the "Hill" dip in...

The classicness* of the Coke brand can never be mistaken, even its vintage products...

Writing the Future

As Nike continues to put together 3 minute Classics, we must give credit where credit is due. Watching this commercial gave me the chills, and I didn’t even like soccer.

Beginning to see how Sports seems to parallel life.

One moment can change your life forever. -LK

Pursuing Perfection

As we Move Forward we consistently Pursue Perfection. With Love, Energy, Knowledge, and Time ALWAYS in mind; constant self-evaluation and improvement is a day-to-day process. When frustrations and setbacks arise they are quickly extinguished by our promised DREAMS fruition. We can only stay positive through Trusting our Struggle and remaining steadfast towards our destination.

As we dare to do the IMPOSSIBLE, we only hope to inspire you to do the same. -LK

NeverComplacent

During a modest Midflight Happy Hour indulgence I got the opportunity to catch up with an old college chum. Not seeing him in over a year we talked about our recent life advancements and laughed over a few Remember when we use to’s. Always an interesting dialog with this guy, it’s apparent he will be an early bloomer of actualizing his own potential. Not sure if it’s an original quote, but I will give him credit for this new entry into the lengthening scroll of LK Proverbs…. “Success is NOT a Comfortable Place.” A person who will be successful thinks differently from a person who will never be successful. Real success is not something that can be given; it can only be earned through sickening hard work. Similar to a bulimic super model, a successful person is never complacent with their presumed success. Shouts out to the Lifer Edmund Lewis for inspiring this moment of enlightenment. KEEP MOVING FORWARD -LK

Are you Rising Down??

Can't say we've actually heard much of this album but the album title & art is certainly something that grabbed our attention..Rising Down..we just love those double meaning concepts. Define this one for yourself. -LK

Squad Up..Carefully: Law 2

Birds of a feather tend to flock together, but we know you know that. Focusing on building a Squad (team) is a key step in improving yourself and an overall investment in your success. Surround yourself with people who are smarter and even more talented than you, this is only going to make you better. It’s a misconception that the path to success requires you to step on or over the weak. Real success is achieved by an individual who can work with others to achieve a common goal. Likewise, progress is determined by your willingness to collaborate rather than your ability to sit back and dictate. Ultimately you will be defined by the people around you. -LK