In 1989, Bert and John Jacobs designed
their first tee shirt. They knew nothing about the business. For five years,
the brothers hawked tee shirts in the streets of Boston and traveled the
East Coast, selling door-to-door in college dormitories. They collected
some good stories, but were not very prosperous. They lived on peanut butter
and jelly, slept in their van, and showered when they could. Chicks were
not impressed. By the Fall of 1994, heading home from a long, less-than-fruitful
roadtrip, Bert and John were desperately searching for answers to keep
the dream alive. Little did they know, the only answer they needed was
back in Boston, hanging up on their apartment wall. Jake's contagious grin,
simple as it was, seemed to express everything the Jacobs brothers believed
in. First day ever selling Life is good, Cambridge Street Fair, September
1994. 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, the New England based brand stays close
to its roots, with an emphasis on humor and humility. Through Life is good
Festivals, positive products, and a steady dose of ping pong, Jake's crew
does its best to keep the good vibes flowing. |
