Kitty Hawk Kites is thrilled to welcome John Jacobs, co-founder and Chief Creative Optimist of the Life is Good Company! KHK has partnered with Life is Good for many years to provide quality products, uplifting customer experiences, and a spirit of Optimism to the communities we serve for many years! Jacobs will speak and share stories on how he uses optimism in action to better the world around us.
About John
John is co-founder and Chief Creative Optimist of the $160 million lifestyle brand Life is Good. When he and his brother Bert started the company in 1994, they had $78 in their pockets, lived out of their van, and sold t-shirts on the streets of Boston. Was this their way of avoiding the “real world”? You betcha. Did it turn into something much bigger? Absolutely.
It has been over 29 years since they sold their first t-shirt, but John and Bert champion the same mission: to spread the power of optimism. On their journey, they’ve been inspired by a vibrant community of resilient optimists who identify deeply with the brand and who constantly demonstrate the depth and meaning behind the three simple words “Life is Good.”
While John and Bert believe life is good, they also know life isn’t perfect, which is why Life is Good donates 10% of its annual net profits to the Life is Good Playmaker Project, which helps over 1 million kids overcome the impact of poverty, violence, and illness each year. In making their company a fully integrated for-profit/ non-profit model, the brothers hope to use their business as a vehicle to do good in the world.
Because of his unique perspective that ties rational optimism to business, John has been asked to share his transformative message at a wide range of corporate and thought leadership conferences including Inc 5000, Morgan Stanley, SAP Sapphire, Discover, and more. He and Bert have been featured in Forbes, NPR’s How I Built This, CNNMoney, CNBC’s Business Nation, ABC News’ Nightline, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s Health Magazine, among others.
John Jacobs speaks for Kitty Hawk Kites
John Jacobs (right), pictured with his Brother, Bert. The brothers are the co-founders of Life is Good.
About the talk: Life is Good – the Power of Optimism
In this heartwarming, funny, and refreshingly human keynote, John tells the story of how the $160 million lifestyle brand Life is Good came to be—mistakes, missteps, and all, including an unlikely and humble beginning. John’s story will leave audiences with the tools they need to develop an optimistic mindset that leads to success, along with tips on building a vibrant community and brand that will stand the test of time. Get ready to laugh, and maybe cry (have tissues on standby), but most of all, be ready to uncover a deeper purpose in both business and in life.
Event Details
When: Thursday, May 16th
Where: Jennette’s Pier- Nags Head,NC
Details: Join us for an evening of inspiration with John Jacobs, the co-founder and Chief Creative Optimist of the iconic lifestyle brand, Life is Good! Event is free and open to the public! No registration needed. A free Kitty Hawk Kites Community Mixer, in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary is to proceed the event! Stay for both! Light refreshments provided.
