There has been a lot of discontent and frustration among American youth in the past few years. Having graduated from college in 2010, I can remember the pessimism that existed in the job market my friends and I entered into very vividly. I know people who struggled (or are still struggling) to find a job and even more who are underemployed or took a job they didn't want for the security of a position. The frustration that fueled Occupy Wall Street from the get-go is still felt strongly by many. Especially with the weight of student loans and other debts, many young people are finding it difficult to gain a solid footing. The problems are not new to us and have been vocalized many times over; however, we have yet to see a real conversation on sustaianble and tangible solutions that we can get behind. 

That's why I am so excited about the passion and mission behind #FixYoungAmerica. I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Gerber of the Young Entrepreneurship Council and could not help but be energized by the passion in his voice about this project. The idea is to engage and activate a community of people who are annoyed with the way things are--by empowering youth to respond and claim a better future for themselves. Basically: Frustrated? Do something. Just like the Manifesto promotes--If you don't like something, Change it. 

Fix Young America is a multifaceted solutions-based approach bringing everyone across all sectors to the table: government, academia, the private sector, and everyone in between. From our personal perspective, Holstee has been such a privilege for us as entrepreneurs to connect with other amazing entrepreneurs and we truly believe that promoting entrepreneurship is a surefire way to drive the economy forward. Fix Young America sets to increase the momentum to support opportunities for entrepreneurship and remove the barriers that often dissuade many from making their dreams a reality. Driving the movement is a 10-city bus tour currently in the works, a book of essays from America's most talented voices on youth entrepreneurship on the way, and a massive campaign to spread the word. 

Check out the IndeGoGo campaign for more information and to discover how you can support the project.

Mike and I just spent the last week being inspired by the people, design, and cultural beauty of Stockholm.

We were invited by the organizers of Webbdagarna to present our experiences with Holstee and how our company manifesto became a world recognized call to action for people seeking a more meaningful life.

It was an exciting conference, and we were proud to present to the 900 plus attendes and humbling to hear the great keynote speakers including fellow NY resident Jeff Jarvis. Below is 15 minute presenation at Webbdagarna:

Have you caught us on Pinterest yet? Too fun. Follow our Pins here.

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The Kony 2012 video has sparked a major roundtable conversation here at the Holstee office! Among the staff, there was a wide range of reactions to the film: from inspiration to frustration, anger at Kony to anger with Invisible Children, enthusiastic support to guarded skepticism. As an ethical company with a passion for storytelling, the Kony campaign triggers a lot of big questions about how we as a company communicate our values to the public. The major theme was this - in terms of cause marketing, do ends justify the means? 

If a film has problematic elements or is overly sensational but it gets people talking about otherwise unknown issues – is this a success? If we are ultimately able to mobilize viewers to take action on an issue, how much do our tactics really matter? And if viewers are mobilized, what responsibility do we have in ensuring that this translates into lasting social change for the “beneficiaries”?

Furthermore, do we have to “dumb down” a story in order to reach a large audience? Is there a direct relationship between the simplicity of a story, the deliberate attempts to tug at heartstrings (and purse strings), and the number of youtube views? We know that tropes in mainstream movies and television work because they are instantly recognizable and easy to understand. So should non-profits and social enterprises use these tried and true techniques in their storytelling? Or do we have an obligation to tell the most whole, most true story that upholds individual dignity above all else?

In case you were wondering, the jury is still out on all of these questions…. But we had part one of this very animated conversation this morning and would love to hear feedback from the Holstee family. Please feel free to leave comments below!

Today is moving day for the Holstee team. Our new office hunt has been a success and we are thrilled to announce that we are moving in with the wonderful team at Pencils of Promise, the amazing organization working to bring education to developing countries and empower young people throughout the world. We are so excited to join the workspace of such a passionate and inspirational group of people!

That being said, packing up and moving out is very bittersweet as we will sincerely miss seeing all of our friends at Carrot Creative every day. We cannot extend enough love and appreciation to all of the crazy Carrots who have embraced us into their family and beautiful DUMBO loft. We have had so much fun with this amazing team and it has been such a privilege to work among such inspired creativity and talent. We have been so energized and inspired every single day by simply walking into the office. 

So dear Carrots, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Its not just another day. Its the one day that is given to you today. It is given to you--it is a gift.  Its the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response, is gratefulness.  If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response, to the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day in your life and the very last day--then you will have spent this day very well. 

Think that about sums it up.

I've been running sales the last several months and I'm thrilled to say Holstee is now available in over 30 independent shops from Portland, Oregon to Oslo, Norway :)

After spending most of the summer and early fall planting many seeds, it's all starting to pay off and the road ahead is bright. As we make our way across the US and beyond, I'd love to hear what shops you think Holstee would best fit in. 

Some cities on our radar are: Berkeley, Austin, Chicago, Boulder, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans and Baltimore. But there's plenty more places we'd love to establish a home away from home, so please reach out if you know a good fit for Holstee, regardless of where you live (email below).

I also want to announce that our wholesale page is looking real fresh these days by way of our superman developer team Thomas + Dave. Props to you guys for the painless facelift. 

2011 was a remarkable year for Holstee and my mind runs wild when I think of the possibilities for 2012 as we have one of the most amazingly strong and supportive communities one could ask for. 

Thanks for all the love + encouragement from all our shops, customers, fans, supporters, co-creators and producers. 

Cheers to setting the human soul on fire. 

MIKEY@holstee.com 

 

We are absolutely thrilled to see the the Manifesto (and awesome interview with Fabian on the passion and inspiration behind it) in this month's issue of Inc. Magazine. Check it out! :D

Check out this video of Fabian speaking at Zurich/Creative Mornings (making us all in NYC so proud)! Many thanks to Daniel Frei for sharing it with us and to Tina Roth Eisenberg for the opportunity! 

Now we get to enjoy the Swiss chocolates he brought back! :)

As we kickstart the new year, we are once again thrilled to feature our good friend Bassam Tazari's talent with the written word:

The Holstee online shop is now optimized for your mobile. Just visit the same Holstee site: www.holstee.com from your iPhone, Android, or other Mobile device and view a shop optimized for viewing on the go. This is a new beta feature we are still playing with so let us know what you think!