Back again with another installment of everyone's favorite blog article "Have You Heard Of!" (*crowd cheers and claps* yeeaaaaahh woooooooo!!) Today we have an interview with Jersey native Jason Rivera, founder of Live Life Every Day. This brand's mission goes beyond selling tees. Jason wants to inspire the world with his positive messages. He is starting by making tees and caps, then using every resource he can to spread the word. I talked with him over the weekend about his message, music and those pesky rumors about his Jersey Shore auditions. Enjoy the interview....
Introduce yourself and tell me little bit about your experience in the 8th grade….
My name's Jason Rivera and 8th grade, well that was a fun time. It's always nice when you have absolutely no responsibility. I think all I cared about was playing basketball and watching it on TV. I think you can make an argument that not much has changed, except of course, now my brand takes up most of my train of thought..
Now tell me a little bit about your brand…
Now tell me a little bit about your brand…
Live Life Every Day is an inspirational and eco-friendly brand. Our mission is to inspire the world to never take life for granted and to take advantage of each and every opportunity that life throws at you. We are no longer going to let people live unhappy lives. Life's too short to waste any of it and we want to make sure everyone realizes that. Our motto is, "Do what you gotta do. Live Life Every Day."
We provide inspiration through our t-shirts, hats and blog on our website. Each Live Life Every Day t-shirt features an original inspirational message. Not only are we dedicated to helping our fellow man, but we are also dedicated to helping our environment. Each Live Life Every Day t-shirt is made of 100% Organic Ring-Spun Cotton, making them eco-friendly AND extremely comfortable. Our hang-tags, letters and promotional materials are all made of 100% Recycled Paper.
Is this an idea you always had or was there an event or situation that made you decide to launch these shirts?
It's funny, I get asked that question a lot. Everyone always wants to know how it started and what kind of life changing event inspired me to want to "Live Life Every Day." I think people are always surprised when I tell them that there was no specific life changing event that sparked the idea. I've always been an extremely positive and fun person. Since college I knew I wanted to start my own business, it was just a matter of figuring out what it would be. I graduated from Lehigh University (sorry, had to get my shout out in!) in May of 2009, right in the heart of that great recession we're still recovering from. Even if I knew what I wanted to do, there weren't very many jobs out there. So after almost a year of looking for a career and simultaneously brain-storming business ideas, I literally just came up with "Live Life Every Day." It just made sense because the brand is really based off of who I am as a person.
Since it's so hard for people to believe that there was no life changing event that started this, I think it's become an added goal to let people know that you don't have to go through life changing events in order to be a positive and overall happy person. I mean, if you really think about it, it's crazy that the minute we hear of someone who's so positive, our immediate reaction is, "well how did you almost die?" or, "you must have had a really hard life." We all can be happy and that's definitely a major point we're trying to prove.
What has been the most challenging part of creating/selling tee shirts?
Without a doubt it's been getting our name out there. Live Life Every Day has been very well received by any one who knows about it, but that's the biggest challenge, getting people to know about us. But hey, that comes with the territory because it's one of the biggest things any start-up business faces. You could have the next best thing, but if no one knows about you, it doesn't mean anything.
Describe your perfect day…
Oh man, since it's the PERFECT day, I'll get crazy with it. I'd wake up on a tropical beach somewhere, go play basketball, drive with all the windows down and music blasting, stop at an amusement park to ride some roller coasters, eat a bunch of tacos and steak, and maybe end it all watching Bad Boys II on a huge screen TV with a massive surround sound system. Yeah, that sounds perfect...
What advice would you give someone who wants to start a tee line?
Do it. If you're even considering it, go for it. Why not? I could sit here and try and think of all the things I've learned that could help someone, but you know what, if you don't have the courage to actually start, it doesn't matter. So the best advice I could give is to just do it. Oh man, was that a shout out to Nike...
Is it true you made it to the last cut for the Jersey Shore casting call?
I knew that was coming. I am very proud to say, NO. I am also very proud to say that I've never watched an episode of the Jersey Shore and I really have no plans too. I'd like to point out that only 1 or 2 of them are even from Jersey!
What song has the most plays on your ipod?
"Good Life" by Kanye West (not surprising I know) but "All the Above" by Maino is slowly creeping it's way up there.
What is your ultimate goal for your brand?
World domination! But no, seriously, I am very ambitious and I literally want to inspire the world. When I started Live Life Every Day, I didn't start it with the intention of remaining only a t-shirt brand. The goal is to expand to other types of clothing, products, and even events, all under the brand name. I truly feel there is so much potential and it's all on me to turn that dream into a reality. I've always wanted to do something that has meaning and can actually change the world. Live Life Every Day is my chance to do that. I know it's cliche, but hey, it's the truth.
Where is the best place to eat in Piscataway, NJ?
There's so many options! Not really. I think I'll have to go with good ol' T.G.I. Friday's. You really can't go wrong there. Makes you wanna go to Piscataway right now, doesn't it?
What are some of your favorite indie brands out right now?
I'll be honest, I'm new to the t-shirt game so I'm still learning about everyone who's out there, but I think I'll go with a fellow Jersey brand, Sincere Legends. I really liked one of their tees they came out with after the Mavs won the NBA Finals.
IF you could buy any one thing under $2,000 right now what would it be? (you can’t say more products for your line!)
If it can't be business related then I'll have to go with a vacation to an all-inclusive resort on any Caribbean island. I love the beach and I love traveling.
Time for “This or That” you ready?
Bring it!
Movies or books?
Movies. I LOVE watching movies.
Coffee or energy drinks?
Energy drinks. I don't drink coffee.
Jay-z or Kanye?
Oh man, now this is a tough one. I've always been a really big fan of both of them. I know this may cause a little controversy and I can't believe I'm gonna say it, but I think I'd have to go with Kanye, simply because "Graduation" is my all-time favorite album. But man, it's close.
Crew neck or Tank top?
Tank top, gotta show off the guns...
Pancakes or Waffles?
Waffles. Is it just me or do you always get excited for pancakes and then you're over them after a couple of bites?
Steak or Sushi?
Steak. Red meat, baby.
Early bird or Night owl?
Night owl. I'll sleep when I die.
New or Vintage?
Another hard one! It depends on the category, but I guess I'll go with vintage because I think there's a lot we can learn from the great ones of the past. Sorry, didn't mean to get deep...
Biggie or Pac?
Man, I didn't think it would be this hard! I'll go with Pac because a lot of his lyrics really meant something. Not saying Biggie didn't have any, but you know what I mean.
Blondes or Brunettes?
Brunettes. But I show love to everyone!
Any shout outs?
Definitely. First off, shout out to Bobby and Word of Mouth for taking the time to interview me and to help get Live Life Every Day some more exposure. Thank you very much. Also, shout out to my parents, sister, 8 year-old niece, girlfriend and pretty much all of my family. Everyone has been so supportive and I really can't thank them enough. Lastly, shout out to all our fans so far and to anyone who has taken the time out to come up to me at shows and tell me they're truly inspired. It really means so much to know that we're accomplishing exactly what we set out to do.
Thanks again and remember: Do what you gotta do. Live Life Every Day!
Website: http://www.LiveLifeEveryDay.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LiveLifeEvryDay
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