Andrew Harbott, one of our designers from the Mental Health Foundation 2008 collection (the Normal is Over-rated horse/unicorn design), has made it into the ranks of NZ's top tee designer!!

Andrew will have his winning design created into a t-shirt, which will be sold throughout Hallensteins stores nationwide. His t-shirt will be part of an impressive collection of designs by some of New Zealand’s leading graphic designers and artists, such as Otis Frizzell, Stephen Richardson, Shine, Inhouse, Federation and the Bro’ Town illustrators who have collaborated with Scribe.

In-store and online from mid-November, $10 from every t-shirt sold will be donated to Make-A-Wish NZ, with each dollar going directly towards making wishes come true for children with life threatening illnesses.

Awesome work Andrew!! : )

Reading KR Connect: Change the World? Why Not gave me an encouraging oomph. I could especially relate to this part:

If you want to know what the road looks like, here's an idea. In trying to pursue your dreams, you will fail. A lot. And it will hurt. A lot. But you will get back up. And that will feel good.

To say you will have the boundaries of what is courageous for you pushed will be an understatement. Sometimes you won't find the courage, and that too, will hurt. Sometimes, a lot.

But with each challenge, you will grow stronger. And you will learn, as I am learning, that the reward of living life in a world where everything remains forever possible is a reward far greater than any material prize could ever be.

So now I must live up to the seed I have sown, and the very idea of trying to do that terrifies me. The 99 percent is already telling me I'll fail and stuff it all up. However, in reality, that just means I have another opportunity to prove those voices wrong.

So, my question to you is this;

Are you ready to Change the World?

Because you are only one choice away.

On the more cynical side, even with all the positive speak, one blogger put it well: "your actions will speak louder."

A lot of the times, it feels like thehinitiative (or I!) haven't made a bittiest difference to anyone anywhere. There are so many other clothing labels & businesses doing more, faring better, going farther - it's so easy to compare! So, it's when I get feedback like below, that really helps keep thehinitiative & I going. It's feedback from a long time ago but something to be held on to : )

Thanks so much for the t-shirts-they are so cool!! We love them. I am a teacher and my students have been asking about them-so we have had a great discussion about the reasons for movember, mental health and children in crisis.
As a result my students have brought in money amounting to $40 which we are going to spend on the oxfam website buying gifts that keep on giving.
Just wanted to let you know what differences wearing the very cooly designed tshirts-has made!!

- from a teacher of 12-13 year olds in South Auckland, December 2008.

Something I've recently come across:

Addressing students at the University of South Carolina, Chief Judge Alexander M. Saunders said, "As responsibility is passed to your hands it will not do...to assume that someone else will bear the major burdens, that someone else will demonstrate the key convictions, that someone else will run for office, take care of the poor, visit the sick, protect civil rights, enforce the law, transmit value, maintain civilisation and defend freedom...What you do not value will not be valued, what you do not remember will not be remembered, what you do not change will not be changed, what you do not do will not be done. You can, if you will, craft a society whose leaders...are less obsessed with the need for money. It's not a question of what to do, but simply the will to do it."

Sometimes we don't take responsibility because we believe others are more qualified. No, those who make a difference in life don't do so because they're the best qualified, but simply because they decided to try.

Something encouraging and motivating for everyone else to read and also for me personally, especially when one is a (reluctant) "qualified accountant" on paper, and not a fashion or design or even a business guru! Have to keep trying & trying!

Ok ok, I admit it - we sent them to him : )

The first time I was in contact with Kevin Roberts was way back in January 2002, when I'd just completed a Bachelor's in Information Systems, Commericial Law, and my favourite (yeah right!) Accounting and was looking at my career options: Advertising, Investment Banking, or working in the FMCG industry (in marketing or something). Yes, I know, all pretty UNrelated to my degree (is it obvious I was trying to avoid accounting like the plague?) but areas that really caught my interest as they were all go-go-go, exciting, interesting and challenging.

I discovered and was encouraged into the idea of informational interviewing after reading A Foot in the Door - it got me keen in cold-calling people in the different areas about the careers, etc. Kevin was on my list of interviewees about the Advertising industry.

One Lovemarks book/three finance jobs/a new business/6 years later and I thought I'd touch base with him about what I'm doing with thehinitiative. Might as well spread the word : )

We have to admit: Bono and U2 has/is/will always be an inspiration for thehinitiative. Both the person, band and the music. And the things that Bono is involved in, we aspire to. Just as one example:

(RED) : "(RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT)RED branded products. A percentage of each (PRODUCT)RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa."

(RED) has got huge brands on board, like GAP, American Express, Converse, iPod, Dell, Hallmark, Motorola, and Emporio Armani!

Anyway, after having the unforgettable opportunity to watch them live on 24 November '06 (and only 1.5m away from the stage), we sent them a letter along with a few of our "I heart NZ" tees and some good old Wellington chocolate (Whittakers to be exact).

We received this thank you email back from Celia Coffey at U2 headquarters:

From: cecilia coffey [mailto:cecilia@numb.ie]
Sent: 2 May 2007 2:20 a.m.
Subject: Thank you

Dear Li Ling,

Sorry for the delay in replying. Just to say thank you for your letter and to let you know that your t-shirts and chocolate have been passed on to the band.

Best wishes,
CC

Ok, so it was late (a May reply to a December parcel send off). And it's (really) short & sweet. But at least they acknowledged it and we know they got them in the end! Plus, it's our first (and so far, only) "degree of separation" communication from U2 : )

We know this is a pretty random piece of information but thought we'd share it as it was exciting & encouraging at that point in time!