How powerful is a positive outlook? Ask Bert and John Jacobs, who believe T-shirts are an art form, optimism is a verb, and life is very, very good.
When a record-breaking run of rainy days in New England last spring threatened to wash out the fifth annual Life is good festival on the Boston Common, Bert Jacobs put his mother, Joan, 82, in charge of things. This was, after all, just the kind of issue Mrs. Jacobs had been hired to handle.
“Ma, what are you going to do about this rain?” he asked her. “It’s not gonna rain,” she said.
“You sure? It’s not looking good.”
“Trust me,” she said. “It’s. Not. Gonna. Rain.”
And before the festivities began that day, as if on cue, the clouds parted, and all who attended enjoyed an afternoon of games, music, and fund-raising — without a single drop. Bert and his brother, John Jacobs, were thrilled, but not surprised. After all, as the cofounders of
Life is good
— the wildly successful T-shirt company built on a message of optimism — they were already well-versed in the power of a sunny outlook.
Call it a stroke of genius, good timing, or simply a charming visual concept. But the fact is, 15 years after the company’s inception, Life is good has gone from homespun dream to big business, having recently passed the $100 million mark. From the original flagship store on Newbury Street in Boston to the now 130 dedicated shops and retailers nationwide, the venture is, by all accounts, a roaring success.
Jake, the cartoon hero of the Life is good brand (and the handiwork of John Jacobs), flashes his toothy grin on T-shirts, tire covers, tote bags, and more — all purchased and displayed proudly by moms, athletes, cancer survivors, and movie stars alike. It’s an icon that has successfully staked a claim in the pop culture landscape.
In fact, there seems to be nothing Bert and John can’t do with Life is good — except take credit for its success. While they unquestionably put in the hard work to get the company off the ground, they’re quick to tell you that they were initially clueless about retail, and that they got the most valuable advice from their friends (many of whom went on to work for the company). Bert will concede that theirs is a “nice boot-strapping story for the start of an American business,” but he insists that it doesn’t explain all of their good fortune.
What does? It’s their mission: to spread the power of hope. And not just a glass-half-full philosophy, but a strategy for living.
“Optimism focuses on what’s right with the world, rather than on what’s wrong,” says Bert. “It’s tremendously empowering.” While not an action in and of itself, it invites collaboration and outreach. “It allows you to meet new people, learn new things,” he adds. “It’s the belief in the possibility of something — because then there’s a chance of getting there.”
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