December | Week 4

It's officially here, y'all! The day some of us wait for all year long - Christmas Day. Spending the day with loved ones, giving gifts from the heart, and not missing out on any cookies. This week's playlist brings together Christmas classics we've all grown up listening to, sung by even bigger classics. Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como and more delight our ears this weekend for the big day. Sit back, snuggle up in that slightly tacky throw your aunt knitted those many years ago, and enjoy our December Week 4 playlist. Don't forget to follow us on Spotify to catch up on our previous December playlists, and be sure to tweet us to let us know which one is your favorite. From our family to yours, we wish you a very, Merry Christmas. 

1. Winter Wonderland - Ella Fitzgerald
2. A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
3. Silver Bells - Perry Como
4. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra
6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
7. Snow - Rosemary Clooney
8. A Marshmallow World - Dean Martin
9. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
10. Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano
11. Sleigh Ride - Mel Tormé
12. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
13. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Own Less, Do More: An Interview with Zack Helminiak of Nomadix

We spoke with Nomadix Co-Founder Zack Helminiak to discuss products that blend well with a functional lifestyle, being active, and how one eco-friendly towel can do it all.

How did you get started creating?

Zack: In the winter of 2008-2009 we were all working for Vail Resorts in the Rocky Mountains. Chace was a snowboard instructor, Hunter was on-mountain guest services, and I worked in a rental shop. We had many adventures that year, including a springtime trip to Canyonlands in Utah. That first night was sat around a campfire overlooking the Canyon, sipping cheap brandy (Hunter’s camping M.O.), and hatched the idea for a company that makes eco-friendly, multi-purpose travel products. Shortly after landing in California, we began designing a towel that fit the California lifestyle of weekend camping, weekday surfing and yoga, and really anything you can throw at it.

Who taught you to start your own brand, or were you self-taught?

Z: For the most part I would describe us as self-taught, although I wouldn't want to take away from anyone that has given us advice along the way. We’ve received advice from family, friends, and other business owners in Southern California that was definitely formative. Small businesses also lean on each other to promote, throw events, and give advice, and we have benefitted from that community. But if you look at the day-to-day of running a business; we wanted to build a brand that is a voice for environmentalism, and in that we are carving our own path, not taking shortcuts, and much of that is self-taught.

Did you know you would start your own brand, if not what spurred it?

Z: All of us have had a creative, entrepreneurial spirit, since we were young. I don't want to say that I knew the future, but none of us took much convincing once the idea for Nomadix formed.

How do you get new ideas for products and photo shoots?

Z: Ideas for our products, both in function and design, come from travel. Our products are designed to perform in every activity you encounter, they have travel inspired prints, and we test them thoroughly on the road. Our photos are typically not from a photo shoot. They are almost always documented photos of our travels, and we always bring a towel.

That goes for customer submissions as well. Our customers, whom we love, have sent in photos of themselves with a Nomadix towel on all seven continents. Even our best photos are much more candid than they might appear.

What are you inspired by?

Z: We are inspired by adventure travel and environmental activism. Companies like Patagonia, leaders like Doug Tompkins and Elon Musk, the photography of Chris Burkard, our friends at Changing Tides Foundation, and the folks that run Fashion Revolution. There are a lot of voices, large and small, that speak up for the environment and respect the outdoors. We believe that the most important players in combating climate change are consumers, and you see a similar mentality in the campaigns run by some of our role models.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

Z: Our hobbies are very directly responsible for the creation of Nomadix. We are all very active, whether it’s surfing, yoga, traveling, camping, or rock climbing. We also spend a good deal of time traveling internationally, and are very passionate about the environment.

A few years ago there was a specific towel for yoga, a different towel for camping, and another towel for the beach and surfing. It seemed both expensive and wasteful to buy three/four towels when one would do, so we created a towel that performed in every activity. We decided to make it 100% recycled according to Global Recycle Standard to keep plastic out of the ocean, and the Nomadix towel was born.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Z: Our biggest challenge is that we want to make a big impact, but as a small business you have to start slow. But starting slow is also our strength. We have built the business in a very “grassroots” way, starting with crowd funding, then going door to door at yoga studios and surf shops in Southern California. It was a slow process, but it makes all the difference to meet your customers face to face. If we started with a bigger advantage (money, connections, etc.), we might not know our customers, and our business, as well as we do.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

Z: The best advice I’ve been given was on a 10-day camping trip when I was a kid. Our camp counselor told us the number one rule is “leave no trace.” This is something that we struggle with today. Consumers rarely think of the product life cycle when they buy a product. Where does the packaging go, how long will I use it, can it be recycled?

We believe that every product should have a carefully thought out plan for the end of product life, which is why our towels are 100% recycled and recyclable. Our next phase of the company will be to create a recycling system so people can turn their towels back in when they are done with them. Our towels are durable and we’ve only been around for two years, so this situation has not come up yet.

What's your favorite thing about sharing your art with others?

Z: The best thing about sharing our art with others is the photos we get from travelers. We’ve gotten photos from every continent now, including Antarctica, so there are tons of customer stories.

One that stands out in my mind; A recent customer, Lexi, did a 14-day bike packing trip in Tanzania with The Foundation for Tomorrow, from Mt Kilimanjaro to the coast. The organization does amazing work in education, and they usually bring a few students on the trip. The Tanzanian student that joined them on the bike trip had never seen the ocean before, so it's was very inspirational. During the trip, Lexi thought to snap a photo of her Nomadix towel and send it to us. It’s so special to be included in moments like that.

For more on the Nomadix brand, visit www.nomadix.co

Lanona

We recently spoke with the man behind Lanona, Ben Ransom, about seeking inspiration, personal hobbies, and how wanting one pair of custom shoes turned into the creation of many shoes for his very own company.

How was Lanona founded?

Ben: Our brand first started when I went on a search for a custom pair of shoes. I found a shoemaker in the US that had been hand-stitching shoes for over 30 years and recently setup a small operation out of his garage. Through the process of working with him, adjusting designs and observing what a quality shoemaking process looked like, it sparked my interested to start a footwear brand.  I continued to work with this shoemaker for over two years before our brand was launched. In addition to product development, I’ve been lucky to partner with @ocupop for our brand identity and overall design, they’ve been instrumental in telling our story and connecting the dots with where we want to go as a brand.

Were you always interested in starting your own business?

B: I was. I studied Entrepreneurship in college and have family members that ran their own businesses. After school, I focused a lot on experience and sought out diverse opportunities to build a broad range of skills like - marketing and sales for a manufacturing company, field work - installing towers for wind energy farms, and selling vintage gadgets to name a few.

How did you learn the trade of boot making?

B: I don’t personally construct each boot from start to finish and don’t want to take away from the talented craftsmen and women we work with on a daily basis. But all of my knowledge within the industry has been self-taught. I can attribute most of where I’m at now to -  getting out there, not being afraid to ask questions, being humble, and building a network of people you can trust and rely on.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

B: I enjoy sailing, we have a sailboat on Lake Superior. The Spaulding boat shoe is a direct inspiration from being on the water. It’s definitely my go-to shoe while sailing. Our Harrier outsole is super lightweight and gives surprisingly excellent grip on the boat and dock.

How do you get ideas for new products and photo shoots?

B: A lot of ideas come from vintage footwear. Gokey was a footwear manufacturer based in Minnesota that offered a wide variety of styles and I’m always scanning eBay and other sources for interesting designs they had. As for ideas that are finally produced, we try to envision the customer and how each style will be used on a daily basis. With that in mind, we work towards structuring a photo that would resonate with that vision. Additionally. we’ve been lucky to partner with some really great brand ambassadors who naturally work well with our existing styles and we give them freedom to be creative with our products in the field.

What's been your biggest challenge?

B: Our biggest challenge has been getting our brand in front of people. Lanona is a true bootstrapped operation and we don’t have investors or a trust fund to dip into to put towards a sizable marketing and advertisement budget. We have to rely on word of mouth, and let our products speak for themselves. This is a slow growth approach, but we believe that operating lean now, will pay off down the road.

What are your inspirations?

B: A big part of my inspiration for Lanona is weather related. Having a home base in Minnesota, the elements can get pretty harsh, especially in the winter. Our products need to accommodate for that fluctuation in temperatures and weather conditions. Another inspiration is the focus on sourcing and producing all of our products in the US. Working closely with everyone involved with our production of our brand is inspirational and motivation to continue to grow our business and be competitive within a global market.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

B: As we continue to grow as a brand, I like to keep this saying in mind, which was given to me from @leatherworksmn - “little pigs get bigger, big pigs get slaughtered”

What has been your biggest lesson?

B: Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Focus on what products or services resonate best with your company and build off of that. Don’t compromise quality to accommodate growth.

What's your favorite thing about sharing Lanona with others?

B: The favorite thing is seeing our product out on the streets. It’s great to see what was originally a concept/design/sample, turn into a boot that someone wears around town.

For more on Ben and the story of Lanona, visit www.lanona.co

December | Week 3

Today marks the day for Week 3 of our December Playlist series, and this week it’s a bubblegum pop Christmas! We’ve covered country and indie/rock so far, and now it’s time for a new genre of cheer to make it’s way through. Featuring the ultra sweet sounds of holiday pop favorites, such as *NSYNC, Ariana Grande, Wham! and more, this playlist is sure to get you in that extra festive spirit! It’s a blast in a red and green colored martini glass for cryin’ out loud! Make sure you’re not behind, only nine more days until days until Christmas and seven until our Week 4 Playlist comes to town! Be sure to follow us on Spotify, and tweet us your favorite Christmas pop anthems this season!

1. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jackson 5
2. Man With The Bag - Jessie J
3. White Christmas - Michael Bublé and Shania Twain
4. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - *NSYNC
5. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Kylie Minogue
6. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
7. Underneath the Tree - Kelly Clarkson
8. Last Christmas - Wham!
9. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
10. That's Christmas to Me - Pentatonix
11. Oh Holy Night - Christina Aguilera
12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Sam Smith
13. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

December | Week 2

It's Week 2 of our December Playlist series today and we hope you're just as excited as we are! This week's playlist is curated to fit the likes for all of you hipsters out there with impressive enough beards even you might get mistaken for Santa Claus. So let that moody, natural lighting in, take a VSCO filtered Instagram photo of your trendy yet minimal Christmas decor, and listen to the sweet sounds of Paul McCartney, The Lumineers, She & Him and many more. Don't lose track, only seventeen days until Christmas, and eight until our December Week 3 Playlist! Make sure to follow us on Spotify so you don't miss a beat (literally), and tweet us your favorite holiday jingle suggestions!

1. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town - Bruce Springsteen
2. Santa Stole My Lady - Fitz and The Tantrums
3. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
4. You're Just Like Christmas - The Crookes
5. The Man with the Bag - She & Him
6. Thank God It's Christmas - Queen
7. A Great Big Sled - The Killers + Toni Halliday
8. Lonely This Christmas - Lucky Soul
9. Tracks In The Snow - The Civil Wars
10. Christmas Lights - Coldplay
11. Blue Christmas - The Lumineers
12. Happy Xmas ( War Is Over) - John Lennon
13. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

December | Week 1

Happy December, y'all! Today is an extra festive day not only because this is our first ever playlist, but because we're launching the first of four holiday playlists for this month! Four weeks until Christmas means a new playlist each week. Every playlist is separated by genre, and what better way to kick things off than with a two-steppin', nothing but twang, country Christmas! Featuring twelve holiday classics sung by country artists both new and old, along with a Christmas hit to really get you in the extra festive spirit, give this playlist a listen while sitting by the fire, in the kitchen whippin' up some family recipe sweets, or even in a rocker on the porch. Be sure to follow us on Spotify, and let us know which Christmas songs you enjoy on Twitter! Now y'all come on back next week for an all new playlist, ya hear?

1. Country Christmas - Loretta Lynn
2. Christmas Cookies - George Strait
3. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Kelsea Ballerini
5. Let It Be Christmas - Alan Jackson
6. Tennessee Christmas - Amy Grant
7. Christmas Makes Me Cry - Kacey Musgraves
8. Silent Night - Johnny Cash
9. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton
10. Celebrate Me Home - LeAnn Rimes
11. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Faith Hill
12. Winter Wonderland - Brett Eldredge
13. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Our Favorite Brooklyn Instagrams

As we prepare for American Field - Brooklyn to take place this weekend, we wanted to share with y'all just some of our favorite Brooklyn Instagrams! Which Brooklyn Instagrams are you following that you think we should be following as well? Let us know! Can't wait to see you at American Field this weekend!

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@brightbazaar

Will Taylor is the creator of the colourfully popular blog Bright.Bazaar and author of two successful interior design books, photographing his vivid journeys one photo at a time.

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@ryanfitzgibbon

Ryan Fitzgibbon is the founder of a bi-annually published magazine, beautifully curated to explore the stories of men who date men, better known as Hello Mr. And he also happens to take wonderful photos as well.

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@JustinLiv

New York City lifestyle blogger of Scout Sixteen, Justin Livingston writes about fashion, home, and travel to inspire and seek new discoveries for others.

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@SweetPaulMagazine

Drawing inspiration from his Norwegian aunts and grandmother, Sweet Paul is an adorable and cuddly lifestyle. With modern and elevated Scandinavian design in mind he creates a colorful world of crafts, food, and lifestyle content.

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@tuckerstanton

He's not just another freckle-faced kid, Tucker Stanton Howe is a king of casual luxury, travel, and style. A Texas born New Yorker with an eye for design, the elegant masculine form, and his pup, Theodore.

American Field - Nashville

This past weekend we had the pleasure of being at American Field's first pop-up market in Nashville, Tennessee. Taking place at Track One, just outside from downtown, an eclectic and creative group of American made makers opened up shop to the people of Music City. We wanted to feature a few of our favorite brands in attendance who we feel should be your favorites too. Check 'em out! Photos by Zack Peterson

Be sure to come to the next American Field market happening in Brooklyn, NY on December 3rd and 4th! For more details, click here and don't forget to follow American Field on social media (Instagram, Twitter)!

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B u l l

a n d

B u c k

Boston, MA

Ball and Buck; a brand designed around one mans vision to create the best American made clothing. Created for the man that believes in quality, integrity, tradition, the wildness, and the excellence that only American can produce.

For more on Ball and Buck, visit ballandbuck.com or follow on Instagram, @ballandbuck

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R A N G E R

S T I T C H

Nashville, TN

Nashville local Matt Davidson is the master behind the machine of Ranger Stitch. Creating beautiful custom Chain stitched art in the bed of his Ford Ranger, this one of a kind look is a forever classic.

For more on Ranger Stitch, visit rangerstitch.com or follow on Instagram, @rangerstitch

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T H R O N E

W A T C H E S

Brooklyn, NY

Starting out by giving vintage watch faces new life by re-strapping them with a  new, top quality leather band, Throne Watches has seen much success since launching. Now having made three original lines (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) as well as various leather goods, the guys at Throne are eager to see what time will tell for them.

For more on Throne Watches, visit thronewatches.com or follow on Instagram, @thronewatches

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L I L Y A N 

J A M E S

Nashville, TN

With a handbag collection made from equestrian leatherwork, Lilyan James' philosophy behind each and every piece is to cater to the everyday woman; creating lifelong bags that are each individualistic in their own way. Whether you're on your way to a meeting, wandering around the city at night, or rushing out the door for brunch, each shape of every accessory is crafted to help you live your best life.

For more on Lilyan James, visit lilyanjames.com or follow on Instagram, @lilyanjames

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W H E A T

& CO.

Nashville, TN

Dan Rouse of Wheat & Co. offers a top notch selection of quality made apparel and lifestyle goods right here in Nashville. Partnering with local barbershop Scouts, the two believe that quality wins all for a purposeful life. 

For more on Wheat & Co, visit wheatandco.com or follow on Instagram, @wheatandco

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M O R T O N

&

M A B E L

Nashville, TN

The best in children's clothing is here, and it's brought to you by Mortan & Mabel. Started on the idea that clothing for growing kids should be simple and timeless, while being made with the finest of fabrics to be passed on for many years. Made in the U.S.A. and working with Soles4Souls, there's no other way to dress the next generation.

 

For more on Morton & Mabel, visit mortonandmabel.com or follow on Instagram, @mortanandmabel

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