Here is an excerpt from a recent interview featuring RubberBrands:
We sat down with RubberBrands founder, Joel Morris, to talk about life, business and wristbands. This is what came of our time together...
Q: So where did RubberBrands come from?
RB: Ha! Like everything in life, what you see today is the result of so many different things. So many ups, downs, dead ends and wrong turns. Joy, defeat, victory, collapse, rebirth, learning, getting back up again and again and never giving up.
Going back to the beginning, my life has been quite the journey, and RB [RubberBrands] echoes that plight. I try to live by faith and not necessarily by sight. By faith, we (my wife, myself, and our 2- at the time- sons) left everything behind in Orlando and moved to Savannah. And by faith, I walked away from a long and pretty successful career in insurance. After doing so, I had the idea for stretchable wristbands in the shower (my best thinking place). In high school, as a basketball player, I would wear a plain rubber band on my wrist. It was just something that I, and a lot of other "ballers", did. I would stretch it out, write something on it with a ballpoint pen, and then wear it. I would stretch it out to reveal the hidden message that couldn't be seen when relaxed. Fast forward 15 years and that same concept came back to me. After a year of trying to find the right manufacturer, process, patents, wrong turns, bad partnerships, and mistakes I finally perfected it. At one point, after trying for months to make the process work, I was ready to give up- that day. And that day I miraculously found a way!
Today, we are rolling out our Stretcheez™ wristbands that reveal a hidden message, other unique concepts (coming soon) as well as working with conventional wrist apparel such as soft and hard silicone, cloth wristbands, event wristbands, and various retail concepts.
-
Q: So what's the heart of RB?
RB: It is parallel with our product and life. If you take a silicone band as it is, in its basic form, it is insignificant, plain and without much value. However, when you look at its past and all that it has overcome it begins to shine, and it begins to look valuable, strong and determined. Taking that history, when we use it for a purpose greater than itself and pour in creativity, hard work, and passion then all of a sudden it is a priceless creation poured into a new mold and used to tell a much grander story.
That's it! That's us! Left on our own we are insignificant, but when we choose to overcome our past, look ahead and put on the identity of purpose beyond ourselves we become priceless.
We are not the next UnderArmour. We are not in pursuit of the rich and famous. We are for the underdog, the overcomers, the fighters, the forgotten and overlooked. We are for the lost and the beat-down who refuse to quit, who with shaking legs stand back up one. more. time.
Our mission is to give a voice to the voiceless and to reach the true warriors in the shadows, to give identity in the pursuit of a purpose beyond themselves and their reach. For in striving towards that "unattainable" purpose, they will break free from the chains that enslave and hold them back.
-
Q: Wow! That's powerful. So is it just for individuals?
RB: No. We LOVE working with organizations and companies that are doing cool things in the community, world and marketplace. Its exciting for us to be a small extension in what they are doing. We've done everything from 300 wristbands for a motivational speaker, to 20,000 cloth wristbands for an event company, to over a million for a school fundraising organization. We have our own design team as well and love putting unique concepts together that tells their story. Its always neat seeing the finished product, something tangible that you can hold that tells of a greater purpose.
-
Q: To wrap it up, what are your takeaways in looking at both RubberBrands and life?
RB: If I had to list them out, it would be:
- Understand where you came from (your past) but don't stay there. Move forward.
- Set ridiculous goals and believe you will reach them. Falling short of climbing Everest is far greater than accomplishing climbing a dirt pile.
- Before you even begin, look at what holds you back, including beliefs and thoughts, and leave it behind. You can't climb holding onto baggage.
-When you fall (and you will-repeatedly), do not stay down long. Get up, brush yourself off, give yourself grace, and try again. And again.
-Enjoy the process. Overcoming hardship, defeat, loss and challenges makes us stronger and molds us into who we are made to be.
-Finally, humility is the greatest gift of all. Carry it with you to the tops of your mountains.
