Where There Is No Struggle, There Is No Strength

Shirt, photos by Mallory Fraughton 

This is the final shirt in our 7 week employee campaign. Meet Jasmine, our 19 year old employee who has been with us for about 2 years. This fall she starts college and will be the first in her family to do so. She's a woman of few words, but the ones she says really count. Thanks for helping her pay her way through college.

"I've been through financial issues, loss of a parent, physically and emotionally beaten and bruised.Strength doesn't just come to you. You have to work hard even when you feel like giving up."

When there is no struggle, there is no strength.

You can purchase Jasmines shirt, along with our other employee designed shirts here.

Be You, Bravely

photos by- Mallory Fraughton, Design by- Yellow Bungalow Shop

I couldn't be more excited about this weeks shirt, representing our student Itzel. A portion of proceeds from each shirt will help pay for her college. Itzel has been working for us for almost two years, and will be playing soccer at a community college this semester. She chose this quote that represents her life, and here's what she has to say:

(purchase her shirt here)

I used to be afraid to express my true self. 

I felt that I had to be what society wanted to see, but by showing my true self I learned that my uniqueness is admired by many. 

I do my own thing, have my own style, etc. I used to think that I had to be focused on the new styles and such. I thought I had to copy the magazines, celebrities, etc. in order to fit in. 

I prefer to stand out than fit in because that's what we were all born to do in the first place. 

I follow my own path. 

We all have to be confident in being different and not worry about what others think of us. 

I'm and 18 year old and will start my first semester of college this fall. I've faced many struggles in the past that have taught me to be prepared for anything. 

My brother's accident helped me realize that it's okay to be different (because of all the scars and imperfections left on his body). He gets stares and such, but he still lives his life as a normal teen.

Be You Bravely.

Let God Be The Pilot

We have been so excited to introduce you to the students behind your Threads. Their stories are real, vulnerable, and inspiring. They are committed to breaking the cycle that most inner city youth get caught in. This week, we are introducing you to Deon. Deon has overcome  a lot. Your purchase of his shirt this week will help him continue to pay his way through college.

Life hits us all hard at one point in our lives, but it's up to us to overcome that.  I've been knocked down several of times but I'm counting my blessings to the man up stairs.  I tend to get through that.  Like they say, "you have to go through it, to get to it".  I wouldn't be the man I am with stressing because it made the the person I am today and if I can over power that there's not anything that can get in my way.  Being brought up in a rough environment without both of my parents is hard.  One thing that kept me going is "letting God be the pilot and I be the passenger".  I'm proud to be able to carry a high school diploma, still be able to attend college, and play college football.  God is good, I couldn't ask for a better Father.

To support Deon, check out his shirt here

Have No Fear, Let Your Light Shine

Shirt design- Jenna Kutcher, Photos- Mallory Fraughton 

We're so excited to launch this weeks shirt of the week.

I'm even more excited to introduce to you to our sweet employee Gabby. I have known Gabby now for about 3 years, and I have seen her confidence just soar. I'm so proud of everything she is accomplishing, and grateful that she's a part of our team. Your purchase of her shirt this week will help send her to college this fall. Meet Gabby!

My name is Gabby. I just graduated high school and will start college in the fall. I am a first generation college student. I have been learning to have no fear to be who I am.  Each one of us is unique because of the person we are.  We can't let anything scare us from being ourselves.  Be who you want to be. I'm trying to let the world see the awesome, unique person that I am.  Be confident about who you are.  Don't let the fear of people criticizing you keep you from accomplishing amazing things.  Don't let anything or anyone stop you from being yourself.  I always let the fear of people criticizing me keep me from doing things, but not any more.  It is important need to be unique.  There is nothing wrong with being yourself.

Have no fear, let your light shine.

Portion of this shirt sale will go to Gabby's scholarship fund.

Purchase here

Never, Never, Never Give Up.

Today!!!

Today we launch our 7 week t-shirt campaign that represents our student employees.

We will be launching one shirt a week, based off of a theme that the students have chosen for their lives. Their quotes are phrases that represent things they've been through, and we're excited to share with you a little bit more about the people behind the products you buy. 

Along with your purchase, not only do you provide jobs for these kids, but a portion of proceeds from each shirt sale will go towards their scholarship as well. Share with your friends, be a part of something big, and wear change.

Today, meet Francisca.

My name is Fransisca, and I am a 19 year old Arizona State University student. I am in ROTC and plan on going to law school after graduation. I am the oldest of three girls and all I want to do is provide the best example to my younger sisters and be a great role model to them. I'm the first in my family to go to college, and I want to make my family proud. I'm a person who makes mistakes just like everyone else, but I've learned from them and keep moving forward. We all have challenges in life, but no matter what happens it's important to adjust to everything and keep pushing through. There will always be people who support you, and people who want to see you fall. Make the supporters proud, and to the others, prove them wrong. I always intend to give my all to everything. Though some things have seemed  impossible for me to complete or get done, over time I have realized that everything is possible. I just had to learn that no matter how tough it gets, or how hard life may seem, not to give up. If I ever fall, all I have to do is get back up and try it all over again, but I won't give up. Be strong. Never, never, never give up.

Purchase my shirt here

Fransisca has worked for The Shine Project for  a year and a half, and has been a shine scholarship recipient two years in a row. 

Photos by Mallory Fraughton, Artwork by Jenna Leigh

$7,500

Every year I stress out about fundraising... 

And every year the fundraisers turn out to be even better than the last.

Our Second Annual Shine Beauty Bar Event was this past Saturday at Saskia Salon, and sponsored by the amazing Kiki La Rue. (All of the outfits the bloggers above are wearing are from Kiki La Rue... check it out... you will be forever hooked...)

Here's my thing: People always ask how they can make a difference, but really its just doing the things you normally do, and making it so it gives back. Women paid to come get their hair, nails, make up and brows done... things that they would normally pay for, however, this time it actually benefited someone else. All of the proceeds go to scholarships. We will give away 5 scholarships with this money to college students who work for us. We had some of them speak during the event, and it always reminds me why I put myself through all the stress of planning these every year. 

I love events like this because it allows people to see the good side of humanity. So many volunteers gave their time after working all day... Saskia Salon did not charge us to host this, our DJ volunteered, The Melting Pot and Roosevelts Cupcakes donated, and we had the most amazing raffle prizes coming out of our ears because of how generous businesses were. Kiki La Rue sponsored the event so even more money could be given... and..

Our grand total for the night was $7,500.

Hope you're ready to party with us through out the year because WE LOVE RAISING MONEY FOR OUR YOUTH! Shine on, you party animals.

Behind the Scenes: 7 Tips on Selling Your Product at Shows.

About 6 months after we launched Threads by The Shine Project, I knew I needed to meet our fans face to face. I wanted to interact with them, spread our brand, and carry the Shine Project into areas we hadn't physically reached yet. There was only one idea that I had on how to do this, and that was to set up booths at events. I soon found this crazy world of trade shows, street fairs, holiday markets... and had NO idea what to expect.

I go out of town a lot. Most of the time, it's because I am selling product at various vendor shows across the country. I've learned a lot, and still have a lot to learn... but unless you do it often it's hard to know what actually goes into being a vendor.

Here are my 7 tips for first time vendors:

photos and video by Tell The Birds

1. Make sure the event you are applying for makes sense for YOUR brand. There are thousands of events around the country, but not all of them will have the target demographic that you want to reach. If you're brand new, start doing shows close to home to save time and money. Find out how long the shows have been around, what the attendance is like, and how many returning vendors there are. If there's not a lot of returning vendors, run run run away! This means the show is the pits and nobody wants to do it again. 

2. Calculate your costs, and see if it's worth it. My general rule of thumb is that I wont do a show unless I feel like we can make triple what we spend to be there. Booth fees will range from free to thousands of dollars. Just because something is more expensive does NOT mean that it will be a better show. Besides your booth fee you will have to take into consideration hotel, gas/flight, paying someone else to be there with you, meals, etc. Last year we had an amazing show on Huntington Beach and we got to work on the beach for 3 days, it was a dream. I could have gotten us a hotel right across the street, but I found one for a quarter of the price a little farther away. Yes, it was a little ghetto...okay, it was pretty ghetto... but in the beginning do you want to focus on making money or staying in glam hotels? You're working, not on vacation, be smart with how you spend your money or your adventure wont last too long.

3. Download square. The days of cash only are over. Register on square.com so that you can take credit cards. It is so, so easy.

4. Be prepared to be exhausted. The first time I worked a vendor show, I could NOT believe how tired I was. I thought I was being a baby until I took a few employees to their first shows and they could NOT believe how tiring it was. There's something about being up and trying to sell your product for hours and hours at a time that is just SO draining! But if it's worth it to you, then it won't matter. Just don't expect it to be easy.

5. Tell your story. Before every event I make a goal that even if they don't purchase anything, every person to walk by my booth will know what The Shine Project is. You're there to tell your story. Figure out how to tell it in 20 seconds or less, and TALK to the people you see. Pull them in, get their attention, focus on what they need and want. You can't be shy, you have a story to tell.

6. Make a sales goal. If you have no goal going into it, you will be all over the place. Create a sales goal based off of attendees, demographic, and the cost of the show. Break your overall goal down into what you need to sell every hour in order to hit it. Keep track, and make it happen.

7. Network with other vendors. One of my favorite things is meeting the other vendors! I've met sooo many interesting people at vendor shows I feel like a movie could be made about it. Find out what shows they do that are successful, create relationships, reach out to people who you could potentially partner with, promote each other... Business happens by creating relationships, and fellow vendors can be your golden ticket to great info and friendships.

ps: come visit us this weekend at The Queen Bee Market in Oceanside, CA if you are close!

Proof That Miracles Happen.

I heard a quote last week that said, "Miracles happen one prayer at a time."

This is the result of many, many, many prayers and little miracles happening. I remember working out of our TINY condo, recently married and graduated from college, 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix, dropping off supplies to the employees houses and picking them up every week.I remember hoping and praying the first week we even launched that at least my mom would purchase a bracelet. I remember a stranger running up to me in public for the first time, telling me how much they love The Shine Project and showing me their wrist full of bracelets. I remember crunching numbers with my accountant at the end of last year, trying to make this possible, and screaming with excitement when I realized that it was not only possible, but time for this growth. 

Let me introduce you to Shine Headquarters in Phoenix, AZ.

Proof that miracles happen:

Almost two years after launching Threads by The Shine Project, we opening our first Shine Headquarters in Phoenix. I can't tell you how long I've dreamed of this. Our office is 2,000 sqft and consists of: my office, Brooke's office, a photography room, intern room, conference room, shipping room, an area where our employees make the bracelets, and our showroom. Our space is an old house that has been converted for commercial use, and our landlords really put a lot of work into it! You can visit our show room Thursdays and Fridays from 10-5 at 1137 W. Mcdowell Road in Phoenix.

I don't know many people who will stand by their spouse during the biggest roller coaster ever, and I am SO lucky that Mike not only cheers me on, but helps as much as he can. Love you babe.

Working with my sister, Brooke, has literally been a dream come true. I couldn't believe it all night that we were celebrating the grand opening of OUR business. Bringing her on full time is, to date, the best business decision I have ever made and I couldn't feel more grateful to her dedication to making The Shine Project grow. 

Waffle Crush was there for food... um... I'm drooling for one right now.

Here are some of our employees that your purchased help. They were all there helping run the show, and many of them have been with us from the very beginning. They were all excited to show off all the work and progress we've made! 

I knew we needed something extra shiney for the main wall, and it took me a while to find the perfect fit for it. Junk Yard Gypsyz  created us the perfect custom piece, and it made it onto the wall just hours before the grand opening. It was meant to be ;)

This is half of our photoroom... and we took polaroids of everyone who came that night to add to our picture wall. When you come shop our showroom your picture will be added to our wall too!

 Over 200 people came to our grand opening, and we're still trying to get our office back in order from how crazy it was! THANK YOU for flooding us with your support. I can't thank you enough.

When I look back over these past couple of years, I am so overwhelmed with gratitude of how far we have come. I often think about how far we still have left to go, how many more people we still have to help... but when I think of how far we've come I am so full of hope and excitement and gratitude, and I can't wait for what the future holds. I know who holds the future, and He has poured out so many miracles into this project that it is undeniable who really runs this operation.