I've been running sales the last several months and I'm thrilled to say Holstee is now available in over 30 independent shops from Portland, Oregon to Oslo, Norway :)

After spending most of the summer and early fall planting many seeds, it's all starting to pay off and the road ahead is bright. As we make our way across the US and beyond, I'd love to hear what shops you think Holstee would best fit in. 

Some cities on our radar are: Berkeley, Austin, Chicago, Boulder, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans and Baltimore. But there's plenty more places we'd love to establish a home away from home, so please reach out if you know a good fit for Holstee, regardless of where you live (email below).

I also want to announce that our wholesale page is looking real fresh these days by way of our superman developer team Thomas + Dave. Props to you guys for the painless facelift. 

2011 was a remarkable year for Holstee and my mind runs wild when I think of the possibilities for 2012 as we have one of the most amazingly strong and supportive communities one could ask for. 

Thanks for all the love + encouragement from all our shops, customers, fans, supporters, co-creators and producers. 

Cheers to setting the human soul on fire. 

MIKEY@holstee.com 

One of the greatest things about my job at Holstee is being able to read the notes from people whose lives have been impacted by the Manifesto. It is a true privilege to hear the stories of how a line from the Manifesto sparked a realization or a change in someone's life. It never gets old to read how it perked up someone's day or made someone take the time to write down things they were thankful for. There are stories of how it inspired someone to realize their dream of starting their own company or pick up a camera and film a documentary of a trip around Europe. The Manifesto has thus become a completely humbling and amazing opportunity that we could never have imagined--allowing us to have these incredible conversations about life, inspiration, and dreams. 

Recently I got an e-mail from a girl who was asking for advice. She wanted to know: What if you don't know what you are passionate about? What if you are confused and searching? What if you want to do something you love but aren't sure what that is yet? 

I bring it up here because I think that these questions are important ones that all of us have asked at one point or another, and perhaps we are still asking these questions, or will ask them again in the future. It reminded me of a favorite quote of mine that I have come back to again and again:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

I love this quote because it is so central to the conversation we are want to have. Recognizing these questions and restlessness is in our lives is the start. We don't claim to have all of the answers ourselves and are seeking to learn and grow every day. We believe that life is a journey and the most important thing is to embark on it with open eyes and mindful steps.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu is quoted, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Don't let not knowing the answers hold you back. You don't need to have it all figured out. The reality of the journey is that it is generally not as clear-cut or easily laid out as we would often like it to be. However, we are all on it together and need encouragement and inspiration from the community around us. That is what we want the Manifesto to be: a spark to a conversation, a call to action, and the journey of living the questions, together. 

• The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of the Nature-Defecit Disorder by Richard Louv Louv writes in the introduction that the Nature Principle "is about the power of living in nature—not with it, but in it. We are entering the most creative period in history. The twenty-first century will be the century of human restoration in the natural world." I am loving this necessary call to refocus our attention on the importance of reconnecting and living in balance with nature.
• Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard The memoir of the legendary and always inspiring founder of Patagonia. Chouinard is an entreprenuer we admire for his passion for incorporating social good into a business model, and his extraordinary adventurous spirit--this book is a must read.
• Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough A Holstee favorite that we love to reread. This book effectively calls for a transition to mindful consumerism, focusing on sustainabilty and making more with less. It voices the values that are forefront to everything that we seek to do in deisinging and producing Holstee goods.
• Maphead: Charting the Weird, Wide World of Geogrpahy Wonks by Ken Jennings Voted one of the top twenty books of 2011 by Amazon, the travel bugs in us love the premise of this book. I have always been fascinated by the beauty of old maps, and have heard that this book offers an entertaining and well-written perspective to increase this fascination.

What books are on your list? We'd love to hear your recommendations, too! Have a wonderful Fall weekend! 

photo via flickr by gloxinias

(download)

Click here to download:

lifecyclefilm-screenshots-and-a-contest-zkGmmwuupHjgzxopBitu.zip (2.66 MB)

To continue the celebration of biking, we want to hear your stories! Do you have a favorite memory or interesting anecdote about your bike? It could be a story from when you first learned to ride, a place your bike took you to, or even a fictional story about a bike ride (for all of our creative types! :). Share your stories to friends@holstee.com for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to be used at the Holstee shop! The contest will close next Tuesday, November 22nd at 5pm EST and the winning story will be featured here. Good luck! 

Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world. -Grant Petersen

Earlier this month we held a Facebook Giveaway for a chance to win a sold-out Holstee Fin. Here was the challenge: 

To win: We have been amazed by how many people have taken the initiative to write down their own Manifesto of values and goals for life after being inspired by the Holstee Manifesto. We think this is a great way of defining what matters to you and what you actively seek out of each and every day. So- we want to hear what would be on your personal Manifesto! 

We were blown away by the amazing responses that came in and absolutely loved reading the entries. It was definitely a challenge to pick one winner, so we chose two! Congratulations to Anthony and Hallie, and thank you to all who shared their wisdom with us! The winning Manifestos:

"To show others that they, along with life, are beautiful. That true wealth is not measured by the size of one's house, by luxury cars, or the amount of money in a bank account. But that true wealth is measured by one's life experiences, by the friends we make and take along on our never ending journey, and the impact we leave on others once we are gone."  -Anthony of California 

"Challenges help you learn every day of you life." -Hallie, age 7

We love to hear stories of how the Manifesto has touched the lives of our community. It is a strong belief of ours that community exists to encourage and inspire each other as often and as much as we can, and we love the tool that the Manifesto has become to do so. This story was shared with us by Margaret Domnick from Wichita, Kansas. Thanks so much, Margaret!

It was just an ordinary day. I had accomplished ordinary things, held ordinary conversations and engaged in ordinary daily activities. I was enjoying some ordinary down-time on Facebook when I spotted an extraordinary sign on a friend of a friend’s page. It was the Manifesto. It was the first time I had seen the Manifesto and I had to read it several times.The first time I read it, my favorite line was “WE ARE UNITED IN OUR DIFFERENCES”, the second time it was “STOP OVER ANALYZING”. I had to have a copy for myself; and another for my soon-to-be 18 year old daughter, Jessica. I immediately felt that everyone I knew should read it, love it, and own it. I still feel that way.

So, why do I feel so strongly about the Manifesto? What makes it so different than other well-written pieces? I think it’s the fact that it says out-loud what I sometimes think. It acknowledges what I already know and what I want. I want to accept my differences, quit my job, and find my passions. The Manifesto is simple, it’s easily understood, and it’s black and white! Ordinary people live in the gray area of life. We spend our time trying to blend-in, holding in emotions, avoiding conflict, not standing out, and sometimes not even being ourselves. The Manifesto allows us to feel, to believe, to search and to dream. It reminds us about what’s important; about what matters. It encourages us, in a personal way, to seek out our passions and to do what makes us happy. It takes away the gray. It offers action plans that are doable, and gives us permission to do them.

So, I did something. Immediately after reading the Manifesto, I checked out Holstee.  I looked at and read about every single one of their products. I love this company! I realized that I want to work for a company that makes such an effort to make such a difference. I considered applying for a job, but I can’t move my family to NY, so I sent an e-mail and shared what I thought. That’s how I got to write this blog. Go ahead, step out of your box, do something different, look for your passions. You just might find one!

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Do you have a story of how the Manifesto has impacted your life? We'd love to hear it. E-mail us at: friends@holstee.com. :D

photo via sugarboodesigns

Hello! I am very pleased to introduce myself as Holstee's newest family member!

Today is my third day at Holstee and I am still dizzy with excitement. I even fist pumped someone at lunch!  I am trying to tone down the overly enthusiastic hand shaking, emails with excessive exclamation points, and general wide-eyed ebullience, but so far it's been tough. I can't help it- I'm just so glad to be here! 

My journey to Holstee has been several years in the making. I first fell in love with ethical fashion while working at an employee-owned garment factory in Nicaragua, called the Nueva Vida Sewing Cooperative. It was very hard, hot work that made my feet hurt and my back ache. But after hours of what felt like pure chaos, we had produced a tidy pile of beautiful t-shirts made from organic cotton and produced with fair labor. I was absolutely hooked.  

After Nicaragua, I returned to the states to get a Masters from NYU in business and labor studies. Since graduating, I have continued to work in apparel production as well as employee-owned business development and non-profit management. Most recently, I was working in social compliance for a large children's wear company in Manhattan. I am thrilled to be taking my talents to Brooklyn and suiting up as the new Holstee point guard/assistant coach/cheerleader!   

Thanks in advance for welcoming me into the Holstee family. Please feel free to drop me a line to say hello anytime! 

Much love to you all, Tylea

Many people have been writing in to see if it is possible to buy Holstee goods at stores near them, and we are so excited to say that this is quickly becoming a reality. Our wholesale extraordinaire, Mikey, has been rocking the road and connecting with amazing stores across the country. We are looking for stores that share our passion for sustainable design and value the mindful lifestyle and positive impact we seek to spread through design.

If you are one such shopowner who shares in our ideals, check out our wholesale page for more info on how to connect with Mikey. Know a store that would dig our values and products? We'd love to hear your recommendations! Right now we have our sights set on Seattle, WA, San Francisco, Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, Boulder & Denver, CO, Chicago, IL and Columbus, OH. Any and all tips on stores in these cities are appreciated! :D

PS. Many thanks to Agent 99 Ilya Spektor for this great video on the beautiful Manifesto Cubby Frame! For more information on how you can get one of these beautiful pieces for your store or coffeeshop, contact mikey@holstee.com.

Thus, it is with great excitement that we announce a project that we are working on with our amazing and talented friends at Demonstrous Productions: The LIFE(cycle), a cinematic short of the Holstee Manifesto. The project will combine the bicycle lifestyle we love with the energy & values behind the Manifesto and we are so excited to be working with such a great team to put it together.

This is going to be an incredible video of epic proportions and we would love for you (and your bike!) to be a part of it. We will be filming around New York City on October 8th & 9th and you can sign up here to join us. Stay tuned for updates via the Life(cycle) page, spread the word, and get excited- this is going to rock. :)