Jacobs Brothers, Bert & John - Life is Good
John Jacobs & Bert Jacobs
Co-Founders of "Life is Good"
- Developed a program that helps over 1 million kids overcome the impact of poverty, violence, and illness each year.
- Published Life is Good The Book in 2015 by National Geographic and has sold over 300,000 copies to date.
- Featured in Forbes, NPR’s How I Built This, CNNMoney, CNBC’s Business Nation, ABC News’ Nightline, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s Health Magazine, among others.
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Bert and John Jacobs are co-founders of the $100 million lifestyle brand Life is Good. When they started the company in 1994, they had $78 in their pockets, lived out of their van, and sold t-shirts on the streets of Boston. Was this their way of avoiding the “real world”? You betcha. Did it turn into something much bigger? Absolutely.
Ever since they sold their first t-shirt 25 years ago, Bert and John have been on a mission to spread the power of optimism. Since day 1, they have been inspired by a vibrant community of resilient optimists—people of all ages who identify deeply with the brand and have shown Bert and John, time and time again, the depth and meaning of the three words “Life is Good”.
These resilient optimists inspired the brothers to do business for good. Life is Good is a fully integrated for-profit/non-profit company, and at least 10% of its annual net profits benefit the Life is Good Kids Foundation directly—a program that helps over 1 million kids overcome the impact of poverty, violence, and illness each year.
Bert and John co-host the Life is Good Ping Podcast, where they talk with some of the world’s most influential thought leaders—like Ringo Starr, Katie Couric, and Scott Avett—about using optimism as a practical tool for overcoming adversity and leading a fulfilling life. Their book, Life is Good The Book, was published in 2015 by National Geographic and has sold over 300,000 copies to date.
Bert and John have spoken at a wide range of corporate and thought leadership conferences, including Inc 5000, Morgan Stanley, SAP Sapphire, Indeed Interactive, Discover, Bose, and more. They have been featured in Forbes, NPR’s How I Built This, CNNMoney, CNBC’s Business Nation, ABC News’ Nightline, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s Health Magazine, among others
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5 Tips from the Life is Good Guys
The Life is Good Story. In this heartwarming, funny, and refreshingly human keynote, Bert and John tell the story of how their $100 million lifestyle brand Life is Good came to be—mistakes, missteps, and all, including an unlikely and humble beginning. Interwoven into this story are deeply impactful anecdotes from real Life is Good customers who’ve faced adversity, and tapped into the power of optimism. Bert and John show audiences the real ways that choosing to have an optimistic mindset can help us all lead more fulfilling lives, have more rewarding relationships, and gain more success in our careers. Bert and John have inspired audiences of all sizes, from intimate groups of 100 to crowds of over 20,000. Listeners laugh, cry, and leave with practical tools to use to see their lives through more optimistic eyes. In today’s world, where negative and divisive headlines dominate the news cycle, this uplifting message is more important than ever.
The Power of Optimism. In this heartwarming keynote, Bert and John use their natural story-telling abilities to examine what it means to conduct meaningful business. By way of personal anecdotes, inspiring customer stories, and maybe a little bit of frisbee (you’ll see), Bert and John share their tips for developing an optimistic mindset that leads to success. They’ll probably make your audience laugh, they might ‘em cry (have tissues on standby), but they’ll definitely inspire the room to uncover a deeper purpose in both business and in life. Bert and John are sure to leave your audiences united, connected, and ready to spread the power of optimism.