Life is Good: Do What You Love. Love What You Do.™

06/26/23 • 26 min

Life is Good is the original positive lifestyle brand, dedicated to spreading the power of optimism through art and messaging. Co-founders and brothers Bert and John Jacobs originally set out to design T-shirts that inspired people to celebrate simple pleasures, and focus on what’s right in the world and our lives instead of what’s wrong. In 1994, after five years of disappointing sales and with just $78 to their names, Bert and John designed their first Life is Good tee and discovered how those three simple words could help people to focus on the good.

For almost 30 years, Life is Good has been building a “culture of optimism” through its online shop and 4,500 retail stores. Life is Good’s mission “to spread the power of optimism” isn’t just a marketing angle—it influences every part of the brand, from company culture to philanthropy.

Tom Hassell, president of Life is Good, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe on The Talent Economy podcast.

For the past three years, Hassell has overseen the Life is Good e-commerce business as it has grown from $30 million in annual revenue in 2017 to over $86 million in 2020. Outside of his role at Life is Good, Hassell has served in leadership roles at a diverse group of companies, including Lord & Taylor, Perry Ellis, Ann Taylor, and Eastern Mountain Sports. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the President of Life is Good, where spreading the power of optimism is both the company mission and his personal passion.

In this episode, Hassell discusses his journey in the apparel industry, his work at Life is Good, the power of optimism, Life is Good’s social work through the Life is Good Playmaker Project, and more.

Some Questions Asked:

How does Life is Good maintain its optimistic culture throughout all levels of the company? (8:26)
Who develops Life is Good’s creative designs? (17:57)
Among the positive letters the company often receives from its customers, is there a particular story that moved you? (21:24)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Life is Good believes in rational optimism.
About Life is Good’s social work, the Life is Good Playmaker Project.
How founders Bert and John Jacobs continue to lead the company.

Links:

Tom Hassell - LinkedIn
Michelle Labbe - LinkedIn
Toptal - LinkedIn
The Talent Economy podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Hassell, president of Life is Good, joined Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe on The Talent Economy podcast.

Some Questions Asked:

How does Life is Good maintain its optimistic culture throughout all levels of the company? (8:26)
Who develops Life is Good’s creative designs? (17:57)
Among the positive letters the company often receives from its customers, is there a particular story that moved you? (21:24)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

How Life is Good believes in rational optimism.
About Life is Good’s social work, the Life is Good Playmaker Project.
How founders Bert and John Jacobs continue to lead the company.

Links:

Tom Hassell - LinkedIn
Michelle Labbe - LinkedIn
Toptal - LinkedIn
The Talent Economy podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

New York Life: A Creative Approach to DE&I

As the largest mutual life insurance company in the US, New York Life has been advising policyholders on investment decisions for more than 178 years.

Toptal’s Chief People Officer Michelle Labbe spoke with Kathleen Navarro, New York Life Insurance’s Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources Business Enablement on The Talent Economy Podcast.

Kathleen Navarro leads New York Life Insurance’s integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and manages the HR business partners, strategy and analytics teams. During Navarro's tenure, the company has received broad recognition for its inclusion efforts, including being named one of the Best-of-the-Best Corporations by the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2022.

Navarro has held a range of roles in finance, strategy, and operations since joining New York Life Insurance in 1994. She has been recognized as a Top 10 Champion of Global Diversity by DiversityGlobal and was included on the Top 50 Chief Diversity Officers list issued by the National Diversity Council.

Some Questions Asked:

New York Life Insurance is a mutual company owned by policyholders without outside investors. How does this ownership model affect your talent strategy and company culture? 11:30
Employees are increasingly looking for flexibility and balance in their jobs. With three days in the office and two at home, what sort of impact has your hybrid model had on hiring and employee happiness? 19:29
New York Life Insurance was one of Seramount’s (formerly Working Mother Media) “100 Best Companies” for 2022 and listed as one of its “Best Companies for Dads.” How has New York Life Insurance created such a supportive culture for working parents? 29:50

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What has made Kathleen Navarro want to stay at New York Life Insurance for nearly 30 years.
Why The Dave Thomas Foundation recently listed New York Life Insurance as a 2022 Adoption Advocate.
How New York Life Insurance maintains consistency across a distributed and independent workforce.

Links:

Kathleen Navarro - LinkedIn
Michelle Labbe - LinkedIn
Toptal - LinkedIn
The Talent Economy podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Standard AI: Amplifying the Retail Experience

Jordan Fisher, founder and CEO of Standard AI, joined Michelle Labbe, Toptal’s Chief People Officer, at Collision in Toronto on The Talent Economy podcast. Fisher discussed the company’s groundbreaking “checkout-free” shopping solution and other achievements of Standard AI.

With a diverse background spanning computational fluid dynamics, securities regulations, video games, machine learning, and retail, Fisher has dedicated his career to product research and development. Standard AI has reached many significant milestones under his leadership as the field of artificial intelligence becomes increasingly competitive.

With Standard AI, customers no longer need to scan their items or pay at a kiosk. Instead, they simply scan their phones at the exit and a series of AI-powered cameras generate a receipt based on the items that customers picked up.

Utilizing its next-generation technology, Standard AI aims to continue augmenting human interactions within physical spaces while providing tailored product experiences. Its approach has the potential to revolutionize retail and expand to other industries.

Some Questions Asked:

Why is it important for entrepreneurs and early-stage startups to attend tech conferences?
How does Standard AI define its vision, and what are the company’s next goals?
What does the future of retail look like from Standard AI’s perspective?

In This Episode You Will Learn:

How society has shifted from “humans adapting to technology” to “technology adapting to humans.”
Why “data is dead.”
How AI opens up possibilities for new experiences in brick-and-mortar stores.