One of the things that I try to do in life is force myself to be uncomfortable. Not because I have some sadistic purpose to punish myself but because I strongly believe if I didn’t do those things, I would not reap the potential rewards. And I always have the same reaction afterwards of That wasn’t so bad. In fact, that was quite the opposite. I rather enjoyed that. Whether it be a tough workout, doing a podcast, writing a weekly blog post or designing a new collection when I have no idea where to start or better yet, tackling a huge project with a huge company like Adidas. One thing I know is I always work it out, and I just have this belief that I can do it. As the process unfolds, so too do the ideas begin to flow. I think we are capable of more than we think, and it’s easy to slip into our comfort zone. But honestly nothing of great measure really gets accomplished in that zone, so I force myself to take that run or go to that event when I’d love nothing more than to spend that time at home with my kids relaxing.

My design philosophy is cozy and comfort. But I try to live my life outside of my comfort zone. A 24 hour trip to New York. A last minute event opportunity. Whatever it is, I have to seize any opportunity I can to build this brand. I do have to thank my wife a lot too because she makes me do things that at times I do not want to do. I know she has my best interest at heart, so I go along with it. I owe it to her and I owe it to myself and my children to make the most of this brief breath. I think if I didn’t challenge myself I’d look back and regret it because I know I am capable, and I want to build this brand and make it the best it can be.