Let's Dropkick 2016 in the Throat!

I am pumped up for 2016!  It will be the first year that Brooke and I don't have to shoot weddings and can focus all of our work time and creative attention on walk in love.  It is going to be awesome!  We are so excited!

Every new year brings the opportunity to achieve something great, but only as long as you set yourself up well and follow through on your words with action!  It's all on you to set, plan and achieve your goals.  No one else can do it but you.  Yep, just you.  Not your husband, wife, mom, dad, teacher, coach, mentor....just you!  

Will you crumble under the pressure and spend another year half heartedly living your life? Or will you finally rise up and achieve, or at least try to achieve, some of those things you've always said you would do?

Now I am not talking about general "check list" New Year's resolutions that are abandoned the second week in January like, "Eat healthier! Watch less TV! Run more."  I am talking about big, radical and amazing goals like "Lose 100 pounds. Increase sales by 20%. Write a book. Run a marathon!" Goals that are scary to say out loud because to most they would sound so outrageous.  Goals that require faith in God and trusting in Him because on your own it would be impossible.  THAT is what I am talking about!

So, do you have it in you to reach for that kind of crazy-amazing goal?

Because it's one thing to tell someone a goal out loud or on Instagram for the praise and applause, but it's another thing to actually walk and grind it out.

I want to be the type of guy that walks out his goals and grinds away at them until they are achieved. And then once celebrated, I am on to the next one.

Here is the thing though, unfortunately (for many reasons!), I am not Harry Potter.  I can't just wave my wrist while holding a twig and expect things to magically happen just because I said they would.  It takes action and I have to set myself up for success.  I have to put one foot in front of the other, step by step, so one larger goal can be achieved!

Here are a few tools I am using this year to help achieve a few of my crazy goals for 2016:

1. Lara Casey Power Sheets : Lara has been a great friend of mine for many years.  She is an amazing woman who has dedicated her life to helping people make it happen.  If you want to get fired up about business and life you should be following Lara!  Buy her Powersheets and start on them the second they arrive!  She sent Brooke and I the 2016 booklets and we are 16 pages in and can already feel the impact they are having on our next year!

2.  Dapperdesk Planner / Simplified Planner : Another good friend of ours, Emily Ley, is also a champ at providing tools and resources to help people achieve goals.  She has a really basic planner that is so powerful and helpful -- reminding you daily what to do and allowing room for grace as you try and work.  The dapper desk version is better suited for men and the simplified planner is her girlier version!  I hope to carry mine all year!

3. Wunderlist : One of the best to-do lists planning platforms out there.   A lot of them can get so busy and overwhelming.  I love Wunderlist because it is so simple and straight forward! I'm sure you will to!

Cranky In A Carseat

All parents know that the struggle is real when your child is cranky in the car seat - especially when they are too young and small to face forward.  This past Sunday I took June with me to run some errands, giving Brooke some alone time at home.

First, we went to visit my brother and get a few things at his place of work, then we were off to do some Christmas shopping for Brooke, and then a quick stop at Starbucks before heading home.  Like most things this time of year, everything took a little longer than I had hoped it would, especially the Starbucks drive thru.  I knew that I was pushing the limit on the amount of time June could spend in the car. Her nap was fast approaching and we were still waiting for our coffee in the drive thru lane... and she started to fuss. Normally when Brooke and I are both in the car the passenger can talk to her and she'll turn slightly in her seat and be able to see the passenger with one eye. It's so cute.  But I was riding solo and I couldn't see her, and she couldn't see me. 

After I got the coffees, we started driving home and June was not enjoying the ride.  She was crying and whimpering, so I was trying to sing to her, say her name, clap my hands, pass back any toys to her that I could reach.  I totally get why she was upset.  She is in the back of the car and she doesn't know where we are, or where we are going, and she can't even see the direction we are headed!  I kept telling her, "Don't worry June, we are on our way home, we will be there soon."

That's when it hit me.

My beautiful daughter was teaching me a new lesson.  She is really good at that.

I started to think about how often I am frustrated with God because I have no idea what He is doing or where He is going.  I am June, facing the wrong way, unaware of what is around me. All my toys have fallen on the floor, which only entertained me for so long, and I feel I've been in my seat for way too long. I am frustrated.  I start crying out for help because I am confused and lost and it would seem that I am totally alone.

Meanwhile my heavenly father is in the front seat telling me, "Don't worry T.J. I am driving, I got this, I got you, I love you.  You'll be okay."

Life is a confusing road that has its ups and downs, it's dead ends, it's u-turns, and its wrong ways.  So often I think I know exactly where I am going, so I start to drive and end up frustrated at the dead ends or with a smashed up car on the side of the road.

Other times I simply take the advice of Carrie Underwood and say "JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!!!!!!", but usually end up sitting in the back seat, facing the wrong way, complaining the entire time.  I want the credit for trusting God but I don't actually want to follow through. I act like an infant unaware of where we are going and who is driving; however, I am an adult, and I need to have an adult relationship with Jesus.  I need to stop being cranky in a carseat and sit up front. At least if I am in the front seat I can lean into the driver for comfort instead of screaming in the back seat because I am lost and confused.

God, through Jesus, wants to take you places you never dreamed of.  Maybe He is on His way there but He wants you to jump in the front seat to help navigate.  Maybe He wants you to see all the mile markers along the way so you can have some idea of where you are going.  I don't know. But, I do know that the ride of your life will always be more enjoyed in the front seat hand in hand with the driver, instead of in the back facing the wrong way.

If you haven't even given up the wheel, what are you waiting for?  How many accidents and dead ends do you have to run into before you do?  And like I said before, listen to the wise Carrie Underwood - let Him take the wheel and when He does, sit in the freaking front seat and enjoy the ride, regardless of where it takes you.

June never stays upset for long!

9 ALBUMS THAT I LOVE RIGHT NOW! // V. 3

My current playlist.  I have to say that out of all of them I am probably listening to Armon Jay the most.  Brooke says there is something about it that makes her feel like we are dating again!  Enjoy!

1. Del Rio by Armon Jay

2. We Are Young + Free (The Remixes) - EP

3. Delirium by Ellie Goulding

4. Strange Love by We the Kings

5. The Canyons EP by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

6. Encounters by Pathway Music

7. You by Phillip LaRue

8. Ready for You by Hunter Hunted

9. Soak by New Life Worship

Open app - Post - Close app - Go live life - Follow Jesus

About three weeks ago, I unfollowed every single person I was following on Instagram with the exception of Brooke, June, and our two companies.  I didn't do it with any malicious intent, or out of annoyance, or anything like that.  I have simply been having this overwhelming feeling like I waste too much time - too much time checking in on other people and places, on multiple social avenues, that I end up missing out on what is happening in front of me or what I should be doing.  So I wondered that if there was literally nothing new in my feed, would I check it a lot less? Turns out, I would!

Prior to unfollowing everyone though, I had already noticed that when I was checking my feed I found myself totally disengaged.  I would just mindlessly scroll and scroll down a feed with a mixture of baby photos, intense political views, sports victories and advertisements for a new outlet cover that allows you to plug your iPhone right into it.  I was checking on everything more and more, and yet caring a whole lot less.  I haven't read Craig Groechell's book "#Struggles" yet, but I heard him speak on the topic and that apathy I mentioned is definitely a big aspect of that book. And I totally get why!

I started to think about all the other things I could do instead of social scrolling.  

I could probably work out in the amount of time I spend on social.

I could probably write a few more blogs in the amount of time I spend on social.

I could probably finish a few house projects in the amount of time I spend on social.

I could probably play with June more in the amount of time I spend on social.

I could probably rub Brooke's shoulders in the amount of time I spend on social.

I could probably do the dishes in the amount of time I spend on social.

And honestly, the list could go on and on and on.

Now I fully understand that Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat are all tools that I use to do what I do, but I was finding that I wasn't using them as tool at all, but as walls.  Walls that were blocking my time and mental energy from actually doing something positive or impactful.  I totally get that social media is an important part of my business, but not as important as ideas for my business or customer service or cashflow or great products.

If I am being really honest I love that I have more followers than the average person on Instagram.  I love that I have a little "K" after my number, but lately I have been pressed by God to stop caring about such silly things of this world and start caring about the beautiful life He has for me.  I have really been trying to disconnect from a world of praise through social media and instead lean into praising the King of Kings.  It's hard.  I really enjoy when people compliment my daughter June or tell me they love my shirts.  I really do! And I think that's okay to enjoy those things.  But the question we should all be asking is "Am I enjoying those things more than the truths Jesus wants to speak to me?"

When you double tap an Instagram a little full heart shows up.  When is the last time you laid your heart before to God and let Him love on it - making it full. When is the last time you actually listened when God double tapped your heart and nudged you to move here or help that person or give away that possession.  We are quick to reply when people tell us how gorgeous we look in some new outfit, but do we have that kind of immediate response when Jesus calls us out?  We are equally quick to defend our political opinion or point of view, but are we as quick to respond with love or joy in ALL situations?

For me, I need to spend less time on the social media apps, so I turned off all my notifications and only use it as the business tool that it is.  I needed to unfollow people so there was simply less to scroll through.  Now instead of mindless scrolling, I look up and go to specific peoples pages, with the intention of being totally interested in their life and I actually look at and read what they are doing! I also might try to actually reach out to people in real life instead of just letting the updates of Facebook be enough for our relationship.  Sounds pretty crazy, right?  I have simply decided to use all social media tools as exactly that, tools, and not as walls. 

Open app - Post - Close app - Go live life - Follow Jesus.  That is my social media strategy.

Three of My Favorite Christmas Traditions

Brooke and I have been doing Christmas together for seven years - one was while we were engaged and six have been while married.  This year will be our 7th Christmas together!  It is my favorite time of year and I really love some of the traditions that we have started, so I thought I would share them with you.  Please feel free to steal them or add to them or make them your own if you want!  I think traditions can be a great way to connect with your spouse over and over again.  It gives you something to look forward to and something to look back on.

The 2015 ornament to commemorate all the iced coffee we drank this year!

1. Giving Christmas ornaments!

Every year Brooke and I give each other a Christmas ornament. Currently, we have 12 ornaments (we only started exchanging them after we were married) total. Our ornaments have ranged from a weird handmade circle I made for Brooke, out of twine and wire, to a Dwight Schrute figurine, to a glittery piece of bacon.  Every year we try to highlight something that was unique to that year.  For example, one year I gave her a Marilyn Monroe ornament because that was her halloween costume at our first ever halloween party.  Last year she gave me a glittery piece of bacon, because all of last year I was trying to perfect the art of cooking bacon, which I totally did and have the 5 extra pounds to prove it! The one thing I would recommend is, if you are going to take up this tradition, to write the year on the ornaments right when you give them to each other, because when looking back we had to guess about a few of the first years and ornaments.  It doesn't take long to get them confused.  I am excited to add June to the tradition and pick out an ornament for her, too!

Arthurs sweater game is strong.

2. Decorating the tree and house while watching Arthur Christmas!

This tradition started by simply watching any Christmas movie while decorating the tree until the year we watched Arthur Christmas.  By the end of that year the tree was half decorated and Brooke and I were crying on the couch. For real. Tears of joy mostly, because the movie is so cute, awesome and amazing.  It's an animated film that really doesn't get much credit when it comes to Christmas movies, but man, we love it!  Every year we put it on in the background as we start to decorate the tree and by the end of the movie, Brooke is still decorating and I am fully sucked in to the movie.  I think putting the movie on helps us feel like decorating the tree and our house isn't a chore, but instead, it's something we can look forward to every year! There are too many people out there who have this really terrible ability to complain about everything, including Christmas decorating, and this helps us not be those people.  I look forward to watching the movie and decorating the house and tree every year!

Target + Hunger Games = Stocking shopping

3. Shopping for stockings in the most terrifying way ever.

When we were approaching our first Christmas together as husband and wife I looked to Brooke and said, “I have an idea for a Christmas tradition... What if we shopped for our Christmas stockings at the same time in the same store?”  Brooke gave me kind of a funny look, like “What are you talking about?”, to which I reiterated my idea and asked her to just give it a try.  Brooke is always so willing to just go with whatever idea I have dreamed up in my head, so we tried it. And six years later we are still doing this tradition!  The idea is simple: we walk into Target, each with a set/equal budget, each take a cart and split off in opposite directions!  What follows is the most terrifying, exhilarating shopping experience of all time because you don’t want the other person to see what's in your cart, but you want to see in there cart!  To bystanders we probably look a little crazy as we creep up and down the aisles and scream at the site of each other, turn and run. This tradition is probably one of my favorite parts of the entire Christmas season.  I love that Brooke and I can still act like kids with each other. Now that we have June, we will be able to switch off every year who gets her in their cart, only adding to the excitement!

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I don’t know what you do each year for Christmas, but I would recommend adding some traditions, mostly goofy ones, to it.  It’s easy to look at every milestone in life as another year to complain about requirements, but when we choose to live with passion, excitement and energy we can add awe back into our lives. It's easier than you think. We can make things a big deal and a good time just by changing our attitude or perspective.  I think marriage is easily one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me.  I love being married to Brooke and I always want her to know that.  I think these simple traditions we started encourage that kind of attitude!  We can look back at the ornaments and remember what we’ve been through, laugh about the one time she thought I left Target without her after stocking shopping and had me paged to the front of the store, and we can look forward to the future and what the traditions will end up looking like with little June, and at some point, June's siblings!  I hope that while you go through Christmas you can remember the good times, enjoy the right-now moments and look forward to all that God has for you!

Small Business - Big Heart

I am a small business owner.  My company is quite small in the grand scheme of companies, but large in my heart.  Throughout the day I think most about following Jesus, loving my wife, loving my daughter and how to sell more shirts.  That's about it.  I really love selling shirts and for the last ten years I have been able to do it as a part time job.  In 2016 it will officially be the full time job for my wife and I for the first time ever.  That was something that we thought impossible six years ago but with work, dedication, planning, hustle, help, efficiency, some dumb luck and a ton of God showing up, we've been able to do it.

Taken on Small Business Saturday with a stack of orders from Black Friday!

I don't know what the future holds from walk in love.  Will we grow to the level of being a million dollar company or tens of millions or hundreds of millions?  Will we stay right around where we are?  Will we shrink?  Will we survive?  I don't know.  I would love to know but that is impossible.

But here is what I do know.

I do know that there is a God who loves me enough to allow me to design, market, photograph and sell t-shirts every single day.  I know that there are tons of amazing customers out there who give me the ability to keep going, whose love for our product propels us forward.  I know that I have an amazing, albeit small, team of people who work hard day in and day out so that we can have orders shipped, e-mails answered, products to sell and beautiful content to market it with.  

I know that no matter where we go I will never forget the first person who ordered a shirt online - Melissa Patterson (now Melissa Kochan) via MySpace.  I will never forget the LEFC youth group ordering a hundred shirts for the students six months after I started.  I will never forget my little brother's friend, Taylor, selling shirts at school.  I will never forget when my family lugged 300 shirts across the world so every camper in Russia could have one.  I will never forget messaging a cute girl on Facebook to have her photograph the shirts (mostly because I get to wake up next to her every day).  I will never forget when my father-in-law told me that "a kiosk might be a good idea to sell shirts around Christmas".  I will never forget how ghetto our first kiosk was.  I will never forget saving up all my vacation days so I could work at the second season of our kiosk.  I will never forget launching an IndieGoGo campaign to raise money to open a full-time retail store.  I will never forget the staff that worked at that store and had to deal with me figuring out what it meant to be a boss.  I will never forget the phone call that said we had to move our store to another location because a big box store purchased our space.  I will never forget moving that store and everything in it, all in one night with the help of friends and family.  I will never forget the 22 days spent getting our second store ready for opening day.  I will never forget the 4 times I shocked myself trying to get that store ready.  I will never forget the failure that the second store was.  I will never forget the moment Brooke and I decided to close down both stores and move exclusively online.  I will never forget moving into the our new studio with only 4 shelves of product to sell.  I will never forget watching those 4 shelves turn into 16.  I will never forget the first day June came into the studio.  I will never forget the discussions with Brooke on making walk in love. our full time job.  I will never forget launching collections.  I will never forget the models we met, shot and became friends with in California.  I will never forget all the people who helped fold, pack, pick and do all sorts of work for the company I love.  I will never forget the people who posted about our shirts. I will never forget...

I could go on and on about all the great memories that are so large in my heart.

I know that I am just one small business owner out of thousands, maybe millions.  

And I want you to know that when you shop small you are adding to the full heart of memories for every entreprenuer out there.  Thank you for that and so much more than I could ever express in a blog post.

If you want to shop from my small business you can save 30% today with the code "shopsmall" at shopwalkinlove.com!  

Thanks!