PassionFirstApparelBlog

For the last few months we've been working on this idea of creating a video for the All For One campaign to help spread the awareness of helping the world get clean water. We've toyed around with different ideas on how the video should play out and how we can get you involved- our followers.  Our idea is that we want our short film to feature you and the PFA team talking about your thoughts and views on the All For One campaign. All you have to do is just send us a short 15 second or 1 minute video of yourself. It can range from why you believe the world deserves clean water to even why you purchased something from PFA. It's okay if you haven't purchased anything from us, but still want to voice your thoughts on the All For One campaign. We want to get to know all of you and where you come from. You are the creator, so have fun and be creative.

To learn more about the All For One campaign please visit.http://passionfirstapparel.com/all-for-one/4586406236

-Please submit all videos to: [email protected]

- Video deadline by October 27,2014

Richard Branson's Guide to Finding a Mentor

No matter how smart you are, or how brilliant or disruptive your business concept might be, every entrepreneur needs a good mentor. Someone, somewhere, has already been through what you are experiencing right now, and he has come out the other side armed with invaluable insights.

In fact, the difference between a budding entrepreneur who merely shows promise and one who is already enjoying some success often comes down to mentoring. Good advice can be just as crucial as funding in the early stages of an enterprise.

The need for a mentor is obvious, yet seeking one out can be quite difficult and daunting. How do you find the right person?

There are many different routes, some which I have described in previous columns. Often, you have to do some research. Try going to industry events like lunches, seminars, talks and conferences. Join community groups -- your local chamber of commerce is a great place to start. Chambers of commerce often host networking events and meetings that bring beginning entrepreneurs and successful businesspeople together. Talk to people, listen to their stories and pursue further meetings with those whom you can learn from.

Another great place to find a potential mentor’s name is online. Look for sector-- or industry-specific events and groups on Facebook; subscribe to useful newsletters; follow interesting or relevant individuals from your region on Twitter or LinkedIn; then get in touch and ask questions -- just like you can with me.

Be sure that you choose someone who has experience and connections within your area and level of business. If you’re a budding entrepreneur in, say, the building and home repair industry, you shouldn’t waste your time trying to court a senior executive at a multinational engineering company. Focus on finding someone who has started a venture that’s similar to yours, and who understands the trials and tribulations of building a business in that area.

Keep in mind that an adviser who offers his time in return for compensation is not the same thing as a mentor. While advisers and consultants can be very helpful, true mentors are effective partly because they are only interested in helping others succeed.

If you don’t yet have someone in mind who might fit the bill, make a list of successful people in your community. Is there someone on that list whom you admire and respect? Ask her to lunch, to coffee, or simply ask for 30 minutes of her time to chat.

When you do decide to approach someone, make sure that you don’t go in blind - know what you want to ask. Explain what excites you about your service or product, be honest about your fears, and ask for feedback.

It is rarely a good idea to make a hard and formal request for mentoring upfront, like “Will you be my mentor?” Such relationships blossom on their own. A mentor-mentee relationship takes time to grow, so start by asking for simple advice on one project or problem, and move on from there.

When you do locate a good mentor, he will serve as an example, a sounding board and, ultimately, a friend. Done well, mentorship is rewarding for both of you. It’s important to nurture the relationship, so find fun ways to meet regularly, even without a business agenda.

Mentoring has had such a profound impact on my life and Virgin’s success that I feel it’s paramount to any promising businessperson’s journey. As I have written before, I attribute much of the success of Virgin Atlantic to my relationship with my own mentor, Sir Freddie Laker, the founder of Laker Airways. I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere in the airline industry without Freddie’s down-to-earth wisdom. He was actually the one who told me to make myself the face of the company - a piece of advice that has influenced my entire approach to business.

If you are in a position to share the skills you have learned, you should give back by becoming a mentor yourself. Finding success is hard work, and entrepreneurs could use a little help along the way.

Here are seven ways successful and fulfilled people think differently:

1. They pursue curiosity, not passion. The most popular life advice—follow your passion. It’s prevalent because it is wise. The only problem, it’s easier said than done. And we spend much of life on a frantic goose-chase. In order to follow your passion, you need to find it. That’s where most of us need help—try make soufflé without a recipe.

Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert gave many an “Aha moment” recently—forget about passion, follow your curiosity: “Passion is rare; passion is a one-night-stand. Passion is hot, it burns. Every day, you can’t access that…but every single day in my life there’s something that I’m curious about—follow it, it’s a clue, and it might lead you to your passion.”

Her advice comes with good company, echoing Einstein who remarked, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” The late Steve Jobs, in his commencement speech reflected on his success: “Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.”

Curiosity is the vehicle that takes us from finding, to living our passion; it builds the bridge.

2. They make friends with stress. Stress is seen as a negative, and appropriately so. Plenty of research shows that stress causes neurological damage and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

But what if stress is the enemy only because we perceived it to be? For 10 years, health psychologist Kelly McGonical taught on the damaging effects of stress but now seeks to undo that whole decade after coming across new research.

In a survey, 30,000 people were asked how much stress they experienced in the last year, and whether they believed stress was harmful for their health. Those with high degrees of stress indeed had severely affected health, not least being a 43 percent increased risk of dying. However, that was only the case among those who also believed stress was harmful for their health. Those who experienced a high level of stress, but didn’t view stress as harmful, had the lowest risk of dying, even beyond those who indicated little stress.

Typically in stressful situations, our blood vessels constrict and heart rate shoots-up. But the science has shown, when you change your mind about stress, you change your body’s response to stress.

Another study comes from Matthew Nock of Harvard University and Wendy Berry Mendes of the University of California. Participants were given three minutes to prepare, then deliver, a speech before critical and negative judges. They were divided into two groups, with half of all participants having a history of social anxiety.

One group was primed beforehand to perceive their stress as helpful, that  their pounding heart was gearing them up for action, while their increased breathing was bringing more oxygen to the brain. As a result, those who viewed stress as helpful were less anxious and more confident. Physiologically, their blood vessels stayed relaxed and cardiovascular response mirrored that of joy and courage.

Nobody is immune to stress. It’s not whether we experience stress, it’s how we respond. Understanding stress as your body bringing in reinforcements to defeat a challenge, rather than being defeated, isn’t just motivational fluff, it’s a biological shift. You’ll literally live longer, and feel better.

3. They see chain reactions. It only takes one falling domino to knock over the rest. Successful people rarely make isolated decisions but join the dots between actions and the outcomes.

To take the company to the next level, Paul O’Neill, former CEO of aluminum manufacturing giant Alcoa didn’t focus on advertising and marketing, or research and development. He focused on safety, reducing days lost to workplace injury by 90 percent. Within a year the company’s profits hit a record high. When O’Neill retired, profits were five times higher.

O’Neill says, “I knew I had to transform Alcoa. But you can’t order people to change. So I decided I was going to start by focusing on one thing. If I could start disrupting the habits around one thing, it would spread throughout the entire company.”

On the surface, they’re unrelated: profit margins and workplace safety. But successful people have the ability to see the relationship between the ‘unrelated.’

Our thinking is often compartmentalized. That keeps things neat, linear and logical but builds walls we cannot see through. Successful people always look for connections and relationships. Their thinking is not just linear, but holistic. They don’t just study parts, but see the whole. They’ve learned to put Humpty-Dumpty together again.

4. They ask more questions than give answers. Our egos paralyze us the moment we’re about to ask a question. That fear of judgment is crippling. Rather than asking and gaining new knowledge, we protect our image and remain mired in our lack of knowledge.

Indeed, ignorance is bliss. Successful people are ignorant of judgment and protecting their ego. They prefer growth in asking questions. The inability to ask inhibits our personal growth. Jim Collins and Morten Hansen note in Great by Choice, top leaders of “10x companies” (those who beat their industry indexes by ten times or more) were continually asking “What if?” as a means to improve.

The simple act of asking questions revolutionized and characterized the Toyota Motor Corporation. The famous 5-Whys developed by Sakichi Toyoda became the benchmark of their production system. It was a simple but highly effective strategy for getting to the root cause of any problem and has been adopted by organizations all over the world.

5. They contribute before gain. Doing something for nothing is a shock to the system. It goes against the grain of our capitalistic culture in which there is service only with exchange. But contribution without expectation or strings attached is a trademark of many successful and fulfilled people.

Princess Diana is remembered for that quality, encouraging people to “carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”

Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, studies pro-social behaviors in business and leadership. His New York Times Bestseller, Give and Take presents a compelling case that you don’t need to be ruthless to get ahead Techniques such as doing “five-minute favors” for others and reconnecting with erstwhile acquaintances can reap long-term career rewards.

Grant explains that pro-social behaviors have a profound effect on our depth and the breadth of relationships, “and so you end up with a wider set of relationships and a richer, more meaningful set of connections.” Indeed, we all know the power and importance in networking.

There is a paradoxical boomerang effect from focusing on the success and wellbeing of others that results in our own success and wellbeing. Zig Ziglar said, ”You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

It’s motivation to sow in someone else’s field rather than just our own.

6. They schedule time for nothing. Success is synonymous with hard work. David Bly said it perfectly, “Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.” But hard work often turns into hectic work. Taking-action becomes 24/7.

However, some of the most accomplished people highlight a counterintuitive habit. Their hectic schedule includes allotted times for absolutely nothing. Of course, the times of nothing are far from nothing. Although physically unproductive, these times allow information they’ve been exposed to mix, mingle, and marinate, then produce new ideas and insights.

Creativity experts and psychologists call it the Incubation period. Creativity is often defined as the synthesis of disparate information. Consciously, we only catch a drop of the ocean that our mind is exposed to. Professor Timothy Wilson highlights the power of our unconscious mind in his book, Strangers to Ourselves. Our conscious mind processes about 40 bits of information per second, whereas the unconscious processes eleven million bits per second. Incubation allows for absorption and interaction between the two..

Successful people regularly schedule time for ‘nothing’ when incubation can take place. They go for a stroll, eat lunch alone, sit in a park. It worked for Einstein: “Although I have a regular work schedule, I take time to go for long walks on the beach so that I can listen to what is going on inside my head. If my work isn’t going well, I lie down in the middle of a workday and gaze at the ceiling while I listen and visualize what goes on in my imagination.”

Someone worth learning from.

7. They value experiences over objects. There’s very few material possessions we can place a “priceless” tag on. But plenty experiences for which that’s possible: the new car will be outlasted by the work ethic you cultivated to purchase it; the new house will need renovations, but its the talent you’ve acquired that pays for the renovations.

What we gain materially will always come as a byproduct of who we become intellectually, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. It’s not what you get, but who you become.

Entrepreneurs know that the biggest battles you’ll wage are the ones in your head. While some people might talk a good game of courage from the sidelines, entrepreneurs know the uneasiness and excitement that can pervade their thoughts.

Entrepreneurs don’t live in the security of the known. You forge your own path, battle risk and uncertainty and prop yourself up with a strong mental attitude to stay focused on your journey. However, with that trailblazing, you also know there are times when fear is normal.

Courage as an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you’re never afraid or concerned about what’s to come, it simply means you recognize those emotions and you forge ahead with confidence that you’ll be able to make it through and achieve your vision.

One of the best examples of a huge vision was the incredibly inspiring peaceful leader, Mahatma Gandhi, who was born Oct. 2, 1869. While just a simple man, he never let the fact that he was only one person keep him from blazing his own trail of peace. He organized a movement and created a revolution in India -- all from peaceful, inspired action. He believed in a better future and he worked to make it a reality by peacefully leading the Indian people to eliminate British rule and establish their own free nation.

As an entrepreneur, there is much to learn both from his power as a peaceful but relentless leader and his drive to see his vision come to be a reality.

In honor of his birthday, here are five quotes attributed to Gandhi to inspire and remind you that one person can make a big difference with their own beliefs and leadership.

The future depends on what you do today.

There’s a great GNC commercial with the tagline “beat average.” Gandhi understood that tagline, even if fitness wasn’t his goal. You beat average and achieve your vision by doing something today. Procrastinating until tomorrow or beating yourself up about yesterday don’t lead to positive action. Get started on your vision right now, today.

To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.

This may just be the greatest call to action in history. If you know your calling as an entrepreneur, get off the sidelines and start living it. Believing doesn’t mean much if you don’t back up your desires with action.

In fact, it creates stress because what you’re doing isn’t in alignment with who you really believe you are (or want to become). It’s OK to be scared, but it’s not okay to be dishonest. Be true to yourself and your vision and start living it today.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Gandhi didn't actually say this famous quote, but it is his life’s legacy. There’s an old adage that you should only take advice from someone you want to actually be like. Gandhi didn’t just believe in a free India or talk about being peaceful, he lived it. He was the change and his life saw the achievement of his vision. The world needs you to be the person you are and live the life of the entrepreneur you’re meant to be.

Without action, you aren’t going anywhere.

This seems pretty obvious, but again, Gandhi drives home the point that if you aren’t taking action, then nothing is happening. Start today. Take action right now. Make the life that you’re living line up with the vision you are working to create. That’s how things happen. Belief is great and totally necessary, but taking action is critical, too!

Change yourself -- you are in control.

This is a very powerful concept that Gandhi lived every day. You being the best person and entrepreneur you can be will make everything and everyone better off. You have the power to change yourself and you are in control of your life.

Entrepreneurs take responsibility for their situation. Gandhi's legacy challenges you to do the same thing. You are in control, so where do you want to go and who do you want to be?

6 Absolutely Terrifying Things (That We'd Still Love To Do)

1. Walk across the last Incan suspension bridge.

Once upon a time, the Andes were strung up with a complex system of woven bridge roadways -- the primary mode of transportation for the mountain-dwelling Incan population. Back then, these handmade, precariously swaying pieces of fabric might've seemed the norm -- but today, this last remaining keshwa chaca seems like the last, slim shred of reality between yourself and certain death. Spanning 118 feet in length, it's suspended 220 feet about a rushing river. Except... the adrenaline junkie in us can't wait to take that first step across.

2. Attend the International Highline Meeting Festival

The attendees of the the International Highline Meeting Festival call themselves "slackers" -- but not for the reason you might think. These adventurous guys and gals spend the entirety of the festival suspended hundreds of feet above the pristine Italian Alps. Our stomachs would be in our throats the entire time, but how can you beat the view?

3. Walk the Caminito del Ray

El Caminito del Rey is an extremely narrow walkway that follows the (again) extremely steep walls of a gorge in El Chorro, in Málaga, Spain. Throughout the years this legendary pathway has fallen in and out of disrepair, even being occasionally closed until its dirt tracks could be cleared for reasonable safe passage. At a mere one meter in width, you'll be hugging the canyon walls as you make your way along it -- remember to pack extra resin for your hands, 'cause you'll want to be glued to that mountainous surface. Yikes!

4. Bike the Yungas Road.

When the road your traversing is sometimes casually referred to as -- ahem -- "Death Road," you know you're in for the adventure of a lifetime. That much, at least, can be said for Yungas Road, a 60km track originally built by Paraguayan prisoners in the early 1900s, that connects travelers from the Bolivian capital of La Paz to the tiny town of Corioco. At a slim three meters thick at its widest point, this two way road seems rife for mishaps -- but the stunning views make it, determinedly, an absolute must see. Intrepid bikes take note!

5. Take the Tren a las Nubes.

Translating, literally, to the "Train to the Clouds," the epic 270-mile Tren a las Nubes has definitely earned its name -- climbing to an elevation of more than 4,200 meters during its 16-hour journey from the Argentinian city of Salta. During the course of its 16-hour ride, the train passes across 29 bridges and 21 tunnels, covering rural countryside, the tip-top of mountains, and the endless plains of local tobacco fields.

6. Zip through Adrenaline Quarry.

The Adrenaline Quarry's zip-wire attraction in Cornwall is 50 metres above the ground, 490 metres long and takes rider over a flooded quarry at 40 mph. Another zip-wire can be found at the nearby Eden Project.

A 12-year-old entrepreneur who started a bow tie company three years ago has already hit $150,000 in sales. 

Moziah Bridges appeared on CNBC  to promote his holiday collaboration with Cole Haan. 

Bridges told CNBC he loved dressing up, but could never find bow ties he liked. 

To solve the problem, his grandmother taught him how to sew. 

Since Bridges started his company, Mo's Bows, he has been featured on Shark Tank, and in Vogue and GQ magazines. 

CNBC asked Bridges, who lives in Memphis, how he finds the time to go to school and run a company. 

"Since I'm the CEO I can do it when I feel like it," he said. "I have employees — my grandmother, she's about like 80, and my mom works for me, and I have three more seamstresses." 

Bridges' bow ties retail for $40. 

5 Surefire Ways to Maximize Your Life, Starting This Morning

1. Choose not to “snooze.” Anytime you snooze, it’s a negative reaction. You’re losing out on your first commitment to yourself and that sets a bad tone for the rest of your day.

Place your alarm on the other side of the room and start your day off with a victory lap by waking-up when you promised yourself you would. While this may seem small, beginning your day with a victory rather than a loss will have a profound impact on the following 16 hours.

2. Read your affirmations. Affirmations are positive, powerful statements you make to put yourself in the right frame of mind. An example of an affirmation to you can use is: “I am reborn today – yesterday does not matter. I am as good as what I learn, what I create, who I influence and what I inspire today.”

Or, you can take an example from then 4-year-old Jessica whose morning affirmations went viral. We have between 45,000 and 51,000 thoughts a day. Choose to have your first thoughts, every morning, put you into the best frame of mind for a rewarding life.

3. Open your mind by opening a book. Reading in the morning is the most important step you can take to keep your mind open, observant and ready to learn.

As an individual, and especially as an entrepreneur, nothing is more important than learning and getting better, so don't wait until nighttime to focus on your most important objective.

Try a book that’s geared to helping you solve a personal or professional challenge. That will acclimate your mind to thinking through problems, which is a powerfully beneficial habit to form. It is especially useful right before you start your day (which will invariably have its share of challenges).

4. Exercise to thrive. It’s simply not true that exercise is the key to weight loss. Instead of relegating exercise to a means (for weight loss), think of it as the destination.

There are three key reasons regular exercise is a smart business strategy.

First, exercise brings oxygen to your brain, even if you exercise for only 20 minutes. Second, research shows that moderate aerobic exercise can improve your mood for up to 12 hours. Third, exercise is another great opportunity to learn. Listen to an enriching podcast or an educational audiotape while you’re working out.

5. Refuel to feel optimal. What you put into your body to start the day is integral to how you’re going to feel the rest of the day. While opting for a bagel or donut on occasion is something we’re all prone to do, you’ll be amazed how you feel when you switch it up for something that has a well-rounded mix of healthy fats, plant-based protein and complex carbohydrates.

Blending together a smoothie only takes about as much time toasting a slice of bread and slathering it with butter. Consider starting your day with a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (brain booster) and, after your workout, try a smoothie or breakfast bowl. Need a recommendation? My favorite is red quinoa, almonds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and ground flax seeds in a breakfast bowl.

For a smoothie, add brown rice protein powder, cinnamon, almond milk and fresh blueberries to Magic Bullet, Ninja, Vitamix (or whatever blender you have on hand). Mmmm, for the taste buds and the brain.

Try these strategies, or even just one at a time to begin. Jot down how they make you feel and affect the rest of your day. Implementing these strategies will benefit so much more than just your morning.

I believe self-care is social activism! It’s putting that oxygen mask on, first, so you can effect positive change within your workplace, with your family and throughout your community.

Ollie Forsyth didn’t fit in at school. Bullies picked on him for being dyslexic, for being different. They said he was a nobody and always would be. He’d never succeed in life. The Northamptonshire, U.K. teen could have let their cruel cut-downs crush his spirit, his self-esteem and his motivation. But he didn’t. Instead, he looked to self-made billionaire Sir Richard Branson -- who also struggled with dyslexia at school -- for direction and strength. Then, just as Branson gutsily did, he used his doubters’ venom to fuel his budding entrepreneurial fire. “Branson really has inspired me,” Ollie told Entrepreneur.com. “He was very dyslexic and when I watched a program on him, I was determined to become like him.”   Related: How a Teenage Entrepreneur Built a Startup on Bitcoin Riches Ollie was also determined to prove his haters wrong before they graduated from school and went their separate ways. And that’s exactly what he did. After learning about how Branson turned a “disadvantage” Ollie knew painfully all too well into an advantage, he launched his first business at only 13, three years younger than Branson was when braved his first venture. Even before he was a teen, Ollie caught the entrepreneurial bug. As a kid growing up in a relatively affluent area, he fetched his parents’ coffee and tea for 20 pence (about 34 cents) per cup. “If they wanted it reheated, I would charge another 20 pence.” Between brewing caffeine jolts for his parents, walking his family’s dogs and cutting the grass, he eventually earned 20 pounds ($33.74) per week.   Ollie’s first official foray into entrepreneurship is simply called Ollie’s Shop. It’s an online gift boutique that sells trendy jeweled bracelets, novelty cufflinks, leather belts and wallets and other “Perfect Prezzies” (presents) for teens and their parents. With the help of family and friends, Ollie fulfills several orders a day from his home, where he stores his stock, some of which he sources from China. Related: Rampant Bullying Found Across Workplaces He says Ollie’s Shop sales rolled in from day one and haven’t stopped since. Ollie garnered a profit of more than 2,500 pounds, he claims, in the first six months alone. “When I hit my first 10,000 [$16,870], I knew I had something here. That’s when the light went off! I knew I was on the journey to success, and, so far, I’ve been lucky. I have never lost a penny.”   Ollie suspects he was bullied by his classmates at the prestigious Oxfordshire boarding school Bruern Abbey, his country’s only preparatory school for boys with learning difficulties, possibly because they were “jealous” of his commitment and drive to achieving his business goals. “I never got the answer why they did it to me. It’s a shame that I didn’t get on with the boys, or they didn’t get on with me, but you have to move on in life." Related: 4 Ways to Prevent Office Bullies His advice to kids who are bullied in school, due to insensitivity toward a learning difference or otherwise, is to flat-out ignore their harassers. “Things like this happen in life, but you have to crack on with life. Onwards and upwards!” Better to channel your anger and upset from being bullied into pursuing your dreams and to helping others enduring a similar plight, specifically through volunteering, Ollie says. "Making a difference to someone can mean changing someone's life. I’ve always been very passionate about helping others, not just for PR, but from the heart, too." He’s volunteered for a variety of charities, including East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, the Army Benevolent Fund's The Soldiers' Charity, and he’s currently the U.K. Ambassador for Winners Win, an online inspirational publication that connects readers with philanthropic organizations. Using his own money, he’s also establishing a charity to help young entrepreneurs start their own businesses while they’re still in school. Related: Richard Branson on Turning a Disadvantage to Your Advantage Ollie also suggests that all kids, especially teen entrepreneurs, talk about their hopes, dreams and challenges with successful adults they trust and admire. If you don’t have access to a mentor -- aside from his parents, Ollie didn’t when first started out -- connect with a mentor through a local youth-oriented mentorship program. Or seek out entrepreneurial success stories on YouTube, like he did. ("My mentor was YouTube!" he says.) Now 16, Ollie has opened his second online shop, Charmou. Launched just four months ago, the fashion-focused ecommerce site already features some 23 up-and-coming apparel brands, 250 products in all from across the globe. Ollie’s goal is to offer 365 brands in all by early next year.   With school behind him, Ollie’s deepening his focus on making it big in business, specifically at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy. The school is owned by Peter Jones, a serial entrepreneur and former panelist on Dragon’s Den, the British equivalent of ABC's Shark Tank. Related: 9 Ideas For Teen Businesses By making it big, Ollie means becoming a millionaire. “If I can become a millionaire either by 20 or in my 20s, or before I die, I would be a happy chap. Money does matter to me, but there’s no point in earning millions if you hate your job. I would much rather be self-employed. How far off am I [from getting rich]? Look at the rich list in a few years' time.”

TOP 5 FUN THINGS YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE YOU DIE.

1. Go to Australia. Locate 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. (If you don't know that address you need to get out more)

2. Wear a shirt that says "Life". Hand out lemons to people.

3. Get an walk in closet. Decorate it like Narnia.

5. Walk into a pizza store. Order delivery. Get a free ride back home.

FREE LIMITED EDITION TANK TOP CONTEST

How to enter:

Step 1. Go to www.PassionFirstApparel.com

Step 2. Go to Shop Page

Step 3. Purchase one of our shirts

Step 4. Wait and see if you're chosen for our free limited edition tank top!

THINGS EVERY PERSON SHOULD DO BEFORE THEY DIE.

1. Apologize. Now, apologize isn't a thing you'll find on most life lists. But then, most life lists require you to exit your life, or your good sense, to execute the list items—parachute from outer space, visit the Titanic, sit through a whole season of Girls. Not that you'd be tempted, but don't do those things. Do these.

2. Take one stunning train trip. The more nights, the better.

3. Get lost in the world. Because when you don’t know where you are, you just might end up in the pace where you most want to be. You don’t have to go to the Atacama Desert in Chile either. But it helps.

4. Make a sandwich at three in the morning. 

5. Swim naked. (At least 30 minutes after that sandwich)

A Little Girl Wrote Google A Letter Asking To Give Her Dad A Day Off, And Google Responded

  Here's some advice on how to get some time off from work: Have your daughter send a really cute letter to your employer, asking them to give you a day off.

Bonus points if the letter is written in crayon.

One little girl decided to give her dad a hand. She wrote his employer, which happens to be Google, a letter, asking that they cut him some slack with the work schedule.

The letter reads:

Dear Google Worker,

Can you please make sure when daddy goes to work, he gets one day off. Like he can get a day off on Wednesday. Because daddy only gets a day off on Saturday. 

From, Katie

P.S. It is Daddy's BIRTHDAY

P.P.S. It is summer, you know

Perhaps it was the crayon, or perhaps it was that final nudge about it being summer, but Google obliged. 

In a letter back to Katie, her dad's boss, Senior Design Manager Daniel Shiplacoff, not only complimented Katie's dad on his hard work, but also gave him a bonus week off. Since it is summer, after all. 

Starbucks Announces Price Hike

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks is raising prices on some of its drinks by 5 cents to 20 cents starting next week, and customers can also soon expect to pay $1 more for the packaged coffee it sells in supermarkets.

The Seattle-based chain also raised prices on some of the drinks sold in its cafes a year ago. The latest hikes don't seem to be driven purely by the surging bean costs that have pressured other coffee sellers to raise prices, however, since Starbucks has said it already locked in its coffee contracts for the rest of this fiscal year and much of the next.

In March, CEO Howard Schultz said during an interview with Fox Business that Starbucks had no intentions of raising its prices.

"We can manage this, we have over a year's worth of protection," Schultz said at the time. "I suspect that most of our competitors are short, and we are in a much better position than they are."

1. Rambutan Native to the Malay Archipelago, Southeast Asia Got a sweet tooth? Look no further than the rambutan – a sweet and juicy fruit that looks like a lychee. It’s a popular garden fruit tree and one of the most famous in Southeast Asia.

2. Jackfruit Native to southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka If you like pineapple, you’ll love jackfruit. You can get it canned or as sweet chips. Yum.

3. Passion fruit Native to South America No explanation required for this one. What’s not to love about passion fruit?

4. Lychee Native to southern China If you’re looking for a little extra Vitamin C, can we interest you in a lychee martini?

1. THRE DAYS, ALL NIGHT PARTYING, THE PEOPLE 

 Nothing kills a festival vibe liking going to a festival that is one day long and only a mere 8 hours. This is not the case at EDC. EDC is three full days and runs from dusk till dawn. Set in a location that will blow your mind the Las Vegas Motor Speedway which is usually used for racing events. Packed with people who are all their for the same reason to enjoy the vibe, the art, make memories and of course most importantly the music. Everything added together makes for an experience you will remember for a lifetime, memories you will have embedded in you and you will meet new people, make new friends that will be in your life forever. EDC is an experience you need to experience once in your life.   Dance Dance Dance all night long! 

2.THE MUSIC.

The lineup is bursting with only the best in DJ talent. The lineup includes big names as well as upcoming names 

3.THE DRESS

It's no secret people plan their EDC outfits like months in advance. They spend hours on making their outfits and you are bound to see crazy outrageous outfits, from bedazzled bras, tutus, fluffy boots,  and daisies adorning their garments. Not to the hours of creating kandi. Kandi covered arms, kandi to exchange . Everywhere you looked there there are beautiful people and amazing outfits to admire. You dont have to clothed you can be 98% naked or not. The choice is your and the best part is that at the end no one is going to judge you. 

4.EDC WEEK PARTIES

EDC is not the only party. During the week of EDC every club on the Las Vegas strip is buzzing with their own parties. Kicking of on the  Monday till the Sunday you are spoilt for choice, from day parties, to pool parties to club parties, to all night parties with only the best DJ's playing! You can call it a week of non-stop partying! 

5.DRAMATIC DECOR

From the lounge-like Cooling Zones to the posh VIP decks, every corner of EDC is designed with unparalleled attention to detail. Floating chandeliers illuminate the plush VIP tables and state-of-the-art LED paneling, lasers and pyrotechnics bring each unique stage design to life. 

Have a Passion for traveling? Well check out these top 5 cities for travel before you die.

1.NEW YORK. is the Big Apple, the East Coast Hollywood, and the Theater center of the world. This city is full of life and energy. There’s many reasons why New York is called the city that never sleeps. No matter what time of day (or night) there is a restaurant open, a show or play to see, or something fantastic to discover. You will never fully feel like you’ve explored enough of New York and everyone who comes has a different experience than another. But that’s just what makes it so special. New York is a must for everyone’s top destinations!

2. ROME. Where else in the world can you experience ancient ruins across the street from a modern art deco museum, all while enjoying a huge bowl of pasta and wine at an outdoor patio? The best thing about Rome is there are no limits to what you can see and do. This is the true coming together of old world meets new world. One minute you will be catching your breath from the beauty of the Colosseum and the next moment you are licking gelato and walking through world class shops. The best part is this city is for everyone. Families, honeymooners, and college students alike can all enjoy the ruins, duomos, and museums. They are after all, one of a kind.

3. PARIS.The City of Love is as romantic and corny as you could possibly get. That’s why Paris is such a great place to visit. Lovers come here at some point in their lives to experience the romance that practically oozes out of every museum, theater, and opera. The Louvre, Sacré Coeur, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame are just a few of the wonderful places you have to see. This city is so full of culture and elegance it is impossible to not fall in love with it.

4.LONDON. Cheers! You have arrived in London. That is the vibe you get the second your feet hit the pavement, and you won’t stop moving until your are exhausted. One of the most visited cities by college students in Europe, London is a wonderful place to visit. It is often considered the home away from home because of the similarities drawn to the USA. Many movies have taken place depicting this lovely city, but you really must come and see it for yourself. Bring a good pair of walking shoes because you will be running all over the city to see the amazing sights.