J. Benjamin Clothing Co.

Branding & Brand Identity

2010-03-01T10:26:00.004-06:00

When you see my "JB" logo, are you able to recognize it's me? I am constantly thinking about branding and brand identity because I realize how important to a company it is. After all, if you don't know who I am do I really even exist? I have a running engine of a a creative mind that just thinks constantly. I like to think about J. Benjamin a lot. While I took a few months off to try to rebuild the brand I tried to think of a way to be more visible. Believe it or not, being invisible after being on the scenes for a while, made people know about me more. Whether or not people like what I am doing or not, they were wondering if I was still working on my brand. I told them I had a few things in store but time is what I need at the moment.

While I was rebuilding, I wanted to figure out ways to enhance the customer experience. I wanted people to really enjoy everything about J. Benjamin Clothing Co. I thought and wrote about so many ideas. One idea that I was previously hesitant on was stickers. It seems like every indie clothing company has stickers so I was thinking why would I want to do what everyone else has already done? While away, I realized how influential a simple sticker can be. I was perusing the internet one day and came across a person sitting down with their laptop and on the backside of the screen was a sticker of another company. I am sure they put it on their computer because it was cool looking and they probably received it free of charge but for the company who gave it away it was a simple advertising technique. This person was sitting in some Wi-fi'd area where many customers pass by. Now if there was someone else in this same establishment on a computer, without even asking the person about the sticker, they could themselves look up the name and surely be brought to a website of the company.

So why in the world would I not want to use stickers? I began to look on the internet for stickers and came across an awesome company that makes extremely fantastic, vibrant looking stickers. Standout Stickers (www.standoutstickers.com), just by the name itself, lets me know that these are the people I want to give a try and get some stickers from. Who wouldn't want to stand out and be noticed when identifying your brand? Well, here's to a simple way to standing out and creating a lasting brand identity. Maybe next time you're in your local coffee shop you will see my logo on someone's computer.

Helping Haiti

2010-01-20T21:28:00.003-06:00

Hey friends of J. Benjamin Clothing. I am writing you today to ask for your help in giving to those in need in Haiti. I have already offered that any purchase made at www.jbenjaminclothing.com, 50% of all purchases will go towards helping those in Haiti. I also want to extend a new offer that I feel will be very effective in getting more money to the Haiti.

My friend, Mike "Ambassador" Bruny is an employee at Intel Corporation in Massachusetts. Last week, he made a video and a website (click here to watch and view) that explains his connection to Haiti and how his company will match dollar for dollar any donation made by an employee. His goal is to reach $2,000 ($4,000 after company matches) by February 5th.

How can you help? Well, most recently, Mike and I connected with his book, Move the Crowd, and a tee designed by me. I will donate 100% of all Move the Crowd tee purchases to Mike's fund. If you are not interested in the tee, you can also just click the donate button on his site. Mike is also offering to donate 100% of all his audiobook sales, 50% of his paperback book sales, and 100% of his 1-hour coaching sessions to the fund.

Please visit his site and check out what his has going on. Any donation will help and I hope that you can help reach out and help those in need.

Thank you from your future favorite clothing company,

John for J. Benjamin Clothing Co.

The Best Holiday Tee's

2009-11-30T12:23:00.004-06:00

I love holiday time! I like when the family gets together to celebrate. I like the cooking and big feasts. I like cooler weather and the sweaters that you could wear. I like the seasonal lattes offered at Starbucks. I like the decorations and time that retail stores and cities put up. It really is the "most wonderful time of the year"!

Last year I saw some really cool tee's that I didn't pick up but wish I did. I decided to compile a list of a few tee's that I find cool this year. Maybe Santa will bring me one or two.

Big Kid Thief by Johnny Cupcakes ($35.99)
www.johnnycupcakes.com

You are Unique ($18.95) by Snorg Tees
www.snorgtees.com

Snow Day by Snowed In ($25.00)
http://snowedinwintergear.bigcartel.com

Peanuts Stupid Holiday by 80's Tees ($24.00)
www.80stees.com

Grinch I Hate Christmas by Emerchandise ($23.99)
www.emerchandise.com

Festivus -For the Rest of Us by Noisebot ($22.95)
www.noisebot.com

Welcome to the Party!

2009-11-12T22:47:00.004-06:00

You're invited to the party! So come on in! Well, not a real party. Sorry if I got your hopes up. I am referring to the party of goals. In this case the party is the ultimate goal and the person hosting the party is the goal-getter. Still confused? Allow me to explain.

I do a lot of things in the kitchen. I cook, bake, clean, sweep, wash dishes, etc. You know, all the things one does in a kitchen. I came to the realization today that I do a lot of my thinking while in the kitchen. I especially do it a lot while washing dishes. Usually no one is talking to me so as the water is running my mind begins to wander and I start to think about things. Anyways, today one of my friends mentioned how he felt as if he was in a rut. I didn't comment on the situation at the time but I suppose this is my comment to his dilemma. I too, recently stressed to a couple of people that I talk to on a regular basis that I felt as if I was stuck or in a rut. Why was I feeling stuck though? What was I stuck on? Well in this particular situation I felt that I was just "spinning my wheels" when it came to my clothing company. After talking it out with these two people, I came to the realization that I wasn't really stuck. I actually had the answers right inside of me but my problem was taking action. So what does this have to do with a party? I'll tell you.

I wanted to start a clothing line since forever. I knew that I needed to JUST DO IT but back then, before I started anything, I felt like I was stuck. Once I got the ball rolling my momentum began to build. I was now "invited" to the party. I was given an invitation but I still had to decide whether to go or not. As momentum began to build, I began planning and executing what I would do to start a clothing line. I decided the best way for me to start was to design one t-shirt and market it to people I think would find it interesting. The only way to get one of the shirts was to pre-order it. So in a sense, I was now in the car and on my way to the party. I set a deadline and orders came in until the deadline. I made a connection with a printer and ordered some tee's and away we went. Over the next couple of months this is how I orchestrated my business. I offered a shirt and people had to pre-order it and it was then shipped to them when it was finished. Now if I was at the party I would be considered just a spectator. I'm not socializing much. Basically just being a wallflower.

Now in my mind my ultimate goal is to be the hostess of the party. I want to be the one who invites others to come over. I want to be the one who organizes the event. At the moment though, I just feel like one of the people mingling. I am socializing a bit but I am just part of the crowd. Now how do I go from just being part of the party to being the party? That's is where planning comes in as well as executing. I planned, although not the best, but was able to execute my moves in order to get the ball rolling. If there are steps to take then I should never really feel stuck. If at anytime I feel stuck I think it's because I am failing to execute plans or I have no plans to be directed by. Opportunity occurs when you take the necessary steps to set up the chance of embracing what you are after. I believe people only feel stuck because they want to achieve something. Whether they know it or not the feeling of "wheels spinning" happens because you want to achieve something more. Isn't that what a part of living life is about? Setting goals and reaching them only to strive to want more. Life would be pretty boring if we weren't looking for better, don't you think?

Many people that I am inspired by would be the hosts of the parties I want to attend. I am enjoying the company at their party but I want to be more than just the socializer. I'm really trying to have them at my party and inviting new people to my party. While being at others parties I take notes. I take notes on how to have a successful party. I take notes on what kind of work goes into putting on a well put together gathering. This is my planning. This is where I learn while I patiently execute my brand to be one of better known, sought-after companies.

So where are you at the party? Have you been invited yet? Are you still wishing you were invited to the party? Where do you fit in at the party? Are you the life of the party? Are you blending in with the crowd?

As Will Smith said in the movie Pursuit of Happyness, "If you got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. If you want something, GO GET IT! Period!"

J. Benjamin Clothing 2.0

2009-11-11T22:44:00.004-06:00

First and foremost I want to thank everyone who has supported J. Benjamin Clothing Co. thus far whether it was purchasing a t-shirt, giving advice, supporting my Facebook fan page, retweets on Twitter, and countless other ways you may have motivated me to continue to follow my dream. Since the start of 2009, I decided to finally give it a go at starting my pathway towards my own clothing line. I have great ultimate goals I want to achieve but I felt one way to get there was to design t-shirts. I certainly have come a long way since my first design and I am still working towards my ultimate goal.

As you can see with the picture next to this post it says "under construction". Technically I am not going anywhere but what that means is that I am working on making the brand better. As stated before I decided to just give it a go when starting this so I could at least generate the momentum to continue towards what I want. Well now that I have generated some momentum, I now feel it is time to make the brand more personal and customized. During this time I will be adding more personal touches to the tee's as well as to other aspects of the whole brand. When you see the product in the future it will be so much more "J. Benjamin".

Unfortunately, for you and me, being under construction also means there will be no new product. My store will still be open as long as product is available. I've been considering putting out a teaser piece but if I do it will look more like the future J. Benjamin Clothing than the way it is now. My target date to relaunch will be in the Spring of 2010. I have an actually date in mind but I will announce that at a later time. Meanwhile, I will be raising the necessary funds and working on other aspects of J. Benjamin Clothing Co. so that the "new" J. Benjamin becomes more of a success.

I have some designs ready but again that will take some time to do. My question to you is, what types of suggestions do you have that I can do now to build the J. Benjamin brand that doesn't cost anything? I have a small list of things that I want to do but I am looking to really create a buzz about the "new" J. Benjamin brand. Now, I am not necessarily talking about just marketing here, I am looking for suggestions also in all areas of business that do not require capital. Please feel free to either leave comments below or contact me at my email: jbsiii3@jbenjaminclothing.com. I would love to connect with you and talk about how to grow. As Rev Run said, "Surround yourself with smart people! Half of being smart is knowing what you're dumb about!"

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2009-10-12T22:37:00.014-05:00

Hello again friends. Thanks again for visiting and if this is your first time, welcome to the J. Benjamin Clothing blog. If you are a first time visitor or if you are just wondering why am I posting recipes on a clothing blog then the answer is because cooking inspires me and I like sharing my gifts and talents with all of you.

The weather has slightly dropped in Texas very recently (although today I consider it pretty warm) the cooler weather makes me want to do cold weather things like; bake my yearly apple and pumpkins pies (I will be posting these recipes with pics soon too), apple picking (there isn't any of that in Texas though), carving pumpkins, drinking Gingerbread or Pumpkin Spice lattes, and cooking warm, hearty meals.

The recipe I am sharing with you today is courtesy of Rachael Ray. I first saw it in her magazine and made it immediately about a year ago. EVERYONE loved it! I have been wanting to make it again and I thought what a good time to do it. So you can follow along with my pics and try it yourself or just check out the mouth watering pics I have posted.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

What you'll need:

2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for greasing
1 red onion, finely chopped
2/3 c. of ketchup
2/3 c. of bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 c. dill pickle chips, chopped
1-1/2 lbs. of ground beef
8 oz. of cheddar cheese, cut into 1/3" cubes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the edges of a loaf pan and set aside.

On a cutting board finely chop the onion. Then in a skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of the Olive Oil over medium heat and cook the onions until soft. This should take about 3 minutes.

Now, in a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup, and chopped dill pickle chips (chopping has to be done prior to combining or you can cheat like I did and use pickle relish). Mix the ingredients together.

Once those are mixed together, stir in the onions.

On the cutting board, cut the Cheddar Cheese into small cubes (you could cheat here and buy the prepared cheese cubes also).

In the bowl, mix the cheese and the ground beef with the the other ingredients.

Place meat mixture into loaf pan. Set it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Thermometer should read 160 degrees when finished. Let the loaf sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

I served mine with mashed potatoes. You can serve yours with whatever side dish you most enjoy. The pickles, onions, and cheese make this meatloaf so good. I hope you enjoy it and please comment on the recipe if you do end up trying it. ENJOY!

Simple Spaghetti & Meatballs

2009-10-07T23:28:00.013-05:00

Hello again friends! I am going to offer a simple and quick spaghetti and meatballs dish that I made last weekend. It is really quick and easy to make so if you are really busy and have some hunger people waiting this definitely won't take long. People make think you slaved all day over a hot stove but you will know the truth.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground turkey
Salt & pepper for seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/3 c of parsley
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 c of bread crumbs
1 egg
Spaghetti noodles
1 jar of pasta sauce

Pour water into pot according to amount set by the box. Add 1 tsp. of salt to the water while boiling. Boil until al dente according to box directions. Drain when done and set aside.

Meanwhile, pour jar of sauce in saucepan and set it on low. Let it simmer while you prepare your meatball. Makes sure to stir the sauce occasionally so that it won't burn.

In a skillet, add 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil and saute the chopped garlic cloves until just brown. This will go into the large bowl of meat.

Now in a large bowl, put your ground meats into the bowl along with a gently whisked egg, salt and pepper, bread crumbs, shredded Parmesan cheese, sauted garlic, and parsley. Now lightly mix all the ingredients with your hands until all the ingredients are combined. Don't over mix.

Form 1" balls with the meat. They should look like this:

Put 1 tbsp. of Olive Oil in the skillet again and place meatballs inside with enough room to cook comfortably. Don't overcrowd. You should cook the meatballs for about 1 to 1 1/2 where each side is brown and the meatball is cooked fully through.

Once the meatballs are fully cooked place them on a baking sheet that are covered with paper towels.

Once complete, place noodles on a plate, then meatballs, and top with sauce. Then ENJOY!

Shredded Bufflao Chicken Sandwich With Sweet Potato Fries

2009-10-06T12:09:00.002-05:00

Hey friends! I have been trying to work on this for a while and I seem to have gathered a little interest in my food postings. I post what I make for dinner on Facebook and Twitter but I never share my recipes. Better yet, I haven't shared my recipes. Many of my recipes I get are from the internet mostly. I take pieces or most of the ingredients and just throw done in the kitchen. It is one of my passions and I am glad that a lot of you are enjoying what I have made so far. I had a few requests last night for the titled post so here I will share with you. The Shredded Buffalo Chicken is from www.kraftfoods.com and the sweet potato fries I have just made so many times that I mastered it. I will try my best to give you a recipe that will feed about 4ish people.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

4 cups shredded chicken breast

1/2 cup hot pepper sauce for Buffalo wings (I prefer the Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles

1 pack of sandwich buns

1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cut chicken breast in pieces so they will cook easier in the pan and place in to pan to fry. Cook chicken on medium heat. Cooking time will be about 3-5 minutes. Chicken will be white all the way through.

While chicken is cooking, chop celery stalks. Mix mayo, ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and celery together in a small bowl. Set aside.

When chicken is finished, set aside to let cool. Once chicken is cool enough to touch pull chicken apart into shreds. Once all chicken is shredded, place it back into pan and mix the buffalo sauce and water. Cover all shredded chicken pieces with sauce.

Now layer chicken on to bun then creamy sauce, then shredded cheese.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel each potato and then cut into fries.

Place the cut potatoes in a large sealed plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bag. Seal the bag and shake until the fries are all evenly covered.

Place the fries on a baking sheet and cook for 30 mins. Flip fries after the first 15 mins.

Take out and let fries cool for 5 minutes. Then ENJOY!

Moving the Crowd

2009-09-17T15:31:00.003-05:00

Many of you have been asking me what were the Move the Crowd questions that I was posting for the last month? Move the Crowd is a daily affirmation book by my friend Mike Bruny, a certified lifestyle and success coach, that explores lyrics by Hip-hop artists that he found inspiring. He interprets the lyrics in his own way and uses them in a positive and uplifting light. At the end of each day, he asks a thought provoking question so that the reader will dig inside themselves to reveal their true potential.

Mike and I have been working on a project for a few months and starting on October 3rd, Mike and I will be offering a limited edition Move the Crowd/J. Benjamin Clothing Co. t-shirt, book, and CD bundle. The bundle will be available at Hartwick College (our alma mater) for the first time on the 3rd from 4-6 p.m. during his book signing. You can purchase the bundle for $20 or you can purchase the t-shirt separately for $15 and the book separately for $10. The CD will be mixed by DJ Whutevva from New York City's Power 105.1 FM and will contain the songs from each daily affirmation. The limited edition tee's will be available to the public on Monday, October 5th. If you have any questions or if you want more information you can contact Mike at bruny@runthepoint.com or John at jbsiii3@jbenjaminclothing.com.

More Updates

2009-08-28T09:59:00.002-05:00

I felt I should write something since I haven't in a few days. I have done a few things with J. Benjamin since I last wrote. After last weekend, I took a few days away from the whole entrepreneur thing (as much as my mind would allow) and just let all my thoughts go out to the universe. I came back on Monday much calmer and less frustrated and got my domain to at least go to the J. Benjamin store. I still don't really understand the linking problem with the blog but I still have that. I am not going to worry about it right now.

I have been working on a few projects at the moment. I am still trying to finalize the Five Second Rule shirt. I am still waiting for pics from all of you who have J. Benjamin shirts for the contest. I guess no one wants to win a free tee. Hmm, weird! I am also working on a book/t-shirt bundle with Move the Crowd author Mike Bruny. Lastly, a big project I am working on is for my friends charity, Erin Blair Foundation, which supports women with their fight against breast cancer. I originally was going to do t-shirts but I think I have come up with a more affordable fun idea that will generate donations for the foundation. In the last couple of years, I have known too many people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and I want to help however I can. Stay tuned to see what I will have.

New Tee and Some Updates

2009-08-19T12:36:00.002-05:00

Hola people! Here's a rough sketch of what to expect in a few weeks. The shirt is called "Five Second Rule" and will be out very soon. I had a minor setback with my shirts that came from the t-shirt company. Once that is all cleared up we will be ready to roll. I have a lot of plans for three other tee's too. I will make my first signature tee and I have two collaboration tee's that I will be doing. One is with my friend for the book, Move the Crowd: 30 Days of Hip-Hop Affirmations to Change Your Life by Mike Bruny and the other will be for Breast Cancer Awareness month for the Erin Blair Foundation. Until then you can visit my new store at www.jbenjaminclothing.com.

J. Benjamin Picture Contest

2009-08-13T09:01:00.002-05:00

Send me your best, funniest, most creative pic of you in your J. Benjamin shirt. I will select the best pic on Sept. 7th. The winner will receive the newest J. Benjamin shirt that will be out in the next few weeks for free. There is a one pic maximum so be sure to make yours count! All pics that are already on the fan wall on the Facebook Fan Page do not count towards the contest. If you haven't gotten a shirt yet you have a little over 3 weeks to get yours and get your pic in. I still have a handful of Brainstorm and Nerds are Cool tee's left. So get out there, have fun, and send those pics. Contact me at jbsiii3@hotmail.com if you would like more information on how to purchase a shirt. Also, what do you think about the new J. Benjamin Clothing Co. logo?

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

2009-08-11T22:59:00.003-05:00

Hey, Hey, Hey! I finally have some updates for you guys. Lets start with the latest. My artist and I have been working on a couple new designs for J. Benjamin Clothing Co. and I am really anxious to produce them. I should have one new design out within the next three weeks and the other we are just starting. The one that is almost complete is another humor one. I think it is hilarious and I am sure you all will too.

The Nerds are Cool shirt ended up being a major hit! I underestimated how popular the shirt was going to be and made very few prints. I decided to run a few more and they sold lot hotcakes. I only have a handful left. I have gotten requests for older shirts but my company is designed to make the buyer feel like they own something cool and special so I will not be reproducing any of the past designs. Once we sell out of each design then that is it. But doesn't that make you excited and want to pay close attention to what will be printed?

I have been getting a lot of wonderful feedback from everyone and I hope to continue to make things that you all enjoy. I have been coming up with all kinds of ideas and I hope that in the near future I can implement some of them.

Until next time,

John for J. Benjamin Clothing Co.

Sole Boutique's Sneaker Palooza

2009-08-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

Last night I was invited to sell my J. Benjamin tee's at Sole Boutique's monthly Sneaker Palooza in San Antonio, TX. I was very excited to show them to my target market. I got great feedback as well as inspiration from people. I also sold a few of the shirts too. Here's a link to Sole Boutique's blog where you can see the pics of the first Sneaker Palooza.

J. Benjamin T-shirt Sale

2009-07-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

I will be holding a sale this week (July 28-31) on the Hearts & Diamond, Opening Day, and Brainstorm J. Benjamin tee's. If you are interested just contact me by message or email (jbsiii3@hotmail.com). Below is a list of what is available. Once they are gone, they're gone! All prices are listed next to tee name. $5 will be added to the order for shipping. Can not combined discount with any other offer. Don't forget to take advantage of the referral incentive program. You can find more info about that in the Discussion section on the fan page.

Hearts and Diamond $11.50 (these fit like normal men tee but are for women)

Medium - 2
Large - 1

To view click link: http://jbenjaminclothing.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

Opening Day $20.00 (this is a woman's tee and it has fitted fit)

Small - 1

To view click link: http://jbenjaminclothing.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

Brainstorm $20.00 (Men tee is regular fit and women's is fitted)

Women
Small - 3
Medium - 3

Men
Medium - 2
Large - 3

To view click link: http://jbenjaminclothing.blogspot.com/2009/06/official-brainstorm-tee.html

Thanks for looking!

J. Benjamin Referral Incentive Program

2009-07-28T07:58:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking of a cool way to get new people interested in J. Benjamin Clothing Co. So I thought, why not offer the currents fans a way to get free stuff? That’s how I came up with the J. Benjamin Referral Incentive Program.

The J. Benjamin Referral Incentive Program will give you $5 credit for every new referral you send after they complete a purchase! All you have to do is tell the referral about J. Benjamin Clothing Co., they make a purchase, and WAH-LAH, $5 credit to use towards anything J. Benjamin product you want! You can either use your credit immediately or save the credit until you have enough for some free stuff. Who wouldn’t want free stuff, right?!

How does this program work? Send your new referral to the fan page if they have Facebook. They must have never purchased any J. Benjamin Clothing products before. Tell them to click the link to become a fan. Have them browse the available products and contact me when they want to me a purchase. When they contact me with their method of payment (check sent to my address or Paypal) they must mention your name in the request. Once the item is shipped out you will receive $5 credit. I will keep track of each and every referral that you send.

It’s that simple! So, what are you waiting for?! Tell your friends. Tell your not friends. Tell everyone! It doesn’t matter. If you have any questions, just message me. I will do my best to address your concern(s).

Nerds are Cool Tee

2009-07-14T09:56:00.004-05:00

I showed you all a few weeks ago the blurred version of what was to come. Well finally, later this week, the Nerds Are Cool tee will be out. As I stated last week, I am using a new printer, so the prices of these are down a tad. Each shirt will be $19.50 plus $5 shipping if you need it shipped. This is the lowest price ever for a J. Benjamin shirt so if you can please pick one up! Sizes are very limited.

"They tryin' to bring the 80's back. That's ok, that's where they made me at..."

2009-07-05T20:39:00.005-05:00

I got an all-white surfer's G-shock for Father's Day and now I want one of these too! Check out the article by Complex Fashion to get more info on these awesome throwbacks!

Following a passion/dream

2009-06-23T10:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday on Twitter, I woke up to this quote that Mr. James T. Smith a.k.a. LL Cool J posted:

The greatest danger for a lot of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we reach it.

WOW! How powerful are those words?! How many of us set such simple goals to achieve because we truly don't believe or trust in ourselves completely? One we do reach that goal we feel accomplished yet we really haven't made any REAL progress. This quote is so moving to me. I can not stop think about it. It's so real. I have always said that there are two types of people on this world. There are the one's who follow what others say and achieve what others only believe is achievable. Then there is the person who dreams and believes that anything is achievable and going beyond what others try to stop them at achieving. Make sense? Sure it does. I'll explain in a real-life example.

When I was younger, about 11 years old, I developed a love of clothing. I would go to different stores, mainly the BX on the Air Force base, and look at all the new clothes. Every week I would ask my mother if she could purchase this or that for me because I "had to have it"! There was the burgundy jeans, the plain-front khakis, the Fila coat, the Nike Air Jordan tee, etc. that I had to have. I was so intrigued by fashion already that I decided that I wanted to be a clothing designer. I began telling people my dream. I got some positive encouragement but what I really remembered was the negative comments. The worst one that I heard more than once was that designers were "gay". Not all designers just male designers. Well, going from a child to an adolescent, fitting in is what we do. Well I don't want to be considered gay especially while making new friends and trying to be cool. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against gay people but as an adolscent young man, being gay will not go over well.

So years passed and I filed that dream in the archives of my brain. My first job I took was at a clothing store. I still loved clothes even though my dream had been set aside. I used to get into trouble because my father wanted me to save my money but every week I had to have something new still. As I went through high school I always got compliments on my style and clothing. Still in my mind I knew I loved clothes. One year in high school, we went on a trip to NYC to visit F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology). I loved it there! I thought that I definitely should go there. As my senior year began and I had to seriously start thinking of college I did think about F.I.T. But what I remembered was that there was mostly only girls at the school (That should have definitely encouraged me to go). Again, the words of people saying designers were only gay began to speak in my mind. So I didn't choose to go there or even enroll in anything that had to do with fashion whatsoever.

I completed my college career knowing that I wanted to be some sort of entrepreneur. But what? Real estate? Investing? Franchising? My mind always seemed to focus on clothing. Well maybe I should open a clothing store. Well I don't really have the finances or the perfect credit to do so so that is out of the question. So I continued to work in clothing stores. See a pattern here. Finally, I moved from Boston to San Antonio and that is where I really found myself. I realized who cares what people think. There are only two kinds of people in this world when it comes to achieving goals and dreams. I already knew that I wasn't the one who could spend all my time climbing a corporate ladder. How could I spend the next 45ish years working for someone else, day in and day out, helping build someone else's dream while I have a life of my own and could build my own.

It took me a few years to figure out the best name for my company, J. Benjamin Clothing but it was worth the wait. One of my biggest fears was actually taking the risk to start. How can I finance this? What if people don't even like what I do? What if it takes too long? What if I fail? How will I ever know the answers to those questions if I never try. So I began designing. I began the first few steps to what I have always dreamed of. I am still at the very beginning stages of where I plan to be but I have never felt so much excitement and happiness by trying to do what I was meant to do.

Do you have dreams and goals? I bet you there have been many people who laughed at them or even said there is no way that could happen. How do they know that? Those are the people who follow the simple path of what they think life is supposed to be about. They don't want to put in the hard work of achieving great success. They may overcome a few obstacles but once there becomes too many or there is one too big they give up. Why give up? Because it's the easiest thing to do. Give up, go back to what you already know and keep doing the same old thing. Instead of trying to figure out a new avenue to overcome the obstacle retreating to what is comfortable is what most people do. Now I ask you again, do you have dreams and goals? Are you truly going after them or are your waiting for someday? Has there been enough people to tell you that your goal is just a dream? Well it is to them because they know that the comfortable way works. It gives you a paycheck. Does that paycheck even make you happy though? Probably not. It's not too late to go after what your heart desires. It may be harder to get there but chasing a dream never expires. I encourage all of you to go after what your heart wants. Start by making little goals for yourself. Once you achieve those little goals, make new little goals. Keep going until you actually realize your dream. I bet once you actually obtain it you will have newer dreams that will need newer goals to achieve.

You are the only one holding yourself back from achieving your dream! Lets start today together and I will see you at the top!

My New Business Cards

2009-06-17T11:10:00.005-05:00

I just finished designing my business cards for J. Benjamin Clothing. I have designed business cards before and had a lot of fun doing it. I wanted something that looked really cool and reflected the style of the company and my personality. Let me know what you think!

Coming Soon Sample

2009-06-11T13:23:00.004-05:00

Here is a new tee that will be coming soon! I know its blurry. I building suspense!

Keeping My Dream Alive

2009-06-11T12:01:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of people who dislike Twitter because they don't see the value in posting "what you ate for breakfast". There are many who have failed to see that it can be more than that. I began using Twitter because The View kept talking about it so I decided to see what it was all about.

I began following people that I normally read up on such as Rev Run (@RevrunWisdom), Johnny Cupcakes (@JohnnyCupcakes), etc. As I kept following new people I would view other profiles and find more interesting people. Then I realized that there are a lot of motivated people on Twitter that really want to help others succeed whether they are educators, entrepreneur's themselves, or just someone to give you that extra push to go for your dream.

I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon one of my favorite people on Twitter but all this week since it has been on my mind of achieving my ultimate dream of having a full fledged clothing line, there was a video I wanted to share with you by her. Kimberly Bohannon (@goforyourdream) is an excellent motivator and she helps guide you and remind you how to get there. I have watched this video several times because it reminds me everyday what I need to do and I believe it works. I think people don't realize that you really can have anything you want like your parents told you if you are willing to work hard. It all begins by building momentum and taking small step by making goals. Below is the video that I want all of you to see and I hope you find it as fascinating as I do!

The Official Brainstorm Tee

2009-06-06T10:12:00.002-05:00

Your future favorite clothing brand presents the hottest tee for the beginning of summer! It comes in both men (M,L, & XL) and women (S & M) sizes. The woman shirt is slightly fitted. They are $25 for the shirt plus $5 shipping. You can visit the website jbenjaminclothing.bigcartel.com to pick one up or email me at jbsiiii3@hotmail.com. There is a limited quantity so pick one up soon!

Checkout the J. Benjamin Store!!

2009-06-01T12:03:00.002-05:00

I just made a temporary online store for all J. Benjamin shirts. You can now buy right off the internet. Check out the store at http://jbenjaminclothing.bigcartel.com. I will try this store thing for awhile to see if it works out. You can still just email me or get in contact with me and order from me that way too.

About the company

2009-05-05T10:51:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to write a section like this for a while so that you, the customer and/or fan, know a little more about what J. Benjamin Clothing is all about. J. Benjamin Clothing Brand is way to express myself creatively and allow you to be a part of my passion. As a perfectionist, I strive to give you the best all the time. That is why when making the product, I choose to use nothing but the best quality garments. All garments are made in the U.S.A. With each design and progression I make with this company, I hope to give you something that is always classic as well as exciting! I want you to give you something that you will want to come back for. I want my creative brand to feel like a lifestyle.

Brainstorm Shirt

2009-04-24T09:19:00.004-05:00

J. Benjamin fans, I am introducing the new design that will be coming out soon! This design is unofficial because it is being finalized right now. It will basically look the same with a few changes. The brain will be a frontal view as opposed to the shown top view. I'm hoping for it to look a bit more cartoon-ish too. Let me know what you guys think before it comes out. You can begin to place orders now. At the moment, I am unsure of when the exact ballpark (exact ballpark is an oxymoron isn't it?) date is but I would say about the 18th of May the shirts should be done. They will be $25 plus $5 shipping. Enjoy and invite friends to view!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T08:37:00.005-05:00

Happy Earth Day friends. I know this is a place for J. Benjamin but I figure that I can use this as a tool to enlighten and educate others too. Maybe it will attract more readers if I add things that I also find interesting too. Well I was on Twitter today and Martha Stewart (I follow her on Twitter) posted a link to these cars. They are 100% electric. No gas is needed whatsoever. How awesome! I remember when I was in elementary school reading the Weekly Reader and they said that someday we will not depend on gas and we will all drive electric cars. I thought, "HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE!" Well finally after almost 20 years they have finally made it a reality. On the website, www.peapodmobility.com, they say this particular model will start at $12,500. Not too bad for never having to fill up at the gas station again. They also have two other models that will be coming out. There is a "catruck" that they have in the making so you can actually put the groceries somewhere. So today, since it is Earth Day, lets all do our part and use a little less water, buy a reuseable grocery bag, etc.

Follow me on Twitter

2009-04-21T09:30:00.004-05:00

I have been on Twitter, the new rage of the interenet, for about a month or so now. I haven't blogged in a bit because I have been neglecting the blog which makes no one want to read something that isn't updated daily. If you are reading this please be sure to follow me here as well as on Twitter. You can find me at http://twitter.com/jbenjamin82. If you haven't joined, you should because everyone else will be on it REALLY, REALLY soon! This way you will always know immediately what is going on with me and the company.

HERE IT IS!!!!

2009-03-10T22:30:00.007-05:00

FRONT BACK

Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come! The second design brought to you by the j. benjamin brand. I call this one "Opening Day". I am a HUGE baseball fan if you don't know me. I watch way too much baseball and I get really upset when things go wrong and I get really happy when then are going great. I can't wait for baseball season to start. I bought some tickets for a San Antonio Missions exhibition game to see the them play they Major League affiliates, San Diego Padres, next month. I think it will be cool.

Anyways, if you are as excited as I am and would like to pick yourself up the newest limited edition j. benjamin shirt you can either email me at jbenjaminbrand@hotmail.com, leave a message with me on facebook, or give me a call on my phone if you have my number. The sizes will go between a men's small to double XL (there will be a $3 extra charge for the XXL). I will be taking orders until Saturday, April 4th. After that, this design will no longer be available. The shirt will be $23 plus $5 shipping ($28 for XXL). You can make a check or money order out to me and send it to my address at: 222 N. Guilford San Antonio, TX 78217 or you can request an invoice to be sent via Paypal. If you have any questions, get at me the best way you know how.

Your friend,

John S. for j. benjamin brand

*These shirts are a rough draft version. The back logo will possibly have baseball seams in it and the front logo will be balanced.

My apologies

2009-03-08T19:53:00.003-05:00

Hey friends and fans! I want to apologize for not writing here for awhile. Funny thing is I am most likely apologizing to no one but just in case you are looking, I am apologizing to YOU! I know the last time I wrote I said a new design was coming out but I ran into some technical difficulities with my printer and I had to push my date back a little. THIS WEEK IS THE WEEK YOU WILL SEE THE NEW DESIGN! I have been SO excited about putting out this design because 1.) it's for both men and women 2.) It's been so long since I have been excited to put one out 3.) I can wait to put design #3 out 4.) I LOVE LOVE LOVE doing this! Anyways, for those of you who have ordered I am sending out your shirt tomorrow. I would love to hear your feedback on what you think of it once you actually get it. I would also like any comments you would love to see happen in the future. See ya'll later this week!

New Design Coming Next Week!!

2009-02-19T19:55:00.002-06:00

Well it's been a few weeks since I last posted something but just an update for you guys,I will be posting a new design that will be for both men and women next week! I have been very anxious about the next design because it has to do with one of my favorite things in the world... BASEBALL! I hope that you guys like it and to those women who did pick up a shirt from the first ever release of J. Benjamin Brand, your shirt will be arriving in about a week in a half or less. To those who did order one, you can still send your payment to my address or ask me to send you an invoice via Paypal. I want to thank all those again who have supported me in any way so far!

My Unofficial Official (for now) website

2009-02-05T09:32:00.003-06:00

If you've made it here then you probably got here via my new website (www.wix.com/jbenjamin/jbenjamin). I created this website myself and I had a lot of fun doing it. I know it's not super perfessional but I think it's pretty cool looking! Don't you? Here I can post my new designs and items, you can access this blog, and you can contact me via the contact form on the site. I know there is still a lot of work to be done on it (as I write this I have thought of a few things that I left out). Well I hope you enjoy it and come back regularly to see new updates on the website as well as the blog.

J. Benjamin

First Design for Women

2009-01-31T23:20:00.004-06:00

This is my first T-shirt design for my clothing company J. Benjamin. The first design is for the ladies. The shirt will cost $25 per shirt plus $5 S/H. If you would like one, please let me know what size. All shirts will be limited edition so this will be the only time to get this design! Once the order goes in, that's it! If you are interested in ordering one then let me know. I will be taking orders until Feb 6.

The next design will come out shortly after this one is complete. I am really excited for the next one so watch out for it! It will be for both men and women this time.

So glad you're here!

2009-01-31T23:10:00.003-06:00

Dear fans of the J. Benjamin Brand,

Welcome and thank you for visiting my blog/website. At this time, this is how I will be able to display my news to you about the brand without actually owning a website. I am launching this just shortly after the beginning of finally following through with my dreams. So, here's to the fans and the future success of the brand.