

How a Simple Message and Smart Ops Built a $150 Million Brand
12 snips Jun 26, 2025
Tom Hassell, president of Life Is Good, takes us on a journey of optimism with his $150 million brand. He reveals how reshoring production and adopting print-on-demand transformed their operations. Hassell discusses the timing of team expansion and the challenges of scaling a purpose-driven business. He emphasizes agility and innovation in production, especially during the pandemic, while stressing the importance of community engagement. The conversation also touches on launching creative spinoffs and how maintaining a mission-driven approach resonates with customers.
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Founding Story of Life is Good
- The brand started with founders Bert and John wanting to help people focus on the good amid bad news.
- They launched with a positive graphic "Life is Good" featuring Jake the smiley, which sold rapidly on the streets of Boston.
Know When to Hire Expertise
- Hire expertise when your business complexity surpasses your skills, especially in new areas like e-commerce.
- Focus founders on their strengths while bringing specialists to manage operations growth and complexity.
Reshoring Production with Print-On-Demand
- Life is Good reshored production in 2019 to drastically speed up lead times and reduce inventory waste.
- They implemented print-on-demand tech to cut from six months to 2.5 days turnaround with eco-friendly inks.