How To Live Before You Die

Some of us fear it and some of us face it; either way, death is the only destination that we all share in common. Not every one embraces the thought of death, but it’s something that we can’t avoid. Since we can’t avoid it, we might as well embrace death as one of the greatest inventions known to man. As members of The Yacht Club, we encourage you to live your dreams and treat everyday as if it were your last because there’s a possibility it just might be. We recently watched Stanford University’s commencement ceremony where Steve Jobs, former CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, gave a powerful speech titled, “How to live before you die.”

During this speech, Jobs urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks, including death itself. He shared inspirational stories of dropping out of college, getting fired from Apple, and surviving cancer. He gave a narrative of how he turned his failures into success by constantly following his dreams. He teaches us how to strategically “connect the dots” and make the best of any and all situations. He encourages us to find what we love and do what we love, and by doing so, you’ll have all the motivation you need to succeed. Jobs notes that the key to satisfaction is never settling.

Jobs asked himself every morning, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” If your answer is ‘No’, it’s time for a change. Not only is our time on Earth limited, but we only get one chance at living. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. Jobs taught us that if we don’t have the courage to leave our shores, we’ll never have the opportunity to discover new land. And for that, we salute you!

"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"

HeatSpine

    Heatspine may not cure your grandparent’s aching back, but it’s sure to send chills down your spine. Although there are many ways to describe Heatspine, we, The Yacht Club, understand Heatspine to be the photographic crumb trail from the life of Stephanie Thomas. Based out of Nashville, TN, Stephanie has truly found her passion to be in fine art, event, and portrait photography.

    Upon purchasing her first camera, at the age of 15 for an art class, she had never even considered any significant thought about photography in her entire life up until that point. Yet, since that moment and up until now, you can see her carrying a camera on her at all times. Unfailingly cemented to her side for 7 years, her camera has truly become a fixture of her person that one day showed up, and never left. 

    Stephanie’s transformation into a photographer has been an unceasing journey of learning and creating her own personal language. However, there are no words involved, only light. Stephanie spends her days in constant observance of what she sees, waiting for that fleeting moment of raw, unrefined beauty that shows itself to her. When she sees it, she captures those moments through her camera lens. With the press of a button, she immortalizes tiny moments of time that would otherwise be gone and forgotten. 

    Her romantic view of photography makes her relationship to her passion one of ambivalence. Her personal desire to express what she sees doesn't leave much room for conventionalism. She has no time for rules and regulations that most consider concrete truth. To Stephanie, the art of photography is strictly about setting forth her very own testimony of beauty with a single image, with one goal in mind… the possibility of inspiration. And for that, we salute you!

XCocaineXJaneX

Back in August, we had the insane opportunity to see New Orleans’ Big Freedia, The Queen Diva of Bounce, in Nashville at Exit/In. If you haven’t had the chance to see her/him live, you’re missing out on a carnival style show of ass, ass, and more ass. We’re not sure what kept us there and weirdly entertained; it was either the catchy party tunes or the insane spectacle of booty-poppin’. In the midst of the sea of sweaty, jiggling ass, we had the pleasure of meeting Cocaine Jane.

Cocaine Jane is also known as Kayla Bishop from Birmingham, AL. Kayla is not only an admirer of The Yacht Club Company, but also a phenomenal artist, model, stylist, and entrepreneur. Basically, Kayla is an extraordinary individual that pisses excellence and reeks of ambition. During our luncheon, we learned that she was launching her own clothing brand, appropriately called Cocaine Jane.

Kayla plans to release her clothing brand by November 2012. She has been showing off previews of her merchandise on her Instagram(Sneek-a-Peek @XCocaineJane). The Cocaine Jane collection will include everything from t-shirts and stickers to 40 oz. koozies and coffee mugs. She told us that she had been experimenting with gold spikes and embroidery, so you can only imagine what’s next.We had the privilege of viewing the exclusive Cocaine Jane t-shirt collection. We even got a few “limited edition” t-shirts of our own. Afterwards, she hopped on a plane to New York City for a photo shoot for Mishka Clothing.

During her stay in New York, Kayla met up with the incomparable Danny Brown while on the LongLiveA$AP Tour. Not only did she get a photo of Danny Brown in a Yacht Club Original, but also, in a recent interview by Complex Magazine, A$AP Rocky claimed she was “the highlight of the tour so far.” And for that, we salute you. 

One Free Ticket to Michal Menert Show

Buy Three (3) shirts from the Online Store and get a (1) Free With Your Friends Festival Ticket. As an appreciation to our fans and to support the hearing of festive music, The Yacht Club Company is giving away a free ticket to With Your Friends Festival in Nashville, TN.

You have to purchase 3 shirts from our online store to win the ticket. There is only ONE (1) Free Ticket, so the first person to make the purchase wins! It’s like buying a ticket and getting three (3) Limited Yacht Club shirts as a gift; a personal gift of thanks from The Yacht Club Company. Travel Packages provided by CID Entertainment.  (Contact us for more questions about the contest.)

With Your Friends Festival is bringing Pretty Lights, Skrillex, Nas, Santigold, and more to Nashville’s riverfront on October 26^th & 27th. We still haven’t had the chance to listen to Dillon Francis, but we do remember Michal Menert from his show in Nashville on November 11, 2011. Since then, we’ve been following his music from Dreaming of a Bigger Life, Even If It Isn’t Right, and his most recent release, “Electric Touch” (co-produced by Break Science). Although Michal is a personal favorite, Menert isn’t headlining this event; so it's a good thing he enjoys cold McNuggets and warm champagne. He also possesses the extraordinary ability to infuse an "old school feeling" into a "new school sound." And for that, we salute you. 

"Anybody can rock a party. It takes a lot more to rock my imagination." - Michal Menert

Honest Day's Work

If we want to see "Change" in this world, we must learn to accept our differences and work together towards a better tomorrow.

I moved to Nashville last September, and this city has NOT ceased to amaze me. There is such an entrepreneurial spirit amongst the people; so powerful it has inspired the homeless to rebuild their foundations.

Every morning on my walks to work, a Santa-like gentleman selling The Contributor always joyfully greeted me at the corner of 4^th and Commerce. He wasn’t the only one. On my way to lunch, there was an energetic, middle-aged man in a bright Hawaiian-style shirt selling the same paper. Their contagious smile and peaceful wave reminded me to be happy no matter what the circumstance. Their positivity in the midst of their circumstances made me curious as to what they were selling.

On my drive home, I saw a man carrying a canvas newspaper bag with “The Contributor” printed clearly on the side. I pulled over to offer him a ride; with a sigh of relief and a face filled with joy, he graciously accepted my offer.

Where are you going?

I live in a halfway house near Nolensville, if you don’t mind.

Certainly, so where are you coming from?

I was walking to the bus stop from working near West End Avenue selling The Contributor. I can’t thank you enough for the ride, my feet hurt from walking and standing all day.

How long do you work selling paper?

I’ve been selling papers for 7 months. Everyday that I am able to work, from as early as 6 am to as late as 9pm.

I’m curious, what is The Contributor?

Simply put, it is a homeless newspaper. It’s more to me; it has really changed my life for the better. I went from sleeping on the streets to making an honest living. We have meetings that teach us how to mange our money, enrich our life, and grow our business. I can’t believe it; I own my own business.

I’m also an entrepreneur, is there any advice you may have for me?

Keep being you. It may not sound like much, but it means a lot that people like you still exist. I don’t know you at all, but I know you’re kind enough to offer a “homeless man” a ride. In the midst of being homeless, we are discriminated against as if we are a lesser person than anyone else. I’m working too.

I was empowered by his story, so I did more research on The Contributor. I found that not only have they received national recognition, but also other cities like Denver and Seattle are doing the same. In Nashville, the vendors receive 15 free copies at first, pay 25 cents for each one after that and sell them for a dollar. Incentives, such as attending vendor meetings, result in more free copies, says Tasha French, the volunteer director, graphic designer and founder of the project almost two years ago. 

Hardworking vendors bring in several hundred dollars a month as sales with tips average about $2 a paper. This is proof that you need no more than a dollar and a dream to achieve Success.

Meet more of the homeless vendors of The Contributor.