Holstee

I had two bikes stolen in the past 5 months, both overnight,...

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:49:00 -0400

I had two bikes stolen in the past 5 months, both overnight, right in front of my apartment. This is NYC, that stuff happens, I get it.

But here is where my story is different: that first bike that got stolen? It’s locked and parked outside my apartment right now.

On January 17, 2013, I locked my bike outside my East Village apartment. The next day I went out to go for a ride and ended up walking up and down my street several times before accepting the fact that my bike was gone without a goodbye or a trace. I immediately started tweeting about it, made a Facebook post (even sponsored it hoping to get more reach) but I also went the old school route and put a sign (pictured above) right at the spot where it was taken. Maybe it was the fact that my handwriting is easily mistaken for a 5th grader, but somehow it managed to stay up much longer than I thought. The following week I left New York for a month-long trip. When I returned, I accepted the fact I’d never see that bike again and picked up some new wheels from Recycle-A-Bicycle. My new bike got stolen, again, within a week of when I purchased it. Unable to be in the city without a bicycle, I went out and got a new ride and reluctantly decided I should try parking it inside.

Two days later, I was about to sit down to dinner with two friends at my apartment when my doorbell rang. My friend Eva answered the door. She called me over saying a person wants to tell me something about a bike. When I walked out to the hallway he asked to walk outside, because he ‘has a bike.’ When I stepped outside, to my right was my original bike, in excellent condition, resting against the a gate. I was speechless. It was like someone had come back from the dead. The fenders, back rack, even the bell - exactly as it was on January 17. After a minute of just staring at it, I turned to him and he began with broken English: “I am sure you will not believe me, but I have been trying to bring you this bike for months. I come from Brooklyn on the train to ring your bell and you are not home. I kept it inside next to my bike.” I sensed he wasn’t eager to share the details of how he got it, other than he found it down the street, and I was totally okay with that. I could tell he was a person genuinely concerned with doing what he felt was right. The line that struck be most was, “I know someone must have put lots of work into this bike (which was spot on - I’d originally found this bike discarded in pieces and had been bringing it back to life over the past year) and that they must want it back. I know how it feels when you put time into something and how it feels to lose it. So I wanted to make sure you got this back.”

This man deserved a medal of honor in my book, but barely accepted his reward. He left me inspired and pretty damn grateful.

The original post for the reward sign. The original post when my bike was returned.

Bike to Work Day is this Friday! Share the road, stay safe and...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:02:33 -0400

Bike to Work Day is this Friday! Share the road, stay safe and get pedaling!

Send us your bike pics and posts (@HOLSTEE) and tag #moreofthis (but remember: no posting/tweeting while riding!).

See you out there!

This week’s Music Monday post comes from Anthony Green (of...

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:07:59 -0400

This week’s Music Monday post comes from Anthony Green (of Circa Survive) with his song “She Loves Me So”.

Anthony has always impressed me as a very gifted and creative artist. I greatly empathize with his work that often showcases a balance between a love for life and a struggle of inner conflicts.

I’ve loved all of his work, from early Saosin to Circa Survive, as well as his collaborative work with The Sound of Animals Fighting and now his solo work.

Consider this a love song for the Spring time.

“I’m only truly happy if I know…”

Ryan Hamrick, one of the original contributors to our Artist...

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:01:41 -0400

Ryan Hamrick, one of the original contributors to our Artist Series, has now designed a set of Manifesto-inspired cards.

Printed on our new paper made from salvaged cotton scraps, Hamrick’s designs and hand-drawn letters make a bold impression worth sending.

View this set here.

Don’t forget to phone home this Sunday, May 12th:...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:02:00 -0400

Don’t forget to phone home this Sunday, May 12th: it’s Mother’s Day!

How will you make your mom feel special? Send us your ideas, tweets and pics (@HOLSTEE) and tag #moreofthis.

The lyrics here are as well-crafted as the video. A poetic walk...

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:17:40 -0400

The lyrics here are as well-crafted as the video. A poetic walk by South Philly’s Lushlife, the thoughtful lyrics are combined with a smooth electro funk hip hop beat. You can also watch the making of the video.

My Music Monday jam comes via Brendan.

It’s official: National Bike Month is here! The Holstee...

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:35:35 -0400

It’s official: National Bike Month is here!

The Holstee Team (as shown above) encourages our community for the month of May (and beyond!) to embrace two wheels. Need a reason? Here’s a few:

What could be better than biking on a warm, spring day?
It’s daily exercise, which we all need. Getting in 20-30 minutes leads to fewer sick days, heightened alertness and more productive employees.
Driving a car has been recognized as one of the top, consistent situations people associate with feeling stress.
It’s a fume-free ride! And traffic jams: what traffic jams?
You can get a handy basket for transporting groceries, gear for work or cute animals.
Think of all the extra ca$h you’ll save: no Metro card necessary!

All of these reasons and more are we’ll will be participating in Bike to Work Day, which for NYC is May 17th! So what about you? To find or organize a day in your area, go here. Or go here to check out other events in your city.

Fellowship Finalists

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:29:00 -0400

Our top 5 finalists have been chosen! Voting has gone live here! Finalist with the most votes by Thursday, May 9th, 2013 12PM EST will be declared our winner!

Applications are still open through May 10th for the second Holstee Fellowship!

Marquis Taylor - Coaching For Change

“Coaching for Change will pilot a 6-week summer basketball project in partnership with Stonehill College to create a cross-age mentoring program that trains teenagers in business skills by creating, organizing and running a basketball clinic from start to finish.”

Lorin Beller - Kids Entrepreneurial Curriculum

“A 12 week program that will be geared to youth groups and schools to lead kids through an entrepreneurial experience and inspire young minds to start their own companies. The modules will focus on 12 aspects of Entrepreneurship.”

Claire Charamnac - Chautara Resource Center for Young Woman Leaders in Kathmandu, Nepal.

“Chautara, in Nepal, means a stone platform and seating structure around the base of a Banyan tree that serves as a resting place for travelers and a meeting place for informal or village-council social gatherings. It will serve as a meeting place for the young feminist and social entrepreneurship community in Kathmandu.”

Dana Anderson - Youth Media Initiative

“Launching a youth media initiative that will engage low-income students in a variety of media projects. These projects will spark a healthy dialogue about three key challenges faced by contemporary Indian students: Suicide prevention, health/wellness education and the development of self-esteem.”

Madden Zappa - Expand on service project for the homeless

“Every year I hold collections of different things that people normally take for granted: blankets, socks, winter hats, gloves, scarves, and disperse these items to different homeless shelters in the Twin Cities. Every year I exceed my goal, and I’d like grow the project to happen more than once a year and in multiple cities.”

New letterpress cards! Type designer Dave Foster created four...

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:41:32 -0400

New letterpress cards!

Type designer Dave Foster created four new designs, each featuring a different line from the Manifesto.

These cards, all individually hand-rolled through a letterpress machine, are printed on our new greeting card paper, 100% recycled cotton scraps from the textile industry. We’re also glad to feature new kraft recycled fiber envelopes. Chlorine-free certified, these envelopes are made in the USA using 100% renewable energy and a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste.

Check them out here.

To celebrate National Bike Month, we’d love to see more...

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:02:54 -0400

To celebrate National Bike Month, we’d love to see more cops on bikes.

What positive changes do you want to see in your cities? Send us your ideas + tweets (@HOLSTEE) and tag #moreofthis.

On Friday night I went to Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at Brooklyn...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:51:54 -0400

On Friday night I went to Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at Brooklyn Academy of Music to see Solange Knowles perform. Aside from her lovely voice and the live band, what I really liked was her down-to-Earth vibe and enthusiasm. The crowd must have been with me on that because no one was sitting and the Opera House became a massive dance party! You can see what her unique style is all about in this video, Losing You, from her most recent album True.

The Holstee team took a field trip to Swayspace Letterpress in...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:40:07 -0400

The Holstee team took a field trip to Swayspace Letterpress in Brooklyn (just a few blocks away from our soon-to-be new office!) and we were super excited to see some of these amazing machines in action.

Huge thanks to the Swayspace group who made us feel so welcome, gave us tons of information and even sent us home with some awesome coasters and cards.

Our friends at GOOD are celebrating Neighborday this Saturday,...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:02:26 -0400

Our friends at GOOD are celebrating Neighborday this Saturday, April 27th, and we are, too!

How will you get to know those in your community? Send us your tweets (@HOLSTEE and @GOOD) on how you celebrate, make new friends and cross that fence!

Be sure to tag #moreofthis.

Trees represent so much within nature: power, strength, the...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:56:46 -0400

Trees represent so much within nature: power, strength, the beauty that comes with age, shelter and much more. Tied to some of our fondest memories as kids and home to so many amazing species throughout our planet, we wanted to find a way to give back.

A few months ago, we committed to using a tree-free paper for all our Manifesto posters. Now, celebrate Arbor Day this Friday with Holstee: for every sale made, we commit to plant a new tree to be enjoyed by our communities.

How will you give back this Arbor Day? Send us your ideas, posts and pics. Be sure to tag #moreofthis.

Hello Everyone! I’m the new Head of Product Design and I’m...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:42:00 -0400

Hello Everyone!

I’m the new Head of Product Design and I’m excited and honored to be part of the Holstee family.

I’m a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. I received a BFA in Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon University in 2006. After graduation, I moved back to Brooklyn and worked at a small product design firm in Soho. Since then, I somehow founded a soft goods studio named Skinny Vinny. Through my adventures at Skinny Vinny, that’s where my Holstee journey began.

A few years ago, I was selected to take part in a conference for entrepreneurs. At the conference, someone asked me to borrow my phone charger, and that person was Mike. After the usual exchange of our brand stories and a slight panic of not seeing my phone charger again, Mike introduced me to Dave. We thought it was a great idea to work on some projects together and upon returning from our trips, we hit the ground running. I’ve really enjoyed working on that project together and it felt like such a natural collaboration.

Through the years, I’ve gotten to know Holstee on a personal level which is exactly what you’d expect: open, warm, caring, fun, smart and special.

When the opportunity arose to collaborate with Holstee at a more permanent level, I didn’t hesitate. I believe we can really learn a great deal from each other and create some wondrous things together.

My journey to Holstee is very much defined by the Manifesto. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. Live your Dream and share your passion.

Holstee will be at the Hester Street Fair this Saturday, April...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:14:00 -0400

Holstee will be at the Hester Street Fair this Saturday, April 27th!

Open every Saturday from this weekend through October, 10AM-6PM each week, this gathering is the best New York City has to offer: artisanal foods, vintage finds, home goods, crafts and more.

Come on down: swing by our table to check out the latest Holstee goods and meet our team!

Other dates Holstee will be Hester-ing: June 1st, June 22nd, July 6th.

She says she knows about jokes; this time the joke is on me. I...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:13:31 -0400

She says she knows about jokes; this time the joke is on me.

I don’t have any idea how to pick a favorite song from this particular singer/songwriter, Brett Dennen. I love them all, each one more the last.

So, I won’t: instead, I’ll go for his top-notch acoustic cover of Paul Simon’s “Crazy Love Vol. II” from Simon’s 7th studio release, Graceland. Swoon and swoon.

You should also check out this still tragically unreleased track, “You and I,” if for nothing more than his ukelele-hula-hooping skills. Highly anticipating this on his next folksy, funky album.

Share Your Poster- Round 3!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:51:14 -0400

Congratulations, @2eyes! You’re our newest #holsteemanifesto winner. The response keeps growing and the submissions are getting more and more creative!

Please be sure to check out our Facebook page to see if your picture made it to our #holsteemanifesto Album. Feel free to tag your pictures and spread the love!

Reminder: there will be a new winner each week! Keep on posting!

Why Oaxaca is the perfect place for a retreat We had the chance...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:20:00 -0400

Why Oaxaca is the perfect place for a retreat

We had the chance to spend most of February in Oaxaca, Mexico (see our video recap here). It was an incredible time and something every company should consider doing (here are the reasons why).

But we also were very fortunate in our choice of location. I personally could not imagine a better work environment that was both relaxed and productive, challenging and beautiful. Every Mexican’s eyes seem to light up when they heard the name “Oaxaca.” Here are some reasons why you should consider Oaxaca for your next retreat:

A place to be productive.

We looked into several different places with warm climates. In most of these places, however, the whole team would have had to work from home or in cafés. But not in Oaxaca. The Hub Oaxaca is part of a worldwide network of co-working spaces and provides an amazing oasis of creativity and collaboration in the midst of Oaxaca’s old city. We rented a dedicated office space, but also really enjoyed working from the many spacious common areas (both inside and outdoors).

We were worried about internet speeds. Holstee can’t do much without fast, reliable wifi. And despite warning stories that we would regularly face 56kbit/s modems in Mexico, we often found very fast connections within the Hub and our temporary home.

There are also lots of beautiful cafés to work from in Oaxaca if you want a change of scenery. We were surprised by how many of them offered fast wifi options as well. Our favorite café to work from was clearly Cafe Brujula, with its beautiful courtyard and fantastic cappuccinos.

A place to be inspired and learn from others.

There is an extremely entrepreneurial community in Oaxaca and the Hub Oaxaca is at the very heart of it. Through the guidance of Mark Beam, founder of the Hub, we learned that Oaxaca was not just a beautiful colonial city, but also home to many amazing social entrepreneurs. Meeting folks like the founders of Colectivo 1050, the organizers of the Catapulta Innovation Festival and some of the other amazing artisans and manufacturers in the area, opened our eyes to totally new ways of doing things in the startup space.

Mexico, as said in this New York Times article, is so much more than a fast developing country: it just might become one of the strongest economic forces worldwide within the coming decade. And in Oaxaca you can be sure to meet some of the people who will make that happen.

An amazing place to visit.

Contrary to most foreigners’ assumptions, Mexico is not a war zone area dominated by drug gangs, fighting and other danger. Actually, quite the opposite is true for the Oaxaca region. It is a very safe area, and walking around late at night I felt safer than I would in NYC.

Oaxaca is a great size; it’s small enough to feel cozy, but still big enough to have a lot to offer: the food options are incredible and many of the restaurants serve delicious, local, fresh food. From Biznaga to Los Danzantes, the range goes from local stand to five-star fancy.

An accessible and affordable place.

Even though Oaxaca sounds like it’s far away, the flight is just a couple of hours from most US cities. The city even has its own small airport with direct to both Mexico City and Houston.

It also doesn’t hurt that, compared to places in the US or Europe, spending a whole month in Oaxaca is very affordable.

So close to paradise

Mark and Cath helped us spend the last week of our stay down at the Pacific coast, in what is probably the world’s most beautiful place. Directly on the beach. You wouldn’t believe it, but we were actually very productive there, too. We worked hard, and at 3pm we would all jump in the sea and refresh, watch dolphins and then get back to work. Pure bliss…

How did we do it?

- Accommodation: we rented this beautiful big house on AirBnB and this amazing beach house just outside Puerto Escondido.

- Office: we worked from the Hub Oaxaca and rented a dedicated office within this space. They have fast, reliable internet, meeting space, a kitchen, printers, anything you might need.

- Flights: we flew with United Airlines to Houston with a direct connection into Oaxaca’s airport, just a 20 minute taxi ride outside of town.

- Transportation: there was no need to rent a car; we just grabbed taxis or busses as needed, which worked out great.

- Communication: there are plenty of places with fast and reliable internet. We also brought an old phone and got a local sim card, which was handy to call taxis and communicate.

If you want help with planning send an email to the folks at Catapulta: info@catapultafest.com

Track: Bizness by tUnE-yArDs With the changing of the seasons, I...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:58:20 -0400

Track: Bizness by tUnE-yArDs

With the changing of the seasons, I always find my musical preferences change as well. Spring time always gets everyone in a better mood as things come back to life and everyone gets out more.

This is one of the tracks I’ve been jamming out to lately. It gives me those good warm weather vibes and makes me want to get out and groove beneath the sun!

It’s the simple things throughout the day that make all the difference.