What’s Our Motivation?

We got a question from a writer this week:

“I was wondering what your motivation for doing this is. I know you keep sending me to the video, but I’d love to hear it from you. It’s a fun project, but why this one?”

We thought you’d like to read our answer.

When we started The Longhairs, our motivation was simply to start our own thing, make a living, and just to do some funny shit that would make people laugh.

Deep down, we knew we wanted to do something extraordinary. Our entire lives we’ve believed we’re going to “make it big,” like many do. But not by any tried and true, “conventional” path. Our own way.

That’s part of why this project is so unconventional. To take something perceived one way (unprofessional, lazy, hippie, slacker), totally flip it upside down, and blast conventional perceptions into outer space. Even make people a little uncomfortable in the process.

Once we started building an audience and the guys started writing in, we realized there is a very real community out there, they really need our help, and they really love what we’re doing. Hundreds of guys have written us expressing their thanks and appreciation for The Longhairs. I mean, Sam got a 9″ tattoo of our logo!

On the surface it seems like just something fun and superficial, but it’s not just fun. It goes far, far deeper, to the intrinsic human desire to be accepted, to be cool, to be part of a community; but also to not be “like everyone else.” It may seem trivial to someone on the outside, but it’s quite meaningful to us.

Then you add in the young boys with long hair, dealing with bullying, self-confidence, self-expression, etc. And finally the charity aspect, giving back to children who can’t grow their own hair. Who can argue with that?

So while the initial motivations are still there—we’d sure love to be paying our rent selling hair ties—we have all the motivation in the world to continue. It’s the guys. It’s the community. It’s what it means to be a longhair. And if we ever have any doubts, all we have to do is go back to the comments on the Brand Diego post.

Why The Longhairs? Because this one is ours. It’s all original. There is no one else in the universe who’s done something quite like this, or frankly who is better positioned to carry it out.

That’s why we’re here. What’s your motivation?

Leave a little motivational something in the comments.