When Life - Common Customer Questions

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet some of my customers in person. It was such a great opportunity and a blessing to be able to actually have that face to face conversation not only about their stories and how When Life has touched them, but also it gave them the chance to ask me some questions as well. 

Today I am sharing the top questions that I had asked of me regarding When Life and it's message, mission, and future plans.

What's the meaning behind your logo?

I got asked this quite a bit this weekend, and I think mainly because the #whenlife t-shirt is my most popular and by far the best seller. I have written about this in depth once before, but here is the condensed version: The logo was designed with the Tree of Life in mind. The Tree of Life has multiple meanings across the globe, but the belief that it enriches and perpetually maintains physical life was the message that I felt best tied into my conviction in storytelling. Storytelling preserves life by passing on stories and information from different cultures and family traditions. The nine lemons in the tree, just short of the perfect 10, reminds us that no one has a perfect story. Repeat. No one has a perfect story. Lastly, you will notice that some of the lemons show or are peeking out of the tree more than others. This represents the stories of our lives that are just slightly hidden. The ones that we aren't quite ready to share. Everyone has stories in their lives that they either just don't want to relive or share, or are getting close but not quite there.

What's up with the hashtags and how do they work?

This is one area of the brand that I think still needs some work. I use them on an everyday basis, but I do think I need to do a better job reminding customers about using them too. The point behind the hashtags is so that you can connect with others who share a similar story. For instance, if I am a military wife or mother, and my husband or son is deployed, and say I bought the #whenlifehope shirt in honor of that person, I could search that hashtag and possibly find another Hope story like mine. Same goes for any of them! Love, heartache (breakup or divorce), difficult situations that you have survived, funny life stories,  the list is endless...The whole point of the hashtags is connection. I want to make social media social again! Otherwise, what is the point!?

Do people really submit stories about their lives to you?

YES!! This is the best part of having When Life. People really do love having a safe place to write out what is on their heart at that time. Some are looking to vent, some are wanting to connect with someone who has a similar experience or situation, and some just need some love and validation. Whatever the reason, everyone is welcome to share a story with me. Everyone's story will get highlighted and shared so that each person has a chance to be the hero of the site for the week.

Will you be doing any other clothes besides t-shirts? Or any other products in general?

I also get this question a lot. Let me start with the types of clothes: Yes, I will eventually be doing long sleeve t-shirts. I have had a LOT of requests for them. They are on my list. The reason why I did not this year is simple. Money. Having only been open 4 months now, I am just now really starting to grow my inventory. I do not use cheap t-shirts or cheap inks. I just don't and have no plans to. Long sleeve t-shirts are more expensive to not only make, but also cost the customer. I wanted to start off growing with a less expensive clothing item first before I started dabbling in the more expensive items such as long sleeve tees, hoodies, and jackets. I have had several requests for work-out tanks which is on my list of things to research. My trademark expands into paper products as well. I have journals at the top of my list for the new year for sure! I have had requests for candles, coffee mugs, and leggings as well. I love getting customer requests and am always open to exploring new ways to grow When Life. I would say after the first of the year be on the lookout for a new t-shirt design, a new product outside of clothing, and something fresh for Spring.

Will you ever be brick and mortar?

I don't have any plans at this point to become a brick and mortar store, but I have also learned to never say never. If I do, I would love for it to be more of a coffee shop with When Life woven into it.

Will you bring back the limited-edition tees once they are completely sold out?

The #whenlifesoars and #whenliferolls t-shirts did well (these were our football shirts), so I am considering having those pop up again. As far as the limited-edition logo tees, I like experimenting with all the different colors, so for now I would say if you see one you like that comes out and labeled as Limited Edition, I would get it while you can. The teal logo shirt did phenomenal, so we may see that color again sometime next year, but for now I have my eye on another color to try out!

I hope this answers some of your questions about the brand. I am always happy to chat with you and love hearing new and fresh ideas from my customers. Drop me a line if you ever have a question!

Love,