The Viable Alternative

So, it was back in February, and I was walking to the cell phone repair shop to repair my phone because it was on the fritz. On my way there, I heard this voice, the voice of God I assume, speak to my spirit saying, “If you start your own underwear line, you should call it __________________ underwear.”

Now, before I continue, the reason why there’s a blank space is because I haven’t trademarked or copyrighted the name yet, and I don’t want any of you to steal it. 🙂

Anyway, a few people had suggested that I start my own underwear line for years, but I utterly refused, because I didn’t want the hassle, but at this time when I heard the voice speak to my spirit, I felt an encouragement to go ahead.

Several minutes after I got this message, I texted my mentor, one of the people who had suggested I start my own underwear line over the years and told him the message I heard. Several hours after I sent him the text, I said to myself, “I’m starting my own underwear line.”

So there it was, the journey started.

My dream for years was to get an underwear contract as an underwear model with a major underwear line like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, or 2(x)ist and be seen on billboards, and ads in magazines, telephone booths, etc as well as on commercials. I wanted to be like the first Black male supermodel, Tyson Beckford and inspire people with my image.

Well, as the years went by, that “dream” didn’t seem likely, as the gatekeepers in the fashion industry didn’t want to let me in, and I didn’t have the passion to go and try and break down these doors, so was this really a dream?

Looking back, I see that what I thought of as a dream was really just a passive desire.

Having my own underwear line however, is an idea whose time had come as a result of all the healing and growth I’ve experienced, and I’ve come to realize, is my REAL dream.

My underwear line is in line with The Viable Alternative of “building your own” rather than waiting for others to give you the permission to be, do or have something. Rather than wait for others to give me an ad campaign, I’m creating my own ad campaign with me as the model. I will appear in my own ads, packaging and commercials. I even plan on researching how much it would cost to have these ads placed on telephone booths, bus shelters, subway ads and even billboards.

My target market is cosmopolitan, aspirational straight men who are into looking good, dressing well, taking care of their bodies, growing and evolving, and live in places like NY, LA and Miami.

On an individual level, my goal is to inspire these men, no matter their colour, race or ethnicity, to build their own. On a group, community and national level, it’s to take my success and inspire traditionally economically underperforming communities to do the same, “build their own.”

My goal is to inspire people with my image and the story of my personal journey of how I got to this point, and have them feel empowered to build their own.

I now have a dream.

This is The Viable Alternative.

Hope this helps,

Ike Love