Love is Project on ‘Shark Tank’: What is the cost, who are the founders and how to buy Anne Hathaway promoted products?
“What does the world need more of now? LOVE!” Here's presenting a heartwarming project that started in 2012 on ‘Shark Tank’. Chrissie Lam is all set to showcase her artisan-made designs from around the world to spread love to worldwide cultures.
Eight years ago, she left her job in corporate fashion and moved to Kenya where she stumbled upon a group of women in the Maasai tribe. “These women made vibrant, high-quality, and gorgeous beaded items. Blown away by their craft and compassionate community, I worked with these artisans to design a bracelet emblazoned with one powerful word: LOVE,” she disclosed.
An adventure in May 2020 sparked the thrilling ride of coming onto the ABC reality show. Did you know the founders of Love is Project almost missed the ‘Shark Tank’ call? Inspired by Daniel Lubetzk's million-dollar funding for Yellow Leaf Hammock by Joe Demin and Rachel Connors, Chrissie checked out the application and then forgot all about it.
“Life was so hectic, that I actually missed a voicemail from one of the Shark Tank casting associates a few days later! Thank goodness for follow-ups, as they reached out again by email asking if I was still interested in going to the next round of applications. And then it was off to the races! No joke, clear your calendars! The timing worked out as quarantine kicked in, so I set up shop at my parents’ house to get everything ready,” she confessed on her blog.
Revealing how being on the show is no cakewalk, she added it takes a lot of “due diligence”. She said, “Fortunately, I had many videos and creative content gathered over the years that could be repurposed, and plenty of financials on hand to create the next application piece — the video portion. Nothing says LOVE like dragging your 70-year-old tiger mom out of retirement, my mother — Gladys — has helped me immensely with the finances and operations of the business. When the opportunity came up for her to go on the show as my wing-woman, I thought to myself ‘This could work’.”
Not only do Chrissie Lam and Gladys sell bracelets, but they have documented love stories from all over the world in the book ‘The Greatest Love Story Ever Told’ also and are all set to launch the second edition very soon!
What is Love is Project?
Inspired by the culture and craftsmanship of each country, each handmade bracelet is beaded with love with a dream “to create a life and career of purpose and help improve the lives of people around the world”.
Sharing her story, Chrissie wrote in an Instagram post, “In 2012, when I was traveling the world, I met disenfranchised artisans as I walked through marketplaces. My business mind quickly kicked into gear... I made a promise to myself then that I would return to help. The parent company of Love Is Project was founded that year, and the first LOVE Bracelet developed with the Maasai tribe. In 2017, using my own savings and retirement funds, I launched the Love Is Project as you know it today.”
The personal passion project soon blossomed into a global movement. From artisans in Kenya, Indonesia, and Ecuador, Chrissie Lam and her mother moved on to artisans in 10 countries and 2,000 female artisans across the globe. “One bracelet at a time, we’ve been able to impact the lives of thousands through job opportunities, financial freedom, and charitable donations. We believe in meeting the moment whenever a community needs our support,” the two said.
Who are the founders?
A first-generation Chinese American, Chrissie Lam was born in the USA and had a bag of creative entrepreneurial ideas up her sleeve since the very beginning. “I almost died when I was born and had multiple birth defects. I was able to overcome them through surgeries and therapy during my childhood,” she revealed.
Recounting her struggles and childhood experiences, “I experienced bullying as a kid in the states because of this and because of my race, which has made me more empathetic toward others.” She added, “My parents and grandparents sacrificed a lot and instilled a strong work ethic and purpose in me. Both of my grandmothers were not able to attend school in China. My paternal grandmother was illiterate and my maternal grandmother self taught herself to read.”
From the very beginning, she was touched to see the underprivileged. “While growing up abroad in Hong Kong as a child, I used to see beggars sitting on the streets at my eye level and pray for every one of them. I didn’t like to see anyone suffering. I would be squandering my privilege if I didn’t use it to give back and pay it forward,” she confessed.
Chrissie graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design 20 years ago and spent 12 years working in corporate fashion in NYC as a Concept Designer-Trend Forecaster for American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch. Back in 2008, she took a three-month sabbatical from her job to volunteer in Rwanda, connecting creatives to causes, raising awareness and funds for nonprofits.
It was there that she realized charity alone is not sustainable and noticed disenfranchised artisans in markets needed help. “They knew how to create, they just needed help selecting the right products and getting them to the correct markets,” Chrissie said.
In 2012, she left the corporate world and moved to Kenya. She said, “There I worked with the Maasai tribe to create the Original Red LOVE Bracelet. The idea was to create a product that was scalable and marketable in order to create more jobs. Soon after, I took the first bracelet around the world with me and asked people in 50 countries what LOVE meant to them while documenting it on Instagram. I pitched the concept to my former employer and launched it in all their stores a few months later. With that success, I used my own savings and retirement funds and created Love Is Project as a standalone brand in 2017.”
What is the cost?
A set of heartwarming products wait at the door with just one click on the official website of Love is Project. The original love bracelet is available at $30 and the skinny one costs $24. Did you know the bracelet is also available in black and gold, white and gold and turquoise colors? You can also shop love pet collar — the small one is for $70, the medium-sized one is available at $80 and the large one is priced at $90.
The bracelets are available in a variety of collections inspired by countries like Kenya, Indonesia, Ecuador, India, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, Philippines, Bhutan and Vietnam. You will also get a 50% discount at checkout when you enter a code. Get free FedEx 2-3 business days shipping for all US retailer orders! Interestingly, a number of celebrities — from Anne Hathaway to Gisele Bündchen — have donned the collection. The official website reads: “Every purchase creates a sustainable livelihood for thousands of Maasai women, their families and communities. For the Maasai, the red beads represent bravery, strength and unity.”
Where can you buy it?
Inspired by the Victory Gardens during the World Wars, Love is Project has funded over 38 community food gardens and programs in Kenya, Bali & Bhutan. “We started mask making in Bali and India, donated sewing machines, masks and food in India, funded animal agriculture projects in Kenya and a waste recycling income-generating project in Java, Indonesia,” the website reveals.
To catch a glimpse of products from different countries, click on the website: https://loveisproject.com/collections/all-love-is-project-products#.
Who will steal the deal?
Before coming to the show, the founders listened to every podcast, read every article, and watched every YouTube video they could find on the Sharks to learn about them and how they might identify with their product. “Our guest Shark was Alex Rodriguez. I hoped he might connect with us on the jobs we are creating in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Ecuador, since he has investments in Latin America. He even gave a speech about translating LOVE into money,” the founders said.
Chrissie also added, “I learned that Mark Cuban bought an around-the-world American airline ticket after selling his first company (I’m an avid traveler). His dad loved cruises (so do my parents). Kevin O’Leary has a gifting portfolio around LOVE, weddings and baby registries, he makes wine like my parents, and he’s a wedding officiant, like me. Of all the Sharks, Kevin reminds me most of my mom with his honesty and occasionally wild comments. When Kevin would deliver a scathing quip to an earnest entrepreneur, I would point at my mom and say, ‘That’s something you would say too!’” Who will crack the deal? Well, only time will tell.
‘Shark Tank’ Season 12 Episode 10 will premiere on January 15, 2021, from 8 pm ET to 9 pm ET on ABC.