Today we’d like to introduce you to LaDarius Campbell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I come from very trying beginnings, born in Oak Cliff, TX I was partially raised by my mom for around the first 8-12 years of my life and my father wasn’t in the picture. Early on life was rocky, from not having a consistent place to stay, not knowing where my older sister and I’s next meal was going to come from, to witnessing alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and drug culture.
Eventually, my mom went to jail for months and my sister and I were separated during her incarceration and later brought back together to live with a friend of my mom’s after she got out of jail. Living with my mom’s friend was my sisters and I’s first time knowing what a sense of stability felt like. From there my mom would try to step out to get on her feet but couldn’t seem to, so my mom’s friend ended up taking my sister and me in for the remainder of our childhood. There I took a deep interest in my school work and that interest would eventually land me admission as a first-generation college student to The University of Texas at Austin where I would eventually meet two of the people that I work with now in my entrepreneurial and leadership ventures.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I will begin with how I got started on in my entrepreneurial venture 1st then move to my leadership venture after.
I am the Cofounder of La Vie Brand alongside Harun Hersi. We met at the University of Texas as stated above. Upon graduating the University, we both found ourselves in the great city of Dallas, TX post-grad. In undergrad at UT, I uncovered a DEEP love and passion for fashion through modeling and serving as the Male liaison officer of a fashion organization on campus. That passion followed me long after graduating. I knew starting a clothing line was in my future post-grad, but I just didn’t know how/when. In January of 2017, Harun contacted me about having the desire to start a clothing line and he had some grassroots of what he wanted and asked me if I would be interested in modeling for him because he knew I used to model in college. He had no idea that I too had an interest in starting a clothing line. So, I shared my interest with him and instead of me just modeling we became business partners and collaborated to create what is now La Vie Brand!
As for my leadership venture. I am the leader of L.I.T Bible study’s’ Men’s Ministry formally known as the Men of LIT Bible Study or MO-LIT for short. L.I.T Bible Study was started by Chloe Airhart and I met Chloe at the University of Texas as well. Chloe started L.I.T Bible study post-grad winter of 2017. I reached a VERY low point in my life and Chloe was there at that time to invite me to check out this bible study. With nothing to lose, I gave it a shot. This was around the spring of 2018 and it COMPLETELY consumed me and changed my life! I had never had a community of friends and believers like this group of people, so loving and life-giving, all while striving to get closer to God. After about eight months of being a part of this community, God woke me up at like 3-4 am on a work night in October, and I couldn’t go back to sleep despite my best efforts.
I then recalled someone in the bible study community saying to me that “if God wakes you up in the middle of the night and won’t let you go back to sleep then he is trying to tell you something important” so I began to speak to God, I asked him what he wanted me to do or hear. He told me he wanted me to lead a group of men, I asked him who (side note my whole life I have been raised around women so I naturally had more women friends than men) so I asked God how am I going to lead men and I barely have men friends and he answered and told me he wanted me to organize and mobilize the men that were attending L.I.T Bible Study. Just when I thought I was in the clear to go back to sleep he still wouldn’t let me. God called me to start writing curriculum and framework for MO-LIT that very night- from the topics that he wanted me to discuss to the frequency in which he wanted us to meet. In January of 2019, we had our first MO-LIT meeting and have been meeting consistently since then.
La Vie Brand and L.I.T Bible Study’s (MO-LIT) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
La Vie means “The Life” in French and our logo is the word La Vie breaking through a square which symbolizes “living outside of the box”. Our Motto is “True discovery begins where your comfort zone ends”. We specialize in apparel (t-shirt, hats, sweaters- we like to say that we create urban wear with a hint of elegance). Our pieces are “simple with a little extra!”. What I am most proud of is also what I feel sets us apart from others and that’s the symbolism and meaning behind our brand. “Living outside of the box” is not just a slogan when it comes to our brand.
As the co-founder of this brand that statement encompasses my life’s story. I have only gotten as far as I have through living outside of the box, not succumbing to the toxic ways of my upbringing and environment. I look at this logo and it’s a living thing. It represents the fact that no matter how much pain you have been through there is equal and greater amounts of success, passion, and love out there to acquire, it symbolizes the fact that you don’t have to let your past define you and settle for the status quo. La Vie reminds you of the possibilities on the outside of my comfort zone and it continues to encourage you to repurpose your pain.
MO-LIT is a safe space where men can come and share their struggles, stories, and testimonies, free of judgment or the outside pressures of the world. It’s also a space where men learn about what it is to be a true man of God. We specialize in being vulnerable, transparent, and exemplifying Gods love to one another. It is amazing seeing the healing and transformation that happens in this space. Our mission statement is to re-align, redefine, and rewire masculinity. The model that most men have succumbed to and allowed to influence them is so broken. Some men know this and continue to operate in it while others are oblivious to it. MO-LIT is here to bridge this gap and introduce or reintroduce masculinity from a biblical standpoint, provide a sense of accountability, and do life together amongst brothers in Christ. We are here to do away with the ideology of serving ego and promote serving God.
One of the things I am most proud of is how we do life together outside of our consistent meetings. I feel as though doing life with one another is the space in which true transformation happens. We leave our Sunday services, our bible studies, and our MO-LIT group meetings energized and ready to run through a wall, but those days of the week when life hits you where it hurts and you aren’t feeling it, those are the times we show up for each other as well. What sets us apart from others is that the level of transparency we have with one another. Most people think leaders have it together and all figured out, but I will be the 1st to admit to you and the men that I lead that I do not. Leading is a learning process as is anything else and I learn from my fellow brothers as they learn from me and we are become better because of it.
I feel as though being honest about my issues and hardships is more encouraging and impactful than just sitting on a pedestal, and it creates an environment where we aren’t scared to discuss our deepest darkest fears, mistakes, and shortcomings and that fosters so much trust which in turn creates unshakeable bonds and relationships. It also allows us to shed light on those dark areas of our lives. As men we do not have many spaces to thoroughly express ourselves without seeming “weak” MO-LIT is here to remind men that it’s ok to be weak because when you are weak God is strong and we fight alongside our brothers and encourage each other in the face of any adversity.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as completely surrendering to God’s will and not my own, capitalizing on mistakes and failures, and being better today than I was yesterday, always chasing progress not perfection. My criteria is striving toward progress not only when I feel like it but even when I don’t. I created this quote that I try to live by “If you’re waiting on when you feel like it to do it, you are only going to do it few and far between. And few and far between isn’t frequent enough to get it done. Free yourself from having to feel like it to follow through.
Pricing:
- T-shirts are $25
- Traditional Hats are $15
- Distressed Hats are $20
Contact Info:
- Website: LavieBrand.com
- Email: thelaviebrand@gmail.com
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