Well in essence, it’s the way I have lived my entire life and what I try to instill in my kids, wife and everyone I meet. Growing up everyone always asked, “Dude how can you be so laid back all the time?” It never occurred to me that there was really any other way to be.
Now our journey with our brand started with my son Jacob and I wanting to start a company to spread these Laid-Back vibes and bring like-minded people together. However, we had to put our project on hold when my wife had a diagnosis of Conversion Disorder in November of 2016. You may ask what is Conversion Disorder? Also known as Functional Neurologic Disorder, it is a condition that can cause blindness, loss of muscle movement, sometimes paralysis, along with other neurological symptoms that mimic ALS, MLS and other neurological disorders. The worst part is that many medical professionals do not know what this disorder is, how to diagnose it or how to treat it.
So up until November of 2016 our family felt alone, with many different doctor visits all saying they don’t know what is causing these issues, it became extremely frustrating. She had gone from a healthy active mother to having to use a wheel chair to get around in just a month or two. After a long list of doctors and tests and you name it, we ended up at Johns Hopkins where she was finally diagnosed with Conversion Disorder.
But, we like to look at everything as an opportunity, and that is where our project, Laid-Back, comes into play. We are using our brand to raise awareness for Conversion Disorder, through the power and tools of optimism and Laid-Back vibes. With the purchase of any of our products we will donate a portion of the profits to either research for this disorder or to help those dealing with the crippling effects of this and give them the hope to beat this. It is our hope that when you wear our products you get a feeling of accomplishment or satisfaction, knowing that you are helping many people who fight these everyday struggles.
As an update, my wife is recovering well and no longer uses a wheel chair but she does have to be very aware of what her body is telling her because she has had small relapses but she now has the support and knowledge to help.
Together we can raise awareness of this rare disorder!
Resources to help you learn more about conversion disorder:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/conversion-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355197