We left the United States in May 2012 and moved to Nicaragua to create a business that gives back to the community. Since we moved here, we’ve been traveling all over the country to find various handmade products by the people of Nicaragua and ultimately develop a line of products that we can sell overseas. Buying and selling products from these local artisans will not only help their local economy, but will also expose people overseas to the beauty of an unfamiliar culture.
Life Out of the Box is a “product for a product business”. For every product that we sell overseas, we will give back a product here to help educate the kids here in Nicaragua. Sell a product, give a product. One for One. We want to give the kids a useful product that will allow them to have the opportunity to live their life out of the box and pursue their own dreams. So far, these products include a variety of notebooks, agendas and pencils. We are both very connected to education and believe that it’s the best place to start in helping developing countries. It’s the root of where change can start–where kids can learn and develop their own skills to improve their country’s economy, help their families and go on to teach the next generation.
While we have been traveling around the country looking for products to sell, we have also been working with various few non-profit organizations to find out how we can make a difference. Overall, our journey has been very exciting and fun and we hope that you follow us in our pursuit of living Life Out of the Box. Below is a video that sums up how Life Out of the Box works:
Life Out of the Box has two main goals:
1. To inspire people to live their ideal life, go global and make their dreams come true by living Life Out of the Box
2. To give others in developing countries the same opportunity to live a better life by giving an educational product back to them for every product sold
Why product for a product?
Helping others around the world is a higher priority to our generation than any before because we live in a world that is more globally connected than ever. We are aware of global social issues such as poverty, unemployment and poor education systems in places like Nicaragua because of the easy access to information through internet and social media. To this new generation, money is no longer the bottom line. Making the world a better place is.
From the beginning, we wanted to integrate giving back into our business model so that the giving is self-sustaining rather than dependent on donations. We call this socially conscious business. It’s integrated into the finances from the beginning. We want to give NGOs that serve the less fortunate something tangible that we know would actually make a significant difference rather than just blindly giving monetary donations. Sell a product, Donate a product. Through buying our products, people will have the ability to give a product to children around the world who could use it.
Our plan is to start in Nicaragua, but that’s not where we will stop. Our dream is to take this business concept and implement it globally in other countries as well so that Life Out of the Box can help kids all over the world have the same opportunity as we did. To pursue their dreams and change the world.
“The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk
Learn More…
To catch up on what’s been going on with the business development of LOOTB, check out: Our Business Development
Interested in partnering with LOOTB? Shoot us an email at lifeoutthebox@gmail.com or Contact Us, we’d love to hear from you!
Great for you to do this! So many of our students go back to their home countries and create social enterprises for their nation – it must be so rewarding for them – wish i was younger… our university also has a module which enables students to go and work with a charity abroad and for many that is a life-changing experience! thanks for liking my blog http://tiggerrenewing.wordpress.com – you’ll hear more about some of these social enterprises in due course – but I’m just waiting to here from my student in Chile how things are going….
Awesome, we look forward to reading more about all of their social enterprises on your blog!
This is awesome, and so inspiring! It takes courage to leave your comfort in search of what you are doing. Kudos!
Thanks for the kudos. If its a true dream then it requires giving up a lot. Including comfort sometimes
Really great idea – love the concept of a sustainable, self-perpetuating model. Brilliant!
Thanks Wade! We’re very excited about it
I admire what you’ve done. Not many people would do smth like this. it takes a lot of courage to live life they way you truly want.
Thank you so much for your kind words. It is hard to take that step, but once you do, there’s not looking back
It’s been the most rewarding experience of our lives so far! We hope to inspire other to have the courage to do the same.
Thank you for visiting my blog. It agrees with your intention. Please do your best.
We will always give it our very best. That’s a promise. Thank you for the comment.
Very Inspiring! God Bless U Abundantly..whatever you are doing over there
Thank you for the huge blessing.
Great work you are doing. Wish you all the success to your mission.
Thank you. Just taking action in what we believe is right.
Awesome b-model! Love what your doing.. thanks for letting me catch a small glimpse of Nicaragua. I look forward to ‘partnering up’ once we get situated.. Thanks..J
Thank you very much. We appreciate your comment J.
What a beautiful and inspiring advocacy you both have devoted your lives to. Your compassion and generosity gives great hope for mankind. I appreciate your loving souls immensely. If there is any way I can help do let me know. Love and light!
Aww thank you very much. Your words were very sweet and keep us moving forward. That was a lovely comment. Thanks again.
This is so awesome! I love it- such a great journey, and such a great idea. Best of luck to you guys!
Thank you for the compliment and the luck. We appreciate your comment and we look forward to developing our idea more.
Quinn and Jon, you two are awesome. I look forward to following your adventures and watching this dream unfold! I think you’d really dig my sister, Emily. She’s pursuing similar endeavors a little further South in Peru— emilimehandcrafted.com.
We checked it out and were super inspired. That’s awesome and we hope that our little online shop can look as good as hers one day. Thank you for showing it to us.
Nice post and awesome people
xx
Aww. Thank you xox
Very interesting! I just got back from La Paz, Nicaragua. My son is in the Peace Corps in Muelles de los Bueyes. I wrote a little about it at my blog, and I’ll be uploading my pics from the trip soon!
Thanks for visiting my blog – I’m glad to have found you!
That’s awesome. We love Hearing about people making a difference. The Peace Corp is a spectacular opportunity. Congratulations.
You are an inspiration to the world, which needs more generous people like you. Happy Holidays and have a Present New Year.
That was very kind of you to say. Also we really like the comment “have a present New year”. Haven’t heard that before but very cool. Happy holidays to you too.
Good luck! May your ideals work out for you!
Thank you very much for the luck. We can always use it.
What a great project, we need more selfless people to make an impact on this world.
Thanks. We are glad you like our project. Thank you very much.
Thanks for visiting my blog! I love your pictures and your project. Best of luck!
Thank you for the luck. We are glad you like our project and photos
we are totally on the same page !!! I can’t believe it ! Even the business model is very similar ! Please check out our work for more inspiration in your every day work, leave us with an inspiring constructive critic comment, so we can better reach your heart and imagination, and for sure we want to help out and create a life long relationship with suck an inspiring team! My deepest respect for your amazing work and conciseness, N. Merrynote – Coffeebooksong Studios founder
Awesome site. We love your push for inspiring others. Feel free to email us or ask us any questions. Thanks Nicholas
Thank you for the two replies, especially the last one, which I am asking you kindly to post it on our blog. Please let us know as soon as you need help with anything. We would be thrilled to work together! Kind regards, N.Merrynote
Awesome. Thanks. We will message you if we need anything. Thank you very much for the support.
I think what you’re doing is really cool…awesome that you have such courageous and adventurous spirits….wish you all the best…..I will definately be looking out for your posts.
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
This is so inspiring and awesome! I think our generation is motivating more change than what’s seen on tv or in general media. This is not only a smart business idea, but a fulfilling purpose. I wish you all the luck and success with this venture!
Thank you so much for the luck. We can use it for sure. Your compliment was very kind. We hope to make you proud.
Im so happy to have found your blog. What an amazing adventure you’re having and doing such beautiful things along the way. Im looking forward to following more of your journey
Love from New Zealand!
A follow up comment to the one I previously made. We visited market place in Granada which had fantastic wooden products that sold for prices so low that I can not imagine you not being able to make a nice profit with which to contribute to your charitable efforts.
I’m SO glad you liked a video I posted because now I’m an official follower. I know people say this ALL the time, but I wish I had gotten to know you were out here sooner. But, then, everything happens when it’s supposed to. As you know, we are currently in Hungary, in a small town, and though relocating to a neighboring country, I would love to continue to work with some of the people here, working with local communities. I have been reading about your initiative and business and would love any advice/suggestions you can offer on local influence and change. Thank you for being here.