One for One

I’m so excited right now, because I am about to see the first copies of Keep Dreaming, a book for children that was written by my husband’s friend, Jake Brittain, illustrated by my husband, Scott Dykema, and designed my me. Jake and Scott have decided on a One for One business model for the book.  What that means is that for every book sold, one book will be given to a child in need. They have decided that their first donations will go to The Boys and Girls Club. Isn’t that cool?


This One for One idea came from one of Scott’s friends from Martin High School in Arlington, TX, Blake Mycoskie – the founder of Toms shoes (or chief shoe giver - as he calls himself). As you probably already know, for every pair of Toms you buy, a pair of shoes will be given to a child in need. LOVE this! And apparently, so do a lot of other people! Business is booming for Toms.

Another wonderful company with this same business model is Warby Parker. They offer beautifully made, vintage inspired frames with top of the line lenses (the lenses you pay extra for at the stores) and a 30 day return policy for one price - $95. They’ll even send you 5 pairs of glasses to try on before you decide which frame is right for you! Great deal, right? But the clincher for me is that for every pair you buy, they’ll give a pair to someone who needs glasses but can’t afford them. I’ve already picked out the five I want to try, but due to high demand (eh-hem), I may have to wait a few weeks to get them in my hot little hands. Want to know how I know this? I emailed them to ask how long it would take along with several other questions. The next day I had an email in my inbox from a real person answering every question I had. I just LOVE that!

One more recent discovery that is along these same lines is a website just I found called Collect.Give. The amazing photographers who sell their work on this site have pledged to donate 100% of their profits to the charitable organization of their choice. Very cool!

So stay tuned to see how the new book turns out. Since this is the first book I’ve ever designed, I’m both excited and nervous at the same time. I’m just hoping that the design of the book will show off Jake’s important message and Scott’s gorgeous illustrations. Fingers crossed!

Here's a little preview of the cover:
 

Go here to see the website where you can buy the book, learn more about Jake and Scott, and see what events they have planned.