John Jacobs

Co-Founder & CCO (Chief Creative Optimist) of Life is Good

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Biography

Motivational keynote speaker John Jacobs is co-founder and CCO (Chief Creative Optimist) of Life is Good, which spreads the power of optimism through inspiring art, a passionate community, and groundbreaking nonprofit work. Read More >

John and his brother Bert launched their business with $78 in their pockets, selling T-shirts in the streets of Boston. Under their leadership, Life is Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 2,000 retailers across the US and Canada.

John wrote and illustrated his first (poorly spelled) book at the age of five. He’s been writing and drawing ever since, graduating from the University of Massachusetts with dual degrees in English and Art. John began designing and selling T-shirts with his brother Bert during his senior year. After five years traveling in their van together, the brothers officially launched Life is Good with the mission to spread the power of optimism.

Early on, John and Bert were inspired by stories of people, mainly children, facing great adversity. These stories illustrated that optimism is most powerful in the darkest of times and motivated the creation of a fully integrated business model dedicated to helping kids in need. Life is Good donates at least 10% of its annual net profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation to positively impact over 120,000 kids daily facing poverty, violence, and illness.

John provides the creative vision to guide the art and messaging direction of Life is Good to inspire optimism in everyone the brand touches. John enjoys outdoor adventures with his family, awkward dancing and diving into the water to catch things.

To inspire others to choose optimism and grow the good in their lives, John and Bert wrote Life is Good: The Book/ How to Live with Purpose and Enjoy the Ride, published by National Geographic in September 2015.

John has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities for entrepreneurship, business innovation and philanthropy. He and Life is Good have been featured on CNNMoney, CNBC’s Business Nation, ABC News’ Nightline, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s Health Magazine, among others. A leading motivational speaker, John spreads the inspiring message of optimism paired with business and leadership advice on fostering an environment of innovation and customer-focused enterprises. John and Bert are the youngest of six siblings from Needham, MA. They credit their mother as the first powerful optimist in their lives, and the inspiration for Life is Good. Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

5 Tips From the Life Is Good Guys

Positive Purpose and Spreading Optimism

Life is Good Virtual Commencement Recap

Optimism & Politics

Learning Optimism from Adversity

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Speech Topics

Life is Not Perfect. Life is Not Easy. Life is Good.

John Jacobs founded Life is Good to inspire people to celebrate the good around them. Over time, a vibrant community grew that taught them that optimism is the most powerful strategy to living a happy and fulfilling life, especially in the hardest of times. In times of uncertainty, fear, loss, and tragedy, we still have the choice to focus our energy on what’s right in our lives and the world around us and find the opportunity instead of obstacles. We have the ability to use these times of darkness to come together, to see each other as humans (not just co-workers or clients), build unbreakable bonds, and innovate like never before. Through this virtual keynote experience, John Jacobs will share the inspiring business story of Life is Good, from the humble beginnings selling T-shirts out of a van, to finding opportunity in the face of hardships like the Great Recession & unthinkable tragedies like the Boston Marathon Bombing, which took place steps from the Life is Good Headquarters. Audience members will leave this keynote with a renewed sense of optimism and with the tools and inspiration needed to find and grow the good around them – in business and in life.

Optimism Can Take You Anywhere

John Jacobs and his brother Bert launched the Life is Good Company with $78 in their pockets selling t-shirts on the streets of Boston. Today, Life is Good is a $100-million, positive lifestyle brand sold by more than 2,000 retailers across the U.S. and Canada. Their inspiring business story and lessons on optimism and corporate social responsibility will demonstrate how focusing on the good can transform your mindset, business, and take you anywhere Read More >

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Embracing the power of optimism to innovate and thrive in times of change: Business leaders see significant change ahead for their companies as 71% of CEO’s expect the next 3 years as being more critical for their industry than the last 50. Jacobs dives into creating a “yes, and” culture focused on opportunities (not obstacles) and brand-building that will stand the test of time.
Cultivating a culture of optimism from the inside out: Jacobs shares experience from Life is Good to help audiences discover their own sense of optimism to uncover a deeper meaning to the work they do. Lessons on gratitude, openness, and compassion show how simple mindset shifts can transform company culture that can be felt by your customers and beyond.
Going beyond “customer-focused” to build (and keep) your audience: Life is Good was built largely in part by its customers to become the iconic brand it is today. Jacobs shares lessons on brand building with your community to build loyalty and relevance.
Positive Purpose: More than ever, consumers are demanding brands they buy from are socially responsible. Jacobs shares the LiG story and inspires audiences to integrate a deeper meaning into their work... the authentic way.
The Power of Optimism: in Jacobs’ keynote talk, discover how to live life with purpose and enjoy the ride.