The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship & Life | Business with Purpose Podcast EP 327: Steven Izen, Lokai

My guest this week is Steven Izen, founder and CEO of Lokai, the iconic bracelet brand infused with elements from the highest and lowest points on Earth. The white beads are infused with water from Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth. The black beads carry mud from the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.

The idea of Lokai came to Steven when his grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The diagnosis made Steven think about the highs and lows that everyone experiences. He wanted to make a product for himself and others as a reminder to stay humble through the highs and hopeful through the lows.

3:59 – Steven 101

• Most importantly, he is a father of two and a husband. Secondly, he is an athlete and entrepreneur.
• He came up with the idea for Lokai as a freshman in college.

5:23 – An early entrepreneur

• His father and grandfather were entrepreneurs.
• Steven is into woodworking and had a custom wood pen business in high school.

8:22 – Starting Lokai

• Steven thought about his own personal highs and lows and how he could make jewelry with the highest and lowest points of the world.
• His dad told him it was the good idea but said he needed to make it happen.
• The mud is a lot easier to get. A lot of beauty products are made with mud from the Dead Sea.
• The water from Mt. Everest took longer to get, and he had to get connected to a climbing group.
• He employs a team of Sherpa’s to climb Mt. Everest, bottle the water and bring it back down.

16:35 – Social media

• The value in Lokai is to the story that people attach of their own highs and lows.
• Steven’s company tried to learn about people’s stories, including celebrities and influencers.

20:50 – Why Lokai?

• The inspiration for the name Lokai comes from a Hawaiian word that’s spelled a little differently. It means unity and blending of opposites.

27:09 – What’s next?

• Steven launched a membership program that gives them different messages about balance.
• He wants to build more of a community and support system.

27:49 – Lokai promo code

• We have a Lokai promo code! Go to Lokai.com and use promo code “podcast15” to save 15% off your order.

29:08 – Get to know you

• What has made biggest impact on him in the past year? His children.
• Something we’d never guess about him? He loves woodworking.
• Favorite shows? The Wire and Lost

FEATURED QUOTES

Stay humble when you’re on top of the world and hopeful when you’ve hit a low.

I try to find balance by really putting an emphasis on what’s important to me outside of work.

The highs and lows of being an entrepreneur are crazy, and if I emotionally lived by those, I’d be a train wreck.

My family and my fitness really ground me. Those help to soundproof the craziness of work.

https://lokai.com/

Thank you to our partners of the show!

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I’d like to thank our other partner of the show and that’s Tradlands. Tradlands is an INCREDIBLE sustainable fashion brand that believes in clothing that you can live in NOW and love forever. Clothing that not only makes you feel like your best self, but also fits in a way that flatters. Their gorgeous dresses, pants, tops, and more are designed to move with you throughout your busy days. Their Nico dress is my dress in a love language —not only does it have sleeves, but also POCKETS and you know how I feel about dresses with pockets. I love how comfortable and stylish each piece – and they come in colors like classic neutrals or vibrant hues. One of the things I love most about Tradlands is their focus on sustainability and creating small batch clothing that lasts… they never over produce what they make and focus on only the highest quality materials. And you know how much I love supporting small businesses, too. Check them out at https://tradlands.com/businesswithpurpose and use the code MOLLY20 for 20% off!