Although life may be good, life on the lake is even better.
This simple, yet soul-stirring reflection sparked the idea for
Lake is Good, a t-shirt company created by Grand Rapids resident Becky Bell.
The mantra had been brewing in Bell's brain since she was a child growing up in the Southwest Michigan resort town of St. Joseph. Never far from Lake Michigan, Bell could see the blue water and hear the low moan of foghorns without leaving the bedroom of her childhood home atop the bluff of the beachside city.
It wasn't until she moved inland to pursue degrees in English and education at Grand Rapids Community College and Calvin College that Bell realized just how deep-rooted her attachment to lakeshore living had grown.
"The lake and the beach have always been a part of who I am. I grew up collecting beach glass and driftwood, and my dad had a sailboat," says Bell, 41. "I missed it. Not being around water makes a person crazy."
Created for Michiganders who live for summers spent soaking up the sun, jumping waves and taking advantage of all that embodies the nostalgic vibe of "Pure Michigan," the long- and short-sleeved shirts feature the tagline "Lake is Good" accompanied by illustrations of lighthouses, Adirondack chairs, oars, nautical flags and a reverse outline of the state as formed by the Great Lakes.
Contributing more than just a feel-good phrase, Bell participates in charity by donating a portion of the company's sales to
Freshwater Future. The Petoskey-based non-profit provides funding and support to more than 1,800 grassroots watershed groups that work to protect and restore water quality in the Great Lakes Basin.
"If I made any money at this, I wanted to give it back to a cause," says Bell. "Freshwater Future is so involved with various groups that support not only the Great Lakes, but rivers and wetlands, too."
With most of their funding coming from donors and memberships, Freshwater Future Associate Director Cheryl Mendoza says Bell's obvious passion for the lakes brought the two organizations together.
"Becky is so creative in what she's doing," says Mendoza. "She's dedicated to helping the lakes, and it's unique that she can mesh that with the shirt sales to make it happen."
Bell first came up with the concept in 2008, as she was driving around Lake Michigan on her way home from Chicago.
"The sun was shining brilliantly and I was just going nuts about the sparkling water," says Bell. "I was thinking how much I love the city, but how much more I love the lake. Then it just hit me: life is good, but lake is really good."
After a year of paperwork and waiting, Bell trademarked the phrase and began producing shirts. She initiates the design concepts and relies on freelance graphic designers and a screen printer to carry out her vision. Bell is also employed as a middle school resource room teacher, granting her the ability to devote her summers to operating and growing the company.
"Every new experience is trial and error because there is so much involved to get a finished product," Bell says. "Nothing goes as planned, but it always works out in the end."
Bell, who had no prior business experience, operates from a home office in her attic, sometimes enlisting her husband and two sons to help her lug the large shipments up two flights of stairs before she personally delivers the shirts to the participating West Michigan retailers.
The shirts, ranging in price from $18 to $22, are currently sold at
Edgewater Gifts in St. Joseph,
Shooting Star Gifts & Antiques in South Haven and
Spirit Dreams and
Bill & Paul's Sporthaus in Grand Rapids.
After Bell initially approached Bill & Paul's Sportshaus about carrying the t-shirt line last spring, co-owner Kim Pearson agreed to carry a small quantity of the shirts in the store. To Pearson's surprise and Bell's delight, the initial order sold out in its first week, and Pearson has since kept the store stocked with a healthy supply of Lake is Good shirts.
"The product is just a really great Michigan sentimental piece for anyone who is attached to the water," says Pearson, who also sells the shirts on the store's website. "It's great to have a product from a young entrepreneur who is not only doing something they love but also giving back to the environment."
Bell's infectious enthusiasm and personable nature render her a natural saleswoman and product spokeswoman.
"Her personality overflows into products, and the fact that she's sharing her love of the lakes with customers is fun," says Pearson. "She's adorable, enthusiastic and obviously doing what she's doing out of love."
In the future, Bell plans to expand Lake is Good to mugs and bags and other gifts. She doesn't see any reason to limit the products to Michigan, and would like to share her love of the lake with other water enthusiasts around the country. But for now, she'll keep her day job.
"It's definitely a side project," says Bell. "But if I could retire and travel around lake towns selling shirts, that would be incredible."
Kelly Quintanilla is a Michigan-based freelance writer who lives the dream as the Beer Babe columnist for Revue and a music critic for Consequence of Sound, among other assorted journalistic pursuits.
Photos: Becky Bell
Becky Bell's line of lake-themed T-shirts (3)
Photographs by
Brian Kelly -All Rights Reserved