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OUR BRAND

OUR LOGO

Believe it or not, the Best Best Co. name started as a simple typo in a text. It was a thankful reply meaning to say,“You’re the best”. Somehow, a second “best” got added and the response was, “Hmm, best best. I kinda like that”. It quickly became our shorthand for encouraging each other to be the “best best” versions of ourselves while reminding one another to always stay positive no matter what life throws at us.

 

With our drive for wanting to help and encourage others, we were very passionate about creating an inspirational brand. We knew we wanted to find a way to help generate a larger conversation around mental health issues that resonate so deeply with us personally, as well as with countless others. We also knew we wanted to directly support and collaborate with those organizations within the mental health community who work so hard to inspire change and make a difference for those in need.

 

Our brand is about learning to acknowledge and harness the positive energy that’s generated when we strive to become the best, best versions of ourselves. It’s about building a community of like-minded individuals who recognize that collectively we are strong. And, it serves as a constant reminder to allow ourselves to take time to pause, reflect, find our positive, and continue on.

Best Best Co. is dedicated to keeping the conversation around mental health open and accessible to all. That's why 10% of profits go directly to NAMI Rochester to help support mental health services. Together, we can and will make a difference.

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OUR LOGO

Best Best Co’s “mindful pause” logo utilizes two familiar typographic elements – a parenthesis and a semicolon – as both visual shorthand and as a reminder to always stay positive. 

 

Just as a parenthesis represents an additional thought or comment within a sentence, it also signifies a moment of self-reflection – an aside or affirmation to ourselves, from ourselves, within the otherwise hectic context of our daily lives. A safe, familiar place where we can make sense of it all without distraction. 

 

The semicolon has a well-known meaning of hope and survival within the world of mental health and represents both a pause and a continuation. It too is both a testament to the power of positive self-reflection and a visual representation that our story is not over yet and that we are the best one to tell it. 

 

Taken together, these two elements serve as a powerful reminder to all of us to simply pause, reflect, find your positive, and continue. 

BEST BEST CO. + NAMI ROCHESTER

NAMI

We're extremely proud to have NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Rochester as our primary donation recipient. For every purchase of our socially-mindful products and apparel, we donate 10% of the profits directly to NAMI Rochester to help support their vision of a world where the stigma surrounding mental health is no longer a barrier to treatment, support is readily available and mental illness is universally accepted as a treatable medical condition.     

 

NAMI Rochester's mission is to provide support, education and advocacy to individuals and families of all cultural backgrounds who are living with mental illness.

By supporting NAMI Rochester, we are enabling support groups, educational opportunities, and
advocating for mental health to be given the same attention, funding, and respect as any other
medical condition. For too long, mental health has been stigmatized and neglected. It's time for a mental health revolution.

If you need support, check out NAMI Roc's trusted resources page. You are not alone.

FOUNDERS

THE FOUNDERS

H: We had been co-workers for a little while and collaborated on several design projects during
that time, so we knew we shared a common vision and aesthetic in our work. But I think what really brought us together was the experience of significant loss in both our lives at exactly the same time. It was at that point we realized how important we were to each other as a mutual support system which, in turn, created a safe space for deeper conversations.

 

J: Yeah, we were discussing ideas for a startup we could launch together and both felt strongly it had to be something that could help make a positive impact on the lives of other as well as our own. We knew we had both been that source of positivity for each other during some pretty rough times, so we thought why not find a way to share that feeling with others who maybe struggling?

H: I think your exact words were, “I want to help people.” I had a 4-color screen press set up in my basement that I had been playing around with for years, so it made sense to focus on branded apparel and products – t-shirts, posters, tote bags, pins – that we could produce in-house. With Jackie’s expertise in graphic design and product development and my background in marketing and sales, it seemed like a natural fit.

 

J: Having been sexually abused as a child resulted in my own struggles with mental health, but it has also driven me to find ways to help others get through what I had to get through, and what I’m still getting through in many ways. Even if it’s just sharing my story to let people know they are more and they’re not alone. If we can find a way to help generate a positive conversation around mental health issues that resonate so deeply with so many of us, then we believewe’re helping.

 

H: We also knew we wanted to directly support those organizations within the mental health community who work so hard to inspire change and make a difference for those in need. We’re extremely proud to have been able to work with the local branch of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) right from the start as our primary donation recipient. Ten percent of the profit from every product we sell goes directly to NAMI Rochester to help support their vision of a world where the stigma surrounding mental health is no longer a barrier to treatment.

J: We’re fortunate to have a very active and engaged mental health community in Rochester, so we knew our message would be well received. Rochester also has a long tradition of supporting the artist community and people here really understand and appreciate the aesthetic value handmade products bring.

 

H: For us, it’s all about spreading the power of positivity throughout the Rochester community while supporting access to life saving resources that can help someone live a mentally healthy lifestyle. If our message gets through to just one person, we’ll have been successful.

To read our personal mental health stories, visit NAMI's iRoc Mental Health.

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