In 1988 Nike was one of many sports shoe manufacturers when they launched a marketing campaign with the slogan, “Just do it.”
It wasn’t so much the words themselves as the spirit behind them – an enthusiasm for life itself -that captured the attention of the American public and catapulted Nike into a position of market dominance and extraordinary financial success.
Nearly 20 years later, in 2007, a similar thing happened here on the Emerald Coast when Jeff Archer and his partner founded a company called YOLO Board.
Jeff Archer, Founder of YOLO. An abbreviation of “You Only Live Once,” what started out as a stand-up paddle board manufcturing business, “YOLO” has become the defining ethos of a segment of the Emerald Coast lifestyle, and on the way has grown to include bikes and its own brand of coffee
YOLO stands for “You Only Live Once” and the word “board” referred to a stand-up paddle board.
The image of standing up on a board on the Gulf, or paddleboarding to explore the waters of inland lakes, captured the spirit of the moment here. And it seemed for a time like everybody was paddle-boarding every minute of the day they possibly could.
Like Nike’s sneakers, YOLO used the success of its paddle-board manufacture and sales to diversify and create a lifestyle brand that today includes bikes, accessories, and even a branded coffee and a coffee shop.
It wasn’t long after the Nike revolution that running shoes became fashion footwear. And then the flood gates opened.
Pioneered by apparel company Lulu Lemon, and popularized by young women who wanted to go straight from yoga class to the organic supermarket to Starbucks to picking up kids and who would rather sit in their SUV in traffic than waste an entire 5 minutes changing clothes, a new style of clothing was born, called “Athleisure.”
In 2019, Kurt Tobias gave athleisure a Florida Panhandle flavor when he launched his clothing line, Choona.
Kurt Tobias, Founder of Choona, functional fashion for men that Kurt calls “Outleisure” – Emerald Coast inspired designs that go from the beach to work to dinner
Choona – which is a contraction of Choose Your Nature – blends our outdoor lifestyle and coastal colors with everyday wear and is branded as “Outleisure” – intended to go from the beach, hiking, or fishing, to everyday activities.
Choona is ethically sourced, designed and manufactured in the US, has an estimated multi-million dollar revenue, and is headquartered right here in Santa Rosa.
Brandon and Jennifer Favano – and their mokney, Tiki, making his way into Jennifer’s shirt. Jennifer and Brandon are known collectively as “That Kiteboard Couple,” promoting the kiting lifestyle on the water and on social media from their perch in Navarre. Tiki the monkey has been their key to social media success
Our Out to Lunch Entrepreneur of the Week this week is actually two entrepreneurs, Jennifer and Brandon Favano, known collectively as That Kiteboard Couple. Actually they’re a trio. The third member of the team is Tiki, the Marmoset monkey. Tiki is the mascot and for most people he’s the social media introduction to Brandon and Jennifer’s kiteboard lifestyle which they promote from their homebase in Navarre.
And talking of home, unless you have a job that takes you outdoors, a great deal of your life is spent inside.When you live here, there’s an element of torture to that, because the outdoors is, after all, mostly why we live here. So we make the most of any time we can get outdoors.
Beyond the beauty, tranquility and rejuvenation of the spirit and soul that comes from just being a part of the natural environment, there’s also something to be said for being comfortable and having fun. Jeff, Kurt, Jennifer and Brandon are all responsible in one way or another for maximizing the experiences of living here in the Panhandle.
Fletcher Isacks, Brandon and Jennifer Favano, Jeff Archer, and Kurt Tobias, Out to Lunch at Farm & Fire on HIghway 331 in Santa Rosa, Florida
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Farm & Fire restaurant on Highway 331, overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay. Farm & Fire is one of Chef Jim Shirley’s family of fine restaurants. It’s open from 4pm, 6 days a week, and from 11am for brunch on Sundays.
Kurt Tobias from Choona and Tiki the monkey from That Kiteboard Couple
Photos by Brandan Babineaux.