C7 FAMILY
2/18-22/26
#6 - FUTURE
AS I COME TO THE END OF MY TIME IN SCHOOL, I AM ABLE TO BE COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN THE WORLD OF MY FUTURE. TAKING BUSINESS CLASSES WHILE ACTIVELY HAVING A BUSINESS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY FULFILLING, AND I’VE BEEN ABLE TO PLACE MYSELF EXACTLY WHERE I NEEDED TO BE. BECAUSE I’M NOW USING THIS BRAND AS MY BUSINESS FOR A NUMBER OF CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, I’M ABLE TO GET PROFESSIONAL INPUT AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM TRUSTED PEERS. THIS BLOG ITSELF WAS THE PRODUCT OF DISCUSSING WITH LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS AND AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSOR, SO I HAVE NO DOUBT IN THE VALUE OF THESE WORDS. I LOVE THE IDEA OF THESE DOCUMENTS TELLING THE STORY OF C7, SO I MAY AS WELL TALK ABOUT SOME BIGGER PICTURE IDEAS THAT I DON’T POST ABOUT MUCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OBVIOUSLY SUSTAINABILITY IS A BIG PART OF THIS BUSINESS, BUT I WAS ABLE TO FULLY REALIZE THIS AFTER UNDERSTANDING ITS IMPORTANCE THOUGH MY EDUCATION. WHILE IT IS AN UPHILL BATTLE, I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD COME TRUE.
ONE OF THE CONCEPTS MY PROFESSOR BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING SUSTAINABILITY IS ITS DIRECT AND INEVITABLE LINK WITH POVERTY IN THE WORLD. YOU CAN’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN THEY NEED TO WORRY ABOUT PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE. LIKE I’VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, EVERY HUMAN ON EARTH WAS BROUGHT UP IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT WITH EVENTS THAT MOLDED THEIR BRAIN IN A DIFFERENT WAY, SO I DON’T EXPECT EVERY SINGLE PERSON TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE IN THE BEGINNING. HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THAT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND GENUINE COMMUNITY EFFORTS ARE GOING TO BE WHAT SAVES US. GOING BACK TO THE CONCEPT MY PROFESSOR EXPLAINED, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNABLE TO WORRY ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY UNLESS THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY. ONE OF THE RECURRING ROAD BLOCKS FROM THIS COMFORTABILITY IS THE LACK OF LOCAL BUSINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. WHEN LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO GROW, THE COMMUNITY’S MONEY WILL FLUCTUATE LOCALLY (WITH BIG CORPORATIONS BEING THE ULTIMATE VACUUM OF THIS FLUCTUATION). SO MANY AMERICAN RELIEF FUNDS AND FINANCIAL AID SERVICES HAVE FAILED BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE, BUT INSTEAD HOW TO MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK LIKE THEY FIXED IT, LIKE PUTTING A BANDAID ON A BULLET HOLE. FLOODING COMMUNITIES WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF IMPORTED PRODUCT RUINS THE LOCAL BUSINESS MARKET, SINCE NO ONE CAN COMPETE WITH FREE. THIS ONLY SUSTAINS THAT COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS THE DONOR ALLOWS IT, LEADING TO AN EVEN WEAKER SYSTEM.
WITH ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS OF C7 BEING A COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS, I WANT TO USE THIS PLATFORM AS A TOOL FOR LOVE AND GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PLANET. ONCE I HAVE BUILT THE FOUNDATION FOR MY BRAND, HAVE A STRONG TEAM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS WORLD THOROUGHLY, I PLAN ON DOING A TON OF TRAVELING AND WORLDWIDE NETWORKING. I AM INFATUATED WITH CULTURE AND I WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS WHAT MAKES THEM THEM, WHILE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THEIR COMMUNITY AND LOCAL ECONOMY. THE WAY THAT I BELIEVE I AM CAPABLE OF DOING THIS IS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESS IN THESE COMMUNITIES. IT’S HARD TO SAY RIGHT NOW WHAT THESE COLLABORATIONS WILL LOOK LIKE, HOWEVER I HAVE GOTTEN SOME INSPIRATION FROM SOME PRE EXISTING WORK. AT THE THRIFT STORE I FOUND A PAIR OF JUJU SURF CLUB VANS WHICH I’D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
“JUJU aims to bring global awareness and support to existing and emerging African surf programmes.” - FROM THEIR WEBSITE. THE KEY WORD IN THAT QUOTE IS EXISTING. THERE ARE ALREADY SO MANY BUSINESSES AROUND THE WORLD ACTIVELY TRYING TO GROW, BUT FACE THE ROAD BLOCKS OF OUR CURRENT SOCIETY. THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN VANS AND JUJU SURF CLUB RAISED MONEY FOR THEIR PROGRAM, THE KIND OF THING I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO USE MY PLATFORM FOR. WITH ALL THIS BEING SAID, I DON’T WANT TO ACT LIKE SOME WHITE KNIGHT, ITS MORE THAT THIS JUST MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR ME TO DO WITH WHAT I HAVE. FOR THE BRIEF PERIOD I WAS AN ECONOMICS MAJOR, ONE OF THE CONCEPTS THAT STUCK WITH ME WAS SPECIALIZATION: THE IDEA THAT IF EVERYONE IS FOCUSING ON WHAT THEY ARE THE BEST AT, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENT. I HOPE WITH THESE COLLABORATIONS TO GIVE ORGANIZATIONS I WANT TO SUPPORT A PLATFORM TO RECEIVE THAT SUPPORT, AND THE CHANCE TO REACH A LARGER AUDIENCE. THE EMPHASIS OF THESE COLLABORATIONS WILL ALWAYS BE COMMUNITY AND LOVE, AND IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE TIME IS HERE. UNTIL THEN, YOU’RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
-CAMERON CAMPBELL CRAIG