A life-saving surgery led to a life-changing way of life for Alyson Bruu.
It was August 2004 when she had a routine surgery to remove her right ovary, which is normally a one-day procedure. However, she had complications and started to hemorrhage internally. She was rushed back into surgery that evening because doctors did not know where the blood was coming from.
They operated, cutting her open from hip to hip and, three hours in, doctors still could not find the source despite removing each organ in her belly, washing it and patting it dry.
'They thought they were going to have to let me go on the table, and I knew this going into the surgery, that there was a chance I could die,' she said.
Doctors eventually tilted Bruu into a standing position and, with that, noticed trickles of blood coming from her diaphragm, under her chest. So, they were forced to cut her from pubis to belly button to get into the area. They discovered three small areas that were bleeding and they were immediately repaired.
Bruu ultimately survived the near-four hour scare, but soon started reflecting on the meaning of life.
'I was really spooked by this experience,' she said.
Flash-forward to December, 2004. Bruu and her life partner of 13 years, Kristine Fichera, went to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to celebrate Bruu's birthday, and there they spotted clothing inside a souvenir store that was colorful, cozy and 100 percent cotton.
'It was great stuff and I bought one of every color,' Bruu said.
They returned to their home in Hampstead, N.H., and, two weeks later, Bruu told Fichera, 'I think we have to design a company that might fulfill exactly what we're talking about—what we're supposed to be doing with our lives, something that makes our lives more meaningful. I think we should design a company around this clothing.'
Fichera immediately responded, 'Liv'n Out Loud.'
Over the next hour, while sitting at their kitchen table, the two designed the entire business plan, bought their Web site ( www.livnoutloud.com ) and came up with the entire concept.
This was Christmas Eve 2004.
The two launched Liv'n Out Loud! Clothing Company in May, 2005.
'We knew we needed to do something to make our lives more authentic,' Bruu said. 'Kristine was working in corporate America at the time, yet was very unfulfilled, even though she was making six figures. I already had a small, successful advertising agency.
'We wanted something that would help us become more authentic and to have more inspiration in our lives. And a clothing company hits us like a two-ton brick.
'We want the business to affect people's lives, do something truly meaningful.'
Their clothing company sells cotton 'comfort stuffs,' they say, in stunning sun-washed tones. There are T-shirts and sweatshirts, all containing empowering, meaningful and inspirational sayings.
Simply put, Liv'n Out Loud is all about self-empowerment. On the company's Web site, for instance, there is an area for people to leave their Liv'n Out Loud stories. That includes cancer survivors to one who left her wife-beating husband to another who went for a nursing degree.
'We want a company that affects people's lives for the better,' said Bruu, who labeled her current health 'perfect now.'
'People are rabid fans of Liv'n Out Loud. Rarely do we get orders for one t-shirt. Instead, orders come in for four, or five, or eight or more T-shirts at a time.
'Ya know, it's kind of a 'Holy Cow' feeling that we've actually done this with our own blood, sweat and tears.'
Liv'n Out Loud! is a privately-held company, yet Bruu confirmed it already has about 1,000 customers. It has not done any advertising yet. Instead, they are using simple viral marketing and media exposure.
Liv'n Out Loud! was started out of courage and inspiration, and is still driven by courage and inspiration.
Some of the clothing has cute sayings, some carry meaningful says. Let's see, there's Mine Are Brass, The Power of One and Empowered, among others.
The most popular sayings are Defy Mediocrity and Color Outside The Lines.
Bruu said that 90 percent of the customers are females because the items are targeted for women. She said about 40 percent of its customers come from the LGBT community.
'Ideally, we'd like to be in every important retail store around the country,' said Bruu, who confirmed the company is targeting gay and straight clients. 'We just want people to grasp this meaning, this under-current of empowerment.
'This company is about the people, those who need to be reminded that you have to live exactly how you want to be living, doing exactly what you want to be doing.'
Bruu, who has worked in marketing for 28 years, said she has adopted a simple sales strategy: one-to-many. Meaning, she talks to one person who has a large outlet and/or following. 'To me, that is the most affective way to get the word out,' she said.
Bruu also has been pushing her company through the media—and the media has responded. Liv'n Out Loud! has been profiled in Go NYC, abOUT Magazine, Boston Spirit Magazine, New England Cable News and elsewhere.
Liv'n Out Loud! even has attracted the attention of New Hampshire's governor, John Lynch, thanks to a Bruu's aggressive ways and entrepreneurial skills.
You see, Bruu and Fichera were at a town fair this summer, and the town was celebrating its 250th anniversary. That attracted Lynch and his wife.
Bruu eventually approached Lynch with a T-shirt and baseball hat. She introduced herself and gave him the items, then asked if he'd autograph the back of a postcard with the inscription, 'New Hampshire is Liv'n Out Loud.'
And he did.
Several days later, Bruu wanted to use his autograph on their Web site, so she emailed his office for approval. Well, Lynch's office replied two days later in a way she never envisioned—with a personal invitation for Bruu and Fichera to visit the State House, with clothing samples, so Lynch could do a photo-shoot wearing the clothing.
'It bowled us over,' she said of the governor's invitation. 'People on very significant levels of life are looking at us and taking notice of what we're doing. To say that's exciting would be an understatement. It's been wild.
'This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.'
Actor Alec Baldwin also has lent his support to Liv'n Out Loud!
Not bad for a company of two employees – Bruu and Fichera, who each work 16-hour days from their home-office.
'Our goal is Oprah because we think our message completely aligns with her vibe and what she's doing,' Bruu said.
