Participating in their own dreams

By Karen Braynard
NH Mirror Contributor

In the face of adversity, some people give up, some people move on and others. . . make slogans?

Such was the birth of Liv’n Out Loud!, a clothing company run by Alyson Bruu and Kristine Fichera, both of Hampstead, whose items have been requested as celebrity gifts for the Sundance Film Festival and the Oscars.

Kristine Fichera, left, and Alyson Bruu hope their clothing line, Liv'n Out Loud!, helps people dare to live their dreams. (Courtesy Photo)

Bruu and Fichera were in a rut with the day-to-day grind when a major event shook things up enough for them to take a leap of faith.

Their story begins in 2004. Bruu had gone in for a routine surgery that took a turn for the worst. Before the emergency exploratory surgery, she asked her doctor if she should be afraid. Her doctor looked her in the eye and replied, “Yes.” Bruu said she went under anesthesia seriously reflecting on her life. She had unexplained internal bleeding which, if not stopped, would kill her.

Meanwhile, Fichera sat anxiously in the waiting room. As the surgery drew on, she feared the worst. The thought of living without her partner of 10 years was unbearable.

Bruu pulled through, and the two spent a lot of time pondering. They knew they were supposed to take something away from this experience, but were not quite sure what.

“Kristine kept saying we needed to start living out loud,” Bruu said. Their “eureka” moment hit them in a gift shop.

“We found these cozy sweatshirts. They were really nice and had a slogan on them,” Bruu said. “We talked about how cool it would be if they had something like ‘Hampstead’ written on them. Then it just hit us . . . what if they said, ‘Liv’n Out Loud!’”

Knowing that Liv’n Out Loud! meant living life to the fullest, they decided to define their reason for being through comfortable clothing that inspires others to participate in their own dreams. In less than a few hours, they had a domain name secured and a business plan written.

So is it a shirt or a philosophy? Liv’n Out Loud! is both. The T-shirts, tanks and sweatshirts have unique attitude. With slogans such as “Be Someone’s Moment,” “Defy Mediocrity” and “Flaunt Your Humanity,” these shirts dare you to live life to the fullest.

Fichera and Bruu said they knew there were people all around the world who wanted to live out loud. They want to encourage everyone to examine their lives and find self-empowerment.

Their Web site, www.livnoutloud.com, shares their story, as well as the stories of their customers’ personal triumphs and leaps of faith.

The brand is growing fast, and Bruu and Fichera work hard to maintain a personal touch. They try not to let success overwhelm them, even though they work around the clock.

“We feel the earth moving underneath us all the time,” Fichera said. “Before we started Liv’n Out Loud!, I never realized you could do what you wanted and live the way you wanted.”

Liv’n Out Loud! shirts and other items are available at www.livnoutloud.com or by calling 329-9599.