Accountability Defines Action: The Karamojo Launch
The official Karamojo launch recently took place with our friends at Paris Texas Apparel Co, and by all accounts was a huge success! This was a moment three years in the making, and the turnout was both humbling and inspiring. We had about 130 people turn up for the event, and the buzz surrounding the launch was palpable as we ran short on several colors and sizes (and ran out of beer!).
Our Original Field Shirt, the flagship of the Karamojo line, was very well received, with one guest foregoing the shirt he wore in favor of his recent Karamojo purchase for a date that night (he received multiple compliments I’m told). While the reviews surrounding the product served as justification for the countless hours we’ve poured into development for our initial offering, it was the excitement surrounding our mission that proved most moving. Our dedication to revive the untamed Human Spirit is something we feel very passionately about at Karamojo, and judging by the conversations we had with those who attended the feeling is mutual. We wouldn’t be here without our advocates, and we rely on our advocates to carry this mission to the masses. It does not exist without you.
Accountability Defines Action
While reviewing the final guest list prior to launch and making last minute calls and texts, one commonality in particular struck me: the incredibly impressive accomplishments of those who would be there to support the brand. There were Division I athletes, business owners and entrepreneurs, a world champion fighter, and veterans of arguably the finest special operations force the world has ever seen (stay tuned for future collaboration). Extraordinary men with extraordinary accomplishments. My belief is that the reason these types experience such intensified levels of success is primarily because they hold themselves accountable. They accept nothing less than their very best at all times. Talent may play a minor part but it is accountability that leads to ultimate success.
Quite alarming then was the realization that this quality was not innate within yours truly. Like most normals, I must “outsource” my accountability to truly realize results. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read “write your goals down!” on blogs and in books. While this is a start, it does little to enforce continued action - if the list remains private, who notices when it’s amended to reflect lesser expectations (or thrown out completely)? Tim Ferriss of 4-hour Workweek fame proposes that those who desire to lose weight send a compromising photo of themselves in minimal clothing to a trusted confidant; if the excess “baggage” is not shed in the pre-allotted time, the recipient is permitted to share the racy photo on a public forum of their choosing. How’s that for motivation?
This reluctance to expose ourselves to personal accountability is the primary hindrance preventing us from reaching our full potential. If it scares you, makes you feel vulnerable - you should probably do it. This is how we grow and improve as humans. I’m very fortunate that my accountability warden shares my address. While Karamojo has been a dream for years, it was my accountability to my girlfriend/fiancee/wife that led to its ultimate launch as a brand. There have been times when I’ve arrived home exhausted from work, the gym, jiu jitsu, life - none of that mattered if there were deliverables on the table. It is precisely this version of external accountability that provides the majority of us mere mortals the springboard we require to reach our goals.
Find someone whose opinion you value and respect and make yourself accountable to your goals and dreams. There are men of words and men of action: choose your path carefully.
DC
Also in Notes from the Field
The Art of Rebellion
Toughness: It's ALL Mental
