Her Active Inspiration: Andreea Ayers at Her Active Life

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Her Active Inspiration: Andreea Ayers

Posted December 27, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Shannon Martin

Section: Her Motivation, Her Story

Andreea In this new monthly feature, Her Active Life introduces you to women who are making a difference and living with enthusiasm and wellness. This month, staff writer Shannon Martin introduces you to Andreea Ayers, who took her own struggles with negativity and transformed them into t-shirts designed to promote health and positive thinking.

If you know a woman who inspires you, let us know - to be a Her Active Inspiration.

Andreea Ayers is spreading positive messages across the globe, one t-shirt at a time. Andreea started her company Tees for Change in the spring of 2007 as a reminder to herself to think positively. At the time, Andreea was in the midst of her first pregnancy and found it extremely disconcerting that several friends and family members weren’t supporting her decision to have a home birth. They were frightened for her, constantly asking her “What if something goes wrong?” to which Andreea’s response became “What if everything goes right?” In the middle of a prenatal yoga class, Andreea imagined herself wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “be courageous” on it. That evening, she went home and asked her husband Garrett what he thought of the idea of a t-shirt company that sold shirts with positive phrases? He told her to “Go for it” and so she did.

Andreea is now the mom of a beautiful seven-month-old boy, Nathan (and for the record, the home birth was absolutely successful and amazing). She loves running Tees for Change as it inspires her daily. She has a full line of t-shirts for women and men with an array of positive phrases such as “seek balance,” “live mindfully,” “be fearless,” “live fully,” and “practice kindness.” Depending on the day, one phrase or another from her t-shirt line keeps Andreea thinking positively throughout the day.

The stories that Andreea hears from her customers also inspire her. She has had many customers who have ordered her shirts “be fearless” or be courageous” when they were going through tough times and needed a bit of encouragement. She had one woman tell her that she wanted to subtly remind her mother to be kinder so she purchased “practice kindness.”

Andreea describes one of the most exhilarating moments since launching Tees for Change, “The first time I saw someone on the streets wearing one of my shirts was [so inspiring]. A woman was riding her bike and wearing my ‘be courageous’ shirt and I was in absolute shock! I wanted to run over to her and introduce myself and thank her for buying the shirt. But I just stood there and watched with a big smile on my face.”
Tees for Change
A Colorado resort has decided to adopt Andreea’s t-shirts as part of their employee uniform. “I have not yet seen the entire staff wearing my tees, but it will be amazing to see it in person. I can’t wait to go there and see how the tees have affected the staff and their guests,” she says.

The messages are not the only positive aspects of Tees for Change; the company is incredibly eco-friendly. They print all of their hangtags, receipts, invoices, and marketing material on recycled paper. All of the shirts are made from either bamboo or organic cotton. Andreea has also partnered with American Forests, to have a tree planted for every shirt purchased.

Andreea sells her shirts online and through dozens of retail stores across the United States. Just how does she juggle her life as an entrepreneur and a new mom so successfully?

“First and foremost, you have to love what you do. I can’t wait to start my day and go to work! It’s tough to find balance between being a working mom and spending time with my son and husband, but I constantly have to prioritize and shift my day around to make sure that I have balance. One of the things that helps me tremendously is talking to other women and men who started their own business. I also like reading books or articles about other entrepreneurs. If someone is interested in starting a business, my advice is to do something they love and are passionate about.”

So there you have it, an inspiring woman who is inspiring others! Tees for Change was once just a concept and now it’s a growing and lucrative company making a positive impact on our environment and on people’s lives across the globe! What a fine example of the old adage “everything you see was once someone’s idea.”