Going Against the Grain
Knockin' Noggins is on a mission to change how the world sees helmets through education, awareness and badass custom design. We are determined to destroy the stigma of wearing helmets by bringing stylish safety to each and every human out there.
How do you create a solution to a need some people don't even believe is a problem?
How do you stand out in a world full of black and white?
How do you change perceptions that have been in existence for decades?
It's a simple answer for those who have always felt different and unable to fit in whatever box they were told to, you use your gift of different & go against the grain of course. Hi I'm Leah, the Head Noggin' at Knockin' Noggins and this is a post about using your uniqueness to make a difference & start a revolution.
August 7th 2018
The long and short of the day that changed everything for me was August 7th 2018. I was in a terrible accident that I miraculously survived. The odds were not the kind you'd want to bet on but thanks to timing, marvelous medical care and whatever higher power you believe in, I am here to tell the story & leave the world a bit brighter then when I arrived. If you'd like to hear more about our origin story, head over to our Blog Page and About Us to hear the full story but today I am sharing why I believe being a artsy outsider with a unique way of seeing the world has been a positive blessing to myself and the helmet revolution we are building together.
The initial spark of Knockin' Noggins came while in the rehabilitation hospital weeks after my accident. My dear friend Mark came to visit with a care package and a light blue helmet. "Too Soon?" his smart ass joked,"But for real, I thought maybe you could paint something awesome on this helmet and since you are an artist, you could give it your own style." That short conversation sat in the mind of an artistic weirdo who was rebuilding her brain and morphed into the beginning of my obsession with stylish safety & the beginning of Knockin' Noggins.
Our first helmet in progress (right) , Mark (center) and the first three helmets we created (left)
Filling the Gap
My brain was spinning with ideas and how this could change the way people looked at helmets but I wasn't sure where to start so I began reading, researching and consuming all the information I could handle. While digging into stories and articles I found several successful entrepreneurs who believed growing a successful start up business involves identifying a problem and then creating the solution. When researching fatal statics of doing actives without protective gear, why people don't wear helmets and what types of helmets were on the market, a major missing gap between safety and style kept appearing. A lot of people know the risks of riding sans helmet but the options to cover their precious asset were severely limited and down right boring. We've made an entire post about the top reasons people don't wear helmets and while researching for that piece the disconnect between style and safety kept glaring us in the face. And just like that it became clear to me, that was the problem I needed to solve. How can I make helmets encompass the uniqueness of each person wearing it? So i began investigating! I have always loved art and making things for others that bring happiness, so after playing around with the first blue helmet I asked a few friends if I could paint something of their choice on their helmets. Once I saw the impact of a rad design on a precious piece of plastic change the motivation of those friends to helmet up before leaving the house, I knew I found why I was given a second chance at life. That is when knockinnoggins.com was created!
Lean Into Your Weird
Black sheep, lone wolf, puzzle piece without a box, whatever you call it I've been able to relate since a very young age and it wasn't until I almost left the earth that I felt completely comfortable leaning into my gifts of uniqueness. My journey has just begun and I cannot wait to continue creating, protecting and breaking the helmet stigma with each and every one of you! Every single helmet we create grows the mission and brings safety to that many more people, protecting the beautiful brains of the future entrepreneurs that will create the next beautiful thing to make our lives that much better!