When I first started writing creative nonfiction about fitness, most of what I wrote sat in that proverbial drawer, gathering dust. But once I got that first piece out there, the flood gates opened.
That piece,Death Then CrossFit, was rejected 42 times before it was picked up. That’s 42 people saying, no thanks. We don’t think this is the type of story anyone wants to read.
But I knew they were wrong. I knew that there was a market for creative nonfiction and fitness. I knew that fitness is a microcosm for life, that trials experienced inside training mirror those in the human condition. Those were the stories I wanted to tell. I just needed to find that market, and find others that knew it existed and wanted to support it.
Markets feed the marketplace. So if you are feeding the right market, you will find the right marketplace. You have to support the community in which you wish to participate.
That is exactly what Ryan Singer andBUBS Naturals is doing right now.
Up Next: BUBS and Artists.
“To me, it’s not about money. It’s about a relationship,” Ryan Singer told me on a call. “That relationship unfolds as it evolves. It could become a partnership of some sort, it could be an affiliate, it could be someone that we really like getting hired into the brand. I don’t know. But I know we wanted to help where we could.”
The relationship he’s speaking of is a new initiative we’ve quietly taken on at BUBS Naturals over the last few months. Singer, who worked in the music industry for 15 years as a label executive, joined the BUBS team in the summer of 2019, as a creative himself.
Singer, who grew up in Michigan with BUBS Naturals co-founder TJ Ferrara, always knew he wanted to do something to help support other creatives. “When I met Sean Lake (co-founder with Ferrara) for the first time, the very first thing he told me is that BUBS is a company thatgives back,” Singer remembers. “When he told me that, I knew it was something I could sink my teeth into. Since then, the motivation has always been, whether its making a video, or launching a campaign or whatever it is, it’s always been, okay - how can I get the most money back tothat foundation.”
So when most of America found itself under “Safer At Home” orders, and the entire music and entertainment industry shut down, Singer found himself asking, how can we, as a brand, support health and wellness for these artists?
He combined all the things he knew into one program: BUBS For Artists. “It’s simple: setting you up with a health and wellness routine, that we can help set up by giving you product and helping you figure out what to do. We help you learn how to workout, where to workout, what to do. There are a lot of smart people on our team, people that have been in the health and wellness space for decades,” Singer said. “We can tap into that, and give these artists an outlet to help them get back on track and stay there, because health and wellness right now, during this time period, is crucial,” Singer told me.
Supporting those we enjoy.
Singer wasn’t sure what it would look like when he started the program, and BUBS For Artists is still ever changing. “Whenever I set up an initiative, whenever I make the scope too narrow, and I don’t leave it open for discovery, it fails. Whenever I leave it open and I'm not coming at it from some bullshit marketing promotion thing, it succeeds. So we’re doing that,” Singer told me. “I want it to be like look, we know you’re struggling right now. BUBS support the arts, it’s important to us. The least we can do is help you out. We’re looking at artists in all different arenas - music and art and we’re looking at filmmakers, graphic artists - all of it. Everyone is suffering in the art world right now, and in entertainment, and we want to support that in what we know best: health and wellness,” he said.
Bands on deck.
Singer and BUBS are proud to be supporting musicians like Peachy McQueen, Nick Sample and KlueWorld. Kayla Miller ofPeachy McQueenhas been using BUBS collagen now for a few weeks. “I’ve noticed a big difference in my hair and skin since using Bubs! I’ve even had some joint pain in the past and have found some relief since taking the collagen!”
Clarence Lewis, known asKlueworld, loved his BUBS right out of the box. "This was made for all to enjoy and I’m so grateful to be a part of such an amazing product and team. Don’t go a day without if you don’t have to."
Who else?
Well, we don’t know yet. Maybe you do?
On furthering the BUBS For Artists movement, Singer is still out there looking for artists. “I'm not looking to give free products just for the sake of giving out free products. I want them to use it. I want them to be healthier and more productive, more creative. I want to help them build the opportunity to make cool shit and do cool shit. We’re trying to say, prepare your mind, prepare your body. Start that process first, get back into a rhythm, and let yourself get more and more creative. Who knows. Maybe there will be more opportunities for those artists once they can tap back into that creativity. Who knows, but that’s one of the things I’m hoping for.”
For more information on the BUBS For Artists program, or to recommend an artist for the program, text us at 760-263-6788.