Love of Music

SoulDub officially released their EP: Sunday Morning Circus last night at the historic Howell Opera House - which was a success & a very good turn-out. But the thing I got most out of the night was just observing all those that attended. Of course there was the strong core of supporters that come to nearly every show, but outside of them it was a melting pot of individuals. You had the hard core rockers, Dennis-Rodman-dressed-like crazy young people, adult "old enough to be the parents" music lovers, the typical young local music scene supporters, and then myself and a few "hip-hop heads" that all came together in this venue for a high-energy, live music good time. Altogether, this mix crowd of supporters kinda sum up the music style of SoulDub: reggae, rock, hip-hop, alternative, etc.

Read more about SoulDub on our "Spotlight" feature: http://www.twaycustoms.net/spotlights_souldub.htm or visit their page: http://www.darkreggae.com for shows, music, video, pictures, and anything else you want. Support your local music in every way you can! God bless & be easy!

Unreleased Jordan 1 - T.WayCustoms Exclusive!

During the trip to the Nike Headquarters in early August, they took us into the secret Brand Jordan sneaker closet that houses all the samples of their future products. This place was just about as close as you can get to heaven on earth - the "new sneaker" smell alone could make you go crazy. Anyways, the Footwear Global Director (don't quote me on her official title) gave me this pair of the Jordan 1. She described it as a project that celebrates Jordans six titles by releasing a shoe for each opposing team he defeated. This certain shoe celebrates his 4th title run against the Seattle Supersonics. The insole depicts different iconic images of Seattle, but T.WayCustoms had to pull some of those out to really make it a Seattle-inspired Jordan. **Bloggers are welcome to use & post these pictures on their sites, but please e-mail: tyler@twaycustoms.net so we can follow your site!**

SoulDub CD Release Party!

The SoulDub CD release party is this Friday, the 29th at the Howell Opera House [Howell, MI]. The doors open at 6:30pm, but I guess you can read for yourself on the picture of their flyer...so have at it!

This group freakin rocks people's socks off & have a style that is actually unique in the music world, believe it or not. They mix some hip-hop, raggae, & rock into a crazy performance. Hope to see you there, cause you know T.WayCustoms will be represented!

Re-DREAM Team

Congrats to the 2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Team for their 8-0 journey to the Gold Medal! Hopefully you stayed up to watch the game because it was definately worth the lack of sleep. From "Re-Deem" Team to "RE-DREAM" Team! Yessir.

tWc x All City Kicks Collab!

It was only time before T.WayCustoms collaborated with the All City Kicks sneaker & streetwear boutique in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to create the freshest sneaker for this high-end shop. You've heard us say before how dope a store it is, but now you can better visualize it. The rich woodgrain can be found throughout their space, and their logo, along with the T.WayCustoms "Three Stars," decorate the panels throughout. Visit "GalleryTwo" of the "Sneakers" section on the website to view more pictures!

***CLICK to view the All City Kicks blog post about the T.WayCustoms x ACK collaboration sneaker!***

MySpace Banner Codes - Now Available!

We've just posted a few banner codes & a birthday comment for your use on your profile page! Set your MySpace.com page apart from the million of others with the freshest banners offered by T.WayCustoms. Not only can you Copy & Paste the codes directly into your profile, but also leave a "Happy Birthday" comment on your friend's wall with that same simple process: Copy, then Paste! Visit: http://www.twaycustoms.net/multi_downloads.html

Newest & Latest Sneaker Projects

It may have seen like a minute since there's been any recent sneaker projects, but I'm here to say they're happening & soon to appear. I've just been able to finish a collaboration pair with All City Kicks sneaker & streetwear boutique in Grand Rapids, MI, and will be posting those sometime in the week. Another pair is very near complete which was provided by NIKE. The shoe is a Jordan I low - and celebrates his 4th NBA title by beating the SuperSonics of Seattle. When I visited with NIKE, they took me into the secret Jordan closet where they keep the samples for future releases - so these ones aren't in production yet, but T.WayCustoms will be able to provide a preview sampler before anyone else has even heard of them. A third current project is for charity - Hip Hop for Humanity. This project consists of a mixtape with a crazy amount of artists, a specialty tee by Chaunce Clothing, and of course 1 pair of T.WayCustoms to be auctioned for the benefit of the charity. I'll share more information soon - but keep the look for the upcoming goods! God bless & be easy!

New Spotlight! SLAM magazine's Ben Osborne

It's the number one basketball magazine in the world, and its Editor-in-Chief, Ben Osborne is now spotlighted on our website! Simply visit the webpage, www.twaycustoms.net and you'll be directed to the Spotlights' page...Take a minute to read the interview - I promise you'll get good things from it!

SOULDUB Freakin Rocks!

On Wednesday, Souldub headlined at the historic Blind Pig in downtown Ann Arbor in front of a very good crowd. Although they didn't go on until 1am, the crowd came & stayed - and it was worth it cause they got their socks rocked off. I saw one kid leaving after the concert looking like he just played 2 hours of full-court hoops saturated in perspiration. Souldub freakin rocks hard so make sure you cop their tracks, and if possible, make it to a show. I'm trying to work with some other people to bring them to Grand Rapids for some shows, so if you know of anything make sure you shoot an e-mail or comment.*Picture courtesy of Catherine Pajtas.

NIKE Taking GOOD Care

Today I finally received the package I had to ship back from Seattle of all the goods Nike hooked me up with; and as promised, the pictures below.

The highlight of the goods were undoubtly the Nike Hyperdunk Supreme Marty McFly "Back to the Future 2015" which are considered super-exclusives because only 350 were produced worldwide (But that still doesn't compare to T.WayCustoms sneakers being the only ONE in the World!). If you look these up on eBay right now they're going for around $800...but don't think I'll be giving these ones up - they have extra special meaning since they were a gift from Nike.

These shirts were given to me by the Jordan brand. They are Europe exclusives so they weren't even available in the United States. They also took me into the "Secret Closet" and gave me a pair of sample Jordans that are won't be released for some time...I would provide a picture buttt they're in the process of being T.WayCustom'ized!

Trip to the NorthWest - [a] tWc [production]

NIKE Meeting

My first reaction to the Nike headquarters is that it's absolutely huge, probably bigger than many college campuses. We only had 2 hours there because we had to fly back to Seattle, and in that time only got around two floors of one building, Jerry Rice. *The pictures below were grabbed from the net because I was a bit busy to take any myself, so my apologies.

The week before I called [Wordwide] Wes just letting him know I was going to Nike, but I never knew who I would be meeting with from Nike to tell him. On Wednesday, the day before my meeting, he apparently called one of his many contacts at Nike, Yuron, and told him, "I've got this kid you gotta meet..." And then he proceeded to tell Yuron about me. When Wes said Tyler Way, Yuron said he paused, and thought that name sounded familar...then Yuron told Wes in a bit of disbelief, "I think I'm meeting with him tomorrow..." For Wes, the most powerful man in sports, to offer a recommendation to Nike, let alone the same guy I was meeting with the next day, could be nothing but an answered prayer.

We got dropped off in front of the Jerry Rice building, and then Yuron, the Global Footwear Product Director of Nike Basketball, met us in the lobby & told me my name proceeded itself - that's when he told me the story with Wes. He then took us up to the Basketball offices and gave the tour introducing us (Terry Davenport, CMO of Starbucks, and I) to everyone in the office. We went into the main conference room where they make all the presentations, signings, and deals with the players from Kobe, to Lebron, and everyone else in between - it was the sickest board room I've ever seen. He also showed the exclusive Olympic pack each player on the USA Men's team received. After the tour, we met in the conference room with the design team for Lebron. They shared the overall process of designing the next great basketball shoe from where the inspiration comes from to the technology they use - which was amazing to get that inside look into what & how they do what Nike does.

The Global Product Director of the Jordan brand then took us to the Jordan offices on another floor. She gave us the tour introducing us to everyone part of the Jordan; she even pulled Howard White, the Vice President of the Jordan brand, out of a meeting to introduce us. We were also taken into the "Secret Closet" where they keep all the samples of the future Jordan shoes - she was even able to give me a pair! After the tour of Jordan, we went back to the conference room where they had more people waiting for me to meet.

I showed them all the work I've done & the players I've worked with, and their entire team was very excited about it all. We spent a little time talking about T.WayCustoms, and I had presented the proposal book I had put together with the numerous ideas of how & what tWc can make even Nike better. This part is to be continued as we'll work on different options of how this can happen - but before we had to depart Yuron said we'll definately be in contact & for now they may send out some sneakers to be worked. But like I said, this portion of the program is to be continued...Before we left though, they absolutely hooked both Terry and I up with shoes, shorts, shirts, socks, bags, etc. Let's just say they took such great care of me I had to ship everything back from Seattle to Detroit because there was no way I'd be able to fly back with it. In a couple more days when everything gets in I'll be sure to post & share. So stay posted for much more!

Wieden+Kennedy Meetings

Wieden+Kennedy is one of the most well known advertising agencies ever. As I mentioned previously, they're responsible for the Nike ads - including all the Air Jordan campaigns. Terry Davenport & the rest of the Starbucks marketing executives had a big campaign meeting with W+K, so for the first couple hours of the morning I was able to sit in on their rather intense meeting (which lasted nearly all day). After a couple hours I was issued throughout the agency and passed from person to person, department to department to meet as many different people I could to gain insight on their careers at W+K & learn their paths to land at such a distinguished agency.


For my first stop, I sat in to a conference call with Nike about a viral video campaign with LaDainian Tomlinson (RB - San Diego Chargers). After, Chaucer & Sarah from the media department took me out for a great lunch where I was able to learn their important roles in the agency (placing the ads in all the right magazines, newspapers, and TV spots for their clients - so when you see a Nike or Starbucks ad, in addition to their many other clients, either Chaucer or Sarah put it there). Chaucer is also the lead vocalist for a Portland-based group called Copacrescent - look out for their Spotlight feature, they have a great sound & album!

Then I was able to meet with Byron, an Account Director & leader of "the 12." He shared with me with a lot of great knowledge in the overall ad business and described his 4 years of working for Nike over in Tokyo. He is also co-in-charge of The 12, which is the agency's internship program. He has over 600 applicants for only 10-12 internship seats. They handle actual clients' work & are one of the best portfolio schools in the country. After spending time with Byron and meeting others throughout the agency we had to head out to the Nike world head quarters for the meeting of the week...!

*I didn't take these pictures because I was a bit busy doing my business (they were found on the net), but the building was amazing. I loved it...really, I actually fell in love with it. The overall environment bred creativity & excellence, as if it was pouring out the air vents.

Day 7

The last day was dedicated to getting things together for the flight home early the next morning and just hanging with the cousins. My uncle left Starbucks early that afternoon so we could get in last round of golf in. Then that evening "we" hosted a block party where they introduced me to this man that owns a shoe manufacturing company in China. By the end of the evening he heavily requested I spend next summer in China with him designing shoes and learning the entire process of the mass-production manufacturing process. His company's clients include Quicksilver (Roxy) and some other familiar brands...but definately a unique opportunity that I will consider strongly! The Olympic opening ceremony rounded off the night, and the next morning I flew out at 8am to Detroit. Overall it was an AMAZING trip that was VERY VERY successful. Don't be surprised to see a lot of happenings to occur in the future in result of this week trip! Thanks for the support & prayers - it's happening!

Day 6 - Wieden+Kennedy Agency & Nike

Very early Thursday morning the Chief Marketing Director of Starbucks (Terry Davenport) & I took a small 9-passenger plan from Seattle to Portland, which turned out to be around a 45 minute flight. Then I was surprised to have a driver there waiting for us with a freakin' brand new Lexus to chaufer us for the day...let's just say I'm not used to that kind of VIP/CEO treatment, but I certainly wouldn't mind getting used to it! Ha. The Starbucks marketing department had a big meeting with their ad agency Wieden+Kennedy - which we've all seen their work...They do all the Nike ads, including the old school Jordan campaign with the Mars character (Spike Lee) back in the day. I sat into the Starbucks meeting for the first couple hours as they were being presented ad campaign possibilities & discussed the goods about the ads & their purpose(s), etc. Then I was literally passed from one person to another in the agency as I was able to spend time with each discussing what they do, how they do, as well as their path to doing what they do at W+K. This was an incredible experience, and I'll share more details about that in one of the next posts.

At 3pm Terry Davenport & I were driven to the Nike World Headquarters in nearby Beaverton for THE meeting with Nike. This is where things got crazy! However...I currently don't have the time to share, hah, but I will in an upcoming post!

Day 5 - Starbucks & Tether Design Agency

I may be a few days behind in the posts but that's simply because there's been so much going on that there hasn't been time - but now you're getting caught up! On Wednesday I spent most of the morning at Starbucks & then met with a new design agency downtown Seattle called Tether. The chief creative officer, Stanley, founded this agency after years of work with Nike, LEGOs over in Europe & yes...Starbucks. I was able to spend some time with him and just discuss...So Tether basically does everything you could ask a design studio to do - from product design to advertisements/marketing to in-store displays. He showed me some work they're currently doing with Converse - it's gonna be a great looking project, I can tell you that much, hah. After our meeting I explored the old part of Seattle which has a great history & overall feel to it. After an hour to so checking things out on my own I met up with my aunt & cousin for a great meal on the overlooking the lake, and then we toured the Seattle Musuem of Art's Impressionist exhibit - which was amazing as well.

Check out the Tether agency at http://www.tetherinc.com/!

Day 4 - Starbucks Headquarters

Tuesday was spent in the Starbucks corporate offices in downtown Seattle. Here I was able to meet with just about everyone in the organization - and that's not much of an exaggeration. Some people included Executives, Global Brand Directors, the entire in-house Creative Studio (which was my favorite part of the day), etc. I was able to sit down and spend time with them all & learn not only their duties, experiences, or even current projects that you'll see in stores this fall/winter at Starbucks, but also their paths to get to where they are now. Many of their stories were very unique & interesting in their own ways...When I have more time, I'll be able to share a few along with some great advice they gave. The Creative Studio was amazing; the designers are extremely cool, laid back, and some of the best talent you can find nationwide - not to mention they flipped a lid when I pulled out some sample sneakers to show them, ha. I guess when you're a designer you appreciate other's work, and it was definately a neutral appreciation between myself and their entire team.

I was even granted access to a store mock-up review with the creatives & executives as they walked through the displays for the Christmas season. They even asked my opinions on some things & agreed exactly with my thoughts, so that topped off a great day in an amazing work environment. Starbucks is much more then it seems - and that's something I'll touch on later as well. But stay up for what's next, cause it's getting better & better!

Day 3 - Site Seeing in Seattle

Today was probably the last play-day as my aunt & two cousins took me around the city to some of the greatest Seattle attractions. Of course you have to start at the Space Needle - which gave amazing views of the mountain ranges & peaks that surround the entire city...I had no idea Seattle was this crazzzzy!

This award winning photograph I shot was of one of a sea planes passing through downtown to land in one of the nearby bodies of water...also in the background is the almost-fake looking Mount Rainier.

After the Space Needle it was lunch in one of the parks, then a trip to the Aquarium on the pier...This pictorial depicts my cousin Noah & I touching some of the creatures in the exhibit. The picture below that is of a nasty octupus that breathed really wierd and was an overall creeper.

After the exhibit we walked over to the world-famous Pike Street Market where I almost got hit by one of those fish they throw & saw the best looking rasberries ever - I love rasberries. I might have gotten some motion picture action that I can put together once I'm back in town for proof. Then we met my uncle downtown at one of those up-scale/modern Asian food restaurants where I finally learned how to use chop sticks & ate foods I never have before. I've decided this trip is all about doing things I haven't tried before...something I should do on a daily basis.

Day 2

So Day 2 was all about play once again, hah. In the morning it was playing hoops, then the Blue Angels were performing over Lake Washington 2 blocks from the house, then a round of 18 holes. Monday's schedule is more of a sight-seeing excursion all around, so today I'll be able to get you some of those pictures I've promised. The rest of the week is straight work though: Tuesday is the Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday I'm visiting a big advertising agency in Seattle, Thursday will be Nike in Portland, and Friday I believe will be Starbucks again. The goal this week is to meet as many people as possible - basically networking is the most important aspect of business, because it all comes down to "Who you know." That's this week's goal, to create those contacts that will enable opportunities down the road...anything else that happens is considered a "bonus" for the week. I'm really excited about the Nike day because I have the ultimate ideas and presentation ready for T.WayCustoms x Nike, but it all depends who will be in town - most of the big guys will by in China for the Olympics...so I'm a bit nervous about which ones I'll be able to meet with. But that's where the faith comes in I guess. Please stay posted, I appreciate the readership! God bless & be easy!

Arrival in Beautiful Seattle

After battling an overbooked flight outta Detroit, I arrived in Seattle a little after 2pm local time...From there it was quick change clothes at the house & hit the links for a 9 holes - but I'm gonna blame my sub-par (pun intended) performance on the jet lag...yeah, that's what I'll do. After that my uncle picked up his wife & kids from the same airport as they were coming from Block Island way out east, then we got a nice dinner downtown. There's much more than the Space Needle, so I'm not sure why that's all I've ever heard about Seattle, but it's an amazing city. I'll keep everyone posted throughout, and I'll make myself take pictures & videos as well. The plan is to get as much play in before the work comes, so I'll make sure to do my job for you. Thanks for the support!