OCTOBER

The first and most pressing question I asked
of Eli was what had changed for him since
we last met. “I spoke at WE day in Winnipeg
since then to about 18,000 people! What
the Kielburgers (brothers Craig and Marc,
founders of the WE movement) are doing is
fantastic.” Besides the day to day running of
a clothing business, which includes a 5:30am
start and often runs until midnight, it’s the
speaking engagements that Eli thrives upon.
“The clothing line is simply the vehicle to get
our message out there.”
SHINE THE LIGHT ON MERCH
AVAILABLE AT SHINETHELIGHTON.COM
THAT MESSAGE
IS CLEAR AND
PROFOUND… YOU
ARE NOT ALONE.
I asked if he could see himself following
the Kielburgers’ path. “Yes, but smaller. I like
to hear everyone who wants to speak to me
after. I want to hear their stories.” Eli chooses
to hang around for another 4 or 5 hours to
make that happen. “It’s emotionally draining,
much harder than a 12-hour workday, but in
a good way.”
Although Eli finds these peak ddecibellevel-and-bright-lights’
talks to thousands
of people exhilarating, he shares with raw
honesty that it can be tough to sustain.
“Imagine, people sharing their stories, they’re
all so open, which is the goal, it’s just that
it’s a lot to digest sometimes, I’m learning
those skills now… or trying to.” Eli bore his
pain alone for a long time. “I was only able to
get help when I finally opened up.” You may
wonder, as I did, how he copes with this. “I
take naps!” he answers with a slightly weary
but entirely genuine laugh.
Beyond the deluge of those waiting to
share their own struggles, Eli and his team
also manage a steady stream of daily emails.
“Sometimes people just write in saying they
‘don’t know if anyone is going to read this
but…’. We reply to absolutely everybody. If
they ask to speak to somebody, we put them
in touch with whoever they need to help get
that process started.”
It cannot be ignored that the business itself
is growing exponentially. When I first met
Eli, his T-shirts with messages of support,
acceptance and inclusion, were in a mere
220 stores. Now they’re in over 1,000 stores
across North America, around the GTA, at;
Honey, Canopy Blue, Cashmere Blue, Rocket
Cycle, Denise & Co, a kind heart and SpinCo.
“It’s been a lot, I didn’t come into this with
a business or marketing degree, but I’m
learning.”
Evidently, he’s a fast learner as he was
recently featured in O, The Oprah Magazine
on one of Oprah’s product recommendation
lists. He’s been featured in a number of
magazines, podcasts and news programs,
but beyond all the celebrity endorsements,
it’s the creation of community that matters
to Eli; it’s the whole point of this project.
He understands first-hand and all too well,
that community is the answer. The stores at
which Shine The Light On hosts events and
sells his clothing confirm this notion. Eli is
told regularly by store owners that the people
who buy STLO clothing share their stories,
and that breaking the stigma by sharing is
perpetuated by refusing silence.
On a personal level, I questioned how he
dealt with this change. “Honestly, I’m slightly
tired right now. It’s exhausting but I’m
interested in what I’m doing, so that helps.
There’s always fun stuff going on; events
with stores where we take a celebrity to sign
autographs, maybe musicians and a food
truck, and we’re creating new products every
month.” Eli went on to explain that he doesn’t
feel that he is running a clothing company.
“The clothing simply shares the message, it’s
what connects them to our mission.
We’re building a community that encourages
people to share their stories.”
The next project which is taking up a lot
of space in his already jam-packed daily
schedule is to find a solution to the housing
situation in Toronto for those in recovery. His
excitement on the matter is palpable. “It’s a
big issue. We’re working with the city, CAMH,
and developers to create affordable housing.
We want to make an impact in the mental
health community. My goal is to spend more
time resolving this issue.”
Impact is something that Eli Brown is
becoming rather adept at creating. Each time
I’ve had the chance to speak with him, he has
left a huge impact both with his matter of fact
attitude and his willingness to speak with
truth regardless of the pain it causes him.
As I turned off my audio recorder and
thanked him for taking the time out of his
packed schedule, he surprised me by asking
something that no other interviewee has ever
asked…what the rest of MY day looked like.
His interest was genuine. Predictably, it led
to talk of restaurants, cooking and food, but
the simple act of asking provided me with a
subtle sense of importance, of mattering in
my small corner of the world.
Here’s a man who actually talks the talk.
Here’s a man who is going to change the
pattern for those suffering in silence. A man
who asks a simple question and creates a
profound moment of caring.
STACIA CARLTON shares thoughts and ideas. Visit her at BESTILLANDEAT.COM where she shares her love of delicious food done simply.
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