Men and Beards: The Debut — 'I May Go Wrestle Some Bears Later'

So this is me wearing an ugly beard and a sweet Beard Shirt.

I'm wearing both for the same reason: To participate in No Shave November for the first time ever, predominantly so that I can help my buddy Hunter Harrison, founder and CEO of Mend Mark, promote some of his new swag. (He's also holding a No Shave November contest; if you're interested, click here.)

If you like the beard, then I question your judgement but also encourage you to try growing your own, because it can't be worse than mine. If you like the shirt, then we'll actually have some chances for you to win one this month. I know! BrandonSneed.com, giving stuff away! Love it!

Anyway, I don't know exactly what Hunter calls the design, but I call it Beard Shirt. I also have to be really careful spelling out the second part of that, because otherwise it's just offensive and slightly awkward. (Raise your hands if you got the joke—oh, wow, more than I thought. Nice.)

(I've also got to confess: I may also be not shaving maybe because I've always wanted an excuse to not shave, just to see if it'll look good. So far, not so much. And The Amazing Katie is none to thrilled about the whole endeavor. But baby, I say, it's for a good cause. She rolls her eyes and lovingly calls me a hobo.)

Anyway. Here's Hunter talking about his brand and the new Beard Shirt. Check 'em out if you can. They're super comfortable and they run a little snug, so they're all stylish and do a nice job of showing off your guns without making you look like you're trying out for Jersey Shore. 

Also make sure to check out MendMark.com, where you can get all the Mend Mark swag, including its charter item, The Bracelet, which is also awesome. 

This is the first of several interviews and guest posts I'll be running here this month that are part of a series dumbly titled Men and Beards. And I think it's pretty self-explanatory, so we'll just get this party started ... 

[ Hunter on Twitter | MendMark.com | Mend Mark on Facebook ]

So, Hunter, give us a quick rundown of how, when, and why Mend Mark got started.

Mend Mark was started to aid people in telling stories of their personal faith. Every product we sell is crafted to trigger curiosity in observers and hopefully set up conversations. We began with the original Mend Mark bracelet in late 2009. Since that time, the brand has expanded into apparel as well.

You’ve done the bracelet, and then you branched out into clothing. Tell us about some of your products, what they mean, all that good stuff.

Every product is designed to tell the story of Jesus. But the intention is not to give the story away. By that I mean, our products spark attention, but they will not talk for themselves. They require the person wearing them to share their personal narrative of what they mean.

The beauty of it is. They mean something different to each one of us. Which is awesome because none of us have the same story. We all tell it differently. Our products are personal…because Jesus was personal. 

So tell us about this beard shirt. What’s the story there?

The beard shirt was a risk. It was actually a design that I was the most nervous about going into. It’s just different than anything else that I’ve seen before on a shirt. Really, it all started from a conversation I was having with another designer. We got on the story of mustaches and how they have become a recent fad in art. That triggered the thought of Christ’s beard and how a portion of it was pulled from his face during flagellation.

With that thought in mind, I set out to develop a bearded icon that illustrated the graphic imagery of Christ’s sacrifice, but in a clean and simplistic way.

So, I took the phrase ‘love hurt’ (past tense of the current expression love hurts) and placed it in a beard as a negative space depiction of the apparent scar that would have been there. Although it’s a simple image at first glance, it really communicates a radical story of love.

Surprisingly, it was worth the risk. It has been one of our more popular products since it was launched last month.

So, can you grow a beard? Will you participate in No Shave November?

It’s funny you ask that…growing a beard is actually something I’ve always wanted to do, but have never had the patience to commit to. Grooming out my facial locks for a purpose is something I had to sign up for. So, yeah…you bet I’m participating. Even though I can’t win, I’m still all in!

How do you feel about men with beards?

Beards are powerful. When I see a dude with his full and unkempt beard blowing in the wind, I can’t help but think: that guy lives life to the fullest. He is the master of his domain. He probably just got finished chopping down a tree or wrestling a bear.

A beard is the showcase of a man’s swagger. Like a lion’s mane, a man’s beard is his pride.

On the other hand, a woman with a beard…there’s no pride in that.

Why don’t you wear a beard?

Cause I’m a softie man! I got a 4 month old daughter and it hurts my heart valves that she cringes now when I lean in for a kiss. This scruff is a sacrifice! 

I gotta admit, I’m starting to feel like more of a man now though. I may go wrestle some bears later.

Do you think these questions about beards are simply ridiculous?

Nope, but my answers may be.

Seriously though. I’m used to being asked beard questions. Every time I wear the shirt I get asked about it. Which brings up a great point. Just to give everyone fair warning - if you buy a shirt, you may want to get your spill ready. It’s going to force you into conversations. Wear the beard and be prepared to tell your version of the story.