A student, A professor, and A heart for change.
Told by co-founder, Dylan Banagis
In 2012 at Central Michigan University, I sat in a Recreation 110 class when a guest speaker rolled through the door on a single speed bicycle wearing a rock climbing helmet, PFD, and an 80-liter backpack. That professor was Jordan Bruursema. And something about the way Jordan moved through life — the zest, the joy, the genuine care for people — made me want more of that for myself.
I started showing up to Jordan's office hours. As time went on, we both realized we shared the same heart — for Jesus, for people, and for helping others.
We were also both watching the same massive problem unfold right in front of us. Jordan was seeing it in his classroom — students who used to walk in on the first day and get to know each other were now just staring at their phones. I was watching it at Young Life camp — where high schoolers would come completely alive the moment their phones were taken away for the week.
Two simple guys. One massive problem. No current solution.
LIFE UNPLUGGED WAS BORN.
With no experience and a Bible verse as motivation (John 10:10), we started a t-shirt company. What we didn't know was how big that t-shirt company would become.
What began with a couple of designs and a makeshift website turned into selling at farmers markets out of Jordan's minivan. That minivan turned into a trailer. The trailer turned into a bus. By the time COVID-19 hit, we were going to hunting and fishing shows every single weekend. I had met Kara, my now wife, and the business was gaining serious traction.
Instead of slowing down during COVID, we chose to double down. Kara and I got married, bought a house, and moved the entire operation into our basement. For four years we slid deliveries down the stairs, employed over 20 college students, and blew way too many fuses.
In 2024, the business had outgrown the house and it was time to move operations to where we are now — a massive (and old) renovated bank in downtown Mount Pleasant, MI where we house all manufacturing and retail business.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:10
GIVE BACK WAS EASY.
When it came time to decide where to give back, it wasn't even a conversation. Jordan and his wife Danielle had already been through the hardest thing a parent can face — the loss of their son, Sawyer. Sawyer was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, where the left side of his heart wouldn't work properly. He was here for 10 weeks before he went to be with Jesus. Congenital heart defects are birth defects that affect 1 in every 100 kids and are the leading cause of infant death in the United States. Most people have never even heard of them.
To honor Sawyer and spread awareness for other Heart Warriors, 11% of our net profits are donated to families of children born with a congenital heart defect. The funds go toward the basics — rent, groceries, gas — the real costs that don't stop just because your child is fighting for their life in a hospital bed.
To date, we have served over 100,000 orders and donated over $100,000 to charity.
NO LIMITs
The mission stays the same:
To encourage others to unplug from technology, be present with one another, and give back to families of a child born with a CHD.
As far as we know, not everyone knows about CHDs, and not everyone has Life Unplugged gear. So until then, we keep going.
Our hope is to reach the tired mom, the hopeless teenager, and the mentally exhausted employee. The world will tell you that when you're not on your phone, you're missing out. But guess what? They're wrong. It's actually the other way around.
We're not asking you to toss your phone out the window. Just be intentional. Know when to use it; know when to put it down. You were made to live in the moment and enjoy the little things in life. Don't get to the end of yours and wish you would have done it now.
