I Am, You Are, Everyone Is ONEOFTHE8 – Time to share your story

Go anywhere in the world, further than the North West of England and nobody knows where the Wirral is. You explain to them that “it’s a little peninsula not far from Liverpool”, a nugget of information which is rapidly overshadowed by “have you ever met John Lennon?” or “why is it called THE Wirral and not just Wirral?”. Those who reside on the more rural side of the Mersey River will no doubt be smirking at the familiarity of these scenarios right now.  

For those who know of the Wirral, you’ll know it’s a pretty sleepy little place in the grand scheme of things. No sounds of cosmopolitan chaos, a park or beach every which way you turn and a modest population of around 320,000 people, about 40% of which seem to be over the age of 65. Don’t be mistaken though for big things are happening on the Wirral and next in line to tell Liverpool Noise about their big dream is a Heswall-based family with their sights set on the entire world. 

Earlier this year, the Liverpool-born family launched ONEOFTHE8, with father-son duo, John and Jake Whalley at the helm. ONEOFTHE8 is a brand new podcast, which comes alongside a digital library of blog post stories. The brand – or ‘movement’ – is underpinned by family but not just in the biological sense of the word, also within the idea of family that can be found in communities and shared cultures, without any blood connection at all.

Its premise is to use the power of storytelling to help shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the world and the people who will never make the headlines despite having an incredible story to tell. It’s purpose? To dismantle the “misconception that ordinary people don’t have an impact” on the world, sharing “real life stories from real world people”. 

Brand Consultant, John, tells us:

“Storytelling is a core behaviour we all practice, consciously or not, as the human condition is hardwired to share stories. Whether you’re the CEO of an international conglomerate launching a global marketing campaign or a teenager posting holiday photos on social media, we’ve all got a story to impart on whoever will listen.”

The name pays homage to the 8 billion world population and how each and every one of us is ‘one of the eight’ regardless of our skin colour, sexuality or socio-economic status. The aim of the podcast and the online archive of stories is to provide inspiration and uplifting positivity to anybody who hears or reads them and let’s face it, we could all do with a bit of a boost in PMA right now, right? 

We know Kylie Jenner’s every single move and Kanye West can’t take a bath without the world media documenting it but we never get to hear about “the amateur photographer from Costa Rica making a grassroots documentary about suffering children in India, or the yoga instructor from Montreal making lemonade from lemons through the power of Vinyasa”. There are people all over the world, in their tiny nooks and crannies doing some of the most wonderful things and without a platform like ONEOFTHE8, we would never get to hear about them.

There are pipeline plans for ONEOFTHE8 to also become an apparel line with consciousness, sustainability and social responsibility in mind. Purchase of any apparel items will trigger a donation (to recipients that they guys are keeping hush for now) to form part of their “three-pronged approach to giving back”.

Jake tells us: 

“Our trinity of good-doing will be shaped by the mantra: to listen, to share and to learn, whereby giving back doesn’t always have to mean the voluntary exchange of money. Stories, lessons, empowerment, human connection, positivity, inspiration, education and an eager ear are all non-monetary assets that can deliver something more meaningful to social media feeds, reading material and the content we, as humans, choose to consume and share.”

To listen to the podcast, catch up on the blog or stay up to date with the launch of ONEOFTHE8 apparel head to www.oneofthe8.com and give the guys a follow on Instagram and Facebook. 

If you or anybody you know has a story to share on the podcast, get in touch!