si CRANK here.
Village Kids started with a really simple idea:
Let kids be kids.
Sarah and I talk a lot about how we grew up.
We were outside.
Like… all day outside.
Barefoot. Riding bikes. (Sarahs stories riding her bike in Nimitz hill is crazy lol) Playing with the other kids in the village. Running through the jungle. Getting chased by chickens. Scraping our knees. Coming home sweaty, dirty, and tired.
We used to put a can on our bike tire just so it would make noise and sound like a motorcycle.
Nobody had to plan an activity for us.
Nobody had to entertain us every five minutes.
We got bored.
And then we figured something out.
Looking back now, I think those little things played a huge role in building who we became.
Growing Up Like Village Kids
We are very fortunate to have a big yard in Pulantat, Yona.
And yes… Yona rulz
Sarah and I want our kids to experience some of the same things we experienced growing up.
Go outside.
Ride your bike.
Get dirty.
Run around.
Play with the other kids.
Get super sweaty.
Scrape your knee.
Figure things out.
Of course, growing up today is different.
Kids have tablets, phones, video games, streaming, and something ready to entertain them every second.
I’m not saying technology is bad.
But I do think it is okay for kids to be bored sometimes.
Take the iPad away.
They might complain for the first 15 minutes.
They might tell you there is “nothing to do.”
Give them some time.
They’ll figure it out.
We did.
That’s part of being a Village Kid.
How Village Kids Became a Brand
Village Kids really started growing when Sarah and I were traveling and doing Blades by Crank pop-ups.
We would bring the little Cranks with us, whether we were doing events here on Guam or traveling stateside to communities throughout the Marianas diaspora.
And eventually we started thinking:
Why are the kids just watching us? Why don’t they build something too?
That became Village Kids.
Yes, they have merchandise.
Yes, they can sell shirts.
But for Sarah and me, it goes way beyond selling something.
The booth is their classroom.
Their Pop-Up Is Their Classroom
When the kids come to an event, there is work to do.
They have to help set up.
They have to know what inventory they have.
They have to talk to customers.
They have to learn how to introduce themselves.
They have to explain what they are selling.
They have to learn how money works.
They have to keep track of what sold.
Then, when the event is finished, they have to help break everything down.
Afterward, we can talk about what went well and what we can do better next time.
That is business.
But more importantly, those are life skills.
Confidence.
Communication.
Responsibility.
Work ethic.
Problem solving.
Learning how to speak to different types of people.
Learning how to hear “no.”
Learning how to serve someone.
Learning that when you want something to succeed, somebody has to put in the work.
You cannot learn all of that from an iPad.
I Don’t Need Them to Become Entrepreneurs
Maybe our kids grow up and become entrepreneurs.
That would be awesome.
Maybe they don’t.
That is okay too.
Village Kids is not about Sarah and me deciding what our children are going to do with their lives.
It is about giving them tools.
Whatever path they choose later, I believe these experiences can help them.
Knowing how to communicate will help.
Knowing how to work will help.
Knowing how to manage money will help.
Knowing how to solve problems will help.
Knowing that they are capable of building something from nothing will definitely help.
That is the win for us.
More Than Merch
The other side of Village Kids is the message behind the brand.
It is okay to be a Village Kid.
It is okay to go outside.
It is okay to get dirty.
It is okay to fall down.
It is okay to scrape your knee.
It is okay to be bored.
It is okay to make up your own game.
It is okay to spend a whole afternoon riding your bike with no real destination.
Some of my best childhood memories were created doing things that cost almost nothing.
We just needed a yard, a bike, some other kids, and an imagination.
That is something I want my kids to know.
And maybe Village Kids can remind other families of that too.
Village Kids Is Coming to Marianas Fest
This year, we are really excited because the little Cranks are coming with us to Marianas Fest in Oregon.
Blades by Crank will have our booth and our SHINARP blades, and right alongside us, the boys will be representing Village Kids and selling their own merchandise.
That means a lot to me.
They are going to meet people from the Marianas living thousands of miles away from home.
They are going to hear stories.
They are going to meet other kids.
They are going to experience the food, music, culture, and that feeling of our whole Marianas family coming together.
And at the same time, they get to work.
They get to learn.
They get to build something of their own.
That is exactly what Village Kids is supposed to be.
Let Them Figure It Out
As parents, sometimes I think we want to make everything perfect for our kids.
We do not want them bored.
We do not want them frustrated.
We do not want them to fail.
But sometimes those moments are where the good stuff happens.
Let them try.
Let them get frustrated.
Let them figure something out.
Let them make a little money and then learn what happens when they spend all of it.
Let them talk to strangers at the booth.
Let them carry a box.
Let them get dirty.
Let them be kids.
Because one day they will not be little anymore.
And hopefully, when that day comes, all those little experiences helped build strong, confident, capable people.
That is Village Kids.
Go outside. Get dirty. Build something. Be a Village Kid.
si Frank