Hello, dear readers. Inherent in the mission statement of The Bright Side Project is the unspoken belief that to “Do What You Love, Love What You Do” is an absolutely essential component in creating a happy and healthy lifestyle. Every now and then, we will ask our contributors to answer a few short questions on the ideas of happiness, creativity and sunshine. We hope these rays of light help inspire you to find the sunshine in your day, today and everyday.

Today we are honored to introduce you to Carmin and Christian from HALF UNITED.

Please introduce yourself to our readers and explain a little bit about your business.

My name is Carmin Black, I am a 27 year old social-entrepreneur who founded HALF UNITED almost three years ago with my brother, Christian Black. HALF UNITED is a humanitarian clothing company that fights global hunger by feeding children in need. The name of my business sums up how we help those in need- we UNITE with our support to fight hunger, and we do this by giving HALF of all profits to NGO partners who fight hunger and its root causes by feeding and educating the children we support. My brother and I grew up in a home where our father was a minister and our mother a high-end retail space designer. Both parents deeply impacted us and gave us a love of fashion and giving back; the business I run is the perfect fit for my life and personality. I love fashion and feeding children in need makes my heart soar. I think global hunger is ridiculous with all the resources in the world today. I realize hunger sinks its roots deep into a myriad of other issues which is why I think its so important for my business to unite with NGOs who feed children and attack the root causes of hunger. I am an eternal optimist and I believe if you believe it you can achieve it!

We believe that one of the ways to achieve happiness is to “Do what you love, love what you do.” How does this philosophy apply to your life?

This philosophy is my life. I absolutely do what I love and love what I do. See, HALF UNITED is totally debt free, which is a wonderful way to do business, but because we are constantly trying to re-invest funds to grow, all the while keeping our promise to give HALF of all profits to feed children, money is often extremely tight. If I didn’t absolutely love my job there’s no way I would stick around considering how little I am currently paid for the work I put in. I believe that when you love what you do, the dream of success drives you to never give up. I know that my persistence will pay off and the fact that my work affects both me, and children in need makes my decision to stay a very easy one to make.

Our mission here at The Bright Side Project is to spread sunshine on a daily basis because we firmly that life is (still) beautiful. Where do you find beauty and inspiration?

In so many places- books, church, family, encouragement from friends, art, the creativity of other people, the earth, the ocean, in relaxation, suggestions from our staffers and supporters, the children we feed, and the stories of other entrepreneurs making their dreams come true.

On a dreary day, what do you do to infuse your life with a little bit of sunshine?

I live near the beach which means when the sun is out there is always the opportunity to find something fun to do outdoors. When the clouds come so does the chance for escape and time to stay in and relax. I make sure that my surroundings are clean and inviting and that I dress in a way that makes me feel pretty and comfortable. A good cup of coffee, great flats, and an inviting space are all you need if you can’t go outside to play.

What are you most grateful for?

Personal growth. I am young but I have lived through so much in my life already. From living abroad, to doing mission work around the world, even things like overcoming family adversities- I’ve lived through good and bad and often find it easy to focus on the bad long after its passed- I’m talking even silly things that I should have let go of a long time ago. Because I run a give back business people often assume I am totally selfless, the truth is I often times find myself being really selfish- focusing on me, and my business, and my time, and how others can help me etc. Lately I have woken up and realized that this is a really awful way to live, even if my intentions are pure. So, I decided that it’s time for a change. In fact, for 30 days I am doing a selfishness cleanse- I am going to do my best to focus on Generosity, specifically on being a better friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend…I want to pour into others and give as much as I can to them, instead of just soaking in what they give to me. I know this will make an amazing difference in my life and the lives of the people I love most. Thank God for his grace, how lucky we are to have it all the time.

Check back later today for an amazing giveaway from HALF UNITED!