“Listen Up, Kids” - The Tyler Merrick Edition

Married to his high school sweetheart, Tyler Merrick is the father to 3 daughters and the founder of Project7. The three things he can’t live without as a dad? His iPhone because “it’s sad but it really is like the modern swiss army knife. Camera, phone, email, video player and games for kids at a restaurant or road trip, calendar, to do lists, calculator, dictionary, Yelp, the list goes on…” The ocean & the beach, which he says grounds him and keeps him in perspective. “No matter how many times I see it, when the waves come in I’m just in awe.” Lastly, his backpack, filled with snacks, headphones, books, you name it.

Tell us about your company in 2 sentences or less: Project7 is a brand of everyday items that give back to 7 areas of need. Things like chewing gum, mints, coffee, bottled water… but when we as shoppers buy products that give back that we were going to buy anyway, we start to see real impacts being made in areas like hunger, environment and clean water.

What is your family’s biggest guilty food pleasure? Man, I think it would have to be dessert… My mom always had some kind of dessert for us that she’d make growing up for after dinner and we just kept that going on when it was just my wife and me. Now with our kids, we do the same. It can be a couple of cookies, a popsicle or a pan of brownies… we just have a sweet tooth.

If you could launch back in time to the days of feety pajamas and robot night lights, which vintage flick would you pop in to your VCR for the ultimate 80’s experience? I think the Goonies or Star Wars… but then again I love all the Rocky movies.

What is the best piece of Daddy Advice you’ve dished to your kiddo(s)? With girls it’s so important to instill in them that their value and true beauty comes from within.

Finish this sentence: “In case I’m senile, please remind me…” That success and money came and went but in the end it didn’t fulfill you, it was the love of your family and the simple things that meant the most. Money is insatiable, we get some and we want more. We get more and then we say ‘if we could just get a little more I’d be good, I’d be set’ but it’s a mirage… Learn contentment where you are.

Last but not least… we have to ask: Who would you rather DJ your birthday party… the Fresh Prince or DJ Jazzy Jeff?Man oh man… DJ Jazzy Jeff doesn’t get enough love… he was like Batman to Robin. Lets face it though, he was a DJ and Fresh Prince was an MC. I’d have to go with Jazzy Jeff… but if he wasn’t available I’d take Rev Run.

Learn more about Tyler here: Tyler Twitter / Project7 / Project7 Twitter / 29Agency