Mount O Country

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This is our first episode highlighting a new generation of idealistic cigarette ad models but without the tar and nicotine. Taste the difference of these young students and professionals who are doing cool shit and setting a new paradigm for the rest of us.

In our first episode "🧈" we have a reverse office hours session with Cole Benson. Cole is a Senior at the University of San Diego and a brother in Delta Tau Delta. In addition to being widely respected, Cole is somewhat of a muse. Whether you stalk his Spotify (colebenson9) or spy his clothing choices you can tell he pays close attention to culture and has a pulse on great art and design. There is a bit of a Euthyphro dilemma on whether Cole creates the aesthetic by liking it, or if Cole recognizes an existing objective aesthetic. Either way, the kid can't miss. When Cole has free time he is also an ambassador for Liquid Death--another example of how design and marketing are ruling the world.

It is not a surprise then that he co-founded a clothing brand with his high school friend Mike. The journey started 4 years ago and the company is called Butterslabs (as in slabs of butter). The simple butter-stick and slab logo is an absolute eye magnet. There is an urban legend that a flight attendant once woke up a passenger, signaled to take off their headphones just to inquire where they got the butterslabs hoodie.

There is a slight mystery and unconventional nature to their brand. New drops occur only 3-4 times a year with only about a 1 week notice. With a couple of quick but vibey VHS style videos and a few static photos on the gram, the drop is on. Even without much fanfare, they sell out almost immediately.

We asked Cole a few questions about his college experience and about Butterslabs.

What is the best part about being a brother in DTD or something you will miss about it when you graduate?

My favorite part about being in the fraternity is just the variety of characters that I’ve gotten to meet and become close with. All of my best friends are kids who come from completely different backgrounds and I think that's pretty sweet. Everyone has something to bring to the table.

Why should a college student who goes to school somewhere else visit USD some weekend?

There’s so much to do in San Diego. In addition to the school and the campus culture, there’s the beaches, downtown, sports, and nightlife. It’s a beautiful city with so many different areas and lots of fun opportunities.

You studied abroad last year, is there a story (funny or serious) that sticks out?

An unfortunate but memorable situation was when I had a layover in Basel, Switzerland on the way back from Ibiza, and ended up getting stranded there because the flight got canceled. This was the only flight to Prague for that Sunday, and I had to make it back for class on Monday, so our most convenient option at that point was to rent a car and drive 7hr through the night across the entire width of Germany so we could get back.

A lot of students try to get into apparel but you and Mike have been able to find a niche and some success. What’s your advice for those who are wanting to start a clothing brand, or are just starting?

My biggest piece of advice is to not get too caught up in what you think people want to see. It’s definitely important for people to like your products and want to buy them, but you shouldn’t make stuff based entirely off of trends or what you think is considered cool. Our best ideas and products are the ones that aren’t super forced, but instead are much more organic and true to what I actually want to make/wear.

What are your goals for Butterslabs in the next five years?

My main goal is just to grow the brand and transform it into something much more established than it already is. I’d like to watch it reach more and more people and ultimately become a widely recognized name almost to the point where it’s a household thing. I’d also like to maintain the exclusivity of it, but a lot of growth would also be great.

Biggest life lesson(s) you’ve learned through experience in college that you think others might benefit from?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to keep yourself busy and be open to trying new things. It’s really easy to get stuck in a routine where every day feels the same, and an easy way to disrupt that is to get out of your comfort zone and find new experiences.

Random question: if you could create a new holiday that everyone gets off from work & school. What would it be and how would people celebrate?

I don’t know what I’d call this holiday, but it would be interesting to see the world for a day without any moving vehicles. So on this holiday, everyone would be prohibited from using their cars. People would celebrate by coming together in big cities and outdoor festivals. I really don’t know how this would work and I think it would cause a lot of problems, but it would be cool to see completely empty streets, even freeways.

There is an authenticity about Cole which makes him a valued and sought after friend and frat brother. In his next chapter, Cole and Mike are still all-in on Butterslabs, but Cole is also very sought after for digital marketing opportunities. His "portfolio" and background speak loudly, but Cole would be an incredible asset to any team or company, especially in a creative role. If you are a recruiter or CEO, here is his LinkedIn (because, let's make it cool again).

If you want to learn more about Butterslabs visit butterslabs.com or their IG: butterslabs

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About Mount O

Mount O is a digital community with a pre-social media soul aiming to maximize your college experience with the best communication tools, advice & the occasional meme. We believe a period of maximum freedom and minimum responsibility is the prime occasion to build lifelong friends, wisdom and career opportunities. We mainly facilitate this through our free House Management app. Our service provides cleaner comms and a more community-driven Greek Life on your campus. We also send out and post Mount O Country articles on inspiring students, provide real life office hours, and we also like to post memes & videos about Greek and College Life on our instagram.

Check out the app here on iOS. (Execs, reach out for a custom onboarding onto the Free app or if your school is not on our network, let's get you set up!)

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