On and Love Approved Welcome You to Their Clubhouse
Tell me a little bit about yourself and the work you do?
Maika Angeleo My name is Michael Kaya Angeleo, I am the Creative/Co-Founder of Love Approved. I started to explore different arts and create at a young age but I always felt forced to pursue a career that had been influenced by others. It wasn’t until I allowed myself to start dreaming again that I rediscovered my passion to create and bring people together.
Damon Sherengo My name is Damon Sherengo. I am a first generation entrepreneur in Los Angeles. I Co-Founded a lifestyle brand called Love Approved. We work to build a community around acceptance and creative expression while reminding people that it is okay to be yourself. I handle day to day operations, I am a facilitator of our direction, and I work to make our collective dreams and visions possible in the real world.
Chris Mathew My Name is Chris Mathew, I am from Santa Barbara, CA. I Co - Founded a clothing brand called Love Approved. Our mission is to create pieces of clothing that give a reflection on what it means to create with an open mind. I handle all outreach, making sure we’re building connections and moving up with the community around us.
How would you describe the place you feel most at home?
MA Personally I’m always comfortable to be myself wherever I’m at and I really feel at home when I’m with my friends. There’s never a dull moment when we’re together and we’re usually always with each other, if you see one of us then the other two are probably close by.
DS Home to me is less of a place, and more so the people I surround myself with. I’m grateful to have people in my life that I share strong bonds with. These are people who accept, support, and elevate me very much including Maika & Chris, my family, and a handful of great people I've met on my journey.
CM Well, I feel at home when I’m creating beats or DJing and finding new sounds we haven't heard before. But home can be more than an external feeling. For me it also resides in my people. Sharing relationships and friendships are a big part of feeling at home for me because it reminds me of how I grew up and reminds me of my why in life.
What does the word clubhouse mean to you?
MA Clubhouse to me really reminds me of when we were kids and I always used to dream of a place where me and my friends would hang out and do whatever it is we loved. Now that I’m older I’ve come to realize that my clubhouse is wherever my friends and I are at, our vibe resonates with people and attract them in any setting we’re in.
DS Clubhouse to me is a safe space to express my creativity, decompress when needed, and lock into my work. If I feel comfortable doing all three there then it’s my Clubhouse.
CM Clubhouse to me is a place that provides the freedom to create and interact. An environment where you can dream and bring ideas to life.
Explain the importance of movement within your community.
MA Movement as in our message: For us especially, I feel that movement within our community is one of the most important things because of how impactful our message is. Movement as in physical movement: Movement to us is extremely important being that we’re always working in a stationary setting on smart devices; we definitely have to make it a priority to always find a way to remain active whether it’s hacky sack, walking around the city, or going to the gym we find a way.
DS Movement within my community is extremely important. Much of our work is on our phones and laptops, so we constantly make it a point to include movement in our routine to support our mental health. We take breaks to hacky sack, we all workout to keep our bodies healthy, and we also travel to different locations regularly for new inspiration.
CM Movement is really important to our community. As creatives we make it a priority to have movement because that's where new perspectives and experiences are. From traveling to going out to shows and even hiking, its good to disconnect and dive into something foreign.
What inspires you?
MA I feel that I create the best when I’m experiencing love; this doesn’t always have to be romantic love either, I find love in a lot of different ways such as brotherly or the love and appreciation of life itself. I wake up everyday feeling grateful to still be here and continue to push our message and spread love to others.
DS I’m really inspired by the unity and flow of nature. I appreciate seeing the art the world creates on its own. Something a lot of us take for granted.
CM What inspires me the most is my people. I grew up with a single mother, so when people come into my life it isn’t for no reason. I understand how many people had an impact on my life, so I put my pride in wanting to give what I received from the people around me.
What does the importance of community mean to you?
MA Our community is so important to us because a lot of our initial supporters were our family members, and being that the three of us are so family oriented it means a lot that they believe in our vision and hard work because they’re the ones who inspired us.
DS Community is extremely important because I need that support system. I appreciate my community because it gives me people that I can celebrate the highs with and people that I can get through the lows with. That support all around is necessary to a healthy life.
CM The importance of community means alot to me because I need that support. That's why I’m thankful for the community I have because I need those affirmations, having someone in your corner is essential to be happy.
