The story behind Db

How Truls Brataas and Jon Olsson stated Db Journey? It all started with a journey. Three years into my MSc in Mechanical Engineering Truls decided it was time for a change, and what better way to change than to go into the world?

He was traveling in search of inspiration and perspective, and without knowing, setting the direction for the next decade of his life. He joined volunteer projects for less privileged children in South America, climbed 6000m summits in the Andes, surfed the Pacific and Atlantic coast of the Americas, but most importantly, he connected with nature, people, and cultures across several continents. It was a journey with no specific end game, there was no big overarching goal or destination. However, what he realized upon reflection was that the journey itself was the destination, and to be honest, he said, this journey never ended.

Db was, and is, a reaction to help others get the same experience that Truls had. We want to fundamentally encourage everyone to go out into the world, be curious, explore, learn and dream - mentally and physically, and come back changed for the better.

Coming back from his travels, Truls drew out the first ideas of a mindset, products, and a company that would express what he was feeling. Next to finishing off his MSc, he was stitching the first prototypes of the Snowroller in his student dorm room. In between stitching and studying, he went to Asia to find our first factories. He put all my energy and savings into this project. What he was planning on taking into the world with Db, was a continuation of his journey.

It has been ten years since Truls pushed the “publish” button on Facebook, and Jon on Youtube, letting our company and mindset reveal itself to the world for the first time. It has been ten years since we received the first feedback that we had helped someone create lasting memories, meaningful experiences, or inspired someone to go on that journey they always dreamt of doing. Today, it is still that same feedback which feels the most rewarding. Knowing we can support meaningful journeys, short or long, mental or physical, is the best feeling any brand could ask for.

Before Truls's Grandpa passed away, they met for a final goodbye. It was a very emotional and meaningful conversation. Like most people at the very end of their lives, he told him that family, friends, and experiences were the most meaningful things in his life. If the statistics are right, you and I will say the same when it’s our turn.

That is why, during these exceptional times, it is more important than ever to help people return into the world, together with those they care about. We must continue to travel, seek meaningful journeys, meet new people, discover different cultures, and experience the beauty in nature. Ultimately, this enables us to be more connected, more understanding, more inclusive, and more emphatic. Travel forces us to bring down walls and build bridges.

That is why we are more motivated than ever to build the world's best journey brand, together with all of you. It will be our small contribution to the happiness and progress of humanity because when you go into the world, you always change, for the better.

It sounds cliché, but life truly is a journey.

Explore more about Db here: https://dbjourney.com/