Just two years ago Rapp was an up-and-coming assistant stock trader with a promising career on Wall Street. He was well respected and well positioned for the kind of lucrative career many can only hope for.
But something was missing.
“The stress was overwhelming,” explains the 28-year-old. “I couldn’t leave stocks at the office. To be an effective trader you have to live and breathe it.”
This preoccupation was growing out of control and Rapp’s personal life was slipping away. An intervention of sorts by a frustrated friend helped Rapp realize he needed a change. So he made the dramatic decision to quit his job and hit the road.
With his passport nearly bare of stamps, Rapp knew he was entering unfamiliar territory. What he didn’t yet realize is that, along the way, he would redefine what it means to be successful and find the fulfillment he craved.
Rapp was instantly awe-struck by the ancient civilizations of Europe and Asia. Hectic markets, historic monuments and local traditions in places like Greece and China were a far cry from his hedge fund office in New York.
“The world was my oyster,” Rapp says of his newfound freedom. “I loved the ability to see what it had to offer.”
Along with this growing love of global cultures was an increasingly strong desire to honor and preserve the breathtaking artwork he was encountering. Not content with just snapping a picture here and there, the appreciative traveler and keen businessman in him smelled an opportunity to do more.
So began Clothing Arts, an apparel line conceived of almost entirely on a bus in Cambodia. Rapp figured that by reproducing these ancient works of art on clothing, he could share the delight he found in visiting the local communities that inspired them.
What’s more, Clothing Arts was to be an antidote to a society that moves too fast and rarely stops to take in its beautiful surroundings.
“The world is full of beauty, and I wanted to bring that to the rest of the world,” Rapp explains.” Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses.”
He knew nothing about making clothes, but was sure he couldn’t go back to his former life. So Rapp based himself in Amsterdam and poured his heart and soul into Clothing Arts.
The results have been impressive. Rapp can rattle off facts about how his shirts are manufactured with the highest quality cotton for hours on end. And with childlike excitement, he eagerly explains the pieces of art that have influenced each of his designs.
But even more impressive is his catharsis.
“Having traveled and seen how people live on the other side of the world, you start wondering ‘what can I do?” he explains.
That’s why he donates a portion of his earning to local children’s charities in the communities he has visited. Rapp’s ultimate goal is to open factories in those communities and to give back to the locals.
“What I see is me paying a Western wage to a mother of four in Phnom Penh and completely changing her life,” he says. “I’m not interested in earning a lot of money, I just want to make beautiful things and make people happy.”
Rapp’s story is a poignant reminder of where true wealth comes from. As the world now pays the price for years of greed and excess, he has found a niche for himself in culture, art and charity.
So while Rapp may not have the salary that a career on Wall Street could have brought him, he has something more valuable. He’s found purpose.
For that, Rapp could not be happier.
“Life is amazing. Once you stop and think about what you really want to do, it’s amazing,” he explains. “You wake up every morning and work towards a dream. That’s very fulfilling.”
Chris Mallinos is a Toronto-based journalist whose work has appeared on six continents and in seven languages. You can reach him at www.chrismallinos.com. Learn more about Adam Rapp’s company at: www.clothingarts.com.
