2. Dear Representative:
As CEO of JimShoes LLC, I am contacting your school/organization with a great
opportunity to align itself with JimShoes, LLC. I would like the opportunity to speak
to the students at any speaking functions, classroom session, forums or workshops
concerning entrepreneurship in the arena of business, arts, fashion and music. My
speaking engagements consist of teaching and educating on entrepreneurship
through PowerPoint presentations.
JimShoes, LLC, is a U.S. based company located in Central Illinois. JimShoes is
dedicated to identifying, developing, and marketing individuals who possess the
talent and ambition necessary to compete in today's fashion and entertainment
industry. We also offer a broad range of lifestyle products and services, including
clothing, video and music production, marketing, and consulting.
JimShoes offers its products and services under three major brands:
JimShoes Fashion, JimShoes Entertainment, and JimShoes Management.
 JimShoes Fashion- JimShoes Signature Wear consists of garment
construction, branding, licensing, retail growth strategy, creative thinking,
researching fashion trends, marketing and promoting products.
 JimShoes Entertainment- Marketing, promotions, event planning, business
development, strategic planning, logistics, branding, creative services,
showcases, concerts.
 JimShoes Management- Consulting, management, development, creative
services, branding, guidance, teaching, discipline, identifiying talent, pushing
the talent to be the best, booking shows, overseeing the talent projected
progress.
JimShoes' rising success in the community has helped myself as the CEO to follow
through on my desire to give back to the community that supports both him and
JimShoes, LLC. I can draw from my personal life's story and the positive impact I
have experienced through the consistent and careful guidance of my family, church,
and teachers. I understand the value of volunteering and mentoring tomorrow's
leaders and youth.
“Our mission is to develop professional talent, inspire uniqueness, and create success
that impacts our diverse culture”.
Thank you for your interest and time with this opportunity to help support JimShoes,
LLC. If you have any further questions or concerns, please visit the website at
www.JimShoes.com and do not hesitate to contact me at (217) 202-4193 or email
James.Hastings@JimShoes.com.
Sincerely,
James Hastings, CEO

3. Overview About The Company
JimShoes, LLC, is a U.S. based company located in throughout Central Illinois.
JimShoes is dedicated to identifying, developing, and marketing individuals who
possess the talent and ambition necessary to compete in today's entertainment
industry. JimShoes also offers a broad range of lifestyle products and services,
including clothing, video and music production, marketing, and consulting.
JimShoes offers its products and services under three major brands:
JimShoes Fashion, JimShoes Entertainment, and JimShoes Talent Management.
JimShoes Fashion- JimShoes Signature Wear
Garment construction, branding, licensing, retail growth strategy, creative thinking,
researching fashion trends, market product, promote product,
JimShoes Entertainment- Marketing, promotions, events planning
Business development, strategic planning, logistics, branding, creative services,
showcases, concerts
JimShoes Management- Consulting, management, development,
Creative services, branding, guidance, teaching, discipline, identifiying talent,
pushing the talent to be the best, booking shows, overseeing the talent projected
progress
Leadership
James Hastings is the founder and CEO of JimShoes, LLC. He is also the founder and
CEO of JimShoes Entertainment, now one of three major brands through which
JimShoes offers its product line and services.
As CEO of JimShoes, James Hastings is responsible for business development,
strategic planning, logistics, direct marketing, creative services, branding, licensing,
retail growth strategy, and the overall leadership and direction of his company.
Today, the company offers a broad range of competitive products and services,
including apparel, marketing, consulting, talent management, and entertainment.
Mission - Our mission is to develop professional talent, inspire uniqueness, and
create success that impacts our diverse culture.

4. Community Involvement
JimShoes's rising success in the community has helped CEO James Hastings follow
through on his desire to give back to the community that supported both him and
JimShoes. Drawing from his personal life's story and the positive impact he
experienced through the consistent and careful guidance of his family, church,
teachers, James understands the value of volunteering and mentoring tomorrow's
leaders, the youth.
Urbana Business Association
In the spring of 2007 James Hastings became a member of the Urbana Business
Association. The mission of the Urbana Business Association is to promote Urbana as
a dynamic place in which to live, work and do business. As a member, James had the
opportunity to network and gain marketing support from other Urbana businesses
along with the support of working with government to grow his business of JimShoes
Entertainment. In 2008, James was elected to serve on the events committee board
of the association. This committee was responsible for all events and activities that
took place in the city of Urbana, IL for the community.
CUper Star Program
JimShoes CEO James Hastings joined the Champaign-Urbana Area Project in 2007
and helped them with their CUper Star program through mentoring, volunteering,
and being a positive influence and role model for the teens.
The CUper Star is a program that encourages social, career and leadership
development that enables our youth to have a voice and influence in their
community. The purpose of the program is to provide a venue for teens to get
involved in and out of school, community involved projects that would be both youth
inspired and youth desired. CUperStar is a non-traditional event that will cross all
socioeconomic, geographic, and color barriers. Youth will achieve program objectives
through numerous activities including auditions, interviews, career and leadership
workshops, rehearsals, planning sessions, community service, and public
appearances.
Champaign County Urban League Mentoring Program
JimShoes CEO James Hastings volunteers his time to help assist the Champaign
County Urban League Mentoring program. Through this program, James has a great
opportunity to mentor and give youths the guidance and direction that they may
have been lacking. James sees this opportunity as a way to be an example to show
the youth that you can be a successful entrepreneur with the right guidance,
determination, and great work ethics.
Indiana Black Expo Music Lounge
In 2006, JimShoes CEO James Hastings volunteered in assisting with the 2006
Indiana Black Expo Music Lounge.
The Music Lounge is a new venue for the culture arts pavilion and is designed to
recapture the young adult audience whose numbers had been declining in recent
years. The Music Lounge objectives were to coordinate a venue and to reach a
diverse group of performers seeking opportunities to gain exposure and hone their
skills.

5. Booking Request
Requested Date(s):_________________ Alternate Date(s) __________
Check all that apply:
__ Artist Performance/Appearance
__ Personal Appearance
__ Speaking Engagement
Name of Organization: _____________________________________
Contact Person: _______________ E-Mail_______________________
Phone: ______________________ Fax: ________________________
Alternate Contact: ________________________ Phone: ____________
Audience (profile):____________________________________
Estimated # of Attendees: __________
Event/Class Description:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________
Event/Class Duration (total time talent will be needed):______________
Offer (fee): .00 USD
Location: _____________________________________________
Address: _______________________________
City/State/Zip: ___________________________
Will the display and sale of materials be permitted? __Yes __No
Address to ship materials: ____________________________________
Thanks,
JimShoes Entertainment
JimShoes Entertainment * PO Box 101 Bloomington, IL 61702 * www.JimShoes.com

6. Local promoter hits the streets with new clothing label
The Daily Illini
The music business lives and dies for what is trendy. What is cool at one point will
almost certainly fall out of favor eventually. When we see the parachute pants of MC
Hammer today, or the frozen, spiked crown of the white-blonde hair worn by Vanilla
Ice in his heyday, one cannot help but realize just how quickly things can change.
The difficult task of a music promoter, then, is to come up with a fashion that not
only looks good, but will perpetuate popularity in the future.
James Hastings, an Urbana resident of seven years and a local music promoter, said
he thinks he may have done this with his new "JimShoes" clothing line. The variety
of clothing offered in his line reflects the varied music groups Hastings' "JimShoes
Entertainment" company manages. Hastings promotes artists like Champaign's Twick
G and central Kentucky's southern metal rock band Full Nelson, among others.
James Hastings, Urbana resident and founder of
JimShoes Entertainment, poses in a shirt from his
clothing line.
Hastings has marketed his line through the artists he represents, as well as by
advertisements in print publications. Recently, JimShoes took to the airwaves as the
company ran its first TV commercial. The commercial airs throughout central Illinois
in Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Rantoul and Mahomet.
To accommodate different tastes and styles, Hasting's line offers clothing like hooded
sweatshirts, polo shirts, hats and unisex long- and short-sleeve T-shirts. Colors for
the apparel range from blue and black, to white and gray, to brighter colors like pink
and yellow. Merchandise available on Hasting's Web site, www.JimShoes.com,
ranges from $15-$20.
All of the clothing is stamped with the "JimShoes" logo that depicts a large pair of
tennis shoes, laces untied, and is of course a nod to their creator's first name.
Hastings said that he has been managing musical acts since 2003, but that he has
always been interested in the idea of starting his own clothing line.
"I always wanted to get into fashion," Hastings said. "I first started making clothing
just for the artists that I represented, but their response was so positive I started to
wonder if I could take the idea further."

7. Energized, Hastings began to look for stores to distribute his clothing line. In addition
to being sold on his Web site, JimShoes brand products are sold by Mahri's Fashion,
1101 N. Fairview Ave., Decatur, and at Urban Beauty Fashion, 1502 N. Cunningham
Ave., Urbana. Jay Shin, the manager of Urban Beauty Fashion, said that he began
stocking the JimShoes clothing line less than two weeks ago, but that the response
seems to be positive.
"I wanted to try out this line because it was something new and unique to the area,"
said Shin. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the JimShoes line clothing that
(Hastings) is planning on releasing." Shin added that a JimShoes brand of jeans
would be the item he would most like to see Hastings release.
Hastings does plan to expand both the amount of items in the JimShoes clothing line
and the overall availability of his products. He said that he would especially like to
produce an actual JimShoes "gym shoe," and that he is working on designs.
"In the next three years my goals are to continue promoting the line and try and
familiarize it in other Midwest cities," Hastings said. "Of course, I'd also like to
eventually attract the interest of a major designer to invest in JimShoes
Entertainment."
Student responses to the line seem fairly positive.
"I've actually heard people talking about this line," said Rebekah Childers, senior in
Communications. "I think this line could be really successful if it's marketed with
popular artists. I know people who would buy it."
As for Hastings, he would love to see popular artists wearing JimShoes clothing all
throughout the country.
"I'd like to see Jay-Z walking down the street wearing a JimShoes T-shirt," Hastings
said. "When that happens, I'll know I've made it big."

8. Dressed for success
Ex-Streak Hastings a player in music, fashion
James Hastings, a 1991 Galesburg High School grad
and former basketball player, who has founded
JimShoes Entertainment.
By ZACK CREGLOW
The Register-Mail
On the basketball court, James Hastings was an opportunist. Few thought the rotund Hastings
would even make the squad, so when he entered a Galesburg High School boys basketball game
he never hesitated, hoisting 3-pointers any chance he got.
“I was known for hitting threes,” said Hastings, a 1991 GHS graduate. “My senior year, that’s what
I was known for, coming in and popping a couple threes.”
So it turns out, his approach in life isn’t at all different than his on hardwood — take every shot
you get.

9. Some people wait for opportunity to unveil itself, holding tight until it does. Hastings seeks it out,
and after jetsetting across the Midwest, his life has winded back to his first loves — music and
fashion.
Hastings, who founded the Champaign-based music management JimShoes Entertainment in
2003, recently launched his own fashion line of the same name. The clothes are available to
purchase online at his company’s Web site, www.JimShoes.com, or at select urban clothing
outlets in Urbana, Champaign and Decatur.
“I just launched in November, so we are only a good month into it,” said Hastings, who promotes
the clothing with television commercials on BET, MTV and TNT. “But sales are picking up.”
Branching out into fashion only seemed natural to Hastings, who works also as an outpatient
coder for doctors in central Illinois. “That’s the way I was thinking,” the 34-year-old Hastings
said. “Music is so influential in people’s everyday lives. I thought this could rub into that.”
Hastings’ odyssey into fashion and music began as a child in Galesburg, where he learned from
his parents, the Rev. Charles and Malinda Jackson, the importance of the two.
His father was a reverend at the Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, 153 E. Tompkins St., and Hastings
was immersed in the musical culture of religion, listening to choirs from across the midwest.
Later, when he reached high school, Hastings was a member of the band as a drummer.
“It blossomed from there,” Malinda Jackson said.
So did his knack for fashion.
Dressing well was never an option in that household, what with his father a reverend and his
mother a woman who was raised believing in the saying “dress for success.”
“That’s the way I was brought up,” Malinda Jackson said. “You didn’t have to have the latest style,
but if you were clean and well-groomed, you could go farther.”
The social skills that allowed Hastings to network his way into music and fashion as an outsider
were apparent from a young age, remembers former Silver Streaks star Elmer Dickerson. When
Hastings moved to Galesburg in junior high, the two clicked. Quickly, Hastings made friends with
the other boys from the neighborhood — like Streaks gridiron legend Mikki Johnson — and was
playing backyard football with them in a matter of weeks.
“We hit it off like we knew each other from birth.”
In high school, Hastings tried out for the varsity squad. There were many whispers that there was
no way Hastings, a heavy kid with limited athletic ability, could make the squad.

10. Those doubters were proved wrong.
“The more people say he couldn’t do it, the harder he would apply himself to do it,” Dickerson
said. “A lot of people didn’t think he would make the basketball team, and he did.
“Jimmy, he’s the type of kid who if he said he wanted to be president, you better look out.”
His family left Galesburg for East Moline in 1990, with Hastings staying his senior year living with
friends, and he has returned little since then, only to visit with old friends like Dickerson.
After high school and short while at Black Hawk College, Hastings moved to Indianapolis and
worked for nearly a decade as a manager at Auto Zone, his dreams of being involved in music
burning white-hot as ever. Then, in the summer of 2003, Hastings told friends and family he was
making his move into music.
They knew better than to doubt him.
“He gets an idea in his head and goes with it,” said Malinda Jackson, who now lives with her
husband in Springfield.
Now, Hastings represents some of the hottest acts in central Illinois, and his clothing line is
gaining notoriety.
Even one of Dickerson’s children may find some JimShoes clothes under the tree on Tuesday.
If they’re good.
“My kids love it,” he said.