Give A Damn

MJ Mitchell, CEO of Resto Athletic, has a riveting story: learning to lead a massive global organization at a young age, revolutionizing the custom performance apparel manufacturing industry, all while giving his team members the dignity of a living wage for their skilled labor.

 

Justin and MJ discuss leadership, redemptive entrepreneurship, how to become a horizon painter, and much more.

 

We are so excited to share this conversation with you.

"Do you mind if I pray before our conversation," Chris asked before we hit record.

 

Chris started the conversation with intention, clarity, and surrender.

 

And what resulted was mind blowing.

 

We're humbled to share this dialogue, and the glimpse into the deep parts of Chris' story.

 

One of triumph, transformation, and truth.

 

His bravery, his resilience, and his purpose is on full display here.

 

And it's beautiful.

 

Hit play, and be inspired.

Rebecca Kidwell has a huge heart, an incredible academic pedigree, and deep humility. She has used her intellect as an engineer to start the LEARN Science and Math Club for students in the Kansas City area. That club has gone on to pioneer and develop mobile machines that help students with disabilities experience motion and play with their peers. Where they belong.

 

She is an incredible person that we are honored to know, and are so excited to share her story with you.

Jeremy Parsons is a lot of things: a father to three growing young men, a lover of the wild places in Western Colorado (where he grew up), films by Tarantino and Wes Anderson, the comedy of John Mulaney and Patton Oswalt, and ordering more of the adventurous selections on a restaurant’s menu.

 

He has traveled the world as a documentary photographer, falling in love with humanity along the way. In 2020, he joined the Guild team, recently assuming the role of Director of Story at Guild Collective in 2022.

 

Jeremy and Justin sat down and had a candid talk about what it's like to be 42, to have kids leaving the home, the wounds they have carried since childhood, and aging into new perspectives on life, religion and mistakes.

 

The result is a heart-felt and life giving conversation.

Who is Guild Collective?

What does it mean to be "human first"?

Why does Guild Collective exist?

Why does story matter?

 

Racheal Burnett, COO at Guild Collective, and Jeremy Parsons, Director of Story at Guild Collective join Justin to have a transparent and enlivening conversation, getting to the heart behind what drives GC and how we got here.

Kemet Coleman is an urbanist, artist, entrepreneur, and activist, to name a few. 

 

Born and raised a KC native, Coleman grew up in a household motivated to seek justice for our city. After dabbling in music and theatre, he found his path through an urban studies class. This father of three thrives on helping KC see itself in a creative way and for who we really are. 

 

"The cultural identity that is soaking into the soil of the city enhances the city's cultural identity."

 

Take a listen as Coleman describes:

-How to approach creating art and storytelling

-Using music, beer, and art to uplift and awaken our city

-Overcoming suburbanization and geographic racism on the East side of KC

-Making gentrification dollars work for everybody

-The vital role of mobility in a city and its tie to wealth and innovation

 

-Follow Kemet on Instagram at: @KemetColeman

-Find Kemet’s band on twitter at: @ThePhantastic

-Discover his work by checking out:

   -2000 Vine 

   -Vine Street Brewing

   -Enginuity

   -Kemmet Creative

   -Troostival

A discussion on swimming upstream to create work that matters with team members Devin Simmons, Director of Digital Marketing, Racheal Burnett, VP of Creative, and Colin Potter, VP of Business Operations.

In the past 5 years, our team has grown from one guy with a laptop to 12 kind, brilliant people. It’s a plane being built in flight, and the biggest thing we’ve learned: work with good humans that want to do good work. 

Listen in as we discuss:
-Where story and strategy intersect 
-The importance of listening in storytelling
-The discipline of taking time off
-Finding work-life harmony
-Addressing the scarcity mindset and the endless hustle
-The difference between real work and staying busy
-Letting go of your ego to provide your team opportunity to grow
-Swimming upstream to tell every brand’s story with integrity

Hear from Bronson, Cory, and Justin as they dive deep into mindset and what it takes to work through the fear that leads to scarcity thinking.

Hear from Professor Dave Geenens, author and professor at Benedictine College, on his journey of building businesses on the pillars of virtue and challenging the status quo. 

 

Geenes incorporates counter-cultural business practices to make money while making your business one that benefits everybody. In our discussion, he imparts his wisdom on:

-Expanding your comfort zone to create opportunities

-Re-defining leadership as “the art of maximizing cooperation” 

-Challenging the old ideology that business is only about maximizing shareholder wealth

-Getting back to our moral foundation 

-Combining virtues with virtues of faith to develop businesses that address social justice and responsibility

 

Check out one of his four books:

“Truth in the Transcendent Business”

“Nothing is Free” 

“Leaders Slip”

“Arise, Life-Changing Truths for the Tormented Leader”

Contact Geenens through his blog or by sending him an e-mail.

Hear from Bronson Ko and Cory Scheer, past guests of the Guild Stories podcast, in a new monthly format called The Orchard. This will be an evolving dialogue where Bronson, Cory, and Justin meander through a variety of topics including leadership, wellness, community, entrepreneurship, mindset, emotional health, marketing, technology, creativity, and whatever else may emerge.

This month’s conversation dives into:

• Disappointing others at a rate they can handle

• Competing frameworks within organizations

• Extending and receiving mercy

• Fixing yourself vs. focusing on yourself

• Leading with a deeply rooted, strongly fortified identify

• Being a Chief Reminding Officer

• Emitting fragrance, not toxicity

• How to not be an invasive species 

And a lot more.

This month’s inspiration:

• Bronson – How to Run Your Business By THE BOOK by Dave Anderson 

• Justin – CODA (Apple TV+), Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown