Justin talks with Ronnie Doumitt, founder of Answering the Call, about the moment a fellow officer’s tragedy changed his life and launched his mission. After twenty years in law enforcement, Ronnie now leads a nonprofit that steps in when first responders face a crisis. It provides emergency financial support and community care when systems fall short. He shares powerful stories of the origin of the organization, and how Kansas City shows up in big ways for those who serve and protect.

Justin talks with Tully McCoy, President and CEO of Great Plains Trust, about how clients are the epicenter of their respective businesses. McCoy walks listeners through what to look for in a wealth management firm and how his industry has less to do with finances and more with understanding a client’s psychology and relationship with money. 

 

In this episode, Justin is joined by Mark Mears, author, founder, and Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC. Mark shares with listeners how he got his start in integrated marketing and the vital role that mentorship has played in his career. 

Find out what was and wasn’t on our 2024 Bingo card. It’s time for a year in review. Justin ends the year with the amazing Racheal Burnett, COO + Partner of Guild Collective, as they walk listeners through their goals for this year and the next.

We are officially 100 episodes in! Thank you to everyone who has continued to support our podcast; it shows that you, too, Give a Damn. 

In this episode, Justin is again joined by local leadership coach Brad Hill in front of a live audience. We invited special guests to our living room for Harvesting Change, a gathering of ideas, connections, and encouragement as a leader. Hill walks listeners through the acronym C.A.V.E., which stands for clarity, authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy—all traits that leaders should possess.

 

In this episode, Teresa Carey, founder and leadership coach of PerformancePointe, Inc., shares her lifelong passion for helping others and the transformative power of leadership coaching. She discusses her book The Way to Wisdom: A Leader's Weekly Guide, offering practical insights for personalized leadership development.

Justin chats with Jeff Pelaccio, host of The Corporate Couch and President of Pelaccio & Partners, about leading with integrity by helping others grow in their careers. Jeff shares insights from his transition out of IT and lessons from interviewing over 100 guests, including Seth Godin.

This episode is for our listeners on the journey to a healthier lifestyle. Justin chats with Julie Buttell, Owner, CEO, and Senior Physical Therapist of Empower Physical Therapy & Performance, about what it means to live a healthy life and the steps one can start taking today to get there. 

 

In this episode, Justin talks with keynote speaker and author Alan Stein Jr. about his journey from a student teacher to a top basketball performance coach, working with legends like Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. Alan shares insights from his career and how they’ve shaped his approach to life and leadership.

In this episode of Give A Damn, Justin talks with Mark Josey, Co-Founder & CEO of the Kansas City Pioneers. They explore Mark's path to entrepreneurship, the importance of being present, and how he built his own table in the esports industry while staying true to a human-first approach.

In this episode, Justin chats with Jill Hathaway, the Regional Director of the Missouri Small Business Development Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, about entrepreneurship and getting yourself out of the pit. 

In this episode, Justin sits down with Brad Hill, a local leadership coach and friend of Guild Collective. Things get real in this episode as Brad talks listeners through his upbringing and passion for training leaders, showing his prowess for establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships and the art of vulnerability. 

Justin sits down with Casey Wright, President at Chief of Staff, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation. Wright reflects on the whirlwind of preparing to open a new facility just as the COVID-19 lockdown hit, the unexpected detour that took him on a cross-country road trip, and how he navigated personal and professional loss. It’s a raw, reflective episode about resilience, leadership in uncertain times, and the moments that shape us.

Join host Justin Ricklefs as he sits down with Trisha Allenbrand, CEO of Spaces Incorporated, in this candid episode. From breaking barriers as a woman in leadership to her passion for equestrian life, discover her inspiring journey and learn why she truly gives a damn.

Join Founder and CEO of Guild Collective Justin Ricklefs for Give A Damn, a podcast featuring Kansas City leaders and changemakers. Each episode features conversations with leaders who grow what matters most: the humans of their organizations and the impact of the good they bring to the world.

Give A Damn podcast is a Guild Collective production.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/vacation-collective License code: KIPIMPG4H6VCZXKS

Andy Rieger, president of J. Rieger & Co., shares with us what it was like bringing a KC-based family business back to life even when he didn't want to. 

Ninety-five years after it closed, J. Rieger & Co. is a globally distributed distillery rooted in legacy but built for what's to come.

Tune in for what started as a trip into a restaurant to fulfill a promise Andy made to his dad and turned into the building of an empathetic, curious, and experience-driven brand.

Cody Isabel finds purpose in helping others find happiness and intention in their own lives. 

He's the developer of My Companion, an AI Trauma app that teaches trauma survivors practical neuroscience and psychology tools to improve their mental health. 

His love for the human body started in middle school and led him to study Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience at Simpson College. Cody has always used his knowledge to help others understand highly complicated concepts, starting with teaching classmates how to cram for tests. 

Set aside some time to digest this conversation. It's one of self-exploration, powerful teaching, and practical ways to improve your own mental health.

Check out Mind, Brain, Body Lab on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more of Cody's valuable mental health tips and insight. 

Scott Horstmann shares his journey on hiring for heart, accountability, and the type of leadership that wells up inside a person.

Scott owns Christian Brothers Roofing and has broken his own business coaching rules when it comes to hiring family. His family-operated business offers its customers more than integrity but a level of service Scott and his team will never leave to chance. 

You’ll love this authentic story of a shoe salesman who made his way to entrepreneurship. 

Stan Hays loves barbecue, feeding people, helping in times of need. His organization, Operation BBQ Relief, has fed over 10 million meals to people in need in their nearly 12 years of existence.   When disaster strikes, they are quite often the first organization into town, bringing meals (incredible, comfort type meals) to people who need it most. Those who have been decimated and discouraged.   It's an incredibly brave organization that we loved learning about, and are so excited to see where they go in the coming months! (hint: they're building a camp in the Ozarks for first responders and their families who have experienced traumatic events).   Stan's story is strong and courageous, and his heart to make an even bigger impact is contagious.

Max Malldorf is a German national who fell in love with America as a foreign exchange student. He's now a master brewer at POG brewery south of Kansas City. He is candid about how discomfort has been a vehicle for change in his life, and we were honored to hear his story.

Josh Cress is a therapist and founder of Ampersand Counseling in Liberty, MO. Our conversation goes quickly into the vulnerable, discussing his journey "inward" toward self-awareness. It's a treacherous but rewarding road that many men and women have traveled (particularly since Covid disrupted life as we know it in March of 2020).   Josh is a brilliant, empathetic, and vulnerable man, and fellow Swiftie.   We hope you find the conversation helpful on your own journey.   His practice's website is: https://acg-kc.com/.

Author, leader, thinker, and man of deep care and humility - Brent Beshore shares his story with us this week, and we could not be more grateful to hear his heart.

 

Brent shares, among other things, what it's like to walk through pride and into humility, his opinions on "health bros" and their bad takes on ice baths, and many other lessons he's learned along the way.

Trent Raines is a partner at Collected Living, where he has taken his love of building and brought it into the workplace for this incredible design firm.   Throughout his career, Trent consciously has pursued work that makes him come alive. And like any empathetic leader, this road has been a journey of self-awareness and self-discovery.   And we are so honored to hear his story.

Women’s sports have always had a diverse audience. In this episode, Justin chats with Amber Cox, COO and General Manager of the Indiana Fever. The two discuss the recent surge of momentum in women’s sports, specifically the WNBA, scenario planning in the draft, and, of course, Caitlin Clark, plus so much more. 

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

In this episode, Justin sits down with Ron Hill, Co-Founder, Conscious Leadership Guide and Managing Partner of Conscious Leaders Quest, a holistic business consulting service that focuses on psychological safety in the workplace and doing interiority work as a leader. 

Hear from Eric Bartlett, co-founder and partner at Northland Injury Law, as he shares lessons in building an intentional brand, including: 

• Standing out in a cluttered industry segment 

• The importance of disarming and comforting clients through clear communication and education 

• Using external feedback as a mirror for your business

• How COVID revealed an opportunity to shift and expand his firm’s marketing efforts, even as it took a toll on his personal health

• Building systems and processes to enable scale within a business

Check out Eric’s firm at www.northlandinjurylaw.com

Hear from Beth Anne + Russ Branden, partners in life and part of the partnership group at Built Interior Construction. 

They share their philosophy on:

• Client service
• Team development and empowerment
• Disrupting an entire industry
• Building a business and life with purpose
• The changing face of business environments
• How life and business partnerships thrive

And much more. 

 

 

 

Hear from Bronson Ko, Founder of KOMA. This conversation is rich in practical and philosophical wisdom. Among other topics, Bronson shares about:

• Failure being a generous gift
• The two sided coin of precision
• How processes free your people to be fuller versions of themselves
• How emotional resilience is built
• How character is forged in the fire 
• What it takes to build something beautiful 
• Why core values are core to your success as an organization 

Pop in your AirPods and hit play. 

 

Hear from George Weyrauch, Founder of Rock Creative Network on his role as Chief Relationship Evangelist in the KC creative community. 

You'll soak up great wisdom and encouragement from one of the most generous connectors in the often competitive agency space. 

PS - George knew Seth Godin before Seth Godin was, well...Seth Godin. 

You can follow George on LInkedIn here. 

Hear from Tod Puetz, Founder and CEO of Insane Impact, as he shares his six-year entrepreneur and starter story and drops some gold as it relates to:

• Why you should hire your friends
• What it's really like to start something meaningful 
• How his motto of Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Beers has carried many tough days
• Why he cares deeply about relentless innovation
• How he's shifted from start-up mode to "all gas, no brake" mode
• The self-discovery that emerges in adversity 
• And much more

 

Hear from Shannon and Dustin Lundberg, Owners of Blue Heating and Cooling, on their journey as entrepreneurs, owners, and community builders. 

You'll appreciate their honesty, vulnerability, and humor as they share their story of building one of Kansas City's best home service businesses. 

 

Hear from Marilyn Chappell, Founder and Executive Director, of Exceeds Expectations as she shares real, powerful stories of:

• Her gambling addiction and how she accepted her reality
• How she and her husband had the courage to dream, then the guts to do something about them
• How she's helping end generational poverty through financial literacy 
• How her faith helps her see opportunities and achieve the impossible 
• How she's helping people see the stories that have held them back
• And many more moments of inspiration and encouragement

There's zero chance you won't be moved by Marilyn and her story. 

Follow along on her journey here. 

Hear from Mike Sgro, Leadership Coach, on how he helps people how to people. 

Among many other nuggets of wisdom, Mike shares:

• How to unlock the power within each of us
• How transformation is the journey
• His Degree of Oprah
• That feelings are not facts
• How to wake up to yourself
• Healthy habits that can transform your life
• The difference between productivity vs. morale
• How to slow down to see clearly

Check out Mike's work and practice here. 

 

Hear from Kansas City Symphony's Executive Director, Danny Beckley, as he shares stories and lessons on:

• Blazing trails
• Radical expansion
• Historic renovations of a community showpiece
• Orchestra for all
• How the pandemic created invitations 
• And much more

You'll be inspired by his thoughtfulness, wisdom, insight, and trails blazed. 

Hear from Dr. Christine Nedeau, Founder & CEO, Family Medicine, Functional & Integrative Medicine at Bloom La Vie Health - Where Good Health Grows.

Among many other things, Dr. Nedeau discusses:

• The deep need for great sleep (and why most don't get it)
• How most doctors aren't able to focus on and care for the root causes of health because they're incentivized to treat illness
• The introduction of a new model of health and wellness
• Practical, healthy habits to grow good health
• The journey of leaving a well-established practice to begin (and build) a new journey

 

In this episode, Justin sits down with Brian Morris, President and Managing Partner of Leadercast—a local powerhouse transforming leadership training and coaching. Brian opens up about his career journey, from the world of athletics to leading a movement that shapes better leaders. He also shares personal stories about family life, including the surprise arrival of twins that brought his kid count to six and how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership.

Hear from Stephanie Crockett, President and COO of Mower, one of the leading communications marketing agencies in the country. 

Among many other things, Stephanie discusses:

• The power (and need) of empathy in marketing
• How leadership isn't a position or job title
• How brands are navigating the need for both story and data
• Building a culture of fierce friends
• Navigating the pitfalls and possible burnout that's typical in many agencies

You can follow Mower here and Stephanie on LinkedIn here. 

 

 

 

Hear from Mike Kenny, Executive Director of Warriors' Ascent, as he shares his own story of stepping forward into growth and how his mission is to empower warriors to take ownership of their lives.

You can hear more about the incredible work of Warriors' Ascent here. 

And you can follow Mike on LinkedIn here.

Hear from Amy Myers, CMO at NFM, as she walks us through her story and unpacks tons of wisdom, including:

- The power of data in marketing, but only when held with humanity

- The importance of strong relationships in a career arc

- How creating content through the lens of the end-user is difficult, but critical

- Pivoting a massive business in a pandemic

- How they're making a big store, small through high-touch, concierge service

You can buy loads of amazing stuff at NFM. And you can follow Amy on LinkedIn here.

Hear from Greg Graves, Author of Create Amazing + Retired CEO of Burns and McDonnell, on the health of the American economy, the way to create something amazing, and how to make a massive impact.

You'll leave this conversation inspired.

Buy Greg's book here: 

Follow Greg on LinkedIn here: