How to Get a Heart in Business

Building a Brand with Passion and Commitment to Community

How long do you have to be in business before you start thinking about your legacy, before you start giving back and building a better future for others? How big is big enough to help the community?  

State Forty-Eight is an apparel company run by people who realized early on that they wanted more than just to get ahead in business.  Their vision of success included being an active part of solutions for people in the state they champion.  After only 7 Years in business, they started a foundation to support budding entrepreneurs and serve youth and activate the community in volunteerism and local pride.  State Forty-eight engaged in charitable partnerships nearly from the beginning, but saw that they could do even more with their own non-profit foundation.  Listen to this episode to learn how this group of creative entrepreneurs used their hearts and their smarts to create what will surely be a major force for good in Arizona.  

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Although this is a story about a specific Arizona company and foundation, we hope listeners in other areas get some inspiration to look for - or create - similar businesses that count community and philanthropy as part of their bottom lines.

Our guest this week is Mike Spangenberg.  He is one of three friends who started State Forty-Eight back in 2013 as a way to celebrate their passion for Arizona and have a blast making us all look good.  They leveraged partnerships and collaborations with friends, other businesses, and local non-profit foundations to get off the ground and get their brand in front of people, but their hearts were focused the whole way on using their business to make their beloved state better for all Arizonans and create a culture of pride, inclusiveness, and well-being.  

In 2020 Mike and his partners launched the State Forty Eight Foundation, which is dedicated to the prosperity of Arizona and its community members, through the support of our local organizations, local people, and natural landscapes.  

We are inspired by State Forty Eight’s style and substance, and we really enjoyed talking with Mike about what it takes to make a business work, what success really means, and how business and community fit together.  Stick around to get some great insight and advice on how to rock business and life from Mike Spangenberg.

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SHOW NOTES: 
Key Takeaways: 

• Fill a need/solve a problem
• Stay passionate and focused
• Build a passionate team
• Don’t expect to make money right away
• Develop key partnerships and allies
• Be open to feedback and be ready to adapt
• Continue to be innovative  

References:

• State Forty Eight clothing brand
• State Forty Eight Foundation
• ​State Forty Eight on Facebook 
• State Forty Eight on Instagram

​Do Mike’s Science:

• Create a daily “MUST DO” to-list with just five items. 
• Make sure to complete those high-value items before finishing the day. ​

Gratuitous Pod Cat Photo

Go Deeper on the Topic 

• Relevant podcast episodes  
  • Episode 50, How to Be a Local Hero with Thomas Barr
  • Episode 21B Women in Business
  • Prescott Woman Podcast
• Examples of “Triple Bottom Line” companies with great design
  • Lush Cosmetics
  • Patagonia Clothing 
• Triple Bottom Line Concept
  • Small Business Chronicle article - Ways for a Small Business to Show Social Responsibility
    
  • Harvard Business Review - What Small Businesses Know About Corporate Responsibility