How do you think of successful businessmen?  Selfish and greedy or generous and thoughtful?  I’m guessing there have always been both kinds, but overall, I’ve tended to think about people with a LOT of money in less than charitable terms. Pun intended.   

What if I told you about someone who has generated $100Million in annual business revenues, and not only gives generously, but wants others to be able to do what he’s done?  We were privileged to talk with a man who made his fortune and realized that money and achievement alone didn’t bring him satisfaction.  Come with us to find out what does. 

Guest Bio:
Jeff Morrill started Planet Subaru in Boston years ago with his brother and brought with him into his business life, the ideas of win-win, superior service, and a culture of inclusion, mentorship, kindness, and sustainability that extends to employees and customers alike. At Planet Subaru, Jeff knows that those values must come with concrete steps… they must be implemented to be real and to mean anything. So Jeff’s team decided to power the whole facility with solar panels. They hired sales people from diverse backgrounds, who other dealerships wouldn’t hire. And they created an apprenticeship program to train women for higher-paying service jobs. 

This approach, along with hard work and savvy, made Jeff’s “un-dealership” a success. 

Now in a new season of life, Jeff seeks to mentor others in leadership and promote the ethical business practices that he says made his bottom line all the better.  Jeff wrote the book Profit Wise - How to Make More Money by Doing the Right Thing to share what he learned. The book teaches 10 principles for running a successful business that is also ethical and sustainable. See the list of principles in the Show Notes on this page. 

Instead of the shady, ruthless, or corrupt approaches to business that we’ve seen unfold all too often, stay tuned to hear how businesses… maybe even the one you run… really can, as Jeff says, “take the high road to raise your bottom line.”

Explanation: Just so you know, dear H.tties, this episode is actually part one of a two-episode arc with Jeff. This week we are releasing the parts of the conversation that focus on business, community, and how Jeff’s values of inclusion and abundance infuse his projects. Although this episode focuses on Jeff’s business, we believe that everyone will find inspiration in his life story, his powerful ethics, and his genuine human warmth. 

​Toward the end of the original recording, Jeff turned the tables and started asking US questions about interpersonal communication and about our relationship. It became an “un-podcast.” It’s such a special and unique conversation, that we’re releasing it as its own episode next week. 

Rate, Review, Connect

• www.podchaser.com/heretogether
• Email us at contact@rocketfeather.com
• Leave a voicemail at anchor.fm/heretogether​

SHOW NOTES: 
Key Takeaways: Being ethical, kind, and sustainable is good for business and good for us.

Do Jeff's Science:
Jeff Morrill  recommended we

1. Sent an intention and then
   
2. Make sure to take a concrete step toward that intention every day.
   

(This is a good science to pair with a Bucket List item from Travis Bell!)

Episode References:

• Jeff’s Website
• Jeff’s Book​​​

About Planet Subaru

• Human + Canine Employee Bios
• Diversity: People from backgrounds traditionally excluded from retail automotive careers constitute the majority of our team, including:
• 28 women in every department, including 5 female mechanical technicians-
• 15 team members representing diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds;
• 7 LGBQT team members;
• 4 current and former active-duty military service members

Other Relevant Episodes: 

• Episode 65 How to Have a Heart in Business with Mike Spangenberg  
• Episode 50 How to Be a Local Hero with Thomas Barr 
• Episode 42 How to Turn Setback Into Success with Melanie Banayat

Dive Deeper on the Topic: 

• John McPhee 
• Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist 

Bonus Audio: Podcat Conflict Consult with Deb

SHOW DESCRIPTION
Have you ever felt out of place?  Have you been surrounded by people you don’t get and who don’t get you?  Do you like spending time in nature or with animals, more than with other humans?  Or, do you love humans and the natural world, but feel concerned about how that relationship is going?
We understand and we are so pleased to bring you this conversation with a person who has dedicated her life to helping bridge the gaps between humans, animals, and the larger natural world.  She helps remind us that while sometimes we feel separate, we are always a meaningful part of this remarkable life on planet Earth.
Our guest this episode is Deb Matlock. Deb is an environmental educator and naturalist, a shamanic practitioner, and an animal communicator.  She helps people and animals through spiritual coaching and shamanic-style journey work.  Deb is also dedicated to exploring her own spiritual connection to life and the more-than-human world.
Deb’s has a Master’s degree in environmental education and is working on her Ph.D.  She is a certified Life Coach and a Wilderness First Responder.
Deb’s personal mission is to help others explore the wildness within themselves as well as their love and connection to the amazing world around us.  She is dedicated to working in service to the wild spirit that lives within all.
This is just the short version of Deb’s Bio.  Find the link to her website in the show notes for all the details on Deb’s varied and impressive career.
Listen to the whole episode to find out how we can feel more at home in our own skins and in this more-than-human world.

SHOW NOTES
Key Takeaways: 

• Be open to connection and to mystery
• Don’t take for granted what it takes to be alive
• Give back in whatever way you can
• The scale of the give-back doesn’t matter

Do a Deb's Science:

• Open your door every morning and ask yourself, “Who is here right now?”

Episode References:

• Deb Matlock's Website - Wild Rhythms
• Deb’s full bio
• Social Media Links
  • ​Instagram @wildrhythms
  • Twitter @WildRhythms
  • Facebook @WildRhythms

​
Other relevant Episodes: 

• Episode 55 How to Not Know - Balancing Contemplation and Action with Pete Pierson 
• Episode 11 Facilitator Of The Inevitable - With Ecotherapist Adam Vellturo

​Dive Deeper on the Topic: 

• Books with animist themes or just deep reverence for the wild/human relationship:
  • David Abrams The Spell of the Sensuous 
  • Barbara Kingsolver Prodigal Summer
  • Bill Plotkin Wild Mind - A Field Guide to the Human Psyche
  • Craig Childs The Animal Dialogs - Uncommon Encounters in the Wild

Rate &  Review
www.podchaser.com/heretogether

Music Credits: A Hawaiian in Paris feat.-Pierre-Grill

In times of division and discord like we’ve been experiencing, how do we come back together?  How do we heal our communities and move forward into healthier ways of living together?  How do we do justice and grow the economy?
​
Opposing viewpoints and civil strife have always been with us, even in times of relative calm.  Not all voices have been heard or represented and our communities reflect this.  It’s easy to despair.  But, working diligently, for over 50 years, Arizona Town Hall has sought to give all voices an equal chance to speak and contribute.  AzTH has facilitated 100s of conversations in communities across our state, and included all the voices, so that we can work toward the kind of solutions that make things better for everyone.  

Our guest this week is Tara Jackson. Tara has served as president of Arizona Town Hall since July of 2006. Az town Hall exists to bring diverse and often opposing parties together to solve the most complex and challenging issues facing the state. Tara works with Arizona’s public universities, the media, elected leaders and other stakeholders to determine the best approach for addressing tough conversations.  

Before joining the staff of Arizona Town Hall, Tara practiced law for 16 years and taught law for ASU’s Law School. 

Tara is no single-minded policy or legal grind. She has a creative side she nurtures with online creative writing classes. AND she is a certified yoga instructor and mindfulness teacher. Tara teaches yoga and mindfulness for educational institutions, businesses, yoga studios, local gyms, and non-profit organizations. We get to talk in this interview about the links between community policy and mindfulness. That kind of combo is right in our sweeeeeet spot. 

Tara is a real inspiration - she is whip smart and has the life skills and experience to support this vital practice of helping people from all perspectives come together to find real solutions to the all-too-real problems facing our towns, cities, and state.  But she also has cultivated the deep empathy and self-knowledge that makes her the kind of person we can all trust with our honesty and vulnerability.  In this episode, you’ll get to learn about how Tara works her magic and the real genius of organizations like Arizona Town Hall.

​Rate &  Review

• On Podchaser
• On iTunes

Music Credits: 
A Hawaiian in Paris feat.-Pierre-Grill

SHOW NOTES
​Key Takeaways: 

• Conversation about shared values and shared goals can bridge differences
• Include everyone in the conversation, especially traditionally marginalized or forgotten people.
• Mindfulness and breathing techniques can actually be part of community building as they help us stay calm and rational

Do Tara’s Science:

• Listen to someone with whom you don’t agree without trying to argue or convince. 
• Breathing/Mindfulness
  • Keep your mouth shut! Breath through your nose
  • Slowly, steadily, completely exhale

References:

•  Arizona Town Hall
  • Main Website
  • Criminal Justice Topic
  • Vibrant Communities  Project (Ongoing)
  • Video of the Town Hall Process 
• ASU Center for Mindfulness, Compassion, and Resilience 

Complementary Episodes 

• Episode 16 How to Live and Epic Life with Claire Louge
• Episode 45 NACOG Revealed with Teri Drew

​​
 Go Deeper on the Topic: 

• Vibrant Community Background Document
• Criminal Justice Background Document
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Assessment
• Attend an AZ Town Hall Event 
• Become a AZ Town Hall Member
• FREE Yoga and Mindfulness Videos ​

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.  

​

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.

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. ​

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

We are grieved to announce that we've pulled this week's episode at the request of our guest, Eric Bourgault. We apologize to your, our community of listeners. 

We believe we had crafted an interesting, powerful interview with a fascinating message. Unfortunately, Eric felt that his own words did not represent his ideas the way he wanted them to. Out of respect for his wishes, we have deleted the episode from our feed. We're sad because we believe this deprives you all of something uplifting and intriguing. 
​
We're leaving these show notes and episode description intact so you can learn more about Eric and digital wellness, even without the audio episode. 

Guest Bio:
Eric Bourgault is an accidental social entrepreneur, offline entertainer, poet and trailblazer. He is also one of the grassroot pioneers of the Digital Detox Movement and initiator of the first National Day of Unplugging in Canada and India.

During his early career, he made many transitions between the Canadian Force, the circus and the entertainment world, and emerged as a as a public speaker. In 2008 he was forced to leave everything behind to find a solution to a tech breakdown which was consuming is life. This healing journey, mostly on a bicycle,  gave him the opportunity to connect with hundreds of communities around the world and find the inspiration he needed to create DigiPause.

Today, he is using his Laughter Yoga Teaching and his coaching skills as a landmark for his work as a Wellness Experience Designer.  He is currently in Portugal preparing new DigiPause programs while finishing his first book and a new website.

We know that constant doom-scrolling, Insta-comparing, and Facebook raging are not good for us. We KNOW we need to re-engage with nature and with organic human communities. But HOW do we re-remember how to put down the phone and pick up the messier, subtler, and less immediately rewarding well-being of offline life? 

Eric believes that by using the activities and coaching through DigiPause offers, the possibility of a Life-tech balance is accessible to anyone. Stay tuned for some concrete actions you can take today for more balanced well-being and tap into a reservoir of joy, happiness and purpose.​

SHOW NOTES: 
Key Takeaways:  

• Science shows that social media makes us less happy.
• With awareness, we gain choice. 

Do a Science:
Set up a digital free zone where you go without your phones or any screens. Stock your DFZ with journals, printed books (remember those?), stationary, musical instruments, puzzles, dumb bells, etc.  
Spend just few minutes each day in the DFZ alone or with family members. 

Episode References:

• Connect with Eric Bourgault
  • LinkedIN
  • Facebook
  • Cycling Blog (in French) 

​For a Deeper Dive: 

• The ManKind Project
• Media Theorist Marshall McCluan
• Social Media and Mental Health for Teens
• The Social Dilemma trailer 
• 8 Ways to Beat Your Facebook Addiction 
• The Benefits of a Social Media Detox