Make Something Where You Are

Emma’s sister, Elsie created a scrapbooking blog/website because she liked scrapbooking. Along the way, Emma came on board and their website A Beautiful Mess grew into a force that now has apps, books, fashion, and more under the umbrella. They get about 1.5 million unique visitors a month to the website. Emma is part entrepreneur, part influencer, and part creative, she sat down to talk about the journey they’ve been on creating a lifestyle brand.

Brandon Goodwin built a successful production company called Blend. They’ve worked with a lot of national clients and create very beautiful work. They also shoot all the comedic videos for The Mystery Hour. However, Brandon came on to talk about failure. He had an innovative technology idea, jumped into it with both feet, created a prototype, went to CES, learned the industry and ran a Kickstarter--and it failed. Brandon talks about how failing was a useful experience for him and how it didn’t kill him.

It wasn’t that long ago that Shawn Askinosie was a successful defense attorney that was deciding if he should drop all of that and create a chocolate company. He did just that, when he started Askinosie Chocolate, a bean to bar chocolate company that pays cocoa farmers fair wages that operates out of a few storefronts on an historic street in Springfield, Missouri. Shawn sits down to talk about the inner work he did to make that choice and how he goes about sustaining it.

 Shaun Munday has an incomparable sound as a musician, a solo act playing electric bass. He was raised in Springfield, but went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to town to pursue a music career from here. He was recently on the Steve Harvey show. Shaun talks about pursuing music from a smaller place, and, of course, his love of gardening.

Molly and Jeff grew up with each other as backyard neighbors. Molly still lives in Iowa City and also lives with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic degenerative disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems. CF is progressive, and it ultimately it severely affects life expectancy. Molly is hampered by her health, but it doesn’t stop her from chasing the things that she wants. She began a very meaningful writing group and volunteers to help victims of sexual assault. Molly has incredible wisdom for a 30-something and she shared some with Jeff.

Dante LaCivita runs 1906 Gents, a custom woodworking company that makes beautiful work and Dante knows he’s doing the right thing in pursuing it, but he’s also honest enough to talk about doubt and chasing a dream while really wanting to be a great father at the same time.

The idea for True/False Film Festival began in 2003 in Columbia, Missouri and since then the festival has grown steadily to the point that it is one of the largest documentary film festivals in the world with more than 50,000 people in attendance over one weekend each year at the beginning of March. More than the numbers, True/False has created an atmosphere and an experience you can’t find anywhere else.

Melissa Young Millsap and her husband, Adam, created Urban Roots Farm, a small farm in an urban, low-income neighborhood of west central Springfield. The story of why they did it and how they did it is fascinating. They’re now in Bentonville, Arkansas creating a new “agrihood”. Oh, and Melissa was featured in the original Make Something Where You Are video.

The Fastest Woman Alive. Sprinter Carmelita Jeter won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 2012 London Olympics. Oh, and she’s also nicknamed the “The World’s Fastest Woman” for having 3 of the top 10 fastest times in the women’s 100m. Carmelita went from starting track in high school, going to a Division II college, to becoming a world class sprinter. She talks about what it took to get there and her interest in motivating others. Carmelita is also the associate head coach for the Track & Field team at Missouri State University. This episode sponsored by 1906 Gents, Old Missouri Bank, efactory, and The Coffee Ethic.