We’ve all ended up with some non profit swag. Whether its a tshirt or a totebag, its probably covered in company logos and mission statements, and something that stays in the back of our drawer. But what if the design was toned down, sleek, and something you actually wanted to wear on the day to day? Thats the mission behind CLOZTALK, founded by Jonny Imerman and his brother (both Cranbrook grads) in 2018.

CLOZTALK is branded apparel specifically for non-profits, in an effort to build a well-known brand and raise awareness for their missions.

Jonny joins Robert in this episode to talk about starting CLOZTALK, branding for non profits, B Corps, being class secretaries for their Cranbrook classes, and lessons hes learned from starting 2 organizations.

Jonny Imerman is the class secretary for the Cranbrook class of 1994, and the co-founder of CLOZTALK, which designs branded apparel for non-profits. 

He also started Imerman Angels, whose mission is to provide comfort and understanding for all cancer fighters, survivors, previvors and caregivers through a personalized, one-on-one connection with someone who has been there.

• Jonny Imerman on LinkedIn
• CLOZTALK
• Imerman Angels

Lessons learned at Cranbrook

That's also a lesson I think we learned at Cranbrook, is always service. I can remember a Cranbrook going into a senior living home and visiting people once or twice a week in the area, it was at Square Lake in Woodward, I still remember that. 

But you're always expected to do something for people outside yourself. And I think Cranbrook is awesome In that way, you have to do some community service. Because we all need to hopefully become the best people we can and always be thinking of others as you get older.

Changing careers after a cancer diagnosis

I was working in commercial real estate before, and once I got diagnosed, I just was like, I don't really care. And I don't really know how long I'm gonna live my life. And I just want to do something that I know makes the world better and makes me happy and make some real difference. It leaves a footprint.

Why branding is so important for nonprofits

We even argue that people who wear CLOSTALK apparel are happier. They make more friends, somebody asks about it, you're more connected. And you're just, you you're feeling good about yourself because you feel like you're volunteering when you're just going about your day as you normally would. It doesn't take an extra minute of your own time, right? Just to rock the cause. If you're wearing a t-shirt anyway, might as well rock it for a cause. 

Sports were a constant for Joey Files in school. He played basketball and football at Cranbrook and crew & football in undergrad.

Joey graduated from Cranbrook in 2015. From there he went to the University of Michigan where he also played football. After undergrad, Joey took up teaching for a bit and is now in his third year of medical school at Wayne State University.

He chats with Robert to talk about finding community through sports, watching the football program grow through his time on the team, the diverse mix of college walk-on athletes and getting into medicine.

Joey Files graduated from Cranbrook in 2015. From there he went to the University of Michigan and is now in his third year of medical school at Wayne State University.

• [email protected]
• Joey Files on University of Michigan Athletics

On being a team captain at Cranbrook

You're always going to be invested. Its hard to participate in a team and to not be at some level invested in the shared goal, whatever that shared goal of the team is. But anytime you sort of are allowed that privilege of being a captain or being a team leader is sort of when, you like take that step back and you're like, wow, the rest of my team gives me that respect. Like they trust me that I'm going to take them in the right direction. 

Family legacies & football

Ironically, the rest of my family is Michigan State grads. I didn't grow up a huge Michigan fan, like obviously I am now. And so when I originally chose to go to Michigan, I sort of got some teasing from the rest of my family. Where they were like, “Really, you chose that school, out of all the other schools?” And then I got on the team and I was obviously ecstatic and my parents were like, “Well, we can't cheer against you now. Like you've made it impossible. We have to cheer for Michigan now.”

On teaching without much training

Just to keep kids that are attained is it is a hassle in itself, to actually try to teach them things is like a whole other battle.

When Blake graduated college, he moved to Chicago and was a volunteer at the Children’s Hospital his younger brother spent time at as a child with a congenital heart defect.

While making his rounds, Blake met so many incredible kids. And while many were sports fans, most had never been to a sports game. Blake knew this is how he could help these kids even more.

In 2002 he created Special Spectators, a non-profit creating VIP all-access game day experiences for seriously ill children. They will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year!

Blakes sits down with Robert to talk about Special Spectators, the impact of players & coaches, and a bit about his junior & senior high school years at Cranbrook.

Blake Rockwell is the founder of Special Spectators, a non-profit creating VIP all-access game day experiences for seriously ill children. He is a graduate of the Cranbrook Kingswood class of 1985. 

• [email protected]
• Blake Rockwell on Twitter
• Blake Rockwell on Linkedin

Blake’s favorite part of Special Spectators games

Sometimes they serve as honorary captains for the game that they're attending. They get introduced to the crowd during a media timeout. Which is my favorite moment still, it gives me goosebumps after 20 years. So imagine, over a hundred thousand fans, giving these kids the loudest standing ovation of the game. It's just a really powerful moment. 

Not just kids are impacted by Special Spectators

I think that's a pretty cool place to be. Where you see a small child who is clearly going through a lot, medically, with a big, huge college football player. And each is being inspired by the other, but they don't realize that they're inspiring the other.

Life lessons he learned at Cranbrook

Not just the faculty and my coaches, but obviously, friendships that I made. The guys, who I'm still friends with (they're trying to shake me as much as they possibly can, but I track them down, unfortunately for them.) But the friendships that I made, living away from home, there are so many.

Steven "Chuck" Meng (‘16) was on the tennis team at Cranbrook. And in the span of just a few years, has graduated to running half Ironman races with the triathlon team at the University of Michigan. For reference, a half Ironman is 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13.1 miles of running in a single race. 

Steven talks to Qadir about how he trains, using triathlons to stay fit and be a better overall person, his bucket list races and how what he eats to maintain this lifestyle (it's mostly rice). 

Steven "Chuck" Meng (‘16) went to the University of Michigan and currently races triathlons in his free time and is a graduate of Cranbrook Kingswood High. He dreams of running a full Ironman race.

• Steven Meng on Linkedin
• Steven Meng’s Email

Why triathlons?:

It's just wanting to prove to myself that I can be better. Like, I want to be a better person. I want to be better like mentally, I want to be better physically. And a triathlon is a great way to really hone both of those skills really well. I think the driving point now is to prove to myself that I can do this and I can do it well.

Looking for a challenge:

For me, a challenge of racing 70.3 might be the same as someone going out and running a mile. I think they're equally impressive in the fact that you are still forcing yourself to be uncomfortable. What I do sounds impressive of course, but I feel like everyone has their own fight and they're equally impressive on their own merits as well. 

Finding your peak:

I think the line for me is what I'm capable of. Is what I'm physically capable of. I am physically capable of racing a half Ironman. I am physically capable of running a marathon. It's not a question about whether I'm gonna finish. It's a question about whether I'm gonna finish pretty.

From the moment she heard David Attenborough talking about our world, Brooke Ballard (‘16) knew that working in film and documentary was her dream career. Nowadays, she's living in California, and working as an associate producer on Bravo’s hit reality TV series Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Down Under.

Although the creative path isn't the traditional road after Cranbrook, Brooke says she took a lot from what she learned in her high school acting classes to her current producer role.

Qadir and Brooke met freshman year, and talk this episode about that first meeting, cool teachers, long high school schedules, working in a male dominated industry and where the creative arts fits in at Cranbrook. 

• Brooke Ballard on Linkedin

What Brooke learned at Cranbrook:

Cause that's what it was about. It wasn't math tests, it was an education on life and how to be successful.

Dealing with anxiety & discipline at school:

Cranbrook really helped me hone that in and figure out - You can't procrastinate anything at Cranbrook. It is done the day of, and you send it in as fast as you can, like it is go, go, go. And, it really helped me learn how not to procrastinate or if I were to procrastinate, do it really well, or how to work smarter, not harder.

Breaking out of the traditional Cranbrook path:

The advice that I would give people that are paving their own way and might not be a part of the norm is just, keep at it. There are so many people who don't follow that normal Cranbrook path and end up being extremely successful. 

That doesn't mean, if you're not in business and you're not a doctor or a lawyer, and you're finding yourself getting that 32 on the ACT, don't beat yourself up. That's not what you're meant to do, go and do what you want to do because at the end of the day, if you're not passionate about something, you're not going to be successful in any way.

When Qadir Muhammad was a kid, he had a list of things he wanted to be when he grew up, including inventor, movie actor and veterinarian. Slowly but surely, as he grew up he eliminated careers from the list, until veterinarian was the last one standing. 

Qadir is now working in Chicago as a vet tech, and applying to vet schools now. He will also be the new host of this podcast!

He tells us about his time in Maui caring for monkeys, dealing with heavy conversations and tough clients, microchipping your pets and his side passion of photography. 

Qadir Muhammad is a veterinary technician working in Chicago, IL and host of the Aim High Podcast.

• Qadir Muhammad on LinkedIn

Wanting to be a wedding photographer:

[23:56.22] I think there's something beautiful about capturing a moment where literally everyone in the room, hopefully, is happy. 

What he's learned working in a vet’s office so far:

[15:40.48] I've always thought myself to be a patient man, but I'm learning that there are levels of patience that I have to discover. Working with animals, like you have to be patient with them in order for it to work. And you have to be patient with the clients too. 

That's what our Host Qadir Muhammad calls our guest. The physical embodiment of the word grit. 

That's because after graduating from Cranbrook in 2016, Anamika Shrestha (‘16) went to West Point Academy, training to become an officer in the United States Army, and just graduated in December 2021. She is currently a Second Lieutenant in the Army, training in Georgia at Fort Benning. 

Now, this isn't exactly the path that Anamika planned for herself, but it's the path Cranbrook prepared her for, where she learned that she shines in a structured environment. 

Qadir and Anamika catch up in this episode about being in the high school band together, what it means to be a leader, and her career path into the Army.

Anamika Shrestha (‘16) was most recently at West Point Academy, training to become an officer in the United States Army, and graduated in December 2021. She is currently a Second Lieutenant in the Army, training in Georgia at Fort Benning.

• Anamika Shrestha on LinkedIn
• Anamika Shrestha on Facebook

On going to Cranbrook as a freshman:

[02:46.84] A school full of musically talented kids that pursue art and all these different things. No matter what you want to do, they have it for you at Cranbrook in some way, shape or form. So I was so excited just to be out of my small town, that's, it was just too small for me. I knew I wanted something more than that. And Cranbrook was just the perfect opportunity. 

On structure, and why she joined the Army:

[06:24.72] I knew a normal college, like, no, one's looking after you. You do exactly what you want to do and no one cares sometimes. There's no real supervision. But like, in the academies, there's a lot of that. And I think I definitely thrive in a structured environment. 

And I knew in terms of my childhood, my parents immigrating from Nepal. Like this country gave me a beautiful life and I definitely am so thankful for it. I felt like being in the academies and like going into service was like the perfect way to give back.

How Cranbrook prepped Anamika for the Army:

[12:22.26] It teaches you, you gotta grow fast and no one's there to help you sometimes and you gotta figure it out. And so that helped me a lot. I think a lot of things include confidence. Like even if you don't know the right answer, you just have to be confident in your decision. And I think Cranbrook prepared me for that.

During the economic downturn in 2008, Sean Gu's parents realized that their son's education was the best investment they could ever make. At that point, they decided to enroll him at Cranbrook and he received more than just an education. Sean reflects on Wilderness and other formative experiences with band, cross-country, and eventually weight lifting. 

In this episode, Sean talks about his experimentation with hobbies and building discipline. Join him and Robert as they discuss trying different things and finding direction in personal life.

Sean Gu (‘15) is a talented guitarist, history buff, ballroom dancer, and weightlifter. When he’s not training for his next competition he’s working as a Software Development Engineer at Amazon.

• Sean Gu on LinkedIn
• Sean Gu on Instagram

Cranbrook’s Role on His Weightlifting Journey

[00:09:28] I started going into the Cranbrook weight room. I think a lot of other guys can probably relate to that. You know, The ones who were also at Cranbrook. I remember seeing Jon Tenuta up there. And, he actually showed me the basics. I just started there and then I figured everything else out on my own. That's more or less how it started.

On Finding a Mentor

[00:16:17] What attracted me to weightlifting the most, in the beginning, was everything is under your control. Yes, there are other factors involved that could affect your performance —your coach, your teammates, or your training environment. But at the end of the day, if you put in the work, it's up to you. To do what you need to do on the competition platform like no one else can do for you. It's completely up to you… I think that is what attracted me to weightlifting because it was somewhat black and white in the sense. That, yes, it's hard, but all of it is within your control. You dictate the outcome, essentially.

Keeping True to Yourself

[00:20:56] If I could go back, pull my freshman year self aside and, sit him down and give him some advice, I would say, ‘Don't be pressured into doing things just because everyone else is doing it’. Because when we began our college journey after high school, there’s that image or perception of what college kids are supposed to do. What their experience is supposed to be like. I feel during my freshman year — being lost the way that I was — I went along and did many things that I didn't genuinely enjoy. Just because everyone else did it. I think looking back, I would say, ‘Obviously, you need to step outside your comfort zone and try new things’. But at the end of the day, if you genuinely don't enjoy doing something and you think that it's not like a good use of your time, don't be afraid to like, not do it . Even if, even if it goes against the image that's sort of portrayed of what your college experience should be. I think at the end of the day, you need to sort of muster up the confidence to decide what it is exactly that you want to do, as opposed to just following along and doing what the majority does.

In this episode, we're joined by Lizzy Xiong (‘15) as she recounts her love for music and photography, and lessons learned at Cranbrook. She reminisced about batch 2015's late-night projects and favorite teachers. Join her as she shares advice on balancing social life, studies, and adjusting to college life. 

Having fallen in love with photography after discovering it accidentally, she continues to take photos to nurture her creativity. Visit her Instagram and Facebook page to see her amazing work. Elizabeth Xiong currently works full-time at Oracle as a program manager.

• Email: [email protected] | 
• Elizabeth Xiong on LinkedIn
• Elizabeth Xiong on Instagram

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

[00:11:13] I wish I had the mindset of “don't sweat the small stuff”. There are so many small things in high school, but at the time, you're young, and they feel like big things. So, I feel like it's very easy for those things to hold this massive grip on your life. Your day-to-day life at the time but it will pass. I think when you're young, you feel like it doesn't. And even now, I'm 23, sometimes it feels like it won't pass, but it does. So, I would tell my freshman year self, it will pass.

Your Life is Your Own

[00:12:54] Your life is your own. I think it's very hard when you're growing up in this community where they're trying to make you this young professional to take on the world. I think a lot of that, you start putting these pressures on yourself of like, “I need to do this club and I need to do well in this class. I need to impress all these people around me, and I can't let my parents down.” I mean, don't let your parents down, but I think, you can balance that. I think there's a lot of pressure to make yourself this perfect person at this age. I'm sure this is a life lesson that people are always trying to work on at any age of their life.

Cranbrook Friendships

[00:06:43] I felt like going through my pictures, my friendships have been the best thing about Cranbrook. When you're put into a smaller community, I think for some people, they might struggle with it. You know, being able to find their people in a smaller pool. But for me, it's easier to foster these relationships in a smaller group.

Finding Her Love for Photography at Cranbrook

[00:04:42] I didn't know I was going to get into photography… I was like, “Okay, let me just bring my camera to school. Like I want to try using it. I want to try doing something new.” And then it ended up that I was capturing these small happy moments in our day-to-day school lives. From there, it kind of just grew into all the photos that would be used for yearbook and newspaper and like my personal photo keepsakes. By the end of our senior year, I had captured our Cranbrook experience from like 10th grade to graduation.

From the long line of Cranbrook alumni in her family, Libby Post (‘15) shares how the school shaped her to lead a service-oriented life. It was her family's roots in education and the school's strong emphasis on multiplying resources to impact others that inspired her to pursue a career in social work. 

In this episode, Libby opens up about her passion for preventing violence and preserving humanity. She talks about the Peace Corps and Ceasefire Detroit, a community-based violence reduction initiative.

The guiding principle of Libby Post's life has always been to serve others. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in arts and design, minor in community action and social change. She recently received her Peace Corps assignment to Botswana after working on the AmeriCorps Program. Although the pandemic paused this cause, she's currently working on a grant to help Ceasefire Detroit. Check out their amazing community initiatives on violence prevention!

• Email: [email protected] 
• Libby Post on LinkedIn

Cranbrook Arts and Sciences

[00:10:09] I truly value the experiences I got at Cranbrook. I feel like I got to explore many different things. I think of myself as a jack of all trades, and I think that Cranbrook afforded me that opportunity because it invests so much in the arts and sciences. Getting to just try many things throughout my childhood, into middle school and high school, I want to be able to share what, I feel, would be one way of doing that is certainly through service.

Preserving and Protecting Humanity 

[11:37:07] When other people's humanity is not protected, mine is degraded too. I think that historically, there have been many communities that have had their humanity degraded in a deliberate and systematic way, and we are still dealing with a lot of repairs. I think that there are some general efforts to fight that history.

On Finding a Mentor

[00:18:07] When you find yourself connecting with somebody in your career, and if you like what somebody is doing, get to know them really well. Get to know how they got there, why they started doing things the way they do. I build that connection through observation. So, working directly with people who, I think, go about their work in a way that is appealing to me — those are the people who I want to be able to observe closely. And continue to see how they navigate different situations.