Finding Fire

It's a way of thinking. It’s a way of working. It’s about looking at the problem and reframing it in ways which generate unique solutions. It’s about looking at a subjective situation and creating exciting answers for the questions that did not yet exist. No matter the personality of the brand, making a connection with your audience and being remembered is key.

A dangerous lifestyle came crashing to a halt. Learning how to love transformed that life into something better than it ever could have been. With a beating heart, that life goes on and finds love along the way.

Alcohol felt like the perfect companion to Julie. While she thought it unleashed the best version of herself it was quickly leading her down a path of isolation from all of the people who genuinely loved her.  She cut off all relationships to people who challenged her alcohol use and truly cared. She was becoming everything she didn't want to be... selfish, dishonest and unkind. This suffocating addiction strangled the very life out of her, and hurt many people along the way, with some being dealt the hand of permanent damage. An accident that nearly killed a young man changed everything.

 How would she process this? How could she move forward in life when there was no way to “make things right.”? Personal consequences would never compare to the pain and suffering she had caused. This was a hard truth. She had to learn a new daily navigation, a new way to live. She made serious changes, and discovered a lifestyle of recovery which gave her the opportunity to form Recovery Alliance Duluth.

From losing it all to leading a successful business, life can muster up the largest of storms, but through the wind, rain and waves, keeping a hand on the wheel and eyes on the horizon will steady the ship.

Drugs and alcohol were Jonny’s oldest and most familiar friends, the ever present comfort after the passing of his parents, a salve for wrong life choices and failed career paths.

Rehab started at the young age of 15, only to be a recurring event over the next 10+ years including jail sprinkled in a few times. Eventually this won him entry into the St. Louis County Drug Court program. Graduating drug court gave Jonny life skills to help him shed his oldest friend, whose historical roots ran deep. The consistent love and support he received from his family and friends carried him through this recovery journey, and he’s a firm believer that recovery is a lifestyle not an event.

Today Jonny is a proud business owner of two wildly successful and decorated food ventures, the Rambler food truck and MidCoast Catering Co. At the same time, he is constantly involved in the recovery community. Every week, Jonny can be seen mentoring others, and is always there to lend a helping hand, no matter what it looks like.

An honest and authentic relationship with past failures has made Jonny an incredibly humble human being. So much so that he just may not see the loved and respected leader he has become.

From beekeeper to boxing champion, it’s all about fighting differently and fighting smarter, but most importantly, staying in the fight.

Playing with lemurs, spearfishing the coral reefs, beekeeping and many other magical adventures in Madagascar were how Zach spent his early years. This boyhood dreamland kept his mind and body busy with new things to learn and unseen places to explore.

 But, the dream ended at the age of 12 when his family came back “home” to the United States. As an American, Zach found himself a foreigner in his own country, displaced from everything familiar. Ungrounded and desperate to survive, his life quickly spiraled out of control. 

Poor choices made during this quest for survival left Zach facing many legal problems, and prison was imminent. How could he have fallen this far from his childhood wonderland? Stark and painful realizations came crashing down, and he made a pact with himself, to redefine what his fight looked like. Instead of giving up, Zach took dramatic steps to regain control of his life and chose a clear and healthy self-disciplined path, using his boxing career and church community as the foundation.

After a long career of making changes within the system, it was time to pivot to making systematic changes. With a vision focused on where to have the
greatest impact, a new fire is burning!

As the son of a police officer and born a rebel, entering the justice system as a lawyer seemed to be the right fit. Shaun launched his career as a trial lawyer with a heart for public service. It turns out that he was less of a rebel against any system, and more of an instigator for positive change within the lives of the many people he met everyday.

With a passion for generating positive outcomes in the lives of people, Shaun knew more could be done. With this vision in place, he created the South St. Louis County DWI Court. With a focus on taking the most extreme cases where individuals had the greatest risk of failure, the model was designed to use compassion to connect with individuals and find real ways to put their life on a better trajectory. As judge, he assembled a brilliant team of people and helped establish more treatment courts throughout the nation. But, most importantly, he changed the lives of many individuals who desperately needed something to go their way.

Joe Shelerud, co founder of Ad Advance, an Amazon advertising agency, is obsessed over finding the most effective Amazon advertising strategies and building a system around them. In this episode, we dive into how an introverted chemical engineer developed a local team-based culture to help Amazon sellers grow their business globally. 

Story North Productions is a Duluth, Minnesota-based full-service video production company serving Minnesota, Wisconsin and beyond. Story North Productions is the result of dreaming, drive and determination. Wife and husband duo, Annie and Kevin, built the business to cater to the demand for high quality visual storytelling. 

During this episode, we talk with Annie and Kevin about their backgrounds in newscasting and community development, and how that combination created Story North Productions. Annie and Kevin are about more than just great video, they are story telling experts driven by passion, creativity and helping their clients succeed.

 From concept to final edit, they specialize in video content that engages and inspires audiences and gets results for a wide range of clients. From corporate onboarding to tourism marketing, they help clients elevate their story and make it come alive through video.

Vikre Distillery in Duluth, MN, was one of the first distilleries in the state. They craft superior spirits that thoughtfully blend tradition and innovation. “The pristine beauty of Lake Superior, the North Woods and the Boundary Waters are distilled in the flavor of everything we make.” – Vikre Distillery

During this episode, we sit down with Emily Vikre, Co-Founder, CEO & Arbiter of taste. We talk with Emily about her love for the community and why they decided to distill in Duluth, entrepreneurship, passion, and everything you need to know about distilling. Sit back and enjoy this episode! 

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For over 30 years Bob Burg has been successfully showing entrepreneurs, leaders, and sales professionals how to communicate their value and accelerate their referral business.

Although for years he was best known for his sales classic, Endless Referrals, it’s his business parable, The Go-Giver, coauthored with John David Mann that has created a worldwide movement.

While part of a four-book series, The Go-Giver itself has sold more than one million copies and been translated into 30 languages. It was rated #10 on Inc. Magazine’s list of The Most Motivational Books Ever Written, and was on HubSpot’s 20 Most Highly Rated Sales Books of All Time.

Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve.

- Tune in to our most recent episode to hear our conversation with Bob

“Jump in. You can talk yourself out of so many things and have so many excuses, but you have to start somewhere. Even if it’s not exactly perfect or ready, jump in and do it.”

During this episode of the Finding Fire Podcast, we talk with Emily Ekstrom, owner of Hucklebeary Duluth. Emily talks about her journey to entrepreneurship (from working with American Girl and being a top seller for Crocs), to taking a leap and starting her own business. 

Tune in and enjoy this episode with Hucklebeary Duluth!