Alex Maier is a husband and a father to 2 boys. He’s a singer-songwriter, producer, trumpet and guitar player, AND in the coming months, after years of planning and pining to do so, Alex and his family will find themselves moving from his native Chicago, Illinois to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a full-time career in music.

Alex is a well-known fashion and art photographer as well as the creative director at BLVDier, a custom men’s clothing company in Chicago. In what spare time he can find, he loves to pursue athletic endeavors, like boxing and rowing. He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s the author of the theme song you’re listening to right now.

Bo Nelson is the co-owner of Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters in Kansas City. In his cafes, Bo seamlessly blends rural and urban life, a reflection he says of the city he serves. Bo grew up on a farm, working his family’s 10-acre nursery where he honed his horticultural skills, learned the basics of business and developed a healthy work ethic that shows up in everything he does.

Ana Andjelic is a strategy executive and the author of The Business of Aspiration. Forbes lists her among The World’s Most Influential CMOs. She specializes in — building brand-driven modern businesses. Ana earned her doctorate in sociology and worked at many of the world’s top brands and advertising agencies. She is a widely read columnist, an in-demand speaker and a highly regarded advisor.

As this is the week of Thanksgiving, and as I am a week away from entering my fourth decade on earth, I’m overcome with reflection, contemplating what has comprised my life, and my wife has been quick to point out, I’m going through a very typical midlife crisis in an otherwise atypical time, a time in which our collective human experience has met possibly its truest test.... Oh, and we're moving back to Chicago.

This week it’s my pleasure to welcome onto the Know First Podcast a couple of friends who just announced their engagement. Seattle native Stacey Rozich and Milwaukee native Sam Macon now reside in Los Angeles, California with their two cats. Stacey is an artist, illustrator and accidental muralist. Sam is a writer and director of various motion picture projects across a spectrum of styles, profitability and running time.

Paul Munford is the founder of Lean Luxe, a newsletter for the modern luxury business set, sharing noteworthy developments happening in retail. Launched in July 2016, Lean Luxe is a big picture briefing on the businesses, personalities, and broader trends driving modern luxury and the HENRY (High Earner Not Rich Yet) economy.

Jessica Murnane is a creative consultant, the founder of Know Your Endo, and the author of the One Part Plant cookbook. Her next book, Know Your Endo: An Empowering Guide To Health + Hope With Endometriosis will be released this coming April.

My wife Marla Wastler is a twenty year veteran of the publishing industry, working as a sales director for titles like Cosmopolitan, Food & Wine and Domino Magazine. Earlier this month, she made a serious career pivot going to work for an experiential marketing agency and fabricator called Star, builders of branded environments that enhance in-person and virtual experiences through discovery and storytelling.

Ernest Wilkins is a writer and media entrepreneur whose work has appeared in publications like the Chicago Tribune, Complex, GQ, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Find his work and subscribe to his popular daily email newsletter, Office Hours, and be on the lookout for his new project Gameday Grails.

Sarah Shelton is a community activist based in St. Louis, Missouri. She’s the founder of Girl Louie, a creative storytelling organization whose mission is to help women claim their spaces, define their voices, and help them grow their businesses. She focuses on providing a platform for women to learn, grow and support one another.