Monica Friese is a full-time freelance Visual Brand Director, meaning she’s a stylist, content creator, photographer, brand manager and so much more. Whether you’re browsing her social platforms or know her in real life, you get the same person. Monica is committed to staying true to herself and stewarding what she’s been given well.

In this episode, you’ll hear about how Monica’s on-again, off-again tension about whether or not to continue creating content on her social platforms. It seems that each time she wants to walk away from it, God keeps calling her to keep going, and she’s starting to see how even a space like Instagram can be used as a ministry. In an industry that sometimes makes people feel insecure or jealous, her realness is helping other women and girls see that they don’t have to strive to be something or someone they aren’t. 

There’s so much more to Monica’s story in this episode! She shared about home renovation, marriage, songwriting, and friendships. She’s awesome, and we think you’ll love this one just as much as we did.

S002 / E011: Monica Friese

This is the Making of an Exception, a weekly podcast highlighting the stories of exceptional, everyday people.

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Steve Weigel is the Founder of The Ivy Brand, a lifestyle brand that is pro community, adventure and belonging. Custom-made longboards were the catalyst in Ivy’s mission to reach, encourage and inspire people. Since 2016, they’ve been creating a culture where everyone belongs, adding skateboards, apparel and adventure trips to the brand. Community built through Ivy gives people the opportunity to leave different than how they came.

Pursuing adventure is how Steve lives his life. In this episode, you’ll hear him talk about how he’s intentional with what God puts in front of him each day, not wanting to miss out on something that could create long-term impact for the people he meets. The gritty walk of living in the moment and saying yes to what God puts in front of you is what drives Steve personally and in business. Living out what Jesus asks you to do could be a crazy adventure no matter where you live or what you’re doing as long as you’re open to what He’s got planned for you.

S003 / E006: Steve Weigel

Josh Arment is the owner of The Aloha Monkey, a Minnesota tattoo shop started by Mike Malone in 1999. Although he grew up in a loving, faith-filled home, Josh remembers the day in middle school that he chose to follow what was culturally cool instead of living as his authentic self. Choosing cool for the next couple decades came with shame, depression and drugs, and it wasn’t until his 30s that Josh discovered what it meant to live as the man God created him to be.

In this episode, you’ll hear about Josh being freed from religion and choosing a relationship with Jesus instead. Following a crazy baptism experience in Brazil on a trip with his dad in 2010, the war in Josh’s life got real for a period of time. Living life with Jesus doesn’t make him perfect, but dying from his ego and living free to be who God made him is the authentic life Josh wants to try and live out everyday with his family, friends and clients.

S003 / E005: Josh Arment

When you’ve got nothing else to rely on, what or who do you turn to? Bryce Ferrell, Founder of 10th Floor Property Management, has found himself asking this question a few times in his life, specifically as an entrepreneur building a business to support his family. It’s during these times that Bryce turns to prayer. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Bryce share why he thinks 10th Floor’s success is largely due to the people he surrounded himself with years ago and the people he’s developing relationships with today. In addition to people, Bryce talks about the value of goal-setting, especially the goals he made for his life starting back in high school at the nudging of a woman who is now his mother-in-law. But in life, business success, relationships and our personal goals may not come through the way we expected them to, and that’s when we realize where our identity comes from.

S003 / E004: Bryce Ferrell

How many NFL players do you know starting a nationally recognized childcare center when they retire from football? Robert Blanton Jr. did just that when he and his wife, Erin, opened a Kiddie Academy in Edina, MN in 2018. As a confident, forward thinker, Robert has always taken advantage of opportunities to improve himself in football and academics, and is now taking on business opportunities.

In this episode, you’ll hear about Robert’s successful football career and how he realized early on that there’s life beyond the pros. More recently, when his wife asked him to start going to church with her, Robert came up with every excuse to avoid it until one weekend when he agreed to go. It turns out, the service was unlike any other church experience he had growing up, and the topic of God gave them something deeper to talk about in their marriage. Robert’s faith journey is a lot like the rest of life - some days it seems great and other days he’s not sure what God’s doing, but he’s confident that God is always working to help him be a better man.

S003 / E003: Robert Blanton

Dillon Wilson has been many things, including a Big 12 football star and a Young Adults Pastor, and is now setting out to be a clothing line designer as a way to influence culture for the better here and across the world. After coming through a few years asking questions about his faith and pursuing a life where he made the calls, not God, Dillon’s come to realize that the destination God has for us never changes, but the different vehicles he gives us to get there throughout different seasons of life is where obedience and trust develop growth and fruit.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Dillon’s Love You clothing line is evolving using YouTube and that it exists to serve people online as a positive influence. Dillon’s approach is to include people who are investing in the clothing line onto the journey with his team as Love You impacts people all over the world.

S002 / E011: Monica Friese

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