The Backpocket Podcast

Paul Martin is a former NHL Hockey & U of M Gophers defensemen. Paul co-founded Shine a Ligh7, a non-profit focusing on youth mental health organizing events, funds and programs to provide youth to express their musical outlets. Enjoy! Please donate and support our mental health fundraiser HERE - [https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/Backpocket](https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/Backpocket)

Mark Dowdle is a great friend, reoccuring guest, and ultra marathon athlete. Mark discusses his recent accomplishment running 484.5 miles and raising $53k in 9 days during his Love Like Laurie Legacy run, his enthusiasm behind his recent “Run and Plunge” events he’s been doing with Embrace North, and we look ahead to the big ideas to come for 2023. Enjoy! Please donate and support our mental health fundraiser HERE - https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/Backpocket

Emily Rooney is a dear friend we met freezing our asses off together when we took plunges in the ICE COLD Cedar Lake with Embrace North in Winter ‘22. We talk to Emily about her career working in professional sports with the Vikings, Seattle Krakken and now THE Big Ten Conference. We gain fruitful insight on her mental health journey and touch on how the conversation of mental health has changed so drastically. Thank you to Emily for sharing her story and having a totally KILLER answer to our question “What’s in your Backpocket?” Please donate and support our mental health fundraiser HERE - https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/Backpocket

The boys of BP have officially launched their $50,000 mental health fundraiser with the Masonic Childrens Hospital in the Twin Cities. They catch everyone up to speed on how the fundraiser came to be and how it is going. They also reflect on the accomplishments this year with the DNP and spill a little tea about the MASSIVE things coming in 2023 - stay til the end to hear some exciting intel! Enjoy! Please donate and support our mental health fundraiser HERE - https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaign/Backpocket

Jeff Cole is a renowned pop culture artist who is the cofounder of Ikonick (a motivational canvas wall art company backed by Gary Vee & Scooter Braun) and creator of Sneaks of Nature (a web3 sneaker inpspired franchise). Jeff is a from the suburbs of Chicago and knew he was going to be a artist as early as the age 5 or 6. Decky sits down to discuss Jeff's come up to being one of the most impactful pop culture artist in todays age and how he's leveraged his creativity and curiousity to create Sneaks of Nature in the uncharted world of web3. Enjoy!

Parker Olson is the founder of Forij - a functional mushroom company providing food products in grocery stores all around the country! Decky catches Parker on his travels accross the country in his Forij Van and they discuss the "fake it til you make it" creation of the company, why Parker has a pair of shorts in police custody in LA, and why it's important to live in atypical situations. Enjoy!

After many months of being away, we are back! With the Date Night Podcast Season 2 recently wrapping up, the boys are back in the studio to discuss what's new in their lives and within the company. We share some of our favorite DNP Season 2 memories, talk about what's changed, and look ahead to the future of Backpocket. Enjoy!

Don Liimatainen is the CEO and founder of the Best Christmas Ever organization, a local Minneapolis nonprofit that helps families in need have an amazing Christmas. Last year Backpocket and Straight Candid worked with the Best Christmas Ever organization and the community raised over $10,000 for a local family in need! Your kindness paid for gifts for the family, paid for a few months of rent, and basically saved the family from getting evicted from their home! Surprising this family last year was incredible and we’re stoked to do it all over again! This year we’re sponsoring a family of 6 who’ve fallen on hard times and they’re currently living out of a hotel. Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 to help get this family out of a hotel and into a home! To Donate Follow the Link Below:  fanlink.to/BCE2021

Shawn Gold is the CEO and founder of Pilgrim Soul, an education and cannabis brand meant to stimulate creativity. Shawn has so much experience working with huge brands and has used his wisdom and knowledge to build his own company. Listen in to learn more about his brand, his relationship advice, and what pushes him to keep chopping wood. Enjoy! 

Ben Zaver is the founder of Seeq, a brand new protein powder that is a clear, crisp and refreshing alternative to traditional thick and milky protein shakes. Throughout the quarantine of 2020, Ben spent countless hours working on creating the product as well as establishing his brand. We have fun throughout this podcast creating content ideas and hearing the details of Ben's story. By the end of this podcast you'll be Seeqing to try the best new protein powder on the market!

Chad Heegaard is the founder Cheegs Apparel - A sustainably sourced, ethically made business apparel for the modern man. Chad's hunger for adventure drove him away from the corporate world and eventually led him to Athens, Greece where he biked around the Balkan countries. Shortly thereafter he made his way to China to teach English and ultimately start Cheegs. By the end of this podcast you'll be whispering to yourself "Fuck collars, I need some Cheegs." Enjoy!

This week on the show we welcome Kris Clewell, adventurer and author of his upcoming novel The Primrose Triangle. We talk about car ego, creating adventures while traveling, being a father, the process of writing a novel, and so much more. We hope you enjoy!

Andrew and Declan catch up and reflect on their summer as they trade stories on bringing energy to the dance floor at weddings (now that they've both attended one). Decky also finds himself in a pecular spot at the Nuclear power plant in AZ and if you listen to that story on the podcast please be aware that the information spilt in that story is confidential. Enjoy!

Sam Harper is the co-founder of Hippy Feet, an eco-friendly sock brand that donates a pair of socks for each pair purchased. He is celebrating his 5 year anniversary! With well-over 20,000 pairs of socks donated, Hippy Feet also helps the community by employing 16-24 year olds who are experiencing homelessness. Hippy Feet wears the title of "tree-hugger" with pride and it is their mission to not only provide environmentally friendly products, but also to play a pivotal role in positioning young people into stable housing and transition them into full-time employment elsewhere. Enjoy! 

Michael and Tyler are the founders of Content Machine, a comedy sketch brand that is taking off on social media (check out their TikTok)! BFFs since 4th grade, Michael and Tyler have been making hilarious and creative sketches for over 10 years. They discuss the process behind their work and some of the stories they've used for inspiration. Enjoy! 

We introduce our newest project, Finding Felony, that we HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to go check out when it releases hopefully next week (thank you to Apple Podcasts for the delay) and we deliver an inside look at how our journey to Mars is going. Enjoy!

Hannah Perez is the founder of Awake Social, a marketing agency focused on helping small businesses. She recently returned from living the van life on a trip from Minneapolis to Yellowstone seeing Sioux Falls, the Badlands, Rapid City, and the Devil's Tower along the way. She discusses everything she experienced from the trip and about other life experiences that set her up to succeed with Awake Social. Hannah believes it is important to surround yourself with people who will keep you hustling and bettering yourself. Enjoy!

Jordyn Woodruff is an assistant strategist at Hearts & Science and a TikTok guru. In the midst of the pandemic last year, Jordyn started creating TikToks on entertainment news around unconventional celebrity TikTokers, AKA "U-listers". It wasn't always easy, as the growth was slow at the beginning, but she stuck to it and continued to chop wood until it paid off after 6 months of consistent posting. Sustainable growth isn't easy, but generating a dedicated audience pays off and Jordyn now has over a quarter-million followers on TikTok enjoying the content she absolutely loves putting out. Enjoy!

Patrick is the founder of The Harrier, a running culture apparel brand and former founder of the infamous, short-lived "Too Good for the MIAC" apparel brand. He is also a long-time listener of the Backpocket and has been listening regularly for almost 300 of our episodes. He first tuned in while he was in Bulgaria where he was teaching at a foreign language high school as a fresh, Luther college graduate. Patrick is a passionate entrepreneur who follows strongly to the keep chopping wood mentality (while maintaining a pro climate change position). Enjoy!

Austin is a good friend and founder of Jochum Strength, a strength and conditioning facility focused on training athletes across the greater Twin Cities area and online across the world. Austin recently just moved into his brand new gym after spending his first 3 years in a 400 square foot gym that most nights he slept out of (he can now admit this as he's no longer bound by a lease there lol). We had to keep this one short due to time constraints in our new studio, but it's an electric 1:15 - enjoy.