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The Honest Field Guide®

The Honest Field Guide®

By JinJa Birkenbeuel, Host, The Honest Field Guide

The Honest Field Guide presents intimate conversations with entrepreneurs and business owners that share their origin stories, startup strategies and their surprising discoveries during their journey to success.

The podcast is produced by Birk Creative, a research and creative strategic consulting agency that designs and implements social and digital media solutions, develops brand and visual identities and implements multichannel strategies for business.

Theme song "Sam's Ranch" provided courtesy Utah Carol(ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc.
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The Birk Creative Reset 8: Review of "All Black Errythang" A Book of Poetry by Chanel Murray

The Honest Field Guide®Mar 10, 2024

00:00
12:12
The Birk Creative Reset 8: Review of "All Black Errythang" A Book of Poetry by Chanel Murray

The Birk Creative Reset 8: Review of "All Black Errythang" A Book of Poetry by Chanel Murray

In this episode, I share my experiences at the Sundance Film Festival and highlights an entrepreneur artist, writer, and poet named Chanel Murray. I continue to reconnect with people that I met at the festival and my conversations with Poet Chanel Murray are among the best ones. In this Creative Reset, I read from Chanel Murray's book of poetry, 'All Black Errythang,' which resonates with my own natural hair journey.

Attending the Sundance Film Festival provided opportunities for networking and connecting with individuals in the film industry. You should be planning now to attend the festival in 2025.

For my regular fans and recurring listeners, you may remember my personal journey with my natural hair and the impact it has had on my self-esteem and identity. Chanel's wonderful poem "My Hair Taught Me To Love Me" speaks to my experience.

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All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Mar 10, 202412:12
New Limited Edition Talk Show: Part II The Honest "Political" Guide, feat. Two Vibrant Entrepreneurs From Chicago [JinJa Birkenbeuel x Mary Nisi]

New Limited Edition Talk Show: Part II The Honest "Political" Guide, feat. Two Vibrant Entrepreneurs From Chicago [JinJa Birkenbeuel x Mary Nisi]

Welcome to The Honest Field Guide Season 3 kick-off.

For the first time, I have a podcast episode that requires a disclaimer: "Listener Discretion" advised. My guest Mary Nisi (Toast & Jam DJs) and I are 100% funny, and at times, are using strong language. Some topics in this episode may make some listeners cringe. But this IS the HONEST Field Guide Podcast.

This episode is a Part II of the conversation that Mary and I had from last year. That conversation took place after Brandon Johnson was elected as Mayor of Chicago. Chicago is having huge problems right now, especially because they are negatively impacting small business owners like Mary and I.

The city of Chicago STILL feels really awkward to me. It has not gotten better in the last 10 months since Mayor Johnson was elected. Fingers crossed he gets some honest and authentic help, fast.

I'm going to keep creating these little mini conversations specifically with Mary Nisi because Mary is someone I trust to tell it like she sees it. She is not afraid, and I love that about her.

Mary and I are going to keep this conversation going. Plus, we're heading into a political season, local and nationally. We're not going to focus on geopolitics, we aren't qualified for that. We're going to really keep this conversation local, because politics IS local!

Brand Chicago ain't selling too well right now. And it doesn't seem as if there is an end in sight to be honest.

I wish I would help, but the powers that be haven't called me for assistance in a long while. I'm always here to help Chicago, but I won't work for free.

All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to The Birk Creative Reset newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba

Feb 20, 202401:04:41
Ep. 66 - Live from 2024 Sundance Film Festival. A business conversation with Alex Lora Cercos, Director of the Sundance Grand Jury Award “The Masterpiece.”

Ep. 66 - Live from 2024 Sundance Film Festival. A business conversation with Alex Lora Cercos, Director of the Sundance Grand Jury Award “The Masterpiece.”

Film Director and Writer Alex Lora and I sit down to discuss his latest film "The Masterpiece" which just hours earlier, won the Sundance Grand Jury Award. Alex was in shock and also battling a bad cold during our conversation. But nothing dampens his creative spirit and how fortunate I was to have stumbled across Alex to have this conversation! Enjoy! To find Alex Lora's other work, visit the following channels: http://www.alexlora.com IG: @alexloracercos X: @alexloracercos Facebook: @alexloracercos Reel 1: https://vimeo.com/alexlora/reel1 Reel 2: https://vimeo.com/46511611 Trailers: Unicorns https://vimeo.com/831659390 We Are Living Things https://vimeo.com/alexlora/trailerwalt The Fourth Kingdom https://vimeo.com/360916693 Thy Father's Chair https://vimeo.com/144912742 Our editing company: www.handfulfilms.com My imdb: www.imdb.me/alexlora The Honest Field Guide podcast, created by Birk Creative and hosted by our Chief Executive Officer JinJa Birkenbeuel, is for entrepreneurs and business owners to help you navigate the complexities of starting, running, sustaining, growing and then scaling a business. Conversations about business include some of the world’s most successful behind-the-scenes entrepreneurs. Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬. Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba. Music found on this episode is available on YouTube Music here https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCe7Qjt9aTYQ4gHmn1AyTYIA?feature=share or on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. #dyor Subscribe to the full podcast on Apple iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-honest-field-guide/id1406059045?mt=2. Credits Themesong "Sam's Ranch" provided courtesy Utah Carol. All content and creative @2018 Birk Creative. The Honest Field Guide is created and written by JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative. The Honest Field Guide podcast is recorded in the Midwest at Stomping Ground Studios and produced by Birk Creative, a creative brand strategy, media, technology and professional training company. Birk Creative has been advising global tech and retail giants, authors, celebrities and small business for over twenty years to find gaps, see beyond blindspots in order to help bring their brands to life and connect with the right customers. The opinions expressed on The Honest Field Guide are opinions only and only represent the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel.

Jan 29, 202445:10
The Birk Creative Reset 7: Featuring the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

The Birk Creative Reset 7: Featuring the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

Hi welcome back to my show. A quick update: I will be at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival representing Full Spectrum Features as a newly appointed Director to their board, to participate in the premier of their first film "Desire Lines." I am also reporting in on the festival for WVON 1690 AM Chicago to discover the latest independent films created by Black filmmakers, actors, producers and directors. Follow my LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and more to keep up to date on my journey to Sundance.

All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Jan 18, 202407:01
The Creative Reset 6: 6 minutes of inspiration for burned-out entrepreneurs

The Creative Reset 6: 6 minutes of inspiration for burned-out entrepreneurs

Burn-out is real. A year-end inspirational and hopeful reading "Practical advice on burnout—what works and what sucks—from someone who’s dealt with it" by JinJa Birkenbeuel. Happy new year everyone! *At the end I meant to say "See you in 2024!" Not 2022. 🤣🤣🤣


All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Dec 21, 202306:39
Ep 65 - How A Small Business Owner Can Innovate With Their Own Mini Supply Chain with Michelle Covey, Vice President at GS1 USA.mp4

Ep 65 - How A Small Business Owner Can Innovate With Their Own Mini Supply Chain with Michelle Covey, Vice President at GS1 USA.mp4

Michelle Covey is here on my show today. She is the Vice President of Innovation at GS1US, where she overseas delivery of programs and services designed to support efficient and accurate GS1 standards implementation for companies of all sizes.

When you are a manufacturer or a retailer, you need an authentic way to identify your products if you want to sell them in stores or major online marketplaces. I'm here today to talk to Michelle a little bit about that.

Here are some GS1 Resources for you to learn more about the GS1 Standards:

Where can an entrepreneur find specific and easy step-by-step instructions on how to join GS 1?

https://www.gs1us.org/upcs-barcodes-prefixes/how-to-get-a-upc-barcode 
From GS1 standpoint, what is the primary benefit to opening my own GS1 account (as a small business owner) versus just buying one as needed, from an e-commerce entity (Amazon, Shopify, etc.), as I go?

GS1 identifiers (like GTINs) are globally-accepted identification numbers, and are different from the internal numbering systems that Shopify or Amazon use (Amazon’s is called an ASIN, for example, and can be confused with GTIN). Each are important to indexing a product and making sure it is able to be discovered on each platform. It benefits a small business owner to open a GS1 account because they can ensure they meet a variety of retailer requirements and sell globally.
Why GS1 US?

GS1 identifiers (like GTINs) are globally-accepted identification numbers, and are different from the internal numbering systems that Shopify or Amazon use (Amazon’s is called an ASIN, for example, and can be confused with GTIN). Each are important to indexing a product and making sure it is able to be discovered on each platform. It benefits a small business owner to open a GS1 account because they can ensure they meet a variety of retailer requirements and sell globally.
Why can't I just bypass barcodes and just use these new AI tools that give me an artistic and generative QR code?

Even though GS1 Standards are 100% voluntary to use, GS1 barcodes are recognized by the largest retailers in the world – so if you want to sell and be recognized in commerce in a legit fashion, you should use barcodes from GS1 US. Plus, those AI ones won’t be recognized when they’re scanned at POS/won’t be recognized in the global supply chain.
Where can I reach the GS1 small business liaison to help me started?

Start at our website gs1us.org, call us at 937.435.3870 or email us at info@gs1us.org.
What are some fresh and innovative ways to use GS1 as a small business?

If you want to sell and be looked at as a secure and safe operation, you should to leverage GS1 Standards. The standards are the backbone of commerce and responsible for tracking and tracing goods throughout the supply chain.

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Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Nov 11, 202301:06:25
New Limited Edition Talk Show: The Honest "Political" Guide - Part I., feat. Two Vibrant Entrepreneurs From Chicago [JinJa Birkenbeuel x Mary Nisi]

New Limited Edition Talk Show: The Honest "Political" Guide - Part I., feat. Two Vibrant Entrepreneurs From Chicago [JinJa Birkenbeuel x Mary Nisi]

The city of Chicago right now is feeling really, really awkward to me. 

I don't know what's happening here or, what we need to do. But I want to talk about this awkwardness, so I decided to incorporate these little local politics conversations on my show with my fellow outspoken entrepreneur Mary Nisi, owner of Toast and Jams DJs.

Chicago: What the fuck is happening here? UGH. Everything right now seems so out of range from "normal" if that is even such a thing in Chicago, and seemingly so out of control.

So, because we have all these amazing digital tools now for leaders and entrepreneurs, I'm going to create little mini conversations specifically with Mary Nisi because Mary is someone I trust. She is also someone like me who tells things how she sees it, and she's honest, hence my show The Honest Field Guide. Mary speaks her truth and asks smart and sometimes really dumb questions just like me and I love that about her!

Mary and I are going to keep this conversation going. Plus, we're heading into a political season, local and nationally. We're not going to focus on geopolitics, we aren't qualified for that. We're going to really keep this conversation local, because politics IS local!

Brand Chicago is under attack. It's not only under attack from outside people that don't know anything about Chicago, but it's we're under attack from people that DO know about Chicago and it's almost like, is there something intentional happening here with the messaging? When did this negative message about Chicago start? Who started it? What's going on? I'm going to find the f out. Right now.


All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Oct 19, 202351:12
The Creative Reset 5: 15 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel

The Creative Reset 5: 15 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel

How to be who you are. An inspirational and hopeful reading from "1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently" by Marc & Angel Chernoff


All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Sep 01, 202309:03
Ep. 64 - Doreen Lorenzo on Why Attending College Still Matters for Creatives (and how to create a sustainable career as a woman in design)

Ep. 64 - Doreen Lorenzo on Why Attending College Still Matters for Creatives (and how to create a sustainable career as a woman in design)

Doreen Lorenzo is a successful leader of global creative firms; as the former president of frog design and Quirky she has advised companies on design and innovation issues for decades. In 2016 she started the Center for Integrated Design at the University of Texas at Austin. The success of that program led her in 2017 to be appointed Assistant Dean of the new School of Design and Creative Technologies . It has since become the fastest growing school in the College of Fine Arts. She is a co-founder of mobile video insights firm Vidlet, as well as a board member and advisor to several other companies. Seven years ago she became a columnist for Fast Company Co.Design writing a monthly column called Designing Women. Doreen was honored that Texas Monthly profiled her as one of 15 Innovators Reshaping Texas.

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

May 25, 202353:55
Ep. 63 Every Gen Z Entrepreneur Needs To Listen Up to Matt Burzec, Sneakerhead and Founder, Kicks of Chicago

Ep. 63 Every Gen Z Entrepreneur Needs To Listen Up to Matt Burzec, Sneakerhead and Founder, Kicks of Chicago

I interviewed Matt Burzec at the start of the pandemic. He was a senior in high school, and had so many plans that withered away. The one plan that didn't was his nascent dream of entrepreneurship. Little did he know, that my initial interview of him in mid 2020, would spark his long view entrepreneurship journey, one that would send him to University of Wisconsin for his undergraduate degree, while balancing out the launch of even move ventures, combined with hiring staff and formalizing his corporation. Gen Z needs to listen up and take some lessons, but then all entrepreneurs should learn from Matt!

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Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.v

May 06, 202355:51
The Creative Reset 4: 15 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel

The Creative Reset 4: 15 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel

A bonus track to share before I release my next episode. Also, my first video/audio track. Here I am discussing the release of my first story, that is published by Fast Company Magazine. It's a story about my professional brand crisis brought on by my decision to allow my hair to go natural.

All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.


Apr 26, 202314:39
Ep. 62 - Christie Hefner: An Intimate Conversation With The Powerhouse Behind The Playboy (That Saved One Of The Most Iconic Brands In The World)

Ep. 62 - Christie Hefner: An Intimate Conversation With The Powerhouse Behind The Playboy (That Saved One Of The Most Iconic Brands In The World)

Show notes coming shortly!

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Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Mar 28, 202301:11:38
The Creative Reset 3: 10 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel from "No Idea Is Final" Published by Phaidon Books

The Creative Reset 3: 10 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel from "No Idea Is Final" Published by Phaidon Books

I cleansed my spirit by reading from a brand new bright orange book that just arrived in my mailbox 'No Idea Is Final" published by Phaidon Books. It's packed with thoughtful and grounding quotes by some of the most famous creators of all time. This book is a creative cleanse for anyone that thinks and creates, anything.

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Thank you for joining me today. You could be listening to any podcast in the world right now, but you are choosing to listen to mine. If you are a new listener to my show, please subscribe to my show on Apple or Spotify podcasts or search on Google “The Honest Field Guide Podcast” and look for Google Podcasts where you can listen to my show right from your browser on any device, no subscription required. Share my podcast with your friends too. The more people that hear my show the better for my guests! Can you leave a review of my show on Apple Podcasts so they pay more attention to the show?

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

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Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.


Mar 08, 202310:21
The Creative Reset 2: 5 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel from "Taxi Driver Wisdom" written by Risa Mickenberg

The Creative Reset 2: 5 minutes of inspiration for entrepreneurs read by JinJa Birkenbeuel from "Taxi Driver Wisdom" written by Risa Mickenberg

After a long week, sometimes, it feels good to touch grass, or read a real book or think and then repeat it outloud. Today I do this by reading excerpts from "Taxi Driver Wisdom" written by Risa Mickenberg. This book has inspired me for years and years. Not only because it's about New York City, the greatest city in the world. But rather, by the mere fact that the author spoke with my favorite people, taxicab drivers. Many veteran drivers are so interesting and have so much wisdom to share. I am so grateful for this author to have tapped into something so amazing like this. A must read. It's published by Chronicle books.

Thank you for joining me today. You could be listening to any podcast in the world right now, but you are choosing to listen to mine. If you are a new listener to my show, please subscribe to my show on Apple or Spotify podcasts or search on Google “The Honest Field Guide Podcast” and look for Google Podcasts where you can listen to my show right from your browser on any device, no subscription required. Share my podcast with your friends too. The more people that hear my show the better for my guests! Can you leave a review of my show on Apple Podcasts so they pay more attention to the show?

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

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Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Feb 24, 202305:12
Ep. 61 Candace Nelson, Sprinkles Cupcakes - How To Establish, Build, Grow and Scale a Business That You Can Sell--From Scratch!

Ep. 61 Candace Nelson, Sprinkles Cupcakes - How To Establish, Build, Grow and Scale a Business That You Can Sell--From Scratch!

Thank you for joining me today. You could be listening to any podcast in the world right now, but you are choosing to listen to mine. If you are a new listener to my show, please subscribe to my show on Apple or Spotify podcasts or search on Google “The Honest Field Guide Podcast” and look for Google Podcasts where you can listen to my show right from your browser on any device, no subscription required. Share my podcast with your friends too. The more people that hear my show the better for my guests! Can you leave a review of my show on Apple Podcasts so they pay more attention to the show?

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So, doesn’t everyone have a cupcake story? I was working on site at my client Google, in Chicago. I was taking a snack break, and walked to one of their micro kitchens (filled with snacks like nuts, hard boiled eggs, drinks, chips, etc.). There was a box, open, with two dozen cupcakes. But what caught my eye was the dot on the top. A perfect circle sitting on top of another perfect circle, the smoothly swirled iced cap of the cupcake. Each colorful candy pin had a different design on top. I was astonished at these cupcakes, I had never seen a cupcake like this before. They were lined up, in rows, and it really appealed to my design aesthetic. I was offered one, and I obliged, of course.

It was THE MOST heavenly cupcake I had ever had in my life, it was soft, moist and super sweet. and I am not just saying that because today on my show,

I have Candace Nelson, the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes. And she takes us on a journey from her layered life as a child that started in Indonesia which led her to her most incredible college experience and then her job as an investment banker turned the Ray Croc of Cupcakes.

----

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.


Feb 09, 202357:17
Update from JinJa Birkenbeuel: The Creative Reset

Update from JinJa Birkenbeuel: The Creative Reset

Hello everyone! I've received messages and emails asking "Where ya been JinJa?" So, I wanted to share this quick message to let you know, I'm still here and have a line up with some amazing entrepreneurs coming up this month and next. :)

Feb 08, 202318:53
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Winner of The Pulitzer for Fiction

Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Winner of The Pulitzer for Fiction

Happy new year! 2023 is going to be the Year of the Creator, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. You've been waiting for this opportunity your entire work life. I thought it would be helpful to share what entrepreneurship looks like from the lens of a Pulitzer prize winning author, who was raised by entrepreneurs that overcame extreme adversity. And instead of Viet deciding to become one himself, he became an entrepreneurial-minded author, who is raising a third generation of Nguyens to become creative entrepreneurs. His young son is also an author and a professional speaker. His son's book is "Chicken of the Sea."

This is our number one most downloaded and listened to podcast, "An American Narrative: A Conversation with Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Winner of The Pulitzer for Fiction" and is currently in production as a film series starring Robert Downey Jr., https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-the-sympathizer-cast-1235258808

Let me know what you think of this incredible conversation by sharing your thoughts with me on Instagram @honestfieldguide or leave a four star review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-honest-field-guide/id1406059045.

The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-hguide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

#BlackLivesMatter #TheSympathizer #Pulitzer #Refugee #Vietnam

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Dec 30, 202201:07:47
Ep 60 - Jenny Wood: How To Be Extraordinary While Navigating Your Career From Within (a whale)

Ep 60 - Jenny Wood: How To Be Extraordinary While Navigating Your Career From Within (a whale)

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com.

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Oct 18, 202253:55
Ep. 59 - Bethanie Baynes: How To Navigate Your Life In America As A Bread-Winning Woman

Ep. 59 - Bethanie Baynes: How To Navigate Your Life In America As A Bread-Winning Woman

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. 

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬. 

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. 

Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba. 

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Kris Zarnoch.

Sep 20, 202236:46
Ep. 58 - Blackness On The Edge of Town with Lisa Beasley, Entrepreneur, Comedian and Actor

Ep. 58 - Blackness On The Edge of Town with Lisa Beasley, Entrepreneur, Comedian and Actor

Loving the conversation because I ask Lisa how her home at the kitchen table experience with her family may have mirrored Jim Carrrey’s who frequently talks about his life at the dinner table with his father growing up as a young boy. This episode is sponsored by CPASS Foundation. CPASS (CREATING PATHWAYS AND ACCESS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS™) Foundation was created to attract, encourage, educate, guide and increase the number of promising, yet underrepresented Illinois students in STEM and STEAM-related professions.
Hire Lisa Beasley at
www.lisabexperience.com
Laugh with Lisa at www.tiktok.com/@lisabevolving
Learn with Lisa at www.instagram.com/lisabevolving
Original Artwork by www.instagram.com/drawingzila
Portrait photo by Aspen Cierra Evans.
Follow our show on www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.
Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.
Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.
The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.
Music found on this episode is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions.
May 26, 202250:06
Ep. 57 - NFT Maven Michelle Reeves: The Hunter and Gatherer of the NFT Fashion Business

Ep. 57 - NFT Maven Michelle Reeves: The Hunter and Gatherer of the NFT Fashion Business

Ep. 57 - NFT Maven Michelle Reeves: The Hunter and Gatherer of the NFT Fashion Business

Michelle Reeves is an ecosystem of knowledge. As Cofounder & CEO of MAVION.world a fashion and NFT marketplace, her journey from growing up in Australia, the younger sister of a superstar athlete brother, born to military parents, she was already groomed for a path to greatness. After landing in NYC to create a new life, 9/11 changed her future. Undeterred, she crossed the country and went up against the big guys in the wine business to launch her own independent wine company David Family Wines. 

As successful as the company was, it closed this year, and her friend and mentor Gary Vaynerchuk agreed, she stayed hungry, still wanting to break down more barriers, for herself and by extension, other women in business. In comes her hard pivot to Web 3.0 where she combines her love of fashion with digital experiences to create an explosive and active community of hunters and gatherers of knowledge and beauty. Listen in and get in on the ground floor with Michelle Reeves, to find inspiration, courage, and tactics on how you can go slow and steady and still activate your own dreams.

MAVION.world is one of the first NFTs that connects physical and digital fashion assets. Michelle has spent the past 15 years as an investor, serial entrepreneur, and most recently became a founding member of BFF and founder of @wagmi.nft. Michelle is deeply passionate about educating and onboarding an all-inclusive community into Web3 with a particular focus on helping women learn about NFTs and highlighting vetted female-led missions.

Discover Mavion World at https://mavion.world

Get Michelle's Knowledge Base at https://mavion.world/pages/nft-crypto-knowledgebase

Join the discord https://discord.gg/tbpuwCpB

Follow Michelle at https://www.instagram.com/michellejreeves

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬.

Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.

The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by Kris Zarnoch. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions.

Mar 23, 202259:32
Ep. 56 - The Story of the $200 Digital Sticker That Converted to Six Figures, with Matt Schapiro
Nov 12, 202148:15
Ep. 55 - Traveling Down the Rabbit Hole of NFT Wonder with Futurist Artist Giovanna Sun aka dubwoman

Ep. 55 - Traveling Down the Rabbit Hole of NFT Wonder with Futurist Artist Giovanna Sun aka dubwoman

Giovanna Sun, aka dubwoman, is a futurist, writer, a blockchain advisor, artist, curator and owner of several platforms that you can find on linktr.ee/dubwoman. Giovanna is also a specialist in creating original art and selling them as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). NFTs are controversial and complex and are now trending, for better or for worse, in the global art ecosystem. Our conversation revolves around her early beginnings and how she has transformed herself from student of finance to film major graduate, ad executive to the Queen of NFTs.

Find all the things related to Giovanalinktr.ee/dubwoman

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.  Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬. Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions. Thanks fellas!

Sep 17, 202151:22
Ep. 54 - How To Create The Sound of Curiosity with Cymatics Innovator Jacob Adlington

Ep. 54 - How To Create The Sound of Curiosity with Cymatics Innovator Jacob Adlington

Jacob Adlington is a visual sound artist and photographer from New Zealand, based in Brisbane, Australia who has a deep belief in the power of music and sound to shape our physical and mental realities and beyond. I met Jacob after stumbling down the Instagram rabbit hole of wonder, and discovered his vibrant and gorgeous channel representing the circular sound of vibration through color and water and sand. I reached out to Jacob in 2018, to ask how was he expanding his reach with his meditative expression of sounds beyond Instagram. Post pandemic, Journey of Curiosity has exploded on multiple platforms as we humans seek comfort, connection and understanding of purpose. Our quiet discussion explores his transformation from a simple idea of how to bring order to visual sound and create unique meditative experiences with color and movement otherwise known as cymatics. Featuring visuals: Tashka Urban - Sacral Chakra - Ancient Future. Join us and then visit his platforms and learn more.

Meet Journey of Curiosity

Shop for prints https://journeyofcuriosity.net/collections/prints

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/journey.of.curiosity

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyofCuriosity


Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.  Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions. Thanks fellas!

Aug 13, 202147:28
Ep. 53 - Dr. Akilah Cadet on How To Be An Accomplice While Dismantling White Supremacy

Ep. 53 - Dr. Akilah Cadet on How To Be An Accomplice While Dismantling White Supremacy

Dr. Akilah Cadet, is founder and CEO Change Cadet, a global agency that prepares individuals and companies to be soldiers of change in the workforce so there can be more women and people of color at the top. Our vibrant and at times uncomfortable conversation will have you questioning your own internal narratives about race and will challenge you on language, thought and perceptions about white supremacy and your roles in keeping it alive, fresh and kicking. Akilah also provides creative strategies on how to keep a Black-owned business growing and thriving in the USA during one of the most seemingly endless, horrific, deadly, dangerous and selfish times in recent memory.
Visit Dr. Akilah Cadet at
www.changecadet.com/shop and on IG at www.instagram.com/changecadet.
Follow our show on www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.
The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market.
Visit www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.
Music found on this episode is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing of this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions. Thanks fellas!
Jun 25, 202101:09:34
Ep. 52 - Rana Reeves, CEO of RanaVerse - How To Create Equity in Business

Ep. 52 - Rana Reeves, CEO of RanaVerse - How To Create Equity in Business

Rana Reeves, CEO of global ad agency RanaVerse, shares his unique and spidey-sense upbringing journey from London to NYC, the impact that the recent American #blm movement had on his continued transformation of self, as well as strategies on what leaders in advertising can do to nudge brands to change -- from the inside. 

Visit RanaVerse at https://www.ranaverse.com and on IG at https://www.instagram.com/theofficialrana.

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.  Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going!  We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.

The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market.

Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.  Story editing of this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions. Thanks fellas!

Jun 15, 202159:38
Ep. 51 - Desperately Seeking Erika Gerdes, Founder, The Art of Undoing

Ep. 51 - Desperately Seeking Erika Gerdes, Founder, The Art of Undoing

Visit Erika Gerdes at erikagerdes.com. When superstar Madonna stepped off the mic and onto the big screen for “Desperately Seeking Susan,” she had no idea how it would transform her life and career and cement her as a timeless global icon. Meet Erika Gerdes, a business leader formerly from Google who turned herself from outward reflection to internal inspection and found an authentic woman, ready to leap from everything she had built in her career onto a path of independent discovery. A story of career courage not to be missed.

Follow our show on www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.
The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market.
Visit www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba.
Music found on this episode is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees. Story editing for this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions.
Jun 05, 202146:29
Ep. 50 - The Oprah Winfrey of Plants: A Growing Conversation with Nika Vaughan, Founder of Plant Salon

Ep. 50 - The Oprah Winfrey of Plants: A Growing Conversation with Nika Vaughan, Founder of Plant Salon

Welcome to season two of the Honest Field Guide Podcast!

Ep. 50 - The Oprah Winfrey of Plants: A Growing Conversation with Nika Vaughan, Founder of Plant Salon

We've missed you all! It's been a minute since we've released an episode. 2020 may have slowed us down, but it didn't take asunder! No sir!

Excited to present our first conversation of 2021 featuring serial entrepreneur Nika Vaughan of Chicago. You will enjoy Nika, who describes her seemingly instant pivot in a pandemic from being a local makeup artist for elite brides, to the owner of national wellness and self-care brand Plant Salon, founded to cultivate unique and highly coveted plants and natural products that provide meditative experiences to all.

Visit Plant Salon at http://www.PlantSalon.com and at the retail location at Plant Salon, 957 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

Please subscribe and the donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going!

We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. 

The podcast is recorded and produced by benefit corporation Birk Creative: A benefit corporation designing strategies and visual identities to help brands adapt with intelligence to the market. 

Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Subscribe to our occasional newsletter https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60662f4dc9533f4419aaa4ba. 

Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Story editing of this episode by C.Peter Clough. Production and mastering by Chris Enns, Lemon Productions. Thanks fellas!

May 01, 202159:43
Repeat - Stories From The Frontlines Interview with JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO, Birk Creative

Repeat - Stories From The Frontlines Interview with JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO, Birk Creative

This is a great time to reintroduce our audiences to our founder JinJa Birkenbeuel's story, which was originally broadcast in 2018. Given the recent earned media interview of JinJa by legendary designer Doreen Lorenzo in Fast Company Magazine (https://www.fastcompany.com/90596177/want-to-succeed-in-design-and-business-support-women), we thought it would be a great time to do this. Enjoy JinJa's story! 

You have a dream or an opportunity for changing your career or business. Now what? Get insights and tips from JinJa Birkenbeuel, Chief Executive Officer of Birk Creative and founder of The Honest Field Guide Podcast in this episode while she shares her small business start-up story, successes and of course some of her failures and lessons learned along her journey.

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

Please donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going!

We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you out when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at (312) 445-0903 Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Jan 30, 202149:24
Ep. 49 - Dr. Jeffreen Hayes: A Conversation on The Whiteness of Being, with a Capital W

Ep. 49 - Dr. Jeffreen Hayes: A Conversation on The Whiteness of Being, with a Capital W

How do you stay driven, purposeful, focused and positive while being Black at work? Listen in as Dr. Jeffreen Hayes, Ph.D., founder of for the love of blk, https://www.fortheloveofblk.com, and Executive Director of Threewalls, https://three-walls.org, talks with The Honest Field Guide about how she stands her ground for Blackness during her magnificent and driven journeys through oceans of Whiteness in the art and cultural spaces of America.

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. 

Please donate to our show. We would love your dollars to keep going! 

We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Editing and mastering of this episode by Jason Marck. 

Nov 24, 202049:14
Ep. 48 - Forbes Contributor Cheryl Robinson: Pivoting On Purpose

Ep. 48 - Forbes Contributor Cheryl Robinson: Pivoting On Purpose

Guiding question: How are you surviving being a business owner during the pandemic?  #### Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit http://www.birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Oct 07, 202051:21
Ep. 47 Coach David Stephens On How To Keep a Swim Team Thriving During a Pandemic

Ep. 47 Coach David Stephens On How To Keep a Swim Team Thriving During a Pandemic

David Stephens, owner of Chicago's premier youth swim team CWAC Swimming (https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=iscwac) saw a big gap in the Chicago youth sports market. Coming from one of the country's number one swim states, Georgia, the city of Chicago had no elite swim teams, and no one seemed to be thinking of starting one. Chicago IS known for its championship basketball, football, baseball and hockey teams. And as cold as it is in Chicago, there hasn't been a focus on teaching young people anything but "learn-to-swim." David shares his story about how he left his career as a successful lawyer and built a thriving family business around his love of swimming as sport. And, he describes how he is the first swim team in the State of Illinois that strategically focuses on diversity and inclusion in a global sport that has a history of extreme racism and discrimination.
Guiding question: How are you surviving being a business owner during the pandemic?
#### Follow our show on
www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit www.birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.
Aug 25, 202043:38
Ep. 46 Nicholas Whitaker The Accidental Entrepreneur's Journey To a Job at Google

Ep. 46 Nicholas Whitaker The Accidental Entrepreneur's Journey To a Job at Google

Take a ride and listen in on our rich and passionate conversation with Nicholas Whitaker, mindfulness and wellness coach and strategic partner lead for news at @google. The topic of health and wellness is so relevant for right now.

Why? Because we, as entrepreneurs and small businesses in the United States, are all in what is turning out to be an infinite struggle of emotional and financial survival.

How are you surviving being an entrepreneur during the pandemic?
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Follow our show on
www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit www.birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.
Aug 12, 202050:26
Ep. 45 - Talal Raf On The Promise of Global Entrepreneurship A Young Leader Brings Change In Sri Lanka

Ep. 45 - Talal Raf On The Promise of Global Entrepreneurship A Young Leader Brings Change In Sri Lanka

We speak with The World Economic Forum nominated and Forbes contributor Talal Rafi from Sri Lanka to hear his undertones of hope and promise of a better world for all entrepreneurs. Listen all the way to the end to find out what he would like from Apple for the future.

Find our more about Talal https://profiles.forbes.com/members/business/profile/Talal-Rafi-Founder-CEO-Sesame-Associates/64e6d58d-0639-470b-9d09-316ecfdea7d0.

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Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Aug 03, 202030:58
Ep. 44 - The Creative Spirit Never Dies a Conversation with Artist Jackie Kazarian

Ep. 44 - The Creative Spirit Never Dies a Conversation with Artist Jackie Kazarian

How in the world does a young science student go on to earn her B.S. in Zoology to become an international fine artist, a cultural diplomat in Syria and Kuwait for the United States Department of State, and an entrepreneur all at the same time?  Armenian-American artist Jackie Kazarian shows us the way in this rich conversation around creativity, curiosity and cultural exchange.  Find Jackie's work here https://www.jackiekazarian.com/Jackie_Kazarian/home.html.  Follow Jackie on instagram https://www.instagram.com/jackiekazarian.  Visit Jackie at Art In Embassies here https://art.state.gov/personnel/jackie_kazarian.  

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Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Aug 02, 202043:59
Ep. 43 - Finding Beauty a Conversation with Dayna Isom Johnson America's Top Trend Expert from NBC's Makin' It and Etsy

Ep. 43 - Finding Beauty a Conversation with Dayna Isom Johnson America's Top Trend Expert from NBC's Makin' It and Etsy

Dayna Isom Johnson knew from when she was eight years old making and selling mud pies in rural Virginia, that she wanted to be in the creative fashion industry. Think about this: Eight years old, and you already have your career planned out and designed! Dayna speaks brightly about the clarity of her creative path unsupported by racial "mirrors," but powerfully guided by her working Aunt in corporate spaces who took her on a brisk and fast journey to NYC. 

Small town girl made good in NYC, Dayna now leads Etsy as their principal trend expert, guiding one of the country's most powerful and wealth-generating tech companies, to make decisions around colors, fashion and fun to make colorful style decisions based on her gut backed by data analytics. See Dayna's Etsy website of recommendations and style here https://www.etsy.com/people/daynaisom and watch her on NBC's makin' it https://www.nbc.com/making-it/credits/judge/dayna-isom-johnson.

Connect with Dayna on https://www.instagram.com/daynaisomjohnson.

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Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Jul 11, 202001:06:00
Ep. 42 - The Failure To Protect: A conversation with Brittain Ladd on small business, ecommerce and supply chain disruption,

Ep. 42 - The Failure To Protect: A conversation with Brittain Ladd on small business, ecommerce and supply chain disruption,

They say small businesses are the backbone of America. But what no one understood until the pandemic, was how under resourced, unprepared, uninformed and unconnected most American small businesses were from America's global supply chain. 

What is a supply chain? As our guest Brittain Ladd, a supply chain expert shares, it's the process to grow cotton, the get the cotton to a mill for processing, to find the manufacturer, to get a distributer and to sell the t-shirt you just made. For us, it's a whole lot more. It's the marketing, the networks, the relationships with a bank and the availability of willing customers that want to shop with a small business versus a giant with cheaper products like Walmart. 

Small businesses thought 2020 was going to be "The Year of the Small Business Dragon." 2020 is turning out to be an exhausting failure on so many levels. Except for a few innovative small businesses that have take this moment to pivot, learn and drive to create 100% online operations, sales and direct to consumer JUST LIKE AMAZON.

Brittain explains how the pandemic exposed in full color the already broken supply chain. He shares insightful strategies designed for small businesses so they fight to survive into the future of retail.

Brittain has graciously offered to provide a complimentary thirty minute consulting call for any small local business that want ideas on how to stay open and prepared for the future post COVID-19 at https://brittainladd.com. Connect with Brittain on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittainladd.

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Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, Birk Creative and its employees.

Jul 07, 202049:19
Ep. 41 - An American Narrative: A Conversation with Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Winner of The Pulitzer for Fiction

Ep. 41 - An American Narrative: A Conversation with Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Winner of The Pulitzer for Fiction

The impact of entrepreneurship on the America dream is too often taken for granted. Consider Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Viet Thanh Nguyen, who escaped Vietnam as a refugee with most of his family in the 70s, almost immediately torn from his mother's arms when they hit the ground in America. Then a few years later, reunited with his brother and parents who started their own successful, yet back breaking grocery store business in San Jose, California. 

An observer, Viet learned how to be and not to be, absorbing the tenacity and fierceness of his entrepreneurial parents. His journey from boyhood to manhood in a country studded at every point with racism and hypocrisy manifests beautifully in his Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Sympathizer." 

Host JinJa Birkenbeuel interviews Viet on this special episode. Viet's story will surprise you, as he unpacks and deconstructs American-style racism through his own cultural lens. 

Follow Viet on Insta and Twitter @viet_t_nguyen. Purchase his books at http://www.bookshop.org. "The Sympathizer" is available here https://bookshop.org/books/the-sympathizer-a-novel-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction/9780802124944 and his collaboration with his son Ellison "Chicken Of The Sea" https://bookshop.org/books/chicken-of-the-sea/9781944211738.

#BlackLivesMatter #TheSympathizer #Pulitzer #Refugee #Vietnam

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield. We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. 

Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message. The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com. Music found on this episode is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/artist/utah-carol/137984081 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Jun 26, 202001:07:43
Ep. 40 - Back with more! The State of: Instagram Part II

Ep. 40 - Back with more! The State of: Instagram Part II

We're back with more INSTAGRAM conversations, America's most favorite and fun social media channel!
JinJa Birkenbeuel and Esther Ikoro have updated their "Episode 1, State of: Instagram" and are sharing more insights, strategies and inspiration with YOU. As always, a fun and lively conversation. We talk about monetizing on Instagram (no) and how Apple has been helping artists monetize (yes) free equipment, creative partner suppliers, paid appearances, ad campaigns), Google (yes) video monetizing, ads, suppliers, Adobe (have no idea).
So many more features, fun and free stuff, it's really tough to keep up.
We will be sharing more Instagram conversations over the next several months, so stick with us!
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Follow our show on
www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.
We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.
---
Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.
The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com.

Theme song "Sam's Ranch" is available on Apple here music.apple.com/us/album/sams-ranch/212635734?i=212635767 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.
May 11, 202045:45
Ep. 39 - How To Be A Great Entrepreneur at Seventeen - A Conversation with Matt Burzec, Kicks of Chicago, Class of 2020

Ep. 39 - How To Be A Great Entrepreneur at Seventeen - A Conversation with Matt Burzec, Kicks of Chicago, Class of 2020

Seemingly, Matt Burzec was born an entrepreneur. In the third grade, Matt made custom origami and sold them for a few dollars a piece and made $200 in under a month. He was almost expelled because he was making too much money. He then went on to create a new online company in the eighth grade, and sold it a year later. He self-taught himself about e-commerce by searching on Google. But that doesn't paint the complete picture of businessman Matt Burzec. Matt is curious, an artist and had big plans for his life after graduating from Whitney M. Young High School, the top ranked high school in Chicago. A varsity basketball player for the school, he'd already completed his required courses for graduation. He had summer plans to travel to Japan for the Olympics and then to Europe to celebrate and meet up with friends. Matt also thought there would be time to say goodbye to his friends. None of that is going to happen now. But for sure, Matt still kept his online custom sneaker business Kicks of Chicago popping. He keeps creating, and painting and just launched his YouTube channel, because as his 13-year-old brother told him "Let's get this YouTube ad revenue going!"

Matt is an inspiration. He is even, purposeful and works with intention. You will not want to miss this conversation with this focused and fierce high school senior. Youth is not wasted on this one.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGXp7jk85oSiKJg7MwDDC5w
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kicks_of_chicago

Episode song "See The Sun" by Utah Carol can be downloaded on Apple here: https://music.apple.com/us/album/see-the-sun/206188206?i=206188218 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com.

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of multichannel brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast editing by Birk Creative. Mastering by Chris Enns.

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Do you love our show? Can you donate to support our podcast? We will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Apr 28, 202042:53
Ep. 38 - How to Pair Quality Music with Exquisite Liquor. A conversation with Jim Powers of Minty Fresh and PARCE Rum

Ep. 38 - How to Pair Quality Music with Exquisite Liquor. A conversation with Jim Powers of Minty Fresh and PARCE Rum

When we think about pairings, we usually are considering liquor and food. But what if you could figure a way to pair great music and high quality liquor? What would that music sound like and how would it feel as you drink a dark amber tasting rum on ice? Jim Powers, the founder of Minty Fresh pivoted his music label career and founded a rum company PARCE Rum. With his eye still focused on maintaining the great talent on his still operational label Minty Fresh, his passion now lies in creating and distilling the most exquisite rum available in the world.

His journey from discovering The Cardigans to developing an app and finally landing on rum will inspire you to dig deep into finding your own expertise and then creating that expertise into a vital business.

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Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. 

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.

The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com.

Theme song "Sam's Ranch" is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/sams-ranch/212635734?i=212635767 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.

Apr 11, 202052:21
Ep. 37 - Virtual Learning Strategies During Crisis with Robert Runcie Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools

Ep. 37 - Virtual Learning Strategies During Crisis with Robert Runcie Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools

Robert Runcie, superintendent of Broward County Public Schools visits with us during this time of the astonishing and rapid breakdown (albeit temporarily) of society and the economy in the United States--in large part due to public schools being ordered to shut down across America. Parents are unable to work, families and children are unable to get food and computers that are needed for teachers to even attempt to migrate to online teaching are not available or dispersed equally to all families. And to make matters worse, teachers are not trained to be teaching online and many communities in the United States don't even have broadband or secure wifi access.

Incredible, right?

This global crisis caused by the virus that is killing people, has also killed public education in America as we have come to know it. 

Robert Runcie is at the forefront of change in education technology. Originally from the private sector technology industry, by way of Union-heavy Chicago, he knows first hand how almost impossible it is to innovate in and transform public educational processes and systems. But the biggest threat we are all facing is the too-slow transformation of our mindsets around not only on our awareness of the vitalness of quality public education for all, but also how we as social beings must evolve using technology in order to survive. 

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of multichannel brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Ruby" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/ruby/212635734?i=212635749 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com.

Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast editing by Birk Creative. Mastering by Chris Enns. 

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Do you love our show? Can you donate to support our podcast? We will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. 

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Apr 01, 202045:42
Ep. 36 LinkedIn-tervention! Part Two - The State of: LinkedIn for Small Business

Ep. 36 LinkedIn-tervention! Part Two - The State of: LinkedIn for Small Business

Back in 2018, we had a conversation around the opportunities and possibilities for small businesses surrounding LinkedIn. Esther, was not convinced that LinkedIn was a good platform for her. JinJa was obsessed with LinkedIn and tried to convince Esther to give it another chance. It's been over a year, and Esther has come around to LinkedIn. Not as much as JinJa, but progress has been made. Check out their funny conversation about the greatness (and weirdness) of LinkedIn during this updated episode.

You can always access the original (and hilarious) episode 4 earlier in the podcasts playlist.

Follow our show on http://www.instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at http://www.twitter.com/thehonestfield.

We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. --- Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message.

The podcast is recorded and produced by Birk Creative: Designing visual identities and multichannel strategies to help brands establish, grow, scale, exit and keep up with the pace of change. Visit birkcreative.com.

Theme song "Sam's Ranch" is available on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/sams-ranch/212635734?i=212635767 and provided courtesy Utah Carol (ASCAP). All content ©Birkdesign Inc. This podcast represents the personal views of JinJa Birkenbeuel, CEO of Birk Creative and its employees.



Mar 23, 202031:06
Ep. 35 - Eric Whitaker Discusses True and False Narratives Around Black Entrepreneurship

Ep. 35 - Eric Whitaker Discusses True and False Narratives Around Black Entrepreneurship

What is Black political power and who does it benefit? How important is the availability of capital for Black business? Where is Silicon Valley and are there any Black people there? We are speaking with Dr. Eric Whitaker, co-founder of Zing Health, founder of CPASS Foundation and also an entrepreneur in the health equity space to unpack the narratives around Black business mindset, success and also decide if Chicago’s Black power is really a mirage or a Trojan horse.
Mar 08, 202051:04
Ep. 34 - Kate Leydon, Ruby Room Chicago Talks About How She Used Her Intuition To Build Her Business

Ep. 34 - Kate Leydon, Ruby Room Chicago Talks About How She Used Her Intuition To Build Her Business

Is the concept of “a woman’s intuition” a myth? Not according to Kate Leydon, entrepreneur and founder of Ruby Room, an experiential wellness and boutique retail shop and hotel in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Learn about Kate’s journey from a satisfying career working for one of the world’s top cosmetics brand to her eventual collapse from exhaustion to path of clarity through deprivation in Bali. What emerged were her multiple brands and companies designed to protect, enhance and make well women and men through meditation, rest, self care, natural products and authentic thinking. --- Follow our show on instagram.com/honestfieldguide or at twitter.com/thehonestfield.  

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of multichannel brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Ruby" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/ruby/212635734?i=212635749 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. 

Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast editing and mastering by Jason Marck. Episode artwork by British artist Karolin Schnoor http://www.karolinschnoor.co.uk as represented by Friend & Johnson at http://www.friendandjohnson.com. 

 ---  Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support. --- Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Feb 26, 202047:01
Ep. 33 - Simone Friend, How To Successfully Represent and Protect Commercial Artists

Ep. 33 - Simone Friend, How To Successfully Represent and Protect Commercial Artists

Everybody thinks they are an artist. Every creative person believes they can make riches on the internet because it seems like every other creative is doing it. (Ever heard of photoshop, comping, prototyping and fake news?) I'll get my art on a wall mural at Coke! Nike will love my designs for their shoes, as soon as they see my instagram, I will be GOLD! I am a much better photographer than the one Beyoncé hired, how did THEY get that gig? I really hated that Super Bowl ad, I could have shot/photographed/filmed that much better!

Think so, right? Maybe, but mostly, no. In the commercial art world, unless you have professional representation, an agent, or have a vast and elite cultural network, the chances of you landing that A-List gig that actually PAYS is very unlikely. The only other potential path to riches, is if you game the social media game so intently and with intention, adding on extraordinary talent and networking skills, you ARE going to need help. Not just for the one job, but for the long game that will carry your creative a!# to sustainable income well past 40 years, 50 years and beyond.

Simone Friend, How To Successfully Represent and Protect Commercial Artists

Meet artist representative Simone Friend, of Friend & Johnson Artist Representative. Simone for over 30 years, has built the most immaculate reputation as a protector of creatives that ensure proper compensation AND protection of intellectual property rights. But most of all, Simone has built a standard process around artist education.

Are you an artist that would like to land a commercial gig like independent Google artist Heather Day, or international superstar photographer Geoff Kern and many more artists that have built a sustaining platform? You need to listen, now.

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Can I Ride With U?" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/can-i-ride-with-u/212635734?i=212635813 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast editing and mastering by Jason Marck. Episode artwork by British artist Karolin Schnoor http://www.karolinschnoor.co.uk as represented by Friend & Johnson at http://www.friendandjohnson.com.

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Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Feb 21, 202052:24
Ep. 32 - Cannabis Hollingsworth Farm with Joy Hollingsworth

Ep. 32 - Cannabis Hollingsworth Farm with Joy Hollingsworth

Weed, reefer, blunts, dope, tea, pot, herb. All these terms were often used to hide what you were smoking because it was illegal. Until now. Marijuana is now legal in the United States, and everyone is going wild because of it. But our conversation today is about ownership, family business, self-determination and the irony of being one of the only American Black-owned farms in the US that bought back US land, in order to till the soil, to plant the seed, and build a sustainable home for which to harvest the leaf that makes the weed, to create the products that people use to heal and feel better.

Joy will share her unconventional journey from the WNBA to learning about the depth of her grandmother's excruciating pain and to her brother's insistence coming back home to build a legacy. A remarkable conversation filled with curiosity, hope beauty and resilience. 

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Bluejay" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/bs/album/bluejay/206143120?i=206143160 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast mastering by Jason Marck. Episode artwork by British artist Karolin Schnoor http://www.karolinschnoor.co.uk as represented by Friend & Johnson at http://www.friendandjohnson.com.

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Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .


Feb 09, 202036:18
Ep. 31 - Danny Wirtz, Chicago Blackhawks & Breakthru Beverage On How To Transform a Multigenerational Family Businesses

Ep. 31 - Danny Wirtz, Chicago Blackhawks & Breakthru Beverage On How To Transform a Multigenerational Family Businesses

Danny Wirtz, fourth generation owner of one of the most famous and successful hockey teams in US history, The Chicago Blackhawks and also the head of many of the Wirtz family private businesses. Including his work with his foundation, The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, Danny has revolutionized they way his family engages with the community, uses technology for insights and growth and creates wealth for other small, family-owned businesses, that are all part of the Wirtz family of brands. Danny's is a natural with positive business acumen--someone that any multigenerational family would want to take the helm and go next level.

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Mabel Custer" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/mabel-custer/206143120?i=206143227 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast mastering by Jason Marck. Episode artwork by Jen Hewett https://jenhewett.com.

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Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Feb 03, 202046:40
Ep. 30 Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson, MLB Hall of Fame Inductee Talks About His Entrepreneurship Beginnings

Ep. 30 Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson, MLB Hall of Fame Inductee Talks About His Entrepreneurship Beginnings

Reggie Jackson aka "Mr. October," Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee, shares intimate stories for the very first time, during an in-person interview to JinJa Birkenbeuel, The Honest Field Guide, about his journey from childhood, to a New York Yankee, to becoming the first professional ball player turned entrepreneur while he was still playing ball, back in the 70s, during a tumultuous time of extreme racial hatred. Reggie, the businessman, passionately tells us how he is still fighting to ensure Black people and in particular Black and brown children, through his Mr. October Foundation, gain access to the millions of opportunities in technology fields in the USA.

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Promised Land" and "When We're Apart" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/when-were-apart/206188206?i=206188230 and here https://music.apple.com/us/album/promised-land/206188206?i=206188233 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast mastering by Jason Marck. Episode artwork by Jen Hewett https://jenhewett.com.

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Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬ Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message .

Jan 20, 202054:52
Ep. 29 Paul Jarvis, Author, "Company of One" Making A Case for Staying Small

Ep. 29 Paul Jarvis, Author, "Company of One" Making A Case for Staying Small

All of our entrepreneur lives, we've been told "If you don't grow, you will shrink, and if you shrink you will go out of business." Or, "Always be closing." Or, 'Always be growing." As a result, we've battled and fought our way to at least make ourselves look like what Tom Hanks wanted: TO BE BIG. From paying high rent for corporate spaces, getting augmented staff for presentations and meetings, giant websites with pages upon pages of stuff, and stumbling over our words after we share the volume of work we complete for clients, and yet people keep asking us in disbelief, "How many employees do you have?" without understanding that Entrepreneurs Don't Sleep.

The struggle to fake it until you make it to become a "real" company is exhausting.

We learned about "The Company of One," by Paul Jarvis, from our friend and fellow entrepreneur Keila Hill-Trawick, owner of Little Fish Accounting. She told us about the book on an earlier podcast, episode 22, that the book changed her life and gave her the courage to quit and walk away from her comfortable, government day job. Lucky for us, our podcast mastering engineer Chris Enns, introduced us to Paul and then that's the beginning of our story with How We Learned To Love Being Small.

Reading "The Company Of One" written by Paul Jarvis inspired so much greatness in our thoughts about our agency business Birk Creative, the book helped us refocus on the type of hard work that is meaningful and drives real success. We had to find out more. So, we did what any crazy entrepreneur would do: We took a flight to British Columbia, Vancouver, then took a ferry to Victoria Island and hit the road and drove another two hours to meet our new hero in person to ask him face to face: "How Can Anyone Win In Business If They Are Only One and Done?"

Our intimate conversation with Paul Jarvis will absolutely surprise you, and motivate you to rethink *everything* you've ever been told and believed about the business of getting big.

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The Honest Field Guide is a production of brand strategy and visual identity agency Birk Creative at http://www.birkcreative.com. Episode song "Misfits" can be downloaded on Apple here https://music.apple.com/us/album/misfits/206188206?i=206188212 and is written by Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis, from the band Utah Carol http://www.utahcarol.com. Recorded at Stomping Ground Studios. Podcast consultant: Chris Enns. Podcast Editing by Jason Marck. Custom episode artwork designed for this episode created by American printmaker and textile designer Jen Hewett https://jenhewett.com.

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Text The Honest Field Guide at ‪(312) 445-0903‬! Send us a voice message and we will record it on an upcoming episode: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/message Do you love our show? We would love your dollars to keep going! We can take a donation to support our podcast here and we will shout you our when you do it on an upcoming podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-honest-field-guide/support

Jan 14, 202052:06