Matt & Jessica Nations | Using marriage and parenthood to build community

You can’t miss Phillip Blow in the room—one because he’s got biceps the size of propane tanks, but more importantly because he’s the most joy-filled person in every space he walks into. He’s the kind of guy who makes you feel better about the day simply by being himself. It’s incredible. So, when we first sat down for coffee I was fascinated by the amount of tragedy in his story. The loss of his daughter, wrongful incarceration, business failure, and divorce led Phil to a moment backstage at a bodybuilding competition that changed everything. Today, he’s a partner at a tech firm, works with a number of fitness brands, and is an incredible influence in the lives of his family and friends. Today’s Burn the Ships episode is worth your time. Listen close.

Karissa Johnson has more energy in her pinky finger than you have in your entire body, AND she’s my only friend who has visited all seven continents. She’s a world explorer and teacher who has overcome some major challenges to get where she’s at today, which we dive into in this episode. I promise this one will make you want to dream bigger for your life and probably leave you doing cartwheels everywhere you go today.

I sat down with Mary-Michael (and her two cats) recently to talk about her new album, how to courageously create things in public without being afraid of people's opinions, and why cats may be better than dogs. (You heard me right.) Her first single, "Come Too Far", is out NOW on Spotify, and the full album, "Just Hold On", drops later in November. Don't miss it! 

Ike Ubasineke is the Mr. Myagi of Leadership—and got some GOLD to drop on this one. Seriously, this one is maybe our most practical and actionable podcast yet. Ike gives a ton of useful tips and stories about leading courageously, straight from somebody who is practicing it every day. Listen close, grasshopper. 

Roxy Moure attended 27 Paramore concerts before she was given permission to be an official photographer for a show, and I can't figure out if that's creepy or just some Grade-A dedication to her passions. For the purposes of this podcast, we'll go with the second. As a creative and (stupidly talented) photographer in Atlanta, Roxy has worked her way into some incredible spaces by focusing on adding value to other people's lives instead of always pushing her own agenda. It's the kind of thing I think Jesus would do if he were around today. Don't miss today's episode where we talk everything from our thoughts on the new Taylor Swift album to what to do when you fail at your dreams. Don't miss this one. 

Eryn Eddy basically invented the word pivot. Years ago, she was working in a non-profit and decided to pursue music by night. Music turned into painting a few t-shirts for her friends. And painting a few t-shirts turned into founding the multinational lifestyle brand, So Worth Loving. In this episode we laugh our way through a deep conversation on worth, entrepreneurship, writing, and how to be courageous with your story. Try to keep up. 

Lane and Christian Pittman are the kind of guys you have to meet to believe. A few years ago, Lane walked out into the middle of a hurricane with an American flag and whipped his flowing red hair around in the storm for snapchat story. 30 million views later—he's turned that moment of fame into a bunch of incredible opportunities. Christian decided against some more traditional career paths to pursue the dream of becoming a professional musician. We randomly met while they were in Atlanta recording with their metal band, KSICK, and I knew we needed to get them on here. Brace yourself. 

While the rest of us skipped college classes to sleep in a few more hours, Hope Lavine skipped classes to build a new business in another state. That's just how she rolls. In this conversation, Hope tells the incredible stories of moving to Atlanta, working on Say Yes to the Dress, losing her job via a Zoom call, and now building an entirely new bridal brand that is TAKING OFF. This was a good one. 

My brother and sister-in-law are two of the best people I know at using their marriage to build community and love the people around them well. I think that's mostly due to Jessica's cooking abilities, but I guess Matt does something to help too. In this one we dive into using marriage as a platform for loving people like Jesus did, raising the coolest 1.5 year old boy in the world, being courageous in the everyday routines of life, and the ongoing fight that Matt and Jess have over the state of their ceiling fan. 

This podcast was a little inkling of an idea when I met Camilo Buchanan at a coffee shop (remember those?) a few months ago to learn from his own experiences leading a podcast called The Pass Down. We came full circle this week when I got to sit down and have a conversation with Camilo and his WIFE Emily to talk about marriage, their perspective on this moment with racism as an interracial couple, being courageous, and where to find HOPE in the midst of it all. I hope you learn as much from this one as I did.