Ep. 25 — Neotopia w/ Jillian Mason Shannon

Ep. 25 — Neotopia w/ Jillian Mason Shannon

In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Jillian Mason Shannon, founder of Neotopia, a nonprofit reimagining how we engage with theology, philosophy, and culture, to talk about making the deepest questions in life feel accessible instead of intimidating. Jillian spent 14 years in New York before relocating to San Antonio, where she earned her Master of Divinity from SMU's Perkins School of Theology. What started as bite size theology on Instagram grew into a curated bookstore, a nonprofit, monthly webinars, and a teaching role as a college religious studies professor. She also happens to be someone I went to high school with at Lake Highlands, so this conversation got personal fast. If you have ever felt spiritually curious but institutionally resistant, this one is for you. Jillian breaks down how to strip the stigma off religion and reframe it as something that lightens your load instead of adding to it. 🎙️ We dive into: • Why she left a 14 year life in New York and what the move to San Antonio actually unlocked • How a curated bookstore became the launchpad for a virtual nonprofit • The real value of building community in person when our instinct is to hide behind our screens • Why she strong arms her students into an A but warns them they can still fail themselves • The classroom exercise where every student has to stand up and say how they changed their mind • How she brings her full self to her work, foreign films, reality TV, sermons, and all • What it actually feels like to put scary, personal work into a world that can be brutal about religion • The David Foster Wallace idea that we are all worshiping something whether we admit it or not • Why missing the point is the original definition of sin • The moon and the finger metaphor that explains why religions get stuck fighting each other • Her three to five year plan, from city pop ups to writing her dissertation from Oslo • Raising two boys with a wing it philosophy and no diaper bag in sight Jillian's whole mission is to flip the cultural perception of faith from shallow and corny to genuinely useful for a complex modern life, and she makes a compelling case. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders, operators, and creators building what is next 🎤 Hosted by Jeffrey Mailey 📍 Fast Forward Podcast #FastForwardPodcast #Neotopia #Theology #Philosophy #FaithAndCulture #NonprofitFounder #SanAntonio #Entrepreneurship #Leadership 00:00 Introduction to Neotopia and Personal Connections 02:09 The Journey to San Antonio and Founding Neotopia 05:19 Transitioning from a Bookstore to a Nonprofit 07:34 Building Community and Overcoming Isolation 09:36 Teaching and Challenging Students' Perspectives 12:47 The Role of Technology in Education 16:04 Navigating Life as a Professor and Entrepreneur 20:04 Embracing the Entrepreneurial Journey 23:38 Navigating Authenticity in Business 28:27 The Weight of Spirituality and Personal Beliefs 33:00 Reframing Religion and Spirituality 37:00 Future Aspirations and Global Experiences 39:36 Introduction to the Podcast

Ep. 24 — Ecolux Goods w/ Lael Barry

In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Lael Berry, founder of Ecolux Goods, to talk about why a 22 karat gold straw is actually one of the most practical products on the market. Lael is a 20+ year entrepreneur, former hairdresser, and survivor whose entire business exists because of what she lived through. She walked me through how a disintegrating paper straw on a rooftop in California turned into a luxury reusable brand rooted in sustainability, wellness, and impact. We also dug into her first big startup that COVID killed overnight, the fear of facing friends and family after raising money that vanished, and how that failure actually became the unlock for everything that came next. If you are a founder who is wrestling with self doubt, exposure, or what it really means to build something with purpose, this one is for you. 🎙️ We dive into: • Why gold and silver are naturally antimicrobial and how that solves the reusable straw problem nobody talks about • The moment a paper straw fell apart in her cocktail and sparked the entire brand • How our ancestors already knew this and why silverware used to actually be silver • Why she had to face her biggest fear after COVID wiped out her education startup overnight • What raising money from friends and family teaches you about failure • How being seen as an entrepreneur is the hardest personal development school you will ever attend • Why a bored Lael is a dangerous Lael and what that has to do with building startups • What 20 years of hairdressing taught her about reading rooms and holding space • Why every person should work in service for six months of their life • How Ecolux is structured as a social purpose corporation funding ocean conservation, women in business, and veteran healing through plant medicine • The difference between building a business and becoming the person who can hold what you dream about Lael is the kind of founder who reminds you that the product is just the vehicle. The real game is impact and the ripple effect you leave behind. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders, operators, and creators building what is next 🎤 Hosted by Jeffrey Mailey 📍 Fast Forward Podcast #FastForwardPodcast #EcoluxGoods #Sustainability #FemaleFounders #LuxuryBrand #SocialImpact #FounderStory #Wellness #Entrepreneurship #Leadership 00:00 Introduction to EcoLux Goods and Lyle Berry 00:54 The Inspiration Behind the Golden Straw 05:03 Sourcing and Sustainability in Production 08:30 The Concept of Wellness and Grounding 13:27 Facing Failure and Learning from Experience 17:51 The Challenge of Exposure and Personal Growth 22:45 Facing Self-Doubt and Building Resilience 24:16 Grounding Practices: Yoga, Meditation, and Travel 26:29 The Importance of Wellness and Self-Care 29:35 The Transformative Power of Hairdressing 34:50 The Value of Service and Empathy 37:52 Impact-Driven Business: The Future of Ecolux 41:00 Introduction to the Podcast

Ep. 23 — brndMethod Creative Agency w/ Kelli Kelley

In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Kelli Kelley, founder and CEO of brndMethod Creative Agency, to talk about why creativity and results don't have to be a tradeoff and why most businesses aren't actually ready for AI even when they think they are. Kelli started her career in PR in New York at Walmart's Grand Fade of Glory, learned communications on the job sitting in editor lunches with Vogue, Elle, and Bazaar, and eventually built her own agency in Atlanta. She has spent the last 15+ years refining a methodology that anchors every creative decision back to the actual sales process and business goals of the client. If you run a B2B business, lead a marketing team, or you're a founder trying to figure out how AI fits into your strategy without wasting budget, this episode is for you. 🎙️ We dive into: • Why the first conversation with any client starts with the sales team, not the brand • How to bring real creativity into conservative B2B without crossing into cringe • The real reason most companies aren't ready for AI yet • Why the AI twin trend missed the point of authentic content • How the brndMethod AI marketing readiness assessment exposes the gaps before strategy starts • What happens when leads go to the void because no one connected the form • Why marketing should never be hung with the responsibility of closing sales • How Kelli pivoted from traditional PR to digital after seeing the writing on the wall in 2014 • The mindset shift that happens when you stop chasing shiny objects and start asking what is this for • How to feed the algorithm without sacrificing brand integrity • Why she sees every platform update as an opportunity instead of a problem • What the next 3 to 5 years look like for agencies that actually care about brand Kelli's perspective is sharp because she has lived through every era of marketing from print PR to AI and she understands that the fundamentals never change even when the tools do. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders, operators, and creators building what is next 🎤 Hosted by Jeffrey Mailey 📍 Fast Forward Podcast #FastForwardPodcast #brndMethod #MarketingAgency #B2BMarketing #AIMarketing #BrandStrategy #CreativeAgency #Entrepreneurship #Leadership 00:00 Introduction to Brand Method Creative Agency 02:35 Merging Creativity with Results 05:05 Navigating the B2B Marketing Landscape 07:53 The Importance of Consistency in Content Creation 10:31 Adapting to Industry Changes and AI 13:16 The Role of Authenticity in Marketing 15:52 Kelly's Journey to Founding Brand Method 18:34 The Shift to Digital PR 21:09 Embracing Change and AI in Marketing 24:00 Assessing Readiness for AI Integration 26:21 Understanding Sales and Marketing Alignment 30:10 The Importance of Process in Business 32:00 Future Vision for Brand Method Creative Agency 36:04 Introduction to the Podcast

Ep. 22 — Winnie & Lu w/ Haley Hoover

In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Haley Hoover, founder of Winnie & Lu and creator of the Airess drying rack, to talk about what it really takes to go from a napkin sketch to retail shelves at Nordstrom. Haley spent 11 years as a professional nanny before moving into healthcare sales, business development, and practice management. When she became a mom herself, she realized most baby products had not been rethought in 15 to 20 years. That frustration turned into Winnie & Lu, a product brand built around the idea of tools that are strong, elegant, and resilient. She walks through how she designed the Airess, why she chose gold plated stainless steel and food grade silicone, and the expensive early lesson where her first manufacturer fired her for having standards that were too high. If you are building a physical product, thinking about launching something while raising kids, or navigating the real peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship, this one is packed with honest lessons you can actually use. 🎙️ We dive into: • How 11 years of nannying shaped the design of the Airess drying rack • Why most bottle racks are designed for the nursery when the baby never touches them • The napkin sketch to Fiverr CAD to engineer to Alibaba manufacturing path • Getting fired by her first manufacturer for demanding too much quality • The reality of being a woman negotiating with overseas factories • Why service businesses and product businesses are completely different animals • How to be uncomfortable with uncomfortable decisions, comfortably • The undertow metaphor for riding out the hard parts of building a business • Why motherhood and entrepreneurship use almost the same skill set • Landing Nordstrom, Bye Bye Baby, Walmart, Amazon, and JCPenney • Her vision for building a company that actually supports working parents • Why failing publicly is less scary than the fear in your own head Haley's perspective on building a product brand as a mom, without a business degree and without apologizing for her standards, is the kind of real talk more founders need to hear. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders, operators, and creators building what is next 🎤 Hosted by Jeffrey Mailey 📍 Fast Forward Podcast #FastForwardPodcast #WinnieAndLu #AiressDryingRack #FounderStory #WomenInBusiness #ProductDesign #MomEntrepreneur #ConsumerProducts #Entrepreneurship #Leadership 00:00 Introduction to Haley Hoover and Winnie & Lu 01:00 The Inspiration Behind the Airess Drying Rack 03:39 Design and Functionality of the Airess Drying Rack 08:03 The Journey of Product Development 11:40 Overcoming Challenges in Manufacturing 15:12 The Entrepreneurial Mindset 18:39 Balancing Business and Personal Life 21:40 Embracing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship 27:03 Navigating Work-Life Balance as a Parent 32:17 Creating Supportive Work Environments for Parents 37:11 Future Aspirations and Business Growth 38:44 Introduction to the Podcast

Ep. 21 — Oceanview Building Group w/ Anderson Dos Santos

In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Anderson Dos Santos, founder and CEO of Oceanview Building Group, to talk about how he built a healthcare construction brand that doctors actually want to refer their peers to. Anderson moved from Brazil to South Florida at 16 with zero English, learned the language (and Spanish) on construction sites, and was running entire crews within three years. From there, he built his own company and niched hard into high-end healthcare and plastic surgery buildouts. 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8] Introduction to Anderson Dos Santos 02:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=131s] Anderson's Journey from Brazil to Construction 06:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=400s] Transitioning to Entrepreneurship in Construction 10:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=611s] Niche Focus: Healthcare Construction 14:12 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=852s] Creating Unique Patient Experiences in Healthcare 18:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1111s] Integrating Technology in Healthcare Construction 21:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1288s] Embracing Technology in Healthcare Practices 24:19 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1459s] Balancing Work and Personal Life 25:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1528s] Focusing on Impactful Decisions 29:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1758s] The Importance of Timing in Decision Making 31:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=1916s] Navigating the Fast-Paced World of AI 34:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=2051s] Leveraging AI for Efficiency 37:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=2231s] The Future of AI and Personalization 40:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFhyj8oGh8&t=2435s] Vision for Oceanview's Future