Moral of the Story

In 2012, Threadless CEO Jake Nickell was on a business trip in Sweden with his head of partnerships Wilson Fong. At a meeting at the H&M headquarters, H&M's VP of eCommerce told Jake and Wilson about a Swedish tradition that would make any introvert nervous. The newfound knowledge would turn out to be pivotal in the next day's meeting with the makers of Minecraft. But was it even...

Long before he was a starter for the Red Sox, Shea Hillenbrand was a little boy desperately competing with his older brothers for his father's approval. One day, during a sibling basketball game, 11-year old Shea was trying to withstand the typical verbal and emotional abuse when he could take it no more. He recalls the game, its aftermath and consequences. MoSpod.org

It was 1997. Kevin and his chef friend Scott were driving from Springfield to St. Louis when they got off the highway to get a bite at a rural Wendy’s. Little did they know that they were about to walk into the #1 Wendy’s in the country and the experience would influence Kevin's philosophy as he grew the Boka brand. MoSpod.org

Eric had a promising career in professional sports. He had just gotten a dream job in the C suite with the Florida Panthers when, seemingly out of nowhere, he started to lose interest in his job and his social life. Things spiraled quickly and suddenly, one night at work, he found himself at his office, unable to process what was happening in front of him. This would start his harrowing journey in...

Fresh off a Master's program at the San Francisco Art Institute, Ana Teresa had just landed a coveted gallery spot with Ruth Braunstein, a San Francisco art legend. Not only did she beat the odds, she would finally show per Mexican immigrant parents that she could make it on her own terms. This was vindication. But after a shocking comment from Ruth, Ana Teresa knew she would have to choose b...

In 2011, San Francisco was booming -- but not for everyone. As Doniece Sandoval, a successful PR exec, was walking through the city's design district, she came across a homeless woman crying that she would never be clean. That encounter would set Doniece on a path to change the lives of thousands of unhoused in San Francisco and beyond. MoSpod.org

One day, Howell Malham decided to pay a visit to his brother Joey, a Byzantine iconographer, at his artist studio at a church on Chicago's north side. The door wouldn't budge because it was blocked by an altar cross that Joey decided to build because... he'd always wanted to build an altar cross in the Cimabue style. The massive cross wasn't commissioned, but Joey wasn't w...

One day, Harper Reed got an email. "We've cleared your calendar for Monday afternoon. A VI-VIP (Very Important VIP) is coming in and we want you to spend some time with them." As the CTO of President Obama's reelection campaign, Harper was a busy guy. If his calendar was cleared, this had to be big. Who was the visitor and why did his visit require an entire afternoon of Harper...

When Ryan’s friend Rick got his dental board test results in the mail, he was so shocked to see he failed that he cancelled his upcoming vacation, when he planned to propose to his girlfriend. As he learned a couple of weeks later, the board results actually hadn’t been mailed out yet. Ryan recalls the wicked prank and its consequences. MoSpod.org

It was a Saturday morning and Paul was expecting the usual check-in from Wardo, an ex-convict who, until recently, worked for the nonprofit Paul was running. But Wardo didn't check in that Saturday. Or Sunday. And then on Monday, Paul -- who used to be a homeless drug addict himself -- got a text from Wardo's friend with devastating news. MoSpod.org

When Jason Kunesh became Chicago's Director of Design under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, he headed a project to consolidate the city's vast collection of logos into a singular, redesigned, public mark. But after initial approval, the implementation was stalled as priorities changed with the new administration. For over a year, Jason kept the dream alive. And then, one day, he was called into a me...

When offered a chance to see the Dodgers play the Giants, Ethan Sandler, then a 30-something constantly-stressed young parent, jumped at the chance for a break from the grind. Little did he know that, in the third inning, a home run ball from Orlando Hudson would put him on a collision course with an inebriated Dodgers fan and her boyfriend, and the lesson of a lifetime. MoSpod.org

Mark Agnew was living a charmed life as the CEO of Lou Malnati's, happily married with four children. Then, one day, he had a seizure. At the hospital, the neurosurgeon showed him the CAT scan and he immediately recognized the unmistakeable mass on the image. The diagnosis would change his life forever, but with consequences even he could have never predicted. MoSpod.org

When Emmy-award winning writer and producer Dave Finkel was just twenty, he got a job as the assistant to an A-list celebrity. He thought it would launch his career. Instead, it became a nightmarish ride through the darkness of his boss's tortured soul, with one moment -- a missed opportunity to intervene -- continuing to haunt him to this day. MoSpod.org

LaSalle Network CEO Tom Gimbel takes us back to the early days of his company, when, as a young founder, he faced a difficult HR decision that forced him to decide between the easy way and the right way. MoSpod.org

Varuna Co-founder and CEO Seyi Fabode has a filter for assessing people's ability to imagine a better future. In the early days of his first startup, he spoke at a VC conference hoping to raise awareness and build relationships. His filter led to only one relationship, but it would be one of his most important. MoSpod.org

She was just a junior copywriter at iconic agency BBDO when Susan Credle got the rare opportunity to do a project with baseball legend Ted Williams. Obsessing over every detail, she thought this would be her chance to break into the big leagues. It didn't quite go as planned.  MoSpod.org

Techstars Managing Director Neal Sales Griffin recalls how, as a teenager visiting family in Honduras, he not only bore witness to an unexpected rescue at sea, but, against all odds, helped save a life. MoSpod.org

Actress and host Lisa Arch remembers Whoopi Goldberg's valley girl monologue all too well. After all, it not only reinforced her conviction that she was meant to act, but, after an impromptu reenactment, made a believer out of someone who would later help her meet her idol. MoSpod.org

Comedian, actress, and writer Chase O'Donnell recounts how her obsession with The Suite Life of Zack & Cody would lead her on a journey to the neighborhood mall, a live taping of the sitcom, and eventually, years later, an unlikely rendezvous that would bring the whole thing full circle... with a coda. MoSpod.org

During Raaja Nemani's backpacking trip to the Himalayas, his guide made a simple comment about luck. It would take months for Raaja, the CRO of MarketerHire, avid traveler, and lifelong learner, to truly grasp the meaning of the comment, but that understanding would have a profound effect on his worldview. MoSpod.org

Kin + Carta CEO J Schwan recalls a pivotal moment in the early years of his nascent company Solstice, when, after being given a once in a lifetime opportunity from a marquee client, he had to choose between the easy way and the right way. With the future of his company hanging in the balance, this is the story of his decision and its ramifications. MoSpod.org

Actress, comedian, and activist Maysoon Zayid recounts how a cruel comment about her disability set her on a determined course to achieve a new dream. MoSpod.org

Actor and comedian John Lehr recounts one night in the early 90s when, in a chivalrous move, he decided to help some ladies get safely back to Manhattan after a late night party in New Jersey. The vehicle? A rubber dinghy. The route? Across the Hudson. What could possibly go wrong? MoSpod.org

Basecamp co-founder and CEO Jason Fried takes us back to the beginning of his business journey, when, as a suburban 13 year old without any plans in life, he got a call from his neighbor Adam, who simply said, "Hey, you gotta see this." MoSpod.org