Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Foster.
Justin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I believe when you connect to your soul, everything changes. This is a lesson I learned from overcoming a traumatic childhood, being raised in a fundamentalist culture and becoming an entrepreneur.
Along a journey that started on a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon to all 50 states and six countries, I have worked with leaders of every sector and industry to help them create vibrant, relevant, mission-based brands. I’m the co-founder with Emily Soccorsy of the intrinsic branding firm Root + River, I am a relentless advocate for unleashing the power of being human – and a vocal supporter of leaders who want to eliminate all that is average and stale in their organizations.
After 43 years in the pacific northwest, I now live in Austin, TX – where I soak up the creative energy, outdoors, live music, BBQ and tacos!
In addition to co-running Root + River, I am also a mentor, speaker, coach, and poet.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of my personal mantras is “Success without scars is just good luck”. Being raised on a ranch taught me hard work. A traumatic childhood gave me the drive to create a different life for my sons. I have been an entrepreneur in some form since 2003. That has its own share of struggles, lessons, failures … and enough successes to keep going. After many years in a fundamentalist church, I left and found my true self. Yes, there were many, many struggles but it was all worth it to get here.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am immensely proud of what we’ve created in Root + River. We believe every great brand is a spiritual experience. Our approach to branding is quite different than traditional methods. To begin with, we believe that all brands start at the root. This root is found in the hearts of leaders and is then manifested in how others experience their brand daily – starting with their internal culture and extending out to the overall experience of the humans that touch their brand.
Our role is to help our clients uncover and amplify their true brand. Not to create a facsimile of perception but to identify the foundation of the client’s unique beliefs and character and then build a monument to what they believe. To accomplish this, we re-connect a brand’s leaders to their values, translate these values to the internal culture, then amplify these values as a powerhouse emotional message for attracting people to the brand.
We are an un-agency. For our clients, this means they will be working directly with us, Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster, the co-founders. We will first listen, learn, articulate and then to apply a strategy. After we have done so, we analyze the appropriate tactics and build a custom tactical execution plan that works for our client’s needs. This coaching model helps us stay unbiased in our recommendations and greatly maximizes the value of our client’s marketing dollars.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up quiet and shy in some respects – but rebellious and defiant in others. I now know the defiant part of me was the real me – and that the quiet, insecure, anxious kid was just the result of my circumstances. I’ve always had an imagination, a curiosity. I’ve always had a sense of adventure. I’ve always had a voracious appetite for knowledge. After many years creating a construct of what I thought I needed to be in order to be successful, I am now much more like the real Justin I was in my youth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rootandriver.com/
- Email: justin@rootandriver.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosterthinking/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fosterthinking
- Other: https://about.me/fosterthinking
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