Hosted by Celero founder Kevin Jones and longtime friend and business partner Brian Castle, Because We Had To is a podcast for the dreamers among us, explained Castle. “Kevin and I have been working together off and on and collaborating on various projects for more than 20 years,” he explained. “Right now, we’re doing a lot together to uplift small businesses. That was important to us before the COVID-19 outbreak, and it’s even more important now. These are the folks who dare to dream, and they make a lot of what’s great about our country even possible for the rest of us.”
For the new podcast, Jones and Castle will discuss a range of topics, from entrepreneurship and leadership to creating great company cultures and developing people to their full potential in work and life. The duo will also explore the values they hold dear, like humility and respect. “We want to have conversations with each other and guests that are funny and inspiring, thought-provoking and endearing, evocative of relationships of those who are battle-hardened yet still fresh in their passion,” Castle said.
“I’m so thrilled that Brian and I have been able to do more writing together on these subjects that drive entrepreneurship and leadership,” said Jones. “The inspiration for the name, Because We Had To, is one of our favorite Avett Brothers songs. It speaks to the essence of what drives all of us to pursue greatness in business and in life. It’s the yearning of the creative spirits, the problem-solvers, and even the entertainers among us that never abates and always abides. This podcast is for those who dream. Sometimes we pursue our dreams just because we have to, because of that thirst to pursue our ideas and our passions.”
While the pair previously had other ideas for the kickoff episode of Because We Had To, as with many aspects of American life, things changed with the coronavirus outbreak. “Brian and I took a first things first approach with this podcast,” explained Jones. “It felt appropriate to dedicate our first episode to trying to help those businesses out there that are hurting.
To that end, the podcast will launch with Castle and Jones hosting a number of guests from the Celero leadership team, including Kevin Brolan, Matt Moore, and Scott Farace. Brolan, who heads up sales at the company, will discuss elements of Celero’s COVID-19 Survival Kit, a set of tools designed to help restaurants, shops, salons, and other businesses survive and eventually grow more sustainably. Moore, who leads the company’s BankMax program, will speak to tools for community bankers as they try to triage local businesses. Finally, Chief Marketing Officer Scott Farace will share stories of small business resilience and innovation, along with advice for business owners to effectively market to their customer base and serve their communities during this time of crisis.
Listen to Episode 1 of Because We Had To, now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Soundcloud.