19. Exercise that Growth Muscle. Failing It! with David Gardner, Founder of ColorJar

“The only time it’s game over is when you run out of options.” - David Gardner, ColorJar

In this episode, host Erin Diehl chats with The Big Jump podcast host and CEO and founder of ColorJar, David Gardner. His goal is to unlock potential for brands that matter and inspire people to reinvent themselves. He truly believes that failure is something the world needs to hear more of, which makes him a perfect Failed It! guest. Listen to David as he tells his story on how he went from a professional basketball player to a successful entrepreneur!

Links from show discussions:

• improve it! Laugh Break
• Aaptiv App - The app to help you fill your kettle so you can fill others’ cups!
• The Big Jump podcast

David Gardner is a former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur who started his company ColorJar from his bedroom in 2008.

Now one Chicago’s top-rated brand consulting and design firms, ColorJar is on a mission to unlock potential for brands that matter. ColorJar specializes in revitalizing brands at key moments of change to drive business results.

David began his branding career in 2003 when he co-founded positive news website Buzzflood, while balancing student-athlete life as an All-Ivy League basketball player and team MVP at Dartmouth.

He’s also the host of a popular podcast, The Big Jump, where he interviews professional athletes who have created success beyond sports.

David is regularly featured in the media and speaks across the US and internationally on the topics of branding and human reinvention.

Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.

This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.

When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running by the lake and patio dinners with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.

You can follow the failed it! Podcast on Instagram and facebook, and you can follow Erin here on Instagram. We can’t wait to connect with you online!