So many great lessons have been learned, and here are the biggest ones. 6 episodes in, a million to go. Thanks for tuning in!

This week I sat down with a friend and role model of mine, Joani Baird. Owner of Ori Wines, mom, corporate baller, and the founder of Running for the High of It, a mental health focused run club here in Boise (the most awesome run club in the history of the universe btw).

We got to talk about the deeper meaning of Running for the High of It, mental health, the launch of her wine label Ori Wines (OUT NOW!), lessons Joani has learned in the corporate world, and so much more 🤘🏻

You rock Joani, thank you so much for your time :)

Connect with Joani:
🏃 Running for the High of It — Thursdays, 6:30pm, Wild Child/Push & Pour/The Still
🍷 Ori Wines — oriwines.com



00:00 – Intro & getting to know Joani
00:36 – The origin story of Running for the High of It
03:08 – Growth, proud moments, and impact of the run club
07:37 – Mental health stats and why rates are climbing
11:05 – Social media, comparison culture, and mental health
12:00 – Breaking down expert-backed self-care tips
16:17 – Parenting in the social media age & raising her daughter
20:05 – Joani's personal mental health routines & staying balanced with a packed schedule
23:27 – Her experience in therapy and finding the right fit
27:48 – Her corporate career path in food/CPG sales
38:58 – Ori Wines — the origin, her brother's story, and what's next
47:48 – Where to find Joani, Run Club, and Ori Wines

Stu Block is a CPA and environmental accountant who founded Sustas LLC, an ESG and sustainability consulting firm based in Boise, Idaho. He built the firm from scratch after leaving Ernst & Young, landed clients including Amazon, and grew and sold the company in just a few short years. He is currently the Energy and GHG Inventory Leader at GE Vernova, and is launching a new business on the side as well: Warm Springs Financial Group — with the tagline "Finally, a CPA who knows your name in July."

Stu, you're a gangster. Thanks for the great stories and advice.

0:00 — Intro & Stu's background: CPA, environmental accounting, Ernst & Young
10:00 — Building an independent consulting firm: "You are the product"
23:00 — Origin story: solar panels on a frat house roof and how it led to entrepreneurship
26:00 — Networking strategy, maintaining relationships, and why phone calls still win
35:00 — Working inside big companies: small wins, communication styles, and ego at the door
41:00 — Pricing yourself, rate negotiation, and scaling the solo practice
46:00 — Sales mindset: confidence vs. desperation and why "sell" isn't a dirty word
51:00 — Finding a co-founder, building the partnership, and what happened at the exit
59:00 — What's next: Warm Springs Financial Group and "the CPA who knows your name in July"