UNFOLLOW
41 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -Good advice is often like fruitcake - we’ve all been given some but do we want it? Join us as we challenge seemingly good theories that lead to bad decisions in business, faith and family. We are Adrian Parker and Daryl Calfee, 40-year-old marketers fueled by a passion for humble, honest storytelling and recipients of master’s degrees in really dumb ideas. Luckily, we’ve worked with and for really amazing brands – Foot Locker, Nike, Moore & Giles Leather, Patrón Tequila, Kate Spade – while learning to embrace unconventional lessons. Normal ain’t working.
We’ll expose our scars and share stories on tough topics like making (and losing) money, juggling work and family, handling racial injustice, raising future adults and confronting Christianity’s hard questions. You’ll journey with us as we lead our teams, our businesses and ourselves by design, not default.
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Episodes
Lessons in Life Long Friendships
December 25, 2022 14:00 - 49 minutes - 68.6 MBA man's wealth is often measured in the quality of his friendships, but making friends is hard and building great lifelong one's is a rare gift. AP & DC have been just that for twenty years now. They start this season with fellow friend and host, Billy Hansen of the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast, during visit to Mimosa Hill Farm on one of AP's many journeys to Lynchburg. Join the boys as they openly unpack what friendship really means to them at this point in their lives, careers a...
Why Didn't God Protect Them - In His Own Words
August 27, 2022 14:34 - 9 minutes - 13.2 MBOn May 24, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and 2 teachers were fatally shot, and seventeen others were wounded. As I attempted to talk about this tragedy with my 3 kids, one of them asked a simple question: Why didn't God protect them? My feeble attempts to answer the answerable led to another question. Have we ever really cared about other people’s children? *This is an audio reading of Adrian's blog post, "Why Didn't...
How to Become a Token - In His Own Words
August 12, 2022 16:36 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBWhat does it mean to be a "token" hire and how do you prevent diversity & inclusion efforts from becoming corporate theater? When we replace the fight for equality with the desire for respect and admiration, who does it really benefit? Adrian (AP) shares raw, honest words from his recent blog post, "How To Become a Token." Read the full article here: How To Become a Token Follow the conversation on LinkedIn
10 Reasons You Can't Find Black Talent - In His Own Words
July 27, 2022 22:18 - 12 minutes - 16.7 MBRacism is a system, not an event. And corporate racism isn’t a problem to solve for Black people. It’s an organizational epidemic to address for everyone. Adrian (AP) reads an audio version of his recent blog post and speaks hard truth: The Black talent you don’t see is a direct reflection of what you don’t do. Here are 10 reasons you can't find Black talent... that have nothing to do with the talent of Black people. Full Article: 10 Reasons You Can't Find Black Talent Adrian Blo...
Season 2 - How Courage Works
December 06, 2021 01:47 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBCourage changes everything. How & who we love, where we work, and what we do all depend on our ability to fight fear. In the final episode of season 2, Daryl and AP share what they’ve learned during one of the most courageous years of their lives. Courage is transferable, renewable and it compounds over time as we use it for others. How can courage become a weapon for change, a safe house for love, and an accelerant for truth in a world where fear seems to be in surplus? Connect: ...
Season 2 - Why Our Social Media Addictions Aren't Accidents
November 22, 2021 14:26 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBAfter spending 30 days on digital detox away from social media, Adrian returns to share his reflections and revelations with Daryl. They discuss how their marketing careers were focused on using and investing in social media businesses without much thought for the impact on consumers. As more research becomes available, it’s time for us to understand how Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other mobile apps profit from our attention (addiction), information (disinformation), an...
Season 2 - How to Start Your New Job Well
November 10, 2021 02:35 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MB50% of all new hires fail within the first 18 months. Changing jobs, careers, or companies is hard enough under normal circumstances but seems absolutely dreadful during the dumpster fire that is 2021. Adrian (aka "Mr. Change-A-Job") provides both a reality check and a roadmap for navigating the first 30 days in a new role. His simple approach involves starting any new job like a Journalist, then becoming a Scientist, and lastly a Psychologist. Adrian and Daryl discuss the key conve...
Season 2 - How to Handle Hard Feedback
October 29, 2021 21:57 - 53 minutes - 49 MBFeedback can be a helpful gift or a harmful weapon depending on how it's given. While many of us dread the "F-word", it can be a powerful tool for building results and relationships long-term. Adrian and Daryl share the hardest professional feedback they've received and how they responded. They discuss the 3 types of feedback - Appreciation, Evaluation & Coaching - and how leaders use each of them to accelerate trust via influence. What can you do when obnoxious feedback goes wrong?...
Season 2 - Living Rich vs. Building Wealth
October 23, 2021 00:26 - 55 minutes - 51 MBThis episode is a confession about the bad habits that kept Adrian broke, the stupidity of living rich, and his 10-year trek to financial fitness. He confronts his own economic ignorance and walks listeners through the money mindsets he had to unlearn in order to grow. Debt is not normal. Money is not evil. Hustle is not a shortcut to a better life, a budget is. Daryl digs into the money questions Adrian gets most often (how did you "pretire" at 41?) as they discuss debt, generosity...
Season 2 - The Property Brother
October 19, 2021 19:33 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBToday, Daryl manages a residential and commercial real estate portfolio worth millions but his pathway to being a property brother wasn't a straight line. Daryl reveals where he and his wife's bank account was 14 years ago (hint: it rhymes with "hero") and the mindsets, milestones, and habits that changed their economic future. From flips and loans to deals and taxes, Adrian gets a front-row seat to how housing helps create income and build wealth. Books Mentioned: Rich Dad Poor Da...
Season 2 - Oh Ye of Little Faith
October 08, 2021 01:09 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBHas the past year kicked your butt? Join the club. From funerals and family struggles to friendship loss and letdown, how do you cope when hope is distant? Why don't guys talk about "self-love"? This honest conversation captures uncomfortable truths about faith, healing, and wholeness as Daryl and Adrian share from the heart. Faith never grants immunity from hurt but it can help us find restoration when we need it most. Connect: "AP" Adrian Parker LinkedIn Twitter @adriandparker I...
Season 2 - So You're Still Talking About Race?
September 30, 2021 18:34 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBThis episode gets real about the recent pushback on pursuing social justice and why facts don't change people's minds. Adrian asks Daryl the questions Black Americans want to hear in a special edition of "Uncomfortable Conversations with a White Guy", and we invite listeners to a different fight - the fight for unity. What happened to all the allies from one year ago? Why are we still talking about race? Connect: "AP" Adrian Parker LinkedIn Twitter @adriandparker Instagram @adrian...
Season 2 - Career Flight Plans
September 23, 2021 12:36 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBLike great pilots, good leaders create the conditions for success by following a plan, trusting the crew, and knowing where - and when - to land safely. When Adrian joined Patrón Tequila 8 years ago as Vice President of Digital Marketing, he had no clue how high or low the journey would go. In this candid conversation, Daryl gets Adrian to open up about the factors driving the tequila brand's rapid ascension and practical lessons for leaders in turbulent times. What does a brave car...
Season 2 - Lessons on Leaving
September 16, 2021 01:51 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBSeason 2 kicks off with a deeper look into the "Great Resignation" happening all over workplaces. Adrian and Daryl share how they faced their financial and personal fears to make the executive exodus, and just how they'll pay the bills without the corporate paycheck. Daryl reveals his master plans to become a real estate mogul who does marketing on the side. Adrian gets real about why he only lasted 1 month as a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and what it's really like being a "house ...
SEASON 2 - Intro
September 10, 2021 01:50 - 17 minutes - 16 MBDaryl (DC) and Adrian (AP) are quitters. But what if leaving a job you love is the way to do work that matters? How is quitting different from losing? Why does contentment seem so fleeting? Season 2 of the UNFOLLOW Podcast kicks off with some major life updates for both Daryl and Adrian. Find out what it's like being the VP of Nothing and what's ahead in business, faith, and family. And therapy. Lots of therapy in Season 2 of the UNFOLLOW Podcast. Connect: "AP" Adrian Parker Linke...
UNFOLLOW - 2020 Capstone Episode
December 23, 2020 06:20 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBWhat a year. As we recap the most popular conversations of the UNFOLLOW Podcast for 2020 - we also discuss what we learned along the way. "Leadership is Uncertainty." - AP "Pursuit over Perfection...Grit and Gratitude." - DC Favorite Books (David Brooks was a favorite author of both AP & DC) The Road to Character - AP The Second Mountain - DC Favorite Podcasts Darius Daniels BEMA Discipleship - Marty Solomon Favorite Music Maverick City Music
UNFOLLOW5 - What's the Difference? Advertising vs. Marketing
October 12, 2020 00:46 - 3 minutes - 3.41 MBWhat's the Difference? Advertising vs. Marketing
UNFOLLOW5 - The Half-Life of Your Money
October 12, 2020 00:35 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MBThe Half-Life of Your Money
UNFOLLOW5 - Making Better Dad Decisions
September 30, 2020 00:09 - 5 minutes - 5.08 MBMaking Better Dad Decisions
UNFOLLOW5 - Asking Questions Like a Boss
September 28, 2020 02:11 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBAsking Questions Like a Boss
UNFOLLOW5 - Pointless Prayers
September 13, 2020 15:23 - 3 minutes - 2.99 MBStop Praying Pointless Prayers
UNFOLLOW5 - Parenting During a Pandemic
September 11, 2020 12:16 - 5 minutes - 5.14 MBParenting During a Pandemic
UNFOLLOW - Pro Tips: On Resumes, Interviews and Goodbyes
August 21, 2020 21:52 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBResumes, Interviews and Goodbyes... In the last episode of this season, AP & DC tackle questions from listeners and share their own clumsy experiences climbing the corporate ladder. Learn why interviews are auditions not speed dates, why resumes are movie trailers not movie credits and how to think about MBAs as accelerants not requirements. How do you land the job you want, leave the job you don't or even love the job you have? Books Mentioned: Called to Create: A Biblical Invit...
UNFOLLOW - Dangerous Decoys
August 13, 2020 23:15 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBDangerous Decoys... It's so easy to pursue the perception of success instead of investing the time & sweat to actually reach your goals. But perception is never reality and this decoy has a cost. So why are we so good at getting business so wrong? Could it be we're aiming at the wrong goals to begin with? From brand awards & assignments to business titles & targets, DC and AP share how seemingly harmless decoys hurt more than we realize. They share tips for minimizing busy work and ...
UNFOLLOW - Leading in the Dark
August 06, 2020 02:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBLeading in the Dark... Driving at night can be four-times deadlier than daytime because of decreased visibility and increased driver error. Leading a business or team during uncertainty (or a global pandemic?) can be just as treacherous, especially if you're unprepared or overdependent on familiar tools. In this episode, AP and DC offer stories, learnings and failures from the frontlines of budget cuts, bankruptcy & re-orgs and other crises that can make or break a business. How do ...
UNFOLLOW - Ugly Faith
July 29, 2020 13:05 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBUgly Faith... No matter what you believe, the truth of who we trust is often exposed when things don't go as planned. From an unexpected death to an untimely diagnosis, faith gets fragile when life gets ugly. In this disarmingly honest discussion, DC recounts how the past year of Johanna's cancer battle has shaped their lives and what he's learning about gratitude, hope and community. How do we support friends who are suffering without trying to "fix" them? Books Mentioned: Surpri...
UNFOLLOW - What Shape Are You In?
July 22, 2020 14:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBWhat Shape Are You In? The state of your body has an overwhelming impact on the state of your business but who really has time to work out regularly? Whether you're rocking a "Dad bod" or look like a Greek god, why does it matter? On this episode, Daryl "Crossfit" Calfee shares his health journey and we discuss the emotional, spiritual and mental benefits of fitness as a witness to others. From fasting and resting to taking Sunday Sabbath, AP and DC candidly share lessons of fitness...
SPECIAL EPISODE: Things Racist People Say
July 16, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBThings Racist People Say...Your response to racism reveals more about you than you think. Are you a Rejector who denies racism as a reality or a Referee who see “both sides” of injustice? On this special episode hosted by DC, AP shares the affirmation, confrontations and criticism he’s received while talking, writing and sharing about white supremacy. They explain the 5 most common responses to racism and how empathy and awareness are the foundations for building truly Anti-Racist a...
UNFOLLOW - Work Jerks
July 09, 2020 13:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBWork Jerks... We all know them but what do we do about it? From Bullies to Brilliant Buttholes, how we deal with difficult people reveals more about us than we admit. What does it look like to be a peace-keeping, grace-giving, enemy-forgiving follower of Christ in a world of dysfunction? Adrian and Daryl confess their own Work Jerk tendencies and the tactics they've used to neutralize negative people, converting obstacles into outcomes. Books Mentioned: Move: How Decisive Leaders ...
UNFOLLOW - The Marriage Lies We Love
June 30, 2020 22:30 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBThe Marriage Lies We Love... How can we build happy marriages when we're constantly repacking the baggage we brought in, the lies we believed and the half-truths we're still holding on to? Why do we spend the least time talking about what we argue about the most: sex, money and family? What happens when we stop trying to find the right person and start trying to be the right person? AP & DC attempt to talk about it on this episode without getting divorced or being banished to the co...
UNFOLLOW - 5
June 24, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBCows, Cars & Dads...AP & DC reflect on the fathers they had, the fathers they are and the fathers they are becoming. From burning cows to runaway cars, they discuss what it takes to lead at home with children who have minds and hearts of their own. AP & DC also dish on the not-so-obvious decisions dads make each day that have an outsized impact on our families.
UNFOLLOW - Cows, Cars & Dads
June 24, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBCows, Cars & Dads...AP & DC reflect on the fathers they had, the fathers they are and the fathers they are becoming. From burning cows to runaway cars, they discuss what it takes to lead at home with children who have minds and hearts of their own. AP & DC also dish on the not-so-obvious decisions dads make each day that have an outsized impact on our families. Books Mentioned: How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian When Wo...
UNFOLLOW - 4
June 18, 2020 01:30 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBOne for the Ladies...sexually inappropriate language and touching are just the beginning. As men, we have to do better. That means listening, learning and leading - at church, work and home. AP & DC may loose some friends on this one. NEW! Original music produced by Lord Alfred Brown.
UNFOLLOW - One For The Ladies
June 18, 2020 01:30 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBOne for the Ladies...sexually inappropriate language and touching are just the beginning. As men, we have to do better. That means listening, learning and leading - at church, work and home. AP & DC may loose some friends on this one. The guys go into early moments in their careers where "locker room" talk was accepted and what they should have done differently. DC talks about what warning signs to lookout for in bad leaders. AP talks openly about what its like to lead teams that ar...
UNFOLLOW - 3
June 09, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBMo’ Money, No Problems…Do you spend your money like you know where you are going? AP + DC share early missteps with money in their 20's and begin to unpack their current views on capital, budgets, real estate and the spiritual aspect of money.
UNFOLLOW - Mo' Money, No Problems
June 09, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBMo’ Money, No Problems…Do you spend your money like you know where you are going? AP + DC share early bad advice on money and investments they received from folks in their 20's and begin to unpack their current views on capital. AP looks back at what it was like to have six children living on a meager pastor's salary and what it taught him about money. While DC talks about real estate and what reframing the spirituality of money has done for him. The guys both dive into an overview ...
UNFOLLOW - Is Your Church Racist?
June 04, 2020 02:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBIs your church racist? In the week following George Floyd's death, race and social justice are the two topics on everyone's mind and heart - at least they should be in the Church. So the fellas come directly at the race questions Christian African Americans are asking their white counterparts "Where have you been? And why have you been silent while we suffer?" Then there is the good advice gone bad with car payments and how poor credit happens at home and in culture with our brother...
UNFOLLOW - 2
June 04, 2020 02:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBFrom race to finances, join AP + DC as they tackle the tough questions and conversations staring our country in the face. AP reflects on how the recent killing of George Floyd and other unarmed African Americans has triggered both a tsunami of grief in his community and an avalanche of awareness globally. DC also shares bad advice on money management that we all should ignore.
UNFOLLOW - 1
May 28, 2020 02:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBThis is the origin story. AP + DC unpack where it all began almost 20 years ago in the sneaker world. They will discuss the worst good advice they received early in their careers, how to start a new job and how their faith is impacting their view on racism.
UNFOLLOW - The Origin Story
May 28, 2020 02:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBIn this first episode, AP + DC lean into why its important to take on extra work early in your career. They discuss how making video content lead to a life-long bond as well as developing a creative muscle they have used for 20 years. AP teaches how to start start a job - the right way. He gives The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins to all new team members. DC discusses what it looks like to lead his family away from a season of cancer by using his understanding of his enneagram numb...