In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we sit down with Blake Spalding and Jen Castle, executive chefs and founders of the iconic Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah.

For more than 25 years, Blake and Jen have built far more than a restaurant—they’ve built a community rooted in hospitality, advocacy, and a deep commitment to the land and people around them. Their work has become a powerful example of how business can be used as a platform for values, courage, and collective care.

What began as a shared love of food and partnership grew into a restaurant that feeds both the body and the spirit. Along the way, Blake and Jen have used their voices to advocate for environmental protection, community well-being, and the idea that success isn’t measured by profit alone.

In this conversation, they share stories of building a values-driven business, navigating activism as business owners, and redefining what it means to lead with integrity in a complicated world.

Together, we unpack:

- The story behind Hell’s Backbone Grill and how Blake and Jen built their partnership
- Using business as a platform for advocacy and environmental protection
- The courage it takes to use your voice—even when it’s uncomfortable
- Navigating criticism, community pressure, and standing by your values
- How food and hospitality can become a space for connection and healing
- Redefining success beyond money, status, or traditional metrics
- Why small businesses can be powerful centers of culture and change

This episode is thoughtful, bold, and deeply human—an exploration of what happens when people choose to lead with integrity, speak up for what matters, and build something that nourishes far beyond the plate.

Where to find Hell’s Backbone Grill:

Hell’s Backbone Grill
https://www.hellsbackbonegrill.com

Follow Blake & Jen
Instagram: @hellsbackbonegrill

Disclaimer
This conversation reflects personal experiences and perspectives. Every business, community, and leadership journey is unique. We encourage listeners to reflect on what resonates and explore their own path toward meaningful work and impact.

Connect with us!

Continue the conversation with us inside the Maven Network, our private space on BFF:
https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131

Follow us on Instagram
@mavenslc

More at → https://www.mavenslc.com

Connect with us!

💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF
https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131

📲 Follow us on Instagram
instagram.com/maven.community

✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us.

More at → mavenslc.com

In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what it means to advocate — not just in big public moments, but in the quieter, everyday ways we use our voice to influence change.

Rocky Donati and Tessa Arneson sit down with business leader and advocate Natalie Caddis and communications strategist Jenna Smith for a conversation about leadership, storytelling, and the surprising ways small moments of courage can ripple outward.

Through personal stories and lived experience, Natalie shares what it was like to step into leadership of her family’s manufacturing company during a time of uncertainty — navigating real financial pressure while learning how resilience, creativity, and persistence can reshape what’s possible. Jenna brings a communications lens to the conversation, offering insight into how stories, relationships, and follow-up can open unexpected doors — even leading to moments that feel almost impossible.

Together, this episode explores the ways advocacy shows up in business, leadership, and daily life. From navigating crises to pitching ideas, connecting with media, and building relationships that matter, the conversation reveals how influence is often built through consistency, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up.

Rather than presenting advocacy as something reserved for activists or public figures, this episode reframes it as a practice — something we can all cultivate in our work, communities, and relationships.

Together, we unpack:
- What advocacy really looks like in everyday leadership
- How storytelling can shape influence and open unexpected opportunities
- The role of persistence and follow-up in building meaningful connections
- Why relationships often matter more than credentials or authority
- How moments of pressure can reveal the leaders we’re becoming
- The small actions that can create surprising ripple effects

This episode is an invitation to reflect on the ways your own voice — and your willingness to use it — might shape the conversations, opportunities, and communities around you.

Connect with us

Continue the conversation with us inside the Maven Network, our private space on BFF

Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mavenslc

More at → https://www.mavenslc.com

✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us.

Connect with us!

💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF
https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131

📲 Follow us on Instagram
instagram.com/maven.community

✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us.

More at → mavenslc.com

In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what it means to listen — really listen — to the quiet intelligence within.

Rocky Donati and Tessa Stuckey sit down with Jennifer Mulholland for a deeply embodied conversation about soul knowing, presence, and the moments in life when we’re called to leap before we have all the answers. Through story, reflection, and lived experience, Jennifer shares how learning to trust the body’s wisdom has shaped her path — from athletics and corporate leadership to healing work, entrepreneurship, and guiding others back to themselves.

This conversation weaves together themes of integrity, intuition, and the courage it takes to slow down in a world that rewards speed and strategy. Jennifer opens up about listening through the body, navigating major life transitions, and learning to distinguish between the voice of fear and the quiet clarity of soul speak.

Rather than offering formulas or fixes, this episode is an invitation — to soften, to notice, and to experiment with presence in small, accessible ways.

Together, we unpack:
- What it means to listen to the body as an inner compass
- The difference between strategy-driven decisions and soul-led ones
- How slowing down creates access to clarity, healing, and alignment
- Why sensation, expansion, and contraction can be powerful guides
- The role of space, silence, and attention in meaningful change
- How trusting the next step — without knowing the whole path — can transform a life

This episode is an invitation to remember your wholeness and reconnect with the wisdom that’s already within you.

Resources Mentioned:
Jennifer Mulholland
Embodiment guide, speaker, and coach
Website: https://jennifermulholland.com/

Disclaimer:
This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Everyone’s body, nervous system, and healing journey is unique. We encourage you to consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your physical or emotional health.

Connect with us!

💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF
https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131

📲 Follow us on Instagram
instagram.com/maven.community

✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us.

More at → mavenslc.com