Jeff is the Executive Director of The Gathering of the Miami Valley in Springfield, Ohio. The mission of The Gathering is to connect men to men and men to God. Jeff is a close friend of our Owner Landon Wade who was Chair of Jeff’s board when he lived in Springfield.

Looking at a faith-based not-for-profit organization was really interesting in spite of the limited resources available for branded clothing & promotional products.  There is still a strong need to build a brand that makes people feel like they belong, you just have to be very creative to do it!

Jeff has always found that when people feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves, they are more likely to take action.

This has certainly been the case with The Gathering of the Miami Valley.  One of the ways this is evident is the dramatic shift in how they have been funded over the years.  In the beginning, over 90% of funding came from ‘institutions’ such as foundations.  Today, that number has flipped completely to over 90% funded by individuals.  

This is really an amazing testimony to Jeff’s commitment to building a brand as a movement and not an organization.  It’s also been fun through the years for Landon and Goodson to help with some of their design needs as well as some targeted branded clothing and promotional items to give supporters something to let people know they belong.

This is a unique episode, but worth a listen to explore how The Gathering started and how one person’s passion can ripple across a region and even the world.  If you know Jeff, and most do, you will be reminded of just how authentic and genuine he is.  If you don’t, you’ll want to by the end. 

Oh, and one more thing, this is the first episode where a police officer makes a cameo.  Enjoy!