Episode 058 - The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund

Taylor McAdams: Hi, everybody, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Kick Your Boots Up podcast if you like what you see, and even if you don't, feel free to like, subscribe, share this with your friends, tell everyone about it. We want you to have your feedback and to be able to have the opportunity to tell us who you want to hear and what stories you want to hear. So please feel free to do that. And without further ado, I have got to introduce you to one of my good friends. We have a history, and I'm so excited to talk about that a little bit. This is Julie Jutten. She's currently the general manager at the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. And that is one hat that you wear. Another hat that Julie gets to wear. She is the owner and managing partner of Julie Jutten marketing and events, and I think that's really cool, too, because there's a lot to learn from Julie. She has a lot of years in the industry, and so without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Julie Jutten,

Julie Jutten:  Thank you so glad to be here. I appreciate it.

Taylor McAdams: Of course. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule. I understand you guys had meetings today.

Julie Jutten: Yes, we had our annual summer board meeting, and I went very well. We have a great board, and they work so hard, and they have such a great heart for the crisis one. So, these board meetings aren't usually very tough.

Taylor McAdams: I can imagine just the energy that you guys all share and the passion, and we'll have to talk about the jccf in a little bit. But before we do, you guys need to know how it works. We want to hear more about you. So tell us about you and your upbringing and how it brought you to Rodeo to begin with. Then, we'll talk about how you got to the JCCs. Yeah, it's

Julie Jutten: I grew up in a small town in Colorado, Southwest Colorado. My parents had a ranch, and they owned a farm supply store in town. And I kind of laughed growing up. I, like, didn't get into the Western way of life at all. I played tennis and was, like, really kind of a city girl, as much as you could be in my little town and and then I grew up and work in rodeo. And sure wish that my parents still had that farm supply store so I could get more boots from Justin and jeans. So good answer, yeah, I segued into rodeo via college, I studied sports marketing and worked for a hockey team for a period of time, and ended up over at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and just sort of moved around through the PRCA structure and had a great time. And I did so many different things there, and I think that's one thing why I started my own business is that I I just wore so many different hats at PRCA, and I learned to do so many different things, and so it has made operating my business a lot easier. 

Taylor McAdams: And actually, it's cool that you brought that up, because I first met you whenever you were over the outreach program at the PRCA, which included camps, yes,

Julie Jutten: yeah, yes. So under the leadership of Karl Stressman, who was a previous PRCA Commissioner and

Taylor McAdams: A Kick Your Boots Up podcast, guest, go find his episode.

Julie Jutten: Oh, I bet that was fun. He's my favorite. So yeah, he started this industry Outreach Division at PRCA, and I worked in that department. And we did start a Youth Rodeo, like education initiative, outreach program, and we spoke about that in our board meeting today, actually, because we just helped a kid who got injured at a rodeo that was got his start in rodeo at those rodeo camps here at the Fort Worth rodeo. He was the cutest little kid, and now he's, you know, he's an adult, and he's a professional rodeo bareback rider, and we are just delighted to see that. So, yeah, that was a great program, and that is where we met, because we were doing little britches work together, right, right. 

Taylor McAdams: Yes, on camera again, yes. You know you're gonna stop answering my calls one day. Maybe every time I call, I'm like, Julie, do you want to be on camera? No,

Julie Jutten: but I always show up. 

Taylor McAdams: Yes, you do, and I appreciate that, because it says a lot about your heart too, even like the roles that you've had, my favorite opportunity to run into you is in Vegas, whenever you're doing work for the Justin Catholic crisis fund. For their fundraiser, they are their silent auction, and even their ladies, I mean, all the events that they have going on there. So your heart is so big and thank you, it says a lot about you. Thank you. I want to back up just a little bit, because I can't let you go on without talking more about your time working with a hockey team. It could be, if I'm wrong, something with the Olympics at 1.0 yeah,

Julie Jutten: yeah, yeah. So I, right out of college, I had actually been interning with a minor league hockey team, and so I worked for them out of college and and that was super fun. And I actually compare a lot of what I learned during hockey to working in professional rodeo. I think there's a lot of symmetry and similarities between the athletes, and it's, I think, for the love of the game, kind of thing between hockey and rodeo. And so that that is it ties in nicely. But there was a point in my career. When I did leave PRCA for a short stint, I went to work for USA figure skating, figure skating, yes, and there was a gentleman there that was their chief marketing officer, and I had seen him speak at a conference, and I just thought, you know, I want to work for that guy. I bet I could learn a lot. So I did. I left. I. Applied for a job there and went over for I didn't. I made it a year figure skating, and I learned as much as I could from him and and then actually, Carl stressman became the commissioner of PRCA, and had started that new department, and so asked if I would have come back and and I did. And so, but you figure skating in the Olympics. That's another that's a tough it's a tough group. I mean, again, for the love of the sport, you know, they work really hard, and it's always good for your for your career, and just as a human, I think, to be exposed to different types of sport and different types of work. And so I enjoyed my time there as well, but was certainly happy to get back to Rodeo too,

Taylor McAdams: I bet. And that's kind of cool too, from my perspective, looking at like the things that you could learn and then bring it back to Rodeo too, because it a lot of it does translate. They're same. They're all athletes. They all have the same problems, but maybe different, whether it be their gear or whatever they need, training, coaches, preparation, all of that. So that's cool for you on the marketing side to then also kind of correlate that as well, bringing somewhat of what you know from the industry here, and then also bringing some of your rodeo knowledge to the figure skating or wherever. So there's a lot of people out there right now, currently that do that. I know a lot of my friends have just graduated college, and they had every intention, they have an ag degree, every intention of going into the ag industry and then end up working pharmaceutical cells, mainstream, and loving it, and doing different things. So I think I agree. I did know that it's really cool to have the versatility.

Julie Jutten: I enjoyed it. It was it was all you sometimes are working somewhere, and you don't know why you're there, and then you know, years later, you can recall on a memory or an experience, and know, okay, I learned a lesson, and it's gonna help me. It's gonna help me right now. So 

Taylor McAdams: Oh, without a doubt. And it's so crazy that you said that exact thing too, because I was just talking off camera with our producer, Juan, so got to give him a shout out. And we were talking about, like, things that have happened to us in our in our past careers, and did you grow from it? Were you stronger from it? And so I cannot commend you enough that is so cool. Everything that you learn, even internships. I preach that probably to all of the listeners out there, the internships are so big that you need to grow. And so I guess I'm gonna, this is gonna kind of lead me to my next question for you. What is your best piece of advice for someone that is in the internship phase, or they just graduated college, or they're about to graduate college and they are job hunting, or maybe they've even been in the industry for 30 years and they want to find a new job or whatever. What's your best piece of advice for them? And then I'll have another question after, okay,

Julie Jutten: okay, yeah, yeah, actually, I think you already said the answer. I definitely think it's internships. I think I think that's the best way to get in somewhere and learn, and I think it's really important for young people or even if you're changing careers, like go in and learn from the people who are there, like they've likely tried a lot of stuff and failed and tried and been successful. And so I think it's important to have those experiences and and always be learning. You know, I think we want to go into places, and we want to be confident and secure. And, you know, we want to go into a good job, but there's just so much to learn from the people who came before. I worked somewhere early on, when I was in college and had nothing to do with sports marketing, but I remember the company was called optica, and they were always looking for people who had optica experience. And I just remember that it was like, we want people who understand our business and our structure and how we're laid out. And so it's not always that you know how to, you know market or do accounting. It's like they want somebody that can fit into the culture of the company. And so I think that's my number one advice, is go in and learn and not be afraid to wear many hats. Offer to volunteer for other departments if there's something going on, just wherever you can step in and help out, because you're going to be able to draw on that experience for your whole career. 

Taylor McAdams: That is such solid advice, and I can totally back that up, because in my past life, I guess you would say my past job, it was a startup company, and so I learned to wear many different hats in one day. But I'm so thankful for it, because now I can come to this job where there is a hat for every but I guess a head for every hat, and it's so much nicer, because you can really hone in on your skill and stuff like that. 

Julie Jutten:  Yeah, it's perfect. Yeah.

Taylor McAdams: Thank you for that advice. Every time you come, you always leave such good nuggets, no matter where we're at, whether it's little riches or here. I so appreciate that. But my follow up to that then is, what's your best piece of advice? Then, from your perspective? Your perspective as a business owner, because you own your own agency, you at times, have had to manage several people and then also manage different projects. Jccf is just one hat, yeah, you keep saying that, but you have so many different so what's your best piece of advice there?

Julie Jutten: That's a little tougher, actually. Yeah, that's a little tougher. I managed my business a little differently. And what is great about what I'm doing is that when I left and opened my agency, I wanted to pick projects that were important to me and projects that I wanted to work on. And knowing, you know, when you own your own business, you like work all the time, and so. I think for me, I want to work with clients and organizations that I share their their ideology, and what it is that they they sell or make or do. And so I think that when you're doing what you love, it's just easier. And so if you can find a way to find a job you love, just going to be so much easier. And it doesn't work out for everybody. And owning your own businesses is certainly not, I don't know that. I'm built for it. It's tough work, and you are, well, I try, but it's, you know, it's, it's not for the faint of heart, for sure. And so, like, every day could be different and and that actually makes it exciting and makes you want to get up and go and I in what I do. I, you know, today is completely a Justin cowboy crisis fun day, and I love that. But when we're done here, I have a call to talk about butterflies and art, and so it's just very different and eclectic. And I love that. So that is the

Taylor McAdams: beauty of it. And you never get bored.

Julie Jutten: Anything else. Get bored, there's always something. And you really learn a lot, I think, managing your time and, like, making yourself do those things you don't want to do, like, I don't want to do bookkeeping and I don't want to do accounting and I don't want to file, but I have to, like, force yourself to do those tasks you don't want to do, or maybe hire someone to do them. But right?

Taylor McAdams: Yeah, Uncle Sam says you have to do some of these things, right? Do you have to? Apparently,

Julie Jutten: they frown upon it if you don't. So no,

Taylor McAdams: I'm totally kidding that a lot of people don't get to see that side of it, like they see you as the General Manager of the Justin Calvi crisis fund, and they get to see some of the glamor that comes with that, but they don't see the hours behind the scenes, planning the events working. I mean, with the board, you have to continue to keep up with them, with everything you do. So talk about that a little bit, not necessarily for jccf, but like the behind the scenes, then of like managing the different brands that

Julie Jutten: you do? Yeah, yeah, sure, especially with jccf, I It's funny that you said people don't they like sometimes just see the glamor side of it. I have a friend who just saw a picture on Instagram where I was at a rodeo in the arena doing a big check presentation. And I love the big checks we are. We love getting the donations from the committees, and we need the money to help the Cowboys, but there's nothing better than one of those big presentation checks. So anyway, she's like, I never knew what she did for work, and I saw you in the arena, and I was like, Oh, well, that's not really what we do, but there's a little more to it. And with the crisis fund or any other client, it's sort of need based. And so you know, when there's a need with a client, you have to be available. And so a lot of prioritizing, I do a lot of events, and so, you know, planning ahead and trying to get beyond where I need to be so that I can focus on an event, maybe that I'm working, or fundraiser we're doing. But also, like behind the scenes, you know, sending invites or doing social media posts or whatever needs to be done to promote the next event is sort of always ongoing. It's always something too, always something. And one

Taylor McAdams: thing that I find hard is we're always thinking, let's say, a quarter ahead or a few weeks ahead. We're always in a different month than we actually are even this podcast, by the time we get it flipped and turned around, I'm thinking it's going to be a month from now, you know. So how do you balance being like, three months ahead, planning the NFR, planning the event or whatever, and then also living in today's moments where you have a board meeting to prep for? How do you juggle that? Do you ever forget what day it

Julie Jutten: is? I sometimes, yeah, yeah. I actually can't believe we're already I think it's the middle of July. So not sure how that happened, because I think I am a big Lister, so I have lists everywhere. And a few years ago, it's sort of a it's not even a new strategy. It's sort of a silly one. It reminds me of elementary school, or like high school, but, you know the big, like, white board, like a paper board, and you like, tear it off, and you, like, tear it off, and there's like the sticky back, but it's like, poster size, yes. So during busy season, if you come into my office, there are like, 30 of those that cover the whole wall each event that's coming up this mainly I'm thinking like NFR in fall. I've got some rodeos I do, and a lot of NFR work. And so each event has their a title across the top, and there's a check mark, and I just love crossing off a task that's been done. And so I, you know, throughout the year I use lists, and I list, but during big events and very busy seasons, I need to, it needs to be smaller, or bigger, I'm sorry, than a notebook on my desk. So those big boards work great. So they're all over, and it just sort of keeps me on track. And as soon as I think of something, oh, we need to, and it just gets added to the list. Again. I do love crossing things off the list. So sometimes, if I do a project that's not on the list, I will write it down and cross it off. Very gratifying. I don't know what that's about, but makes me feel. Like, I'm getting a lot done, so especially because some things take forever. So it's like, you know what? That's I spent my whole day on the phone with at&t or something? Yeah, I'm gonna check that off. Yes, yes. It's my favorite. Oh, man,

Taylor McAdams: I love that so much. And we're almost out of time on this segment. But before we do kind of take a break, I want to ask you more about you, because you you balance everything so well. And what I'm hearing is it sounds like you're just really great at time management, which I am not. So I totally am like NaVi right now, whenever you're not busy, so whenever you're not dividing these different organizations, what do you do for fun? What what do you who's Julie? What do you do? How

Julie Jutten: do you fill your cup? The worst question, it really is. I chose work a lot. You know, I love to travel. I have some family and friends that are world travelers, and I'm motivated and inspired by people who travel the world. And so the last few years, I've really been trying to hone in on that and travel. And even when I go on a work trip, I've never been the best about, like, taking it in where I'm at and enjoying something local. And so I've really started to try to do that, because I do travel quite a bit for work, and I think about all the places I've been, and, like, I didn't go check out anything local. And so I've been a makeup for it now. So I have a big trip planned to Antarctica, yes. And so it's not until 2026 but that's plenty of time in Antarctica, folks and everyone's there's a rodeo announcer that it makes him laugh so much. He he keeps texting and calling with little factoids about Antarctica.

Taylor McAdams: He's trying to get you not to go?

Julie Jutten:  I think so. Yeah, he says it's cold. I invited him and his family, but they don't seem want to go. I don't know. I don't know why cold or something. I'm going during their summer. So it should be nice, but I do try to travel. And I take time with my family very seriously, and enjoy the heck out of them, very blessed. And I enjoy time at home when I get there. So yeah, I just relish that time. Yeah, yeah.

Taylor McAdams: And one thing that I can really relate to on is I have a little dog. You have a little dog too. Tell us about your dog and how nice it is just having her as a coworker. Oh,

Julie Jutten: I don't know, Riley Rue she's like employee of the month. You can follow her on Instagram, by the way, Riley The Shih Tzu. Oh my gosh, you guys, she's, she's so ridiculous. The world revolves around Riley. And my folks watch her when I travel. Mostly I don't trust people with her. So I have, it's like very few people. Carla, we have a girl too, yes. So I was at the college finals this summer, and I get a picture, and my dog has a ball pit for dogs, like, this big, like, pit with like, hundreds of balls. And they're, like, we just bought her a ball pit. And this is the dog's grandparents. Oh yeah, g pawn Gigi. Like, take great care of Riley. It's, it's a little embarrassing, like, she's

Taylor McAdams: not gonna want to come home now. Thanks. Yeah. Thanks, yeah, yeah, and

Julie Jutten: she doesn't. She loves my dad, I'm sure. So yeah, it's fun. She always barks when I'm on a conference call, and always Yep, but she's, she's part of the team, so she keeps the like, brings down the anxiety and like, they're good for think they're good for emotional health, definitely.

Taylor McAdams: That's very huge. I totally agree that my husband and I didn't have a dog when we first got married. And don't get me wrong, your first years of marriage are awesome, but they're also very hard, right? And we grew up on like, farms in the country, very relatable to you, you know? And you always had something to take care of. So once we decided to get a dog, that was probably the best decision we could have made, because could have made, because we're like, hey, we have something else to focus on together. Yeah? Completes the it's definitely a mental Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah. They're great. The can sense your your moods, too. 

Julie Jutten: They can, oh, she's a hoot. I love when she barks. When I'm on calls, if I have important calls, I arrange for babysitting. Okay,

Taylor McAdams: yeah, figure out a treat. We always just like, toss a treat or something. Yeah,

Julie Jutten: that just, she's my dog's not food motivated, but she's no, no, she was. She's play-motivated. She wants to play 24/7, I don't know where that energy comes from. So we love her for sure. Yeah, she's great.

Taylor McAdams: It's been so good getting to know you this part. And when we come back, you guys, we're gonna take a break, but when we come back, we're gonna get to know all about the Justin cowboy crisis fund, and there's gonna be some trivia. So stay tuned. I can't believe it. I was just talking to my niece the other day, who's gonna be in fourth grade this year. That's also not believable, and she reminded me that school is starting soon, and that kind of got me thinking about my time shopping for back to school. And there were so many good memories wrapped around that with, you know, buying the new shoes, the new backpack, lunch box, whatever it was. And I just remember the stores being so crazy. So this year, save time, save money, beat the crowd, go to justinboots.com and use code k, y, b, u, 15 to receive. 15% off your next back to school purchase. That's code k, y, b, u, 15. Hey everybody, and thanks again for listening to the Kiki roots up podcast. We're here with Julie, and now we get to talk about the Justin cowboy crisis fund. This is an organization that I hope you're familiar with, but if you're not, buckle up, put your hat down tight, because this is gonna be really cool to learn. And Julie, your passion for the jccf is unmatched. There's only probably the board members. You and the board members share the passion and of that caliber. So to start us off, people that aren't familiar with the jccf, tell us about it. What is it? Because I know and you know, but right, tell the world. 

Julie Jutten: Okay, okay, we are a 501, c3, that was started in 1989 and our sole mission is to help injured cowboys who are injured during Professional Rodeo competition. And the reason it was started is that professional rodeo athletes, unlike an NFL player, they they don't have injured reserve. So if you get injured and you're out, you are not making any money at rodeo. And if you have a job, a non rodeo job that you work, which a lot of our cowboys do, and you're injured, most of those injuries leave you unable to work as well. So we created this foundation in 1989 This is our 35th year, so we're excited about that. We're congrats. Thank you. We have a few fun things we're toying with for NFR, so look for us out there on that. But that is what we do. It is, it's actually pretty simple. So you get injured at a professional rodeo, you apply for crisis fund. There's a few, you know, policies and procedures and but, but really, we're here to help you with monthly living expenses while you're out recovering.

Taylor McAdams: And I think the biggest misconception with that is that you have to be a professional rodeo athlete and all the things. So I think it's really neat that you guys truly do help everyone at a professional rodeo event. Whatever that is, whatever level it goes, it goes a long ways. And I'm sure you've seen some cases, or you've heard some pretty hard horror stories, seen the things. And so tell us about some stories that you remember. You can recall, of like, just, I don't know how impactful it was to you, and noticing that, like, wow, I really me as Julie, get to see the impact of this organization. Yeah,

Julie Jutten: first hand, you know, it's almost, there's two, really too many examples to name, just because when we get an application, you know, it's need based. And so when we're able to help somebody who's really in need, you know, especially those those cowboys, you know, whether they're they're single or have families knowing that they're not going to lose their home, they're going to be able to feed their kid, feed their horses, you know, I mean, it's really, there's a big impact when you lose your income for a period of time. And so it is always rewarding to hear from the Cowboys after we approve assistance, and most of them stay in touch with us, and we'll just about do anything we ask them to do. They're they're just great supporters of the fund and and it's life changing, and that's always so rewarding. You know, as as time has changed with the way we communicate has changed. And so there was a, you know, an era when we would get a lot of, like, handwritten, like letters and cards and those. We still get a few of those from time to time, but, you know, we're in different times. And so we get a lot of text messages and a lot of social media and and that's really where you see the appreciation. You know, one other area is we've got a lot of cowboys that want to give back. So after they've had assistance, they do just really tremendous things for us. And you know, whether they raise a bunch of money at a fundraiser, or whether they just talk about us along the road, you know, the PR is, you can't put a price tag on that to jccf. So, you know, as they share their jccf story, or jccf testimony, as I often call it, it is so good for organization. It is,

Taylor McAdams: and I really loved seeing I'll use Laramie Moseley as an example. He's on Team Justin. And I think part of the conversation of how he got to be on Team Justin was the way that he reacted once he received the needs based assistance, you know, it was really cool to see that. And our video production team was really appreciative that he was, you know, volunteering and willing to go on camera and talk about it. Yeah, you're right. There is a very good value add that they give. And I would even say, This is me speaking. Obviously, you probably couldn't say this, but that's okay. That a lot of like and let's say NFL guys and stuff. They're not very quick to talk about things like that. So I think it's really cool that the Cowboys definitely do circle back and give back. And one story that in particular that I remember hearing is one of the Cowboys has some kids, and the kids raised money somehow, whether that be a lemonade stand. I forgot what they did, but they then gave some of their money back to the jccf. And I think that is awesome. Yeah, I think that's so cool that the kids even have, like, a buy in to it, you know, they understand, right? It.

Julie Jutten: I think, um, I think sometimes those adult conversations happen around your children, and so I'm sure the children heard how how that impacted their families and that they wanted to give back. That's a great. Great Story We often get, I'm thinking of Tanner oz off the top of my head right now, Tanner, it's been many years. He's been healthy and well for a long time, and he's doing great this season. But after he had assistance, he did a t shirt campaign for the next couple years going into NFR. So they'd have a little NFR send off party for him, and he would do a T shirt and sell it and give the money back. And, you know, the these, these cowboys and cowgirls are really just very talented, and they do a lot of other things that aren't rodeo. And so when they can give back, it's always really nice. We just came from a fundraiser in Prescott over the Fourth of July for jccf. They did a they did an outstanding job. They do an event called wine Women and whiskey and super fun. It's just like, like a ladies, little ladies luncheon with a live auction and a silent auction. And, wow, I sent out a text to, I don't know, 30 guys and gals, and said, Hey, I'm doing a little video testimonial. Will you send me a quick video that I can, you know, plug in, and I love watching. I couldn't use them all. You know, everyone responded with a nice video, and just to hear them talk about how life changing the crisis fund was for them, or some of them, you know, it wasn't just them, it was their friends had been helped. And in fact, I interviewed one gentleman, and he said, I'm traveling with a guy that you guys helped, like, 12 years ago, and I didn't, I interviewed him, and it was just wonderful. So yeah, it's

Taylor McAdams: Yeah, and I mean, so humbling for you to be on the receiving end, because, you know us everyday Joes, so that don't get to be a part of the board members or board meetings and don't see the needs come in and all the details, because we're not privy to that. We don't need to be. But it's, it's cool for you to then show your your your story and perspective of it too, because that goes a long ways. Of like, yeah,

Julie Jutten: we, we take a lot of pride in what we do, and we do donate 100% of all of our donations to our cowboys. So through the support of the Justin boot company and the professional radio cowboys Association. All operating costs are covered and or services are donated so that we can operate that way. And so, you know, I always say it's, you know, we're gonna be a good steward of your donation. And so it's always a great place to donate to. But you know, you just, you talk to one of these guys one time, and you just know, like, this is where my money needs to go. This is a great as a rodeo fan as well. You know, I recognize and having worked in other sports as well, there's just a big need for support. And our tagline is always, it's a hand up, not a handout. And I love by the way, I love it too. Yeah, so good. And I think our recipients are great stories of that in the in their giving back to us. Oh, definitely, yeah.

Taylor McAdams: It's perfect. And with the rodeo industry being, like, a tough industry, a lot of them could see, like, they're pride to get in the way of like, I don't need help. I don't want to be a burden. Whatever it is. Insert whatever here, right? You're that that right there, right out of the gate, with your slogan, your tagline saying, like, no, it's just helping you get through. Yeah, that goes so far with them.

Julie Jutten: It does. And I would say to any cowboy watching right now, or cowgirl, we're here to help you. And so if you're if you had a rodeo accident, you need help. Please apply. Don't let your pride get in the way. We don't want you to lose your house or your horse or any we want to feed your kids, and so please apply if you if you are in need, that's why we're here. And there's no sense in there's no sense in suffering. So you.

Taylor McAdams: got to keep the lights on, right? That's right,

Julie Jutten: yeah. One guy actually sent us a thank you note that talked about being able to feed their pets, and it was like, Oh my goodness. And so, you know, you think about they, they're putting their pets before themselves. And like, these are the kind of people we work with, and it's so rewarding. 

Taylor McAdams: And you probably saw that more so than I whenever you were at the PRCA of like, how much these athletes put treat they treat their animals as athletes, even the rough stock riders. They all talk about these bulls and Bronx like they are, like, the coolest person in the room or something. And I love that energy, because they you definitely know, like, okay, no, before this cowboy or cowgirl goes to bed. They're horses, animals, everything. They're all eaten way better. They are grilled cheese or something that

Julie Jutten: we Yeah, they are, I think that some I wish more people in the world could see that side of rodeo, because that is a fact. I remember during covid speaking with stock contractors about, you know, how they were getting their animals taken care of, and the sacrifices they were making to take care of their livestock. And I wish the world somehow, if we could get that message out to every single person about rodeo, it's we got a lot of big hearts and a lot of animal lovers. So, Oh, definitely.

Taylor McAdams: And we talked about money a little bit, and events and fundraising. So I went. Kind of get back into that, because that was, personally my favorite part whenever I was traveling asthma rodeo Oklahoma, getting to see what rodeos were having, fundraisers and what was going on. And so tell me a little bit about that before we do though. How much have you guys been able to give over time? Yeah,

Julie Jutten: we have given out over $9.6 million we are super excited to get to the 10 million mark. That will be a very rewarding day for us, so though we don't want cowboys and cowgirls to get injured, so stay healthy and stay well, but it just That's a big number, and you know that it's helped a lot of families, so that's

Taylor McAdams: huge. Yeah. I mean, I would be impressed with 1 million, but 9.6 that's incredible. It's great. Okay, so with these events, you have to have fun. I guess you don't have to, but you rely heavily on fundraisers and donations and organizations wanting to get together to help out. So tell me about some of the events that you've seen or heard of. Yeah,

Julie Jutten: of course. So we do rely on the generosity of the rodeo industry to raise money for the crisis fund. It's a necessity, and because we do the 100% of donations to our cause, we don't have an operating budget to plan fundraisers ourselves. So we rely on donors and fundraisers to do the events for us. And we love to help with your event. We love to promote it. We promote it through the Justin cowboy crisis fund. Oftentimes the Justin boot company picks it up and shares it. So, you know there's there's certainly power in numbers, but the fundraisers are our favorite because it gives us an opportunity to interact with people that we wouldn't meet otherwise. Yeah. So I know I can't mention them all, but I will mention a few. So there is the priority league of women. They are one of our they are probably the largest single fundraiser have. I don't have their stats off the top of my head, but they raise over 100,000 every year for us at a luncheon in Las Vegas. It's a wild you have been Yes, okay, you know, we get there really early in the morning. We work. We work for months on it, and the week of the event, we check into the south point on Monday, and we work all week long till Thursday and and then, like, 1000 women show up, and we have this wild fashion show, and we raise a lot of money. And Tracy Hedeman and Stacy Custer are the co chairs of that event. They have run it for a long time, and they do a great job. So that's a wonderful event. It's in Vegas, so it's easy to get involved for people who are out there, but a lot of people don't travel to Las Vegas for NFR, and there's a lot of other ways to help. So, you know, we partner with, you know, Prescott Frontier Days. I mentioned them, they have come on in the last few years, and have their general manager is a retired professional saddle bronc rider and has a great passion for these rodeo athletes and helping them stay, stay well, and he knows the hardships that they can incur. So he has they do three fundraisers for us a year now, and they've just done a tremendous job. So that's a fun group to work with, but they plan a Cornwall tournament. They plan the luncheon that I mentioned a minute ago, the wine, whiskey and women. But then there's other ways to raise money for us that don't require a ton of work or an event. So you know, St Paul, Oregon, has their world famous tech room, and they donate all of the tips from that, that that bar to us. And they have celebrity bartenders come in, and it's, it's a big deal. It's so fun up there. So if you have not been to that rodeo, put it on your bucket list. It's

Taylor McAdams: on mine. I want to go. It's so great. It's

Julie Jutten: so great. So but they are, they'll collect over 40 grand and tips, wow. And we get all of that. And so, you know, there's there's golf tournaments and cornhole tournaments, and there's pancake breakfasts and silent auctions, silent auctions, like committees, committees, rodeo committees, just do a great job for us. And they, they get to interact with those cowboys, usually through hospitality and other ways during the rodeo, and so they have built friendships with them, and know that there's this need. And so we're just tickled. You know, we love the support, and we just can't thank them enough, really. So yeah, no,

Taylor McAdams: it's so big, and it's, for me, really inspiring to see what they do. Because it's not just one person saying, hey, let's do this. It's a group of volunteers that have, they have no benefit from it other than they are truly doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, right? And that's that, to me, is like, the coolest thing that they they could even just be a rodeo fan. They could have no involvement with rodeo and just have such a large passion for it and helping the cowboys and all of that that, yeah, they, they then get to invest their time, which also helps them buy into the jccf. So with that, though, there's so many ways to donate. You can mail

Julie Jutten: in, yep, you can donate online. Donate online. You can mail us a check. You can participate in one of the fundraisers. Our website is Justin cowboycrisisfund.org, and we are all over the socials at Justin cowboy crisis fund. And there's a Donate Now button on all of those sites. You know, we do get, we get mostly, you know, digital like online donations, but there are still people who mail checks. And we do, you know, we accept Memorial donations and tribute donations. So it's also a great way to honor, you know a loved one who has passed, or somebody that you love that has done something tremendous, and you just want to recognize them, so we take tribute donations as well. I love that so much, actually.

Taylor McAdams: That reminds me of a story that I've heard, and I won't say who told me this, because I don't know that they would love that I'm telling everyone, because that's just how humble they are. But anytime something happens in the industry to their friend, they pass away, they get inductor, whoever, he'll send in a check, he'll send in money. And that is just such a cool thing for me. That's inspired my husband and I, you know, we'll start doing that from time to time now, like, at the end of the month, oh, we have a little extra money. Let's do something about it, you know. And even just locally, to our own charities and stuff like, that's just so cool the people that are out there, and I really encourage you personally, seeing firsthand what they do. I've been out on the rodeo road with them. I've seen the organizations, and then I've also seen the Cowboys get heard and how it's impacted them and stuff. I can't sing enough praises about it. And so that's so big, and I am so appreciative of you being here to talk about it. And so before we go though, I have two things. One thing, if you've made it this far, and you're listening, I would love to send you something, a freebie of something. It'll be a surprise. So comment below and tell us how much money the Justin cowboy crisis fund has raised. If you missed it, go back a little bit. You can also look on their website, which then will lead you to the donate button. So feel free to donate if you want to. But anyways, let us know. Comment below, and then we'll reach out to you and get your address and send you something fun. I can't tell you what it is. Otherwise you wouldn't do it. No, I'm just kidding. No, it is, though, really big. You're gonna wanna do that. So anyways, comment below. Tell us what you think. And before we go, Julie, the question for you is, overall, what's your biggest takeaway personally from the jccf. Like, if you, if you were on an elevator and you had five seconds, I know, not that short, but a small amount of time to tell someone about the jccf, what do you think you would say? What does it mean to you?  

Julie Jutten: Oh, well, first, before I answer that question, Am I eligible to get the prize if I comment below,

Taylor McAdams: okay, here we'll give you this mug. Okay, thank you for being on the podcast.

Julie Jutten: Thank you. Okay, okay, you're the serious question. I have five seconds. I'm going to, I'm going to tell people that I work for a great charity that raises money and gives 100% back to injured cowboys. And you know, cowboys are the western lifestyle in general. You know, a lot of people think it's a dying breed, or, you know, the cities are taking over. And I just don't think it is. I think we have to buy that either. I mean, not at all. We have a great group. We have, it's great to work with these, these committees, these athletes, these sponsors, and I would encourage people to look into finding a charity that they're going to love and support, because it's a it's a necessity in our day and time is to to be a part, and we are also to be good stewards with what we are given. And so I think, you know, picking a charity that is important to you and meet your values and standards. I think is important, and I think we're all called to do that. So I would certainly encourage people to consider the Justin cowboy crisis fund. I think we do great work, and our cowboys are so thankful. So 

Taylor McAdams: without a doubt that was so well said. And I can tell your passion right there, Julie, and I encourage you, and even we'll spur you on through all of this. If you're listening to one thing my husband and I have started doing is, instead of Christmas gifts, we'll find kids in the local areas and either give money to them, to their families, or we'll like, buy them gifts and stuff. But I mean, Christmas is a perfect opportunity. It's, it's, believe it or not, actually right around the corner so you could start saving now, even if it's $100 $20 whatever it is. And then at Christmas time, that could be your like, Okay, I would have spent $1,000 on gifts altogether. Let me donate this to the JCCF. That would be, yeah, that would be probably like, the coolest thing to do. So anyway, thanks for listening. Thanks for being on the podcast, Julie, this has been so fun. I've really enjoyed every time I talk with you. I get to know something more about you. So I love that. Oh, good. And thank you, for real, for your service to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. It's so it does not go unnoticed, and it is so appreciated, appreciated and needed. Your position is so big, and you wear that badge with honor. Truly. So nice. 

Julie Jutten: Thank you very much. It is definitely an honor to serve this organization. Yeah.

Taylor McAdams: Well, thanks for listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast. If you liked what you heard, feel free to give us a like. Subscribe to our channel, share this with your friends, tell everyone about it. We have enjoyed our time with Julie, and we look forward to seeing you the next time we kick your boots up. Thank. Thank you for joining us to kick your boots up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.