Episode 062 - The story of National Day of the Cowboy Boot

Emily Castillion: But there's a lot of history behind the cowboy boot, and it's, you know, it's something that we talk about a lot with the heritage and the tradition of our brand, but it's not just us, so I think it should be celebrated, you know, industry wide, Western, industry wide, on the cultures that came together.

Taylor McAdams:  Hey everybody, and thank you for listening to the kick your boots up Podcast. I'm so excited you're here. We're on episode 62 and we've made it this far. There's so much in store left for the season before we close for the year, and this episode is going to be extra special. So before we tell you about the ladies that are sitting right next to me, go ahead and if you see that little bell icon in the top and on YouTube, go ahead and like and subscribe and share this with everyone. For us, if you're listening on audio, feel free to go over to YouTube and look a video. This is gonna be a great episode to get to know not only my coworkers, but my personal friends as well. So you've gotten a chance over the past 60-some seasons to get to know me a little bit better, and now you get to step into a little bit of my life here at Justin my coworkers and friends. So sitting next to me on my immediate right is the Social Media Manager here at Justin. This is Emily Castilian, newlywed. Thanks for being on the podcast. 

Emily Castillion: Thank you for having me.

Taylor McAdams: Absolutely and sitting next to her is our boss, so if there's anything that goes wrong, she's gonna know immediately. This is the Director of Marketing here at Justin. This is Jessica Ogden Jess, thank you for being here. 

Jessica Ogden:  Hey, y'all. We're excited about this.

Taylor McAdams:  Yeah, this has been a long time coming. We have a lot in store and a big surprise to talk about. But before we do that, I kind of want to get to know you guys a little bit better, because you guys don't understand our day to day is so fun. And I feel like from time to time, we get in the like bogged down of doing our jobs and the actual business side of marketing, but the camaraderie at Justin is really fun too. So before we get too much into why we're here, let's talk about our personal lives a little bit. Emily, I'm gonna start with you. You graduated at Tarleton, correct. Okay, and something that I loved about you is like throughout your college career, you got to work for a radio station. So tell us a little bit about what you did there.

Emily Castillion: Yeah. So the radio station was a part time job that I did while I was at Tarleton. I actually had three, so it was one of them, and I was the alternative media director there. So I did mostly social media is the main thing, but I helped with podcasts and all things media. So I helped there. Did all the social media, and that was actually my first social media social media job. So I'd never done social media before. Please don't go and look at the old account. No, it's it's not good. But yeah, that was my that was my first job in social media, and kind of introduced me to it. So I didn't go for college, for marketing at all. I actually went for agricultural services and development. So what did you want to be with that? Originally, when I went to college, I wanted to be a vet, so I went for pre vet originally. Then I thought about being a Game Warden, so then I started doing that, and then that didn't work out. So I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I just did generic ag with a double minor in animal science and psychology, because I still loved animals at the time. I'd previously worked at a vet for about seven years, so did that for a really long time. And then, actually, my senior year is when I took a course in, like, agriculture, communications, which I didn't know was a thing, wow. So my first kind of introduction to it, and then I was like, wow, I really like this. I should have majored in it, but I didn't, and it still got me where I am today. So that was kind of the starting point of my social media career, which was in November of 2017, so I'm almost on six, seven years now, so.

Taylor McAdams:  And I hope you don't kill me for sharing this fun fact about you, but things that we cannot believe to this day that you're running a social media for a big brand. You didn't have a cell phone until you were…. 

Emily Castillion: 16. And I wasn't allowed to have a cell phone with internet till I was 18. No social media. Social media tells 18. So still kind of like, well, it hasn't even been 10 years that I've been on social media, so seven years on as a career, but not even 10 years using it. 

Taylor McAdams: And that is really impressive, honestly, being being like, thrown into it, you probably had a lot of time to sit and sulk and plan, you know, plan what you were gonna choose, plotting

Emily Castillion: Behind the scenes. No, I saw all my friends using it, and my parents were just super protective about that, which honestly, looking back, I'm really grateful, because I would have been the weirdo talking to very strange men on the internet, which it's not something that should be done, so that's why my parents protected me from it. So I'm glad they did. So innocence, yes, yeah, completely innocent. I mean, I remember one time, which my parents would probably hate me saying it, I was grounded for six months for texting my friend off my cousin's phone. That's all I did. It wasn't anything bad, like, I straight up just texted someone and I got grounded for six months. So yeah, not a long time on the cell phones and social but it has been my whole career, pretty much since I've gotten on it. So, 

Taylor McAdams: And it's reallyfun to see you do what you do. I know when we're recording this episode, we had just posted Moo Deng, first of all, let's just talk about that for a second. So yeah, since you're in social media, you have to kind of be up with all the trends and stuff. So the fact that mu ding even is a possible bill. To be related to boots. But then you took it a step further, and like, Canva photoshopped

Emily Castillion: a Tony bustin on Moo Deng, yeah. Moo Deng is a very cute little hippo that was born in Thailand, in the Thailand Zoo, and she's just kind of gone viral for being cute. And I was like, Oh, I keep seeing mooding everywhere, and I think she's so cute. Fiona was another baby hippo. Though, a long time ago, I actually very much annoyed my previous bosses talking about Fiona a little too much. So I've had it back with mu Dang. But when I saw mu ding, I was like, Oh, this hippo is so cute. And everyone was just kind of throwing mu dang in. All the sports teams were putting them with their mascots. And I was like, This is so cute. I was like, we have to do this, and it's done really well. Yeah. Like, it's almost 2000 likes, which, to some people, isn't a lot, but I take that as a little personal award. So bringing mu dang into the Western industry is kind of fun. And I'm like,

Taylor McAdams: I like that you're on the team for that reason, and that you look at things like that. Our boss probably doesn't think the same way. So I'm gonna pretend I hear when I say this, but like, whenever I'm in my head about podcast numbers or whatever it is, you always say, Taylor, imagine a room of, let's for your sake, 1000 people. Yeah, just, that's amazing, yeah? Just clapping. And so I'm like, thank you for that. Yeah, exactly what we need sometimes.

Emily Castillion: I mean, I know it's not that well, but there's 10 people in a room, 

Taylor McAdams: It's just like, Okay, there's 10 people. They matter. Thank you. You matter. Mom, dad, Grammy, thank you. First comment, actually, on the podcast was my Grammy, yes. And I was like, Emily, please delete it. Sorry, but I did appreciate that. I love that she's out there doing that. But okay, yeah, I have to go back to this meme thing, because there's been so many times that you have spent so much time on something so funny, and it's not really done the best. It's okay, always, but never the best. But then something that you spend two seconds on, like this mood, ding, or whatever, it's like, okay, pop off.

Emily Castillion: No. That's kind of like a common joke in being a social media manager, is whatever you spend the most time on is gonna crash and burn and not do well, and whatever you spend two seconds on is gonna hit. And I think it's just, I kind of look at that as, like, if you start overthinking things and like changing them and doing them differently, it tends to just like you're getting away from your core message. That was not a post that was trying to get people to buy boots. You educate people about boots. It's just to purely connect with people on something fun that we're all liking. And I think that's important to do every once in a while, it's just kind of take away the nitty gritty and just have fun with everyone.

Taylor McAdams: So yeah, no, it was fun. And it was just fun sitting there watching, like, yeah on the screen.

Emily Castillion:  And we reminded us there while I'm photoshopping this, and we're like, Oh, how about we do this and do that? And Canva giving us issues. But yeah, no, it's fun when we get to kind of get together and kind of put everything else aside and just kind of work on something fun together. So.

Taylor McAdams:  Oh, for sure. And my favorite, I think, takeaway quote from that day was we were trying to edit some boots on her. It just didn't really work out the best that we were wanting. But I was like, well, just like, cut part of this boot off because it looks like it's covered in fat. So, like, that's not things that you typically would say, yeah, no,

Emily Castillion: It's a rough draft of things too. But yeah, we the original mooding was her wearing like four of our clairs with a cowboy?

Jessica Ogden:  I would love to see how we would describe this to HJ Justin, like, Mr. Justin, as you were setting up this cobbler shop, someday, there will be a thing called social media. We're gonna put baby hippos on it.

Emily Castillion: Year old girl who's just photoshopping boots on a hippo. I always say that for the people who are shout out to y'all, y'all keep me alive. But you know people who comment I'm like, I'm just a 27-year-old girl, please. So yep, Moo Deng is a perfect representation of my career and

Taylor McAdams: Maybe we need to have, like, a podcast after hours so we can talk about all the things that have happened to you, all the traumas you've been through as a social media manager. There's been some wild bus anyways. Well, thank you for opening up with us. This has been good, and I kind of have to before we get to know Jess kind of set the stage a little bit for you guys. I apologize for not doing that in the beginning. These two girls were in the same class as me for cowgirl magazine, 30, under 30. And so 2022, we're repping. And so shout out to cowgirl magazine as well. They've been a good partner of ours, but it brought us together. It brought us and, well, 30 other women, 28, 27 math is hard.

Jessica Ogden: You write things. You don't do math. That's okay. We have calculators. We lean into our strengths around here.

Taylor McAdams: Anyways, so there for a while, we got together, and we would have like, these little cocktail hours for those of us that lived in the area, and that was so handy, we tried to bring him back. And of course, now we're all in different seasons of life. True, we have kids. We have married. We're married now. That's crazy. People moving, yeah, people have moved. So we're trying to get it together. But I say all that to say there was one day in particular that I'll never forget changed my life forever. I had had, like, a particularly rough day at a former job, and was just like, kind of like, low key, hey guys, like, I didn't have a great day. If you know of any job openings, let me know. And you guys also had an opening, like, fairly recently, around that time, and I remember, like, you guys championing me and helping me get here. And so I'll always be appreciative of that. But I also want everyone out there to know the important. Of like, marketing yourself with your friends and being real and vulnerable in times that you need to, because there's not a lot of women in agriculture, a lot of women in western that are able to do that and have that, especially like being the hub of Fort Worth we were so awesome to have that. So thank you officially for that, but then also for, like, cheering me on as a as a team member as well along the way. And so, Jess, that brings me to you. We've got to get to know you a little bit better, because I have a story after they get to kind of know who you are, about how we trans, how I transitioned here. So, Jess, for you, you were a graduate of A and M, Texas, A and M, which we won't hold against you. But anyways, you also had a crazy story. You didn't think that you were going to be in marketing one day. So tell us about your journey at A and M,

Jessica Ogden: Yeah. So I was dead certain I was going to be an equine vet. I have always loved horses. I worked in the vet all throughout high school, and that has just growing up for sure. Horse vet and went to school, did not do so hot in organic chemistry. It's naturally, it's okay, not not a strength. And then that summer, I had the opportunity to do an internship at either the Four Sixes Ranch, starting their yearling program and then or going to a youth summer camp. And so I was like, Okay, I'll do the more serious, like big girl job later freshman year, let's do the fun, the fun job. So I went out and I was a wrangler and crew leader at Camp Lone Hollow down in Vanderpool, Texas, and I fell in love with working with kids and horses, and just like sharing the passion that I have for horses and what horses can teach you, and yeah, changed the trajectory of my career. I moved into youth development. My end-all be-all goal is to have a halfway home with kids and horses, and then shortly after college, found the perfect opportunity with a boss that was just like the perfect foundation for anyone's career. Jeff Schaub, you're the man. And yeah. And so there I just kind of was his right hand man, basically. And then we were outsourcing a lot of our marketing functions, like social media, graphic design, photography, to an agency, and that's expensive for a startup. And so it's like, well, I'm scrappy. I can learn these things. And kind of combined the analytic mind with the creative mind, and went to YouTube University, taught myself everything marketing that I could get my hands on, fell in love with it, and here I am today. I can't imagine a different career. So isn't

Taylor McAdams: That’s crazy. How it all? We all go to college thinking, Well, it's actually crazy, because you spend 12 years of your life saying, This is what I want to be when I grow up, and then you go to be it, and you're like, Whoa, yeah. This is not, yeah, this is not. I can't

Jessica Ogden: Imagine my life as an equine vet. I respect them. I love our equine vets. They, they, they are super, super important. And I just, I literally cannot picture my life doing that. And that was so, so dead certain on, so pretty, pretty wild. You just got to kind of trust the process. And there was something about chickens in there, wasn't there? Yeah. I was a poultry science major for a brief like month and a half between, between those two. 

Taylor McAdams: Yep, which is so fun. Did you learn anything? Do

Jessica Ogden: You remember anything? I mainly just remember being in a class with Von Miller, which is pretty cool. Fun. Fact, I like chickens. 

Taylor McAdams: That's been awesome. Where I was listening, oh, believe it or not, Carrie Underwood, of all people, the other day on a podcast I was listening to, said, you just can't have enough chickens, so maybe you can take your one are you fighting for chickens? Oh

Jessica Ogden: Yeah. Oh yeah, I have chickens and goats. Okay, next on the list,

Taylor McAdams: We can gang up. I mean, we see what happens when we get together. So we can definitely help a sister out on that one for sure. No, that's so cool. And I love that about both of you guys. Same for me. I didn't ever think I was going to be in marketing specifically. So it's so cool that everything works out the way that it's supposed to, and that we're getting to sit here and have this conversation. I was actually just talking with Tyler, my husband, about like, how we're alive during the same time as, like so many legends, Carrie, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Reba McEntire, so many of the list goes on and on, and that's just crazy to think, like, out of all the years on earth that people lived cavemen and all were here now, and so that's really cool. So thank you for taking the time to be here and talk about it. But one thing too that I want to talk about, since this is a podcast that we're all about storytelling and personal growth, and your journey in the industry. One thing that we had to work through, very on, and I don't even say work through it, was, like, we set the stages. Really good was we were friends first, and then we went to being okay. Now, Jess is my boss, because Emily and I were good. Like, we can be co workers. That's fun, friends, whatever. But Jess was my boss, and so we had, I remember having, like, a conversation of like, Please don't be afraid to be mean to me, or, like, say things that need to happen which you're seeing just a space right now. Okay, can't do that, but I don't know what's your best piece of advice there, of, like, something that you experienced in growth from like, you had to step up into this manager role as well. Yeah.

Jessica Ogden: I mean, I'd say initially, I. I always struggle with imposter syndrome of like, Well, who am I to lead this team? But I have had some really great leaders in my life. Jeff is one of them. And then my current boss, John, who treat people rather than as a report someone that reports to you as human, and part of that is friendship and just making sure that you have the boundary of, hey, we're gonna take this friendship hat off for a second, have a conversation. And I think it's for your benefit. It's for the brand's benefit. Might be uncomfortable in the moment, but it's because I see the potential in you, and so being able to kind of step back do that, and honestly, that's exactly what friends are for, is to build you up and make you better. And so I would say that's kind of how I approach management, and that's what makes our team so great, is we're all our individuals, and we lean on those strengths and each other for that

Taylor McAdams: Definitely. And I know that I've said those words, hey, can you just take your boss hat off for a second? Or, like, Hey, can you take your friend hat off for a second? I don't know that I actually said that. Actually, I think I said, like, this is a friend conversation, not a boss conversation. That probably happens more times than not, but, yeah, but it is so handy to have you know someone along the way, so I guess let's talk your guys's story. So I've told everyone out there how I got here, but your guys's story is kind of funny, because you were hired on along the same point in time, right? Yeah, and then, and then you got COVID. 

Emily Castillion: Well, okay, so my now husband's little sister, she got COVID, and she lived with us. And it was so funny, because literally, I think Nic had left the Sunday before I was supposed to start to go on vacation, and he went to Colorado for a fun side-by-side trip, and I was supposed to start, and then his sister got COVID, so he was gone. So he was gone, so he was good. He was away from the house, but I had to stay home for two weeks, and I was just by myself. Nic on vacation.

Taylor McAdams: Excited about a new job,

Emily Castillion: I found a new job that I couldn't start. So we were actually supposed to start the same day, but then I ended up starting about two weeks later. Yeah,

Taylor McAdams: Yeah. And you guys have been here now three issues. Okay, I knew it was like a year or so before me. So that's August for you, early September for me. Okay, wow. So just happened for both of you. Well, anniversary, we didn't celebrate, so just about that. But along the same lines, what has been your both of you, we'll start with you, Emily, what has been your favorite part about your time here at Justin? Favorite memory? Maybe

Emily Castillion: That's a hard one, because this is probably, like, my favorite job that I've ever had. Um, I mean, I think the people we work with, and I know that's such a common answer that you get from people that work at Justin, but truly, everyone that works here has a story. There's so many people that have been here so long, 50, 60, years, and it's just so many cool people to learn from that have cool backgrounds, cool parts of the Western industry. I didn't grow up in the western industry, so I, you know, I'm kind of learning as I go. But just I can't even express, just like the coolest people, the kindest hearts, just everyone treats each other with so much kindness, so much respect. So it's hard to pick, like, a specific memory, just because, you know, marketing does get to do a lot of fun things, but there's also, you know, a lot of nitty gritty work we have to do, but the people make it worth it. So I don't know, kind of cheesy answer, but the people, that's true, maybe wise, yeah, yeah, the camaraderie,

Taylor McAdams:  yeah, that's big. Jess. How about you? What's been your favorite memory?  

Jessica Ogden: I mean, all the photo shoots, they always jump to mind, specifically one out in Joshua Tree that we did for one of our other brands. And we're working with a really talented photographer and stylist and really awesome models, and just doing a Western flair and kind of a fashion more fashion environment. So it really challenged us creatively, which was really fun. But yeah. I mean, I think my favorite thing about being here is, like Emily said, It's the people. Everyone here is so passionate about their specific niche. And yes, they've been here for decades upon decades, and that screams volumes about the company and the leadership that the Justin family really established here. And I think just getting to play a tiny little portion of that brand. These brands have been around way longer than we have, and they're gonna way outlive us, but just to be a little blip on that Justin radar and have have, hopefully a positive influence on where these brands are headed and how they can help people connect with cowboy boots in the Western way, in different ways, is just very, very special. I feel like I have to pinch myself often, yeah, for real. No, that's

Taylor McAdams: We can definitely relate to that, like an out of body experience. I mean, sitting here, who would have thought that we'd be having a podcast with friends? You know, we just getting to sit and talk. You guys are welcome back anytime, please. I'm sure we'll see more of you. No, and I did know both of those. But I also think particularly when we get to bring our dogs or involve our dogs, it's always chaotic, but it's so fun. We always look for excuses too, like animal people around here. Yeah, yeah. In fact, we might start a petition. We can have everyone sign. We have to bring our dogs to work every day. No, that would be, that would be too much, but

Jessica Ogden: That would be a lot. Yes.

Taylor McAdams: So okay, so the reason why we're here is because yesterday was a really big day for us. Who wants to do the honors. Emily, do you want to tell us what yesterday was?

Emily Castillion: Well, Yesterday was National Day of the cowboy boot, which will now be celebrated every year on October 8, so

Taylor McAdams: And so, what is National Day of the cowboy boot? You you ask

Emily Castillion: Yes. So National Day of the Cowboy Boot was created just to honor the Western heritage and the history behind the cowboy boot. It starts long before us. There's a lot of history with that, especially in Hispanic culture. So it was timeline wise on why it was created was it was about last year during September, which, if you didn't know, September 15 through October 15 is also Hispanic Heritage Month. So something I kind of try and do with social media is I pay attention to what holidays are coming up. What can we relate to? There's some that we don't like, national cappuccino day. Like cool. We can maybe get a cappuccino before coming to work, but it might not be something that we talk about or really celebrate. So I was just kind of looking into, you know, what, what goes on in the western culture that we can talk about, you know, there's National Day of the cowboy, National Day of the cowgirl. And those are really wonderful things. I think that history is really important, but there's a lot of history behind the cowboy boot, and it's, you know, it's something that we talk about a lot with the heritage and the tradition of our brand. But it's not just us, so I think it should be celebrated, you know, industry wide, Western industry wide on, you know, the cultures that came together to create the cowboy boot, how our history is involved in it. So it was just, I was just like, why don't, why, you know, why don't we have this? So I talked to Taylor and Jess and was like, hey, maybe, you know, we should look into this, you know, what is this about? So reached out to the National Day archives, and kind of was like, hey, you know, what's the process of creating this? And so it's kind of a month long thing. But also, if you read the I wish I brought the book, but the standard of the West is a really good book about the just in history.

Taylor McAdams: We have a copy way back there that you guys can't see. But yes, standard of the West.

Emily Castillion: Who is it? By Standard of the West, the Justin story. That's the title of it. But it talks about the creation of, you know, Justin boots. HJ, Justin. And it doesn't have a specific date, but it talks about fall. So I was like, okay, October 8. It's a fun day. It's also national Justin day. The name Justin. So I thought that was shout out to all the Justin Zelle. Justin's out there. Hope you had the best day. Yes. So kind of playing on that. It was also within Hispanic Heritage Month, what I think is super important to the history of the cowboy boot. But in the book, it just says Fall. Fall was the start of the Justin boot company. We don't have a specific date, and with it being our 145 years, it's like, okay, let's celebrate something else. Add something to the docket, because it's, there's so much history and twine that's, I mean, that's why we're here so kind of long winded story of how it came about, why it came about, but just kind of this initiative, I think our old whole team has really grasped onto of, you know, talking about the history, talking about the cultures that it came from. And this is super exciting. I'm really glad that we have it now.

Taylor McAdams: Oh yeah, it's even exciting from a content standpoint. It was fun getting the sales reps involved and things that they don't normally get to get involved in, for the social media video and our endorses starting to post about it. And it kind of really did make everyone here at the company kind of take a second and be like, Oh, okay, I learned something new from the history or whatever. So yeah. And just for you, what was it like, kind of leading a team that took, you know, thought about it a year in advance, planned it, and then we had to keep it quiet for so long. What was it like for you? Just tell us about your perspective of National Day, the cowboy boot.

Jessica Ogden: Yeah. I think it's really important when I think about, yeah, like she said, the history and everyone at this company. But, you know, our endorses beyond that, the rodeos. We work with Billy Bob's, Miss Rodeo America, all these different partners, the American Quarter Horse Association, Texas Rangers. I mean, the list goes on. But even just our customers being able to say, you know, where, when you put these boots on in the morning. Where are they going to take you? Are they going to take you to adopt your first child? Are they going to take you down the aisle to marry your husband? Are they going to take you to visit someone in the hospital? And that's a really important moment. Are they taking you to start this business you've always been dreaming about? And so I think that there's this, like romantic allure with the cowboy boot, and everyone always feels way cooler when you're wearing boots. So being able to invite them into that story, and hopefully let this be a snowball effect of a certain day where everyone is celebrating these cowboy boots and where they take us. But yeah, I mean the team, as usual, approaches everything full of passion, excitement, and we all kind of have our own little flair of how we approach things and ideas. And so that's what makes this like such a great Think Tank, as we come together, and certain people will have an idea that I would have never even thought about, and then vice versa, and then we can build on that, and that energy really feeds some really great storytelling, definitely.

Taylor McAdams: And you can. Speak from experience having the job that I had before. You're really big on storytelling, and so I can't help ask this is I didn't prepare you for this question, so I'm sorry, but what's been your favorite story to tell while you've been at Justin, because you got to do some pretty cool things with Mike Capron, Fly By Night ranch. Jenna Paulette, so tell us what's been your favorite story?

Jessica Ogden: Yeah, I'd probably say Jenna Paulette, if I had to choose, just because I've seen personally how hard she's worked to build up her her name and what that brand means. But she's done it in such a humble way. So I think that that is the perfect example of cowboy and west, the Western way. She's really marketed herself well, worked hard. She's had to deal with some punches along the way, but she did it with such grace and empathy and humility that it's like, okay, that's that's cowboy. That's exactly what we're all about here at Justin. So that one was particularly fun, and I'm just her biggest cheerleader. So it's always easy to write a story about someone you admire. Yeah,

Taylor McAdams: No, that's so true. That's awesome. And kind of going back to National Day, the cowboy boot really quick. What does it mean for you guys personally to know that we are I mean, you kind of already touched on this a little bit in your answer, but personally, what does it mean to be a part of something that's happening like we are part of the team that established it, kind of talking about, we're alive at the same time as other people in the world. What does that mean for you as a person? I know you're as a worker, it's cool, but as a person too. No.

Emily Castillion: I mean, that’s loaded. T Mac, loaded, getting deep.

Taylor McAdams: You- kick your boots up. You stay a while

Jessica Ogden: The boots are up.

Emily Castillion: No. I mean, I think I look back at just like my career short lived. I haven't, I mean, I've been working since I was 13, but big girl career, it hasn't, hasn't been a long time. So just kind of what you're talking about, being alive at the same time as other people, just like everything lining up to be able to work here, to come here, I actually applied for Jess job, which is now your job. And then I was reached out to on LinkedIn by our recruiter, and he was like, hey, what about social media? And I was like, Well, that's what I was actually wanting to do, but that wasn't available. So it just just, like little things like that, like they just line up and they just, they just work out. So I mean, to be a part of it. I mean, it's way bigger than me. It's way bigger than the marketing team. You know, it's as big as HJ himself, I would say, you know, every little thing we do is our team is very focused on the heritage and tradition of the brand. It, it's a big part of our story. I mean, now it's become a part of my story. You know, my first pair of boots were Justin. So it's just kind of like, little me is just, like, really excited and really giddy, you know, just like that little girl's really happy. I didn't think it was what I was gonna do, but it's what I ended up doing. And I think God really put me here for a purpose. And so something similar to, you know, National Day of the cowboy boot. It's, it's small little piece of the history, but it's, it's fun, and and it's, I don't even remember what the question is, but, but, yeah, no, it's just, it's, it's great, and I'm really excited about little things like that that just kind of add up, and we all get to kind of play together at work,

Taylor McAdams: You know, yeah, and it is, I'm so glad you said that about your first pair of boots, because we all have, like, a tie to Justin that we didn't know that we had until we Start digging and finding all that stuff. But even if you guys are listening, or if you've already seen the podcast episode from Christmas last year, go back and watch it, because we talked to Shelby Tidwell, who's a designer here, and she said that she always wanted to be a cowboy boot designer and ended up working at a boot crazy. Justin, you know, it's just so crazy. How so for you having your first pair of boots being Justin, that's so awesome and special, and I think that does help, like, add an extra level of passion. We keep talking about is like that too. So okay, so for you, you've already answered it, but please feel free to weigh in again or a new thought that's come to mind, of, like, what does it mean as a person to be a part of this and you're, like, alive at the same time? Yeah.

Jessica Ogden: I mean, I think it's just kind of being along for the ride. And hopefully this is something I get to tell my grandkids some Dave, you know, we're we're part of this, this day that started as just an idea in a meeting, and it became something way bigger, a cultural movement, or something that everyone is looking forward to celebrating each year, just saying, Hey, I was there. We talked about that, and watched it unfold like it did in the generations past. So 

Taylor McAdams: And it's been so cool too, looping in the partners you mentioned them earlier, but even with Maddie Parker, you know, the mayor of Fort Worth proclaiming it, that's really cool too. That's a cool element that, like whoa, we got to be there and see that and witness in that and stuff. So very, very cool. And we're almost out of time. But before we go, I can't help but ask you guys each specifically. What is your best piece of advice for someone that's wanting to get into the industry, or, like, maybe take their next step in the industry, anything industry, what's your best advice? 

Emily Castillion: We'll start with you. I would say my best piece of advice is just to try new things. I mean, I think because I wasn't in the western industry, I just joined F. FA so that's what started my love for the Western industry, and then in college, I just got a job at the radio station and did social media. So it's just kind of taking these little leaps of faith and trying different things you might normally not go for. Just try it. Just just take that leap of faith, kind of go into it blindly and just learn as much as you can, because you might make a career out of it. That's true. That's good.

Taylor McAdams: That's good, just for you. What's your best piece of advice?

Jessica Ogden: Yeah. I mean, I'd say it's just showing up, working hard, staying staying out of drama. I say it a lot with the team is we have a bunch of small egos around here on a big mission, so we just try to keep that ego out of the way, but asking questions, not being afraid to reach out to somebody who is ahead of you in their career and saying, hey, I want to take you to coffee. And if there's ways that you can bring value to them, that's going to go a really long way. And just honestly, just being a good person, if you're a good person and you respect the people around you, your dependable opportunities are going to come your way.

Taylor McAdams: Well, Said, I couldn't agree more to both of that. And speaking of respect and kindness and all of this, thank you guys so much for being on the podcast. This has easily been one of my favorite episodes. I can You can hear it in my voice. I'm like, don't cry. Don't cry. Oh, but truly, this has been fun to actually get to share with the rest of the world, my friends, co workers, the people that I do daily life with, and I will say we have been on our best behavior. We have not been too crazy. We're normally full of laughter and fun, and I think that's what keeps the energy of the of the group. So yeah, I'm so thankful for you guys, individually, for your friendships, and then as a team, so thankful for the camaraderie. Shout out to all the marketing team. Juan, behind the camera too. He's gotten to be a part of this podcast. Queen, no but thank you everyone for listening to the Kiki roots up podcast. If you have more questions about National Day of the cowboy boot, feel free to head on over to our website. Check it out. You can learn more. And then, as always, we got to give a shout-out to social media so you can find us on social media at Justin boots. I think Instagram is at Justin Boots. Underscore, yep, and feel free like subscribe, share this with your friends. If you have questions about individual fields, whether that be social media or even just management or marketing at all in the industry, please comment below. We'll get back with your comments, and we're so excited that you're listening. Thanks again for kicking your boots up with us. Thanks for joining us on 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.