Even though our founder, Jon, will tell us he dreads public speaking, he never shys away from the spotlight (don’t tell him we know this about him), and he’s had a fair share of speaking engagements sharing the story of Butte and what makes this place so special. On May 1, he spoke to the Montana State HR Conference. Here’s is the transcript of his talk.

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Butte, Montana!

My name is Jon Wick – the original Jon wick…. Not the one from that Hollywood franchise that Keanu Reves starred in. I am excited to welcome you to my favorite city in America: Butte, Montana.

I own and operate a few businesses in town. Dig city Supply – a vintage-inspired retail and apparel fan-store focused on Montana Tech, UM, MSU, and our area schools.

 I most recently launched a podcast called Of All The Places where my co-host and I explore connections, passions, and have some great community-building conversations with people who make Butte and Montana the amazing place that we love.

But my original business – the one people truly “know” me for and the engine behind all of these sidegigs- is my flagship business, 5518 Designs. I started this as a design and branding studio that I began in 2012 and expanded into an apparel and retail shop in 2016.

While you’re in town, I hope you’ll take a little time to explore uptown Butte – not just because that’s where my businesses are…. But that’s a perk, right… it’s the hub of what makes Butte not just a dot on a map, but the one-of-a-kind community that I fell in love with.

I’ll spare you the all the stories about this town, that I’m sure you’re all familiar with – the mining, history, architecture, the …um…  let’s call it, “rough around the edges.”

Butte is widely known as the ‘richest hill on earth’ which, at one point in history, was talking literally about the copper and other ores we were pulling from the ground. Today, while we still have a massive mining operation, I believe that phrase means something else.

When my wife Cassie and I were contemplating opening a store – we wanted to do more than just design fun shirts and sell as many as we could. We wanted to contribute to the rich culture and history that was already here- lifting up what so many have already created. We wanted to help create a place of community and promote something fun, and fresh, and happy… something that mattered to the people here.

Isn’t that what we all want in life? To matter?

At that time, it was 2015-ish, and I had just finished up with chemo and radiation treatments and a massive surgery after a rectal cancer diagnosis.

Through that crazy time, people would simply show up at my door – out of the blue- with plates of food, offering rides to appointments, even giving us money… we didn’t even ask, people just showed up. It was through that incredible generosity- from people I didn’t even know all that well- that I truly started seeing this place for what it is.

5518 isn’t just merchandise- hoodies, hats, stickers- we wanted to create a reflection of the community that supported us at that really vulnerable time of our lives. We wanted to create a store that embraces authenticity, creativity, adventure, welcoming, gritiness, and an outlandish concept of… being a good neighbor. Even our name 5518 is the exact elevation of the house the business started in (and where I recovered from cancer).

When we were looking for a storefront to open, there was no other choice but to be in the heart of our community. This last November, we celebrated our 8th birthday on Main Street, in uptown, and couldn’t be more proud to be the caretakers of a building that is over 140 years old, and continue that story.

You all, as HR professionals, know that a good workplace culture doesn’t just happen, it’s shaped intentionally. It comes from storytelling, from honoring your roots and who you are, and from making people feel that who they are matters. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do at 5518 Designs – and in their own specific ways, my other businesses: Dig City Supply and Of All The Places Podcast.

We still are ‘the richest hill on Earth’…we’re still sitting on a lot more ore… so that’s still the case. But when I talk about what that means to me, I talk about things like perseverance, resilience, community, and grit. I would also add to that list, the word ‘people’. Maybe the true meaning is somewhere in the middle of all those words. It’s something that you just can’t quite put your finger on.

The truth is: Butte continues to teach me about what it means to show up, embrace who we are and where we’ve been, and to work hard to build something that matters. I think – at least I hope – that I’m doing this old gal some justice.

Like I mentioned earlier, I sincerely hope you have the chance to go up the hill and experience a little bit of what I’ve tried to explain here– of what makes this community unique and amazing. Head uptown… shop, eat, drink, and talk to people. You may just find yourself saying the words I prepared for this little talk. Who knows?

Thank you for being here and thank you for the invitation to share a little of my story. Please enjoy the conference. Explore and enjoy this great community, and thank you for everything you do to make Montana workplaces better, kinder, and more human.

Thank you.