Justin Ricklefs

Justin is a Kansas City native, proud husband to Brooke for 23 years, and father to five: Kamden, Adalee, Rowan, Silas, and Henley.

He is the founder of Guild Collective, a Human-First Brand Building agency that helps brands discover their heartbeat. Before launching Guild, Justin spent eight years in the front office of the Kansas City Chiefs as Director of Partnership Development, where he learned firsthand that growth follows when relationships come first.

An entrepreneur with a love for his family, the outdoors, and a vision for what brands and leaders become when they give a damn, Justin left the corporate world in 2017 to start Guild Collective. What began as a solo operation has grown into a strategic consultancy generating transformative results for businesses and their leaders by defining who they are, enhancing their customer experience, and creating the kind of internal connectivity that drives growth.

His personal mission is to be fully alive and help others do the same. That mission is now a book.

Give a Damn: The Catalyst for Caring Companies launched February 18th, 2026, introducing the Fire Starter Framework, a practical model built on Effort and Attitude that ignites four catalysts: Curiosity, Compassion, Clarity, and Consistency. It's both a manifesto for leaders who want to build companies that care and a field guide for making it real.