A Letter From Mike and Hayley:

Friends!

More than two years ago, Hayley co-founded The Influence Conference (and later Network) with Jessi Connolly. It has been crazy and wild and fun. He was in it and He met us there, and it has changed our lives.

At the first conference, Mike had the privilege of hearing speaker Barrett Ward, who grew up in our very own hometown, who had been driven by affluence and success, who was waiting to make a certain amount of cash before he let off the gas and did some good for the world. Barrett was speaking of himself and his own career trajectory, but Mike said he may as well have been speaking for the both of them.

God ended up tipping Barrett off his carefully hung tight rope, proving that even achievement doesn’t fulfill our soul. Barrett now works to create sustainable jobs for women in Ethiopia, providing them a vocation other than the dignity draining life of prostitution.

Mike sensed right then that our life was not going to be as he had carefully mapped out, precisely charting his career trajectory towards success and stability. Hayley was halfway thrilled because she never liked careful anyway, but the other part of her liked that SOMEONE was careful. And during these last 2 years we have been learning together that God is so careful. Though, He cares for even the sparrows and lilies He cares much more for us.

God crafted us as individuals, grew us from something the size of a poppy seed filled with promise and unique giftings and interests. He pressed us together in our marriage where we have grown into a passion for hope and truth and family. He refines us through parenthood and vocation, challenging us to live out those same passions.

And, so we find ourselves here.

Almost exactly 2 years from that moment when we held hands in the empty meeting room, trembling in fear and excitement at the thought of a different career trajectory. He has grown in us a desire to find the truth in His faithfulness, because we know Him to be careful with us. We sense that He’s tipping us off our tight rope and it’s the time to just hop off. We sense that we’re being asked to be available. To be open. To move forward in a few of the things He has already entrusted us with. We want to give it a go and see what it might look like when God coaxes you off the high wire or plucks you off the corporate ladder.

So, as of July 31st, Mike will be leaving his current position at the multinational corporation he’s worked at for the better part of a decade. As a family we are turning in our cards (a really good hand that we are so grateful to have had!!) and asking to shuffle the deck. We’re not sure what the next hand is going to look like, to be honest. But, we trust that He is good.

Over the coming weeks we will be gearing up for a full out launch of a fall capsule collection of ethically manufactured kids clothing 100% designed by Hayley under the brand Wildly Co. We’ll be launching a Kickstarter campaign (your first chance to grab a piece of the capsule!) for this on Aug. 5th and hopefully presenting our dream at the Indy Dream Year Event event on Aug. 12th (our 9th anniversary!! will you join us??).

In addition to running operations and finance for Wildly Co., Mike will continue to help behind the scenes with the Influence Network.

In all this, we want to invite you to follow along and join us in a new adventure. It’s more fun to do it together, yeah? We know that if we succeed wildly in the things to come, He is good. If everything we try fails, He is still good. Jesus is on both sides, ready to grow good fruit in us in either circumstance.

Jesus is the prize, the rest is invitation to abide and trust in Him.  We are so thankful for your friendship and support.

Gratefully,

Mike and Hayley Morgan