The Backstory

So, how did John, Will, and I find ourselves doing this FlaxCo thing right here and right now? Good question. And thanks for asking.

Truth is, this has been simmering for decades. John and I (Chris) have been dreaming about planting a creative co-op in Franklin for nearly 20 years. No joke. We've always carried a vision to create a space for creatives—especially the ones on the fringe. The ones who have the talent, the spark, the story—but lack a home base, or a place to be seen, sharpened, and sent. A community that offers not just connection and coaching, but real celebration of their unique callings, craft, and creative courage. “Freaky Kids” was a name I carried from my Chicago days—born out of a post-Big Idea season of longing to gather misfits and makers, those carrying beauty and burden alike. That spirit never really left me.

Will and I go back through Hands & Feet. My wife Holly and I have supported that work for over 15 years. Somewhere along the way, Will and I found ourselves sharing wounds, losses, stories most men don’t voice. But we did. And we clicked. Turns out he and John already knew each other from working in the same e-spaces setting. So I got us together. One conversation in, and it was clear—we were of one heart and mind.

We started riffing on this moment where I’d recently spoken to a room full of Latin American leaders—140 of them. I opened up. Real talk. About brokenness and redemption. And the response? Overwhelming. That cracked something open in me. I wondered: What if we took that sort of vulnerability on the road? City to city. Church to church. Campfire to stage? I threw out the name "Broken Vessel Tour"—turns out, someone beat us to it. We tossed around “Smoldering Flax Tour,” which stuck. 

The artists’ co-op idea came back into the discussion. And as we leaned in—dreaming, praying, ideating—it became clear: this wasn’t a side project. It was the thing. The convergence. The next right mission.

Riffing off of Smoldering Flax Tour, and relating to the invite into vulnerability and ‘the whole person’ living, someone said, “Hey. FlaxCo is a cool name. Surfer. Skater vibe. I said, “Great merch!” That’s when FlaxCo was born. 

Three men. One fire. One heart. One Spirit. The right idea for the right time. A place to fan flames and nurture dreams in others— young artists, entrepreneurs, storytellers—who just need a place to belong, get some encouragement and run headlong into the future.

-Chris