He doesn’t need an introduction, but we’re going to give him one anyway: The Convoy Group’s Mark Austin is the man to talk to when you want to understand the current state of the Houston music scene and how important Record Store Day is to independent record stores.

Record Store Day: Q&A with Mark Austin

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Record Store Day: The Remix

Pardon Our [Old] French, But Charity is a Four-Letter Word

The word charity conjures up Dickensian ideas of people struggling. Small street urchins in newsboy caps or little red-headed orphans singing their heart out. It’s not our favorite word. Not because the sentiment isn’t spot on—it is. The idea of charity is based on an Old French word, charité, meaning “benevolence for the poor.” It’s a beautiful thought: To be charitable is to be kind. To be kind is to care for your neighbors. And to care for your neighbors? There’s no more Houstonian trait than that. But the word “charity” itself comes with a lot of baggage. Like TSA, we’re here to open up that luggage, unpack it and repack it with a deeper meaning.

Regular

I grew up in a Southern family that loved its sayings.

Don’t Just Scratch the Surface

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear.

#NuggsForCarter: The Art Of The Meal

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear. Once again, we’ve been blessed with a worthy cause: nuggets.

Pepsi, Listen to the New Generation. Yours truly, Black Sheep.

We live in an incredibly raw time. Emotions are high, and there are a lot of social causes and movements catching people’s attention. Because of that, many brands are trying to figure out ways to participate. While some, like REI, thrive when it comes to speaking about issues like feminism, others are struggling to find that line between marketing and meaning.

My inspiration is based on The Millennial Podcast by Megan Tan, creator and host. I strongly feel that we’re all lucky that our jobs are an everyday exercise in empathy, and podcasts like these provide such a valuable way to take in an experience you may have never thought about.

The Millennial Podcast

My inspiration is based on The Millennial Podcast by Megan Tan, creator and host. I strongly feel that we’re all lucky that our jobs are an everyday exercise in empathy, and podcasts like these provide such a valuable way to take in an experience you may have never thought about.

In 2016, iconic Houston institution Bering Omega merged with Houston Area Community Services (HACS) to form one big super-org focused on community medical care.

Creating a 360-Degree Brand

In 2016, iconic Houston institution Bering Omega merged with Houston Area Community Services (HACS) to form one big super-org focused on community medical care. The resulting powerhouse was namedAvenue 360 Health & Wellness—“Avenue” for the simple, friendly pathway to care and “360” for the huge variety of services offered. Avenue 360 provides everything from medical and behavioral health to dental services, help with housing and even more specialized support services.

“Do blue butterflies eat pieces of the sky?” 

“Can girls be robots?” 

“Why don’t worms have faces?”

How Does Life Live?

“Do blue butterflies eat pieces of the sky?” 

We all know the David and Goliath Bible school story: Little guy wins out big over presumed-to-win giant.

The Advantages of Disadvantages

We all know the David and Goliath Bible school story: Little guy wins out big over presumed-to-win giant. Yada yada yada—upset and unforeseen victories ensue. In Malcom Gladwell’s book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, Gladwell turns the idea that sometimes the smaller guy wins or the underdog comes out on top by flipping what we presume to be disadvantages to actual ADVANTAGES.

Who doesn’t want to start their week off with some philosophizing?

To Shock and To Awe

Who doesn’t want to start their week off with some philosophizing? Currently, I’m in the middle of slowly powering throughSeneca’s “On The Happy Life,” and a specific piece stuck out to me as relevant for our work—and a testament to the challenge of shocking and awing.

Women across the world are making their mark.

International Womens Day | Ladies First

Women across the world are making their mark. Protesting in styles that fit their niche and voice, empowering themselves and their community. Some chose to protest and politely remove themselves from the workforce, allies wore red in solidarity and some (like us) decided to celebrate.

A COLLABORATIVE FILM BY GNARLY BAY + FOREST WOODWARD + FRIENDS

Special thanks to Doug Woodward, Brendan Leonard, Skip Armstrong, David Marx, Jeff Scholl, Elliot Ross, Jess Lowe, Howl Collective, Story & Heart

Edit:  Jordan Ingram + Gnarly Bay
Additional Audio Mixing:  Joshua Svare

Save the Important Places.  Protect the Grand Canyon and other wild rivers.  Please visit www.americanrivers.org/grandcanyon to learn more.

Supported by American Rivers / Chaco Footwear / NRS / Goal Zero / Marmoset Music / Story & Heart

MUSIC
01. Blind and Unwise (Instrumental) by Gregory and the Hawk
02. Honey Jars by Bryan John Appleby
03. Snowy Crescendo (Instrumental) by Bell Plaines
04. For a Film (Instrumental) by Bell Plaines
05. Awareness (Instrumental) by Lee Brooks

THE IMPORTANT PLACES.

Storytelling: The Important Places

My heart is on fire. I am surrounded by and continually following behind these incredible preservers and creators who have a knack for threading the important scenes through storytelling—a skill I want to keep growing forever.

When Life Gives You Lemonade

So, Grammy Awards. While there was a long list of inspirational moments, two stuck out the most to me. For those of you who watched last night, let this serve as a chance to re-experience two big moments. And for those of you who haven’t, check it out because they gave me a new perspective on the work we do every day.

Combined Arms: A New Brand About Moving Forward Together

If you know Black Sheep, you know that we like to believe in things—one of those things is the power of a logo. Another is the power of veterans in our community.

Go ahead. Take a minute to panic because you already feel behind and overwhelmed.

Planning for Now Isn’t Good Enough

Go ahead. Take a minute to panic because you already feel behind and overwhelmed. Now take a deep breath because Benjamin P. Hardy is here to help.

On Saturday, we woke up in a world where the President of the United States put a curb on immigration by signing an order calling for a ban barring travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Take Action

Let’s get organized, let’s get moving.

Human Rights Action Guide

When I was a little kid, my sister and I were prepared for our annual visit to my grandparents’ house with one very intense lecture. It went a little something like this:

Culture Keepers and Design Preservers

Don’t touch the pots.
Don’t even LOOK at the pots.
DO NOT. BREAK. THE POTS.

Two steps forward, not one step back. In our own city, we marched.

Women’s March

Two steps forward, not one step back. In our own city, we marched. In Portland, we marched. In the heart of our nation’s capital, we marched. We should not have to do this still, but we will. 

The world is loud with urgency, and it’s easy to feel stretched thin by everything demanding our attention. We get it. That’s why we’re channeling our energy, creativity and care into a focused set of Social Impact Areas—issues that move us and guide the work we do every day.

These are the issues that stir us up and move us forward—areas where we’re choosing to go deeper instead of trying to do it all at once. They give shape to our research, creative work and client collaborations, helping us stay grounded in what matters most.

For 2025, we’re digging in on three core impact area themes: 

We believe joy is fuel for change. It connects us, uplifts us and reminds us what we’re fighting for. From LGBTQ+ rights to building more inclusive workplaces, we’re elevating the moments that make us feel seen, celebrated and free.

Everyone deserves to feel safe. But right now, too many people don’t. We’re examining the systems that shape that reality—from reproductive rights to housing, climate, and community violence—and working toward a world where peace, dignity, and protection are the norm.

Young people aren’t just the future—they’re leading right now. We’re showing up to support their vision, amplify their voices and make sure the next generation has the tools, mental health support and community power to dream big and drive change.

These themes aren’t limits—they’re launchpads. Inside each one lives a network of vital, interconnected issues: from LGBTQ+ rights and work culture to gun safety, reproductive healthcare, mental health and climate justice. We’ll be writing, building, reflecting and co-creating throughout the year, and we’d love to have you in the mix.

Want to follow along, get inspired or share your work with us? Sign up for updates here.

Progress takes all of us. By learning, building and taking action together, we can push for a future that’s more just, joyful and secure.

So much needs fixing. Where do we even start?

Finding Focus in a Noisy World: Our Social Impact Areas

Semi-Condensed

How do you stay focused when everything feels urgent? We’re grounding our work in three Social Impact Areas to explore the issues that matter most and move with more purpose in 2025.

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

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