Everyone Needs a Broken Chair
Keys to Sharing Causes that Matter to You and Your Clients
I can’t help myself — I’m a Nebraska football fan. It’s in my blood. I can’t shake it.
It’s really the only sport I focus on, the only one I spend time (and, frankly, plenty of money) on. Now that my son is an undergrad at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, I’ve been pulled even closer into the day-to-day drama, joy, and heartbreak of Nebraska football.
Years ago, we had a polarizing coach named Bo Pelini.
Bo was pure Youngstown, Ohio — tough, fiery, and unfiltered. He’d explode on the sidelines, and the cameras loved it.
And then, as if the football minds wanted to add some comic relief, an attorney in Chicago created Faux Pelini, a parody Twitter account that captured everything absurd, lovable, and maddening about Nebraska football. Faux Pelini — complete with a glamour-shot photo of “Bo” holding a cat — became a cult hero. If you know the real Bo, you know he’s the last person who would ever be on Twitter. But Faux Pelini somehow became the voice that carried Nebraska fans through years of mediocrity and post-Pelini uncertainty.
Out of that chaos came something special: the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy.
It started as a joke — a mock rivalry trophy between Nebraska and Minnesota where the Gopher mascot and Faux Pelini wagered $5 or breaking a chair — that evolved into a fundraiser for the Team Jack Foundation, which supports pediatric brain cancer research.
So far this year, this ridiculous trophy has raised 200k as of Friday morning, October 17.
The roots of Team Jack go back to one of Nebraska’s most powerful football moments. During a spring game, Bo and the Huskers invited a young boy named Jack Hoffman, who was battling brain cancer, to run a 69-yard touchdown. The crowd erupted. It was pure joy — a moment when sports became something bigger than sports.
Jack’s story sparked a movement, and his family’s foundation continues to make a difference for kids like him today. Jack graduated from high school in May of 2024. He attended college for one semester, made the Dean’s List and then learned that his tumor was growing again. Jack passed away in January of this year after fighting brain cancer for 14 years.
Over those years, The Broken Chair Trophy came to be a quirky symbol of something deeply meaningful. Each year, both fanbases — Nebraska and Minnesota — raise money for Team Jack leading up to their game.
On Friday night, the Cornhuskers take the field against the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. And while the game matters, I can’t stop thinking about the chair.
Because here’s the thing — everyone needs their Broken Chair.
Something that’s unique, kind of fun and meaningful. Something that gets everyone aligned around a shared cause.
When I worked at Carson, we had the Dreamweaver Foundation, which helped grant end-of-life wishes for seniors. It was beautiful. It connected our team, our clients, and our community around something that truly mattered.
That’s what the Broken Chair is — a symbol of unity wrapped in a bit of humor and heart.
So here’s my question to you:
👉️What’s your Broken Chair?
What’s the tradition, initiative, or cause in your company that’s fun, personal and meaningful — something you and your clients can rally around, year after year?
It doesn’t have to be grand or perfect. It just has to be yours. Something that reminds everyone why you show up, beyond the spreadsheets and dashboards.
Because when you find your Broken Chair, it becomes more than a fundraiser or event — it becomes part of your firm’s story.
I’ll be cheering for the Big Red tonight, but I’ll also be thinking about Jack’s legacy and that chair — a little wobbly, a little quirky, and a reminder to enjoy every mile, especially in the middle of hard stuff.
What’s your Broken Chair?
Shoot me a note — I’d love to hear about it.
— Jud