Junto — Men Meeting to Share Growth & Mutual Improvement

Over two hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin gathered friends from various backgrounds and occupations and put together a “Junto,” named from the Spanish word junta, meaning a group of men assembled for some common purpose. The club’s purpose “was to debate questions of morals, politics, and natural philosophy and to exchange knowledge of business and personal affairs.”

Inspired by this philosophy for growth and self exploration, Sam Hess and seven other men started a Junto group in Ocean Beach, San Diego in 2016.   Hess says most of the men didn’t know one another: “The thought was that it would be more powerful to bring together a collection of men who didn’t have prior history. This would allow the group to form its own relationships and bonds,” he says.

The men of Junto have formed a close-knit group that challenges and supports each individual.
Standing, left to right: Matthew Heath, Grant Sautner, Samuel Hess and Philip Bedford. Seated, left to right: Dustin Holley and Karim Lofty.

Bringing the Junto concept to Chico

In 2018 Hess, a father of two, moved to Chico with his family and became principal at Mill Street Elementary School. There, he  started Chico’s own Junto chapter. “I found it so beneficial for me as a father, husband, and a son, that I felt the responsibility to bring this to others,” he says. “It took me three years to find the right group of men seeking a structured form of mutual improvement. “My favorite thing about this group is their commitment to a growth mindset. With each topic, discussion, or homework assignment, we are committing to being a better version of ourselves, which then translates to better men in society, better husbands, better dads, better sons.”

Six strangers became close in the spirit of sharing different perspectives

Chico’s Junto launched in the spring of 2021 as six strangers and acquaintances began meeting once a month to discuss and share their experiences and philosophies. Meetings usually last a couple of hours and are driven by the inquiry of the members. Each meeting takes up two topics, with conversations around morals, politics and natural philosophy.  Each member is expected to contribute to the cycle of inquiry. “The goal was to invite a group of people with different skill sets and perspectives,” Hess says. “This diversity could come in the form of age, wealth, beliefs, race, or any other factor that provides new perspective and insight.”

Phil Bedford, a father of two and a sales manager at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, joined Junto when it started; he says his favorite part about this group is its positive nature. “The group we ended up with is awesome. From a group of strangers, we have all gotten to be really good friends. We have had some of the craziest, funniest and most interesting conversations I can think of. I also really like that it is on a set date and time every month which keeps us getting together easier since it can be tough with everybody’s busy schedules. I think the world could definitely use a little more Junto.”

Nothing is off limits – it feels like a brotherhood

From DIY projects to dissecting sticky matters and challenging each other with fine cuisine recipes, the group vows to stay open, have fun and be accountable and consistent. “Nothing is off limits and we have run the gamut of different topics. You never know what you’re going to get!” adds Bedford.

Another member, Dr. Karim Lotfy, M.D., is an adult psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist with a private telehealth practice and is also a father of three. “My favorite thing is the group’s dedication to mutual self improvement, no matter where each person is in their walk of life,” he says. “It is inspiring and also assuring. We are similar in our struggles and similar in our drives and passions.

“After each meeting it feels like a brotherhood,” Lotfy says. “At the first meeting we had a task to complete prior to our next meeting, which was to send a letter of gratitude to a significant person in our lives. This stimulated me to think about all the important people in my life and I found many whom I was grateful for and I became excited to share my gratitude to them. It has been something on my mind for some time to send letters of gratitude and thanks to Junto and that task, that thought transformed into action, which transformed to feeling more grateful and fulfilled.”

The group works on mindset, emotional mastery, challenging oneself and empowering others. Some recent topics included a discussion of the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, the definition and validity of the word “loyalty” and how it fits each of the men’s lives, and big wins and loses.

Discovering new thoughts and disciplines

Dustin Holley, an education specialist at Chico Junior High School, and father of two, says, “I like the idea of bringing relevant information and ideas mixed with your own philosophies and laying them on the table to be dissected. I am a contrarian thinker so I have lots of philosophies or ideas that aren’t really mainstream. The premise of Junto is that you respect others’ opinions and use the ideas and philosophies of others to help better yourself.”

Holley says the group has helped him discover new thoughts and disciplines. “It has opened my eyes to the fact that maybe more people wish they could have a  forum where their ideas are not judged but discussed and weighed. It’s a place with people I respect who are all different but eager to hear new ideas and discuss them freely. Trying to become a better person has always inspired me and most of the time it takes a nudge from someone else for you to find the spark of motivation to do something new.”

Grant Sautner, a father of two and an account executive at Koa Hills Consulting, joined Junto over a year ago, introduced to the group by his long time friend Dustin Holley.  He says he was attracted to the idea of a group of men with different political and religious backgrounds and ideologies meeting together with respect for each other’s opinions, and a desire to share ideas and learn from each other. “I enjoy hearing the progress that people in the group are making based on challenges from the prior meeting,” he says.

Meetings end with challenges

“Also, we usually end our meetings with a challenge that we report on in the next meeting. Those challenges include things I may not normally do. For example, one of our members is a contractor, and he challenged us to build something with our hands. I made a bird feeder with my son. It was a fun project which I really enjoyed. One concept which arose from our conversations is the idea of having goals and working deliberately towards them, rather than passively going through the motions. ‘being deliberate’ has become part of my vocabulary, and it’s helping me accomplish things in various aspects of my life.”

The Chico Junto chapter is an independent group open to like minded men in the area. Each of the original members may bring in one new member until a total of 10 members is met. For more information on Junto and how to join or start a chapter, contact Sam Hess at chicojunto@gmail.com.

Junto members are unanimous in saying that the group helps them become closer to their families, and set good examples for all the children in their lives.