42 NOVEMBER 2024 By Jennifer Marshall As the father of 11-year-old Max and 13-year-old Will, Arcadian Matt Morstad has become deeply concerned about their future. Given the current economy, the workforce outlook, social and government policies and the state of corporate America, Matt is worried his sons won’t have the same opportunities afforded them as he and his wife previously enjoyed. Matt found himself questioning whether top grades and a college degree, bundled with hard work, would even take his boys that far anymore. He feels that the future of his kids – and everyone’s kids – is at stake. It’s in that spirit that Matt, Will, and Max created GSD-Nation.com, a website that aims to improve free-flowing thought and dialogue and solve pressing social problems that face our society. “First and foremost, we are building a community of like-minded individuals,” Matt’s wife, Lauren, said. “GSD Nation leans on conservative family values, critical thinking and objective truth. The social media platform stands up against ideologies that handicap productive habits, villainize success and hard work and promote toxic victim mentality in our youth.” Lauren said you can ask any Gen Z or Gen Alpha youth what they want to be when they grow up and more than 50 percent will say a “YouTuber” or “influencer.” “Matt took it upon himself to make our boys entrepreneurs with a social media background, allowing them to have the skills to work for themselves and not be destined to being a worker bee to the system,” she said. Matt hopes to inspire responsibility and a productive work ethic in his boys and other youth. He also aims to encourage deep, thought-provoking conversations about current events and social, cultural, and government topics, with the quest to find better, untapped solutions that benefit all. GSD Nation aims to make younger generations more resilient and productive. “Don’t get me wrong, Will and Max love watching Mr. Beast, Dude Perfect, and other entertainment channels, but we also noticed them enjoying conversations of current events and social, cultural and government topics,” Lauren said. “Our boys engage in these discussions by asking thoughtful questions and providing a different perspective than my husband or I would offer. It’s refreshing to hear the untainted viewpoint from someone who doesn’t get caught up in news media or peer influence.” The Morstads felt the need to engage with the boys on a deeper level, thinking that other parents would see this involvement with their kids and hear a new perspective on what is happening in the world. GSD-Nation.com has just celebrated its one-year anniversary. On the site, visitors can discover shorts, reels, and the trio’s podcast, Programming Lions. “We are looking into memberships where kids can engage through games like Fortnite and Dungeons and Dragons,” Lauren said. “Wouldn’t you rather see your kids play a game with others instead of scrolling a screen watching someone else play a game? We are out to make producers rather than consumers.” “I think my favorite part of GSD is meeting all the new people on our podcast and asking questions about their life experiences,” Will said. Max agrees: “I love spending time with my dad, meeting new people and learning about politics,” he said. Will and Max are heavily invested in the project. From booking guests to crafting interview questions and creating content, they are the lifeblood of the website and podcast. Will built the GSD Nation e-commerce store, creating t-shirt logos and selling merchandise, while Max plans their music playlist for posts and other content. gsd-nation.com There’s a new voice in Phoenix, and it belongs to the youth Will, Matt, and Max Morstad. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT MORSTAD 1850 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 1400 | PHOENIX, AZ 85004 | T: 602.285.5000 | F: 844.670.6009 ARIZONA CALIFORNIA COLORADO FLORIDA ILLINOIS KENTUCKY MICHIGAN NEVADA OHIO TENNESSEE TEXAS WASHINGTON DC TORONTO WINDSOR WWW.DICKINSONWRIGHT.COM and award-winning talent to our clients. Our team of nationally recognized attorneys has over 225 combined years of experience and handles all aspects of family law, including dissolution and legal separation of marriage, spousal parenting and custody issues, premarital and post-nuptial agreements, and by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona, and other leading evaluating organizations. 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