Meet Chris Suchánek | Executive Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer, Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Suchánek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Social impact has become an important part of what I do, even though it was not something I learned growing up. I did not come from a family of donors or volunteers, and giving back was never formally modeled for me. Still, somewhere along the way, I began to recognize what felt like an unwritten rule, almost an ethos, around reciprocity. I started to notice that life and money seemed to move in cycles.

What I came to believe is that there is a kind of flow to things. When you approach the world from a place of scarcity and shout at the universe, “Where is mine?” it tends to echo the same question back to you. But when you approach life saying, “Here, have some of mine,” the response often comes back the same way. That belief has shaped many of the decisions I have made as an entrepreneur.

At Firm Media, our work centers on helping specialty medical practices grow and reach the patients who need them. Many of those practices provide life-changing procedures that restore confidence, function, and quality of life. Helping doctors build sustainable practices allows them to serve more people, hire more staff, and contribute to their own communities.

In the restaurant space, Hitch Burger was built with the idea that a business should be more than a place that sells food. It should be a gathering place for families and part of the fabric of the community. Over time, it also became a catalyst for something much larger.

About fifteen years ago, that belief in reciprocity led to the creation of Project Boon, a nonprofit focused on addressing food insecurity in the greater Los Angeles region. What started as a simple effort to help has grown into a volunteer-driven organization that has distributed hundreds of thousands of meals and mobilized tens of thousands of volunteer hours. Each year, we put an estimated quarter of a million dollars worth of food, backpacks, school supplies, and resources directly into the community.

Project Boon is important to me because it reflects the principle that business and community are not separate things. When you build systems that give back, the impact multiplies. Volunteers get the opportunity to serve, families receive the support they need, and the community becomes stronger.

For me, the lesson has always been simple. When you choose to participate in the flow by giving first, opportunities, relationships, and resources tend to find their way back to you in ways you never could have planned.

What should our readers know about your business?
While I am known professionally for building Firm Media, one of the things I am most proud of actually came from something much more personal: the creation of Project Boon. Through my partnership with Hitch Burger, we began exploring ways to address food insecurity in our community and to create meaningful opportunities for people to serve.

What started as a simple effort to help has grown into a volunteer-driven nonprofit that brings businesses, volunteers, and community partners together to support families in need across the greater Los Angeles area. Project Boon focuses on food distribution, backpack and school-supply drives, and creating service opportunities that allow people to directly impact their communities.

What excites me most is seeing how these communities have embraced the mission. Thousands of volunteers have stepped forward over the years to give their time and energy, helping turn a small idea into something that continues to grow and make a real difference. For me, it is a reminder that when businesses and communities work together with purpose, the impact can be far greater than any one organization could achieve on its own.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When friends or family visit from other parts of the world, I genuinely love showing them around the different sides of the greater Los Angeles area. One of the things that makes LA special is that it is not just one place. It is a collection of very different communities, each with its own personality.

If we are lucky and their visit happens to line up with a Project Boon event, that is always one of the first things I want them to experience. It gives people a real sense of the community here and the spirit of service that so many people show up for. Watching hundreds of volunteers come together to help families in our region is something that says a lot about the kind of place this is.

Food is always a big part of the itinerary. Through my involvement in the restaurant industry, I have developed a deep appreciation for the dining scene in Los Angeles. One of my favorite places to take visitors is into the city for dinner at Mirate. It is an incredible dining experience and a great way to introduce someone to the culinary side of LA. Another stop I love is Maestros in Pasadena. Pasadena has its own charm and energy, and that dinner spot always delivers a great evening.

I also always make sure people spend time in my hometown of Claremont. The Claremont Village is one of those places that feels special the moment you walk through it. It has incredible restaurants, great little shops, and a relaxed atmosphere that feels very different from the pace of the larger city. Spots like Nuno’s and Claremont Craft Ale are always great stops and really capture the character of the area. For me, it is a place I am proud to be from, and I always enjoy sharing it with people.

Culturally, Los Angeles has so much to offer. A visit to LACMA is always on the list because it is one of those places you can spend hours exploring and still feel like you have only scratched the surface. If there is a show happening, I also love taking people to something produced by Center Theatre Group. The arts scene in LA is world-class, and it is a great way to experience the creative side of the city.

And if there happens to be a match while they are in town, we are definitely going to an LAFC game. The atmosphere at those games is electric, and it is one of the most fun live sports experiences you can have in Los Angeles.

The beauty of the greater LA area is the variety. In a single week, you can experience incredible food, art, live theater, sports, and small-town charm all within a relatively short drive. That mix of culture, community, and energy is what makes it such a great place to share with people you care about.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been fortunate to have so many teachers, mentors, authors, and speakers come alongside me over the years. As a young man, I was in the music business, and when I eventually stepped into the traditional business world, I was pretty rough around the edges. I did not always fit the mold, and for a long time, I received messages that suggested the way I thought or approached things was maladjusted.

In college, I had a few professors who truly changed the trajectory of my life, especially Drs. Alicia Kirkham and John Smith. They helped me see that the way my brain works is actually a gift. That realization was a major turning point for me because, for nearly thirty years, I had heard the opposite. Discovering that the lens I view the world through had value set a lot of things in motion for me.

I also owe a great deal to the mentors who invested time in helping me understand leadership, discipline, and how to think about business beyond just making money. Books played a role as well. The E-Myth Revisited changed the way I looked at building a business and the importance of systems. And honestly, the mentors who showed me both what to do and what not to do have all contributed to the person I have become.

Website: https://www.projectboon.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectboon

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersuchanek

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuchanekC

Other: www.hitchburger.com
www.chrissuchanek.com
www.firm-media.com

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Bryan Figueroa