Robin Hood and Building Community | Andre Kradolfer

What if building a thriving business means stepping out of your shell and into a community you didn't know you needed? Robin Hood answers that question through the eyes of an outlaw who discovers his true power comes not from acting alone, but from bringing people together. Andre Krodolfer, senior software architect and co-owner of Hearthside Games, learned that lesson the hard way, by moving between continents his entire childhood, finding constant belonging in Disney World, and eventually creating a third space where strangers become friends through the games they love.

🎯 3 Actionable Takeaways

1. Get Curious Before You Get Convincing, Before pushing your views or ideas onto someone, ask genuine questions about why they believe what they believe or do what they do. Why it works: Understanding someone's perspective first creates the foundation for real connection and common ground, just like Robin Hood's willingness to see the humanity in everyone around him.
2. Make It Human, Don't Categorize, Remember that whoever you're interacting with is just like you, a human being with their own story. Why it works: When you remove the categories and labels, you restore the humanity in the interaction, which is exactly what happens at Harside Games when competitors become friends through shared passion.
3. Be Humorous and Lighten Up, In serious or tense situations, find ways to laugh and not take yourself too seriously. Why it works: Robin Hood and Little John face constant danger but find joy in the moment, which keeps them connected and resilient, the same levity that builds belonging in community spaces.

🔦 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Andre's journey moving between Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico City, Germany, Russia, and Arizona, and how Disney World became his constant anchor
• The moment Andre realized he was making friends outside of work for the first time in his adult life through Disney Lorcana
• Why Harside Games exists: not to maximize profit, but to create a third space where people can belong and play the games they love
• The magic girly night story, women who found a safe community at Harside Games to bedazzle their decks and play Magic together, something they couldn't do anywhere else
• How Robin Hood brings people together not through grand gestures, but through genuine care and willingness to put himself at risk for others
• Friar Tuck's quiet heroism: ringing the church bell to keep hope alive even when the pews are empty
• The connection between WALL-E's curiosity and Andre's philosophy of approaching the world and other people with genuine wonder

👤 ABOUT ANDRE KRODOLFER

Andre Kradolfer is a senior software architect and co-owner of Hearthside Games, a community-focused game store in Utah. Born in Bolivia and raised across six countries on four continents, he brings a unique perspective on belonging and connection. With his business partner Dan Langford, Andre created Harside Games not as a retail operation, but as a third space where people can find community, make friends, and play the games they love together.

📺 ABOUT YES AND LAND

Yes And Land explores the leadership lessons, relationship dynamics, and hard choices hidden in the stories we love. Hosted by Ryan Gregerson, a family law attorney at RCG Law Group, Disney enthusiast, and business coach for law firm owners at Altium Advisors, each episode connects familiar narratives to real-world wisdom you can actually use. New episodes every Thursday.