The Grit Show: Recent Episodes
Chase Baker
We discuss what it takes to build businesses in the outdoor recreation industry. How do you break into the industry? What is like building a career and what are some common roadblocks, how do we get passed them? How did big names in the outdoor industry get where they are now?
In this one-on-one interview, Keng Yang takes us throughwhat his journey has been like first as an adult-onset hunter and now his path to transition his career in I.T. to a career in R3 coordination. Keng details out how he got started, obstacles he is working to overcome, some of the progress and wins he has had along the way, and even some of his tips for others on the journey to change their own career paths.
Ben Sheets takes us through his journey, making a career pivot from the commercial mushroom industry to hound hunting videography. He discusses the challenges he has faced, how he has networked to improve his position, and where he hopes to take his career in the future.
Joseph Aho talks about what it has been like as a high school student looking to the future as a content creator. Joseph is currently working in manufacturing but has his sights set on working his way toward becoming an independent photographer and graphic designer.
Continuing the Career Pivots interview series, Rikki Folgershares what her journey has been like, transitioning from working as a professional chef at Michelin star restaurants to working in hospitality within the outdoor industry. Based on her experiences, Rikki breaks down what it has truly been like in the current job market—applying for jobs, customizing resumes, and interviewing in the outdoor industry (no sugar coating it in this one). She walks us through some of her tactics for overcoming obstacles and even highlights a few others that are still a challenge. Despite a pushing through a challenging market Rikki stays optimistic and hearing her speak, it's obvious how much passion she has for her work.
Cameron Mirabedini shares with us what his journey into the outdoor industry has looked like along with his strategies for navigating job listings, applying for roles, and standing out enough to get interviews.
Ashley Covert creator of Another Ashley Outdoors shares with us her journey from working as a beautician to making a huge change into the outdoor industry. She discusses what she didn't like about her old career and what her new path has brought into her life. From finding mentors and networking to scheduling content and cyber bullies she shares the nitty gritty of her real-world experiences being a mom while working to build her own brand and online community.
In this episode Zach Hoheisel discusses what it entails to be Creative Lead for Alpha Dog Nutrition, how he got there, and some of the pros and cons he identifies working in the outdoor industry as a photographer, videographer, and creative lead.
In this episode Tony Galbreath gives us the detailed route he blazed through college, finding work he is truly passionate about, and eventually becoming Creative Director at American Outdoor Brands—where he oversees creative teams for 21 different brands. Tony shares his views on what he feels it takes to break into the space in this day and age. He also offers up a few insider tips for what does and does not work well in the current state of the industry. His unique experience and viewpoint stems from managing creative on industry brands such as Bubba, Schrade, Bog, Hooyman, Thompson/Center, Caldwell, and Smith & Wesson.
This this episode, I interview Jim Ronquest, the Vice President of Development at Hunter Trading Company — comprised of Drake Waterfowl Systems, Non-typical Whitetail, Ol' Tom, McAlister, and Drake Performance Fishing. Jim shares his story of how he made is way into the outdoor industry, sharing some of the lessons he's learned, and how some of us might do better on our own path.
At Realtree, Jim McGinn serves as the Vice President of Marketing. With a background in marketing in other industries Jim describes his path into the outdoor industry as well as the work he's currently doing in the space.
In this interview, Ricky Brule shares his journey with us and what it was like to get into the outdoor industry and eventually become Creative Director for Vapor Trail and Stokerized. He shares some of the aspects he enjoys most as well as some of the challenges to the field. We identify some of the skills, traits, and tactics that some people and brands are utilizing to be successful, as well as some of the gaps that can be improved on to create growth. Whether you're developing a career in the outdoor space or building a brand this is a "can't miss" episode.
Erik Barber (Content Manager) and Sawyer Briel (Marketing Communications Manager) of Vortex Optics dig into the details of each of their paths, that led them to careers in the outdoor industry. We also discuss what it can take to work toward a dream job this space. Offering a small peak behind the curtain, both Erik and Sawyer share some tips into getting your work noticed, as well as insights into the volume off applicants and creators they are in contact with each season. Last but not least, they generously offer up a great marketing tactic to help smaller businesses, that might have limited marketing budgets, get some of the response they need to grow their brand.
In this Q&A style interview, Michael Rietveld tells us about his unique journey into the outdoor industry, why he loves it, and how others might be able to find their way too. We also discuss the role that developing brand authenticity, genuine customer interactions, and overall customer experience plays in developing and maintaining a premium level brand like First Lite.
In this interview, Christian Costa (a career marketer and brand builder) discusses what his journey into the outdoor industry looked like. Christian shares some of his thoughts on how people new to the space can effectively break into the outdoor industry. He even gives us a peak behind the curtain on some of the tactics he has used to build up some significant archery brands such as Elite Archery, Scott, Archery, CBE (sights), SlickTrick (broadheads) and Dual Game Calls, just to name a few.
Hames Ellerbe, Packaging Program Manager at Gerber discusses his take on building a career in the outdoor industry as well as the current state of the industry. We dive into how Hames became involved in the industry, obtained his current role, as well as some of the challenges to getting a job or working in the space. Hames even shares some of his tips and tricks to for working your way into the industry.