Open Residency

In this episode, I sit down with Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone, to unpack how a luxury performance-apparel brand went from a single pant to a nine-figure omnichannel business with NBA deals, retail success, and a wildly unique internal wellness system.

We dive into:

• Building Rhone from the ground up into a category-defining brand

• Their “12 Pursuits” framework: a monthly habit system blending physical and mental wellness

• How breathwork, sleep tracking, and community-driven wellness drive real performance

• The origin of GoldFusion and how Rhone rethought sustainability (without the greenwashing)

• Lessons from launching women’s and becoming a multi-category brand

• Buying out L Catterton and re-taking full control of the business

• How Rhone’s retail strategy beats the odds—and makes money

• Why investing in mental fitness may be Rhone’s true legacy

This episode goes deep into the systems behind both a high-performance company and a high-performance life. Enjoy the conversation!

In this episode, I sit down with Oliver Zak, co-founder of Mad Rabbit, to break down his journey from launching a DIY skincare product in a crockpot to securing a Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban and scaling into major retailers like Walmart.

We dive deep into:

• What really happens after a Shark Tank deal and its long-term impact
• The business of tattoos and how Mad Rabbit is disrupting an overlooked industry
• The power of TikTok, influencers, and affiliate marketing in scaling a DTC brand
• Succeeding in retail & Walmart
• Raising venture capital, working with investors, and the lessons learned from Mark Cuban
• How community-building is at the core of Mad Rabbit’s success

Oliver doesn’t hold back on the realities of fundraising, navigating competition, and marketing strategies that drive real revenue. If you're an entrepreneur, a brand builder, or just someone interested in scaling a consumer product, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

00:00 Intro
01:00 Early Life and Family Influence
02:28 High School and College Ventures
04:25 Learnings as a Generalist
05:41 Oliver’s First Business
06:29 Founding Mad Rabbit
07:42 Developing the First Product in a Crockpot
08:33 Process for FDA Regulations
09:22 Company Breakdown from $0-$3 Million
11:00 Shark Tank Experience
17:33 Advice for Shark Tank / Raising Capital
18:02 Business Behind the Tattoo Industry
21:00 What a Shark Tank Deal Looks Like After the Show
23:05 Revenue Effects from the Show
24:00 VC Effects of Deal with Mark Cuban
25:15 Challenges with Raising Money
27:18 Communicating with Investors
28:10 Advice on Raising Money
29:02 Utilizing Investor Money
31:06 Working with Walmart
33:03 Getting into Walmart / Brokers
36:35 Using TikTok to Drive In-Person Sales
38:13 Succeeding in Retail
42:45 Approach to Competition in the Space
44:07 Marketing Mix
45:57 Affiliate Program Infrastructure
53:22 Incentivizing Affiliates
55:57 Tattoo Artist Pro Team
58:22 Tips for Building Community
1:00:11 Mad Rabbit’s Creative Space
1:01:53 Most Impactful Marketing Initiative
1:04:57 The First Thing You Should Do to Build Community
1:06:30 Biggest Failure
1:08:39 Lessons from Mark Cuban
1:10:01 Biggest Regret from Raising Money
1:10:49 Lightning Round
1:15:36 Weapons of Choice
1:17:49 How Big Can Mad Rabbit Be?
1:18:55 Outro

Hard Things about Hard Things: https://amzn.to/4bBXhGF

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olvrzk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverhzak/
Website: https://www.madrabbit.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/
Website: https://openresidency.com/
Contact: [email protected]

Get a 30% discount on the best motivational art from IKONICK at https://ikonick.com/openresidency (use code: OPENRESIDENCY30)

ChaptersLinks MentionedGuest: Oliver Zak, Co-Founder & CEO of Mad RabbitGet in TouchPowered by IKONICK

In this episode, I sit down with Manny Lubin, co-founder of Slate Milk, to unpack the journey from a simple idea in 2017 to becoming a dominant player in the protein drink market. Manny shares hard-hitting lessons on brand positioning, product innovation, and some keys to winning in the beverage industry.

We talk about:

• The early struggles of launching a better-for-you chocolate milk
• How Slate Milk stacked TAM’s to find its niche between bodybuilder protein shakes and chocolate milk
• The business of dairy including ultra-filtration, removing lactose, and optimizing for a low sugar, high protein product
• Raising over $30 million with key investors like Peter Rahal (RXBAR) and Drew & Amanda Cohen (Yasso)
• The Shark Tank experience
• Leveraging influencer marketing, UFC partnerships, and retail expansion to scale
• The biggest mistakes in CPG fundraising and marketing

Whether you're an entrepreneur, fitness enthusiast, or just fascinated by building a challenger brand, this episode is packed with tactical insights you won’t want to miss.

00:00 Intro
01:15 Brand Positioning, Starting Slate
04:21 Target Audience and Market Growth
05:13 Core Thesis of Slate
07:14 Market Analysis, Stacking TAM’s
09:54 Masterclass on Dairy Industry
11:29 How Slate Makes Their Product
12:45 Deep Dive into Product Development
20:32 Mistakes When Building the Product
22:01 Raising $30M and Investor Insights
22:33 Advice from Peter Rahal, RxBar
23:33 Advice from Nick Rellas, Drizly
25:04 Advice from Drew and Amanda, Yasso
27:32 Choosing Board Members
28:42 Slow vs Fast Growth
29:20 Board Seat Deal Structure
30:39 Common Blindspots in Business
31:45 Meeting with Stu Klane, Chobani
33:26 Working with Skyview and Riverbank
34:39 Advice when Raising Money
35:24 Partnering with Maxx Crosby
36:30 Intro with the UFC
38:14 Launching with Kickstarter
39:35 Marketing: Overarching Strategy
41:26 Working with the UFC, Deal Structure
44:08 Marketing: Top Funnel
44:38 Influencer Partnerships
49:24 Marketing: Middle Funnel
53:14 Retail Strategies and Field Team Operations
55:00 Succeeding In Stores, Advice from Retail Managers
59:23 Getting in Whole Foods
59:49 Direct to Consumer Buyer Funnel
01:03:30 Fitness Influencers
01:04:17 Cavinder Twins
01:05:20 New Initiatives
01:06:48 New Product Sneak Peek
01:07:42 Operating as a Remote Company
01:08:44 Co-Founder Dynamics
01:11:28 Scaling Challenges
01:12:27 Measuring Success
01:13:05 Mental Resilience
01:14:24 Misconceptions About Shark Tank
01:16:35 Lightning Round
01:23:27 How Big Can Slate Be?
01:26:24 Outro

Guest: Manny Lubin, Slate Milk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannylubin/ / https://www.instagram.com/slatemilk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manny-lubin-56329785/

Website: https://slatemilk.com/

Get in touch in the comments below or head to:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/

Website: https://openresidency.com/

Contact: [email protected]

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Get a 30% discount on the best motivational art from IKONICK at https://ikonick.com/openresidency (use code: OPENRESIDENCY30)

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Shufelt, co-founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing, to discuss his journey from Wall Street to redefining non-alcoholic beer. Athletic Brewing has grown from an idea to a $800M valuation, disrupting an industry and carving out a new market in craft brewing.

We talk about:

- The bold decision to leave a lucrative hedge fund career for entrepreneurship.

- The science and innovation behind brewing non-alcoholic beer.

- Overcoming early rejection and building a loyal community.

- Lessons on scaling, fundraising, and maintaining a strong company culture.

Bill’s story is an inspiring testament to taking calculated risks and staying true to a mission. Whether you're an entrepreneur, craft beer enthusiast, or just curious about the non-alcoholic beverage revolution, this episode has something for you.

Tune in to hear how Athletic Brewing is making waves while staying grounded in community impact.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:32 Leaving Wall Street

02:12 Discovering the Need for Non-Alcoholic Beer

07:28 The Importance of a Strong Support System

10:30 Quitting a Stable Job

15:09 Finding the Right Co-Founder: John Walker

19:11 Launching the First Product

23:55 Crafting Company Culture

26:14 Working With the Right People

27:50 Meeting Investors

31:40 Launching, E-Commerce and Retail Distribution

33:02 The Keys to Building Community

36:40 Sober October, Dry January, Market Timing

41:00 Navigating Fundraising

42:52 Mistakes While Raising

45:29 Scaling Manufacturing

49:38 Advantages of Vertical Integration

51:23 Tackling Supply Chain Issues

53:25 Communicating Effectively With Investors

55:03 Evolving as a CEO

56:20 Hiring the Right People

01:00:06 Expanding Internationally

01:06:28 Giving Back Through Two for the Trails

01:11:13 Evaluating Investments

01:12:32 The Name

01:13:36 Lightning Round

01:18:28 Reflections / Learnings as CEO

01:20:47 Best Advice

01:21:35 Favorite Podcast

01:23:35 Giving Flowers to an Entrepreneur

01:25:11 How Big Can Athletic Be?

Guest: Bill Shufelt

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-shufelt-650059138/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/athletic-brewing-company-llc/

Website: https://athleticbrewing.com/

Get in touch in the comments below or head to:

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/

Website: https://openresidency.com/

Contact: [email protected]

Powered by IKONICK

Get a 30% discount on the best motivational art from IKONICK at https://ikonick.com/openresidency (use code: OPENRESIDENCY30)

What does it take to secure $95 million and revolutionize an industry? Let’s find out.This episode features Dee Murthy - the founder behind Ghost, the brand who’s revolutionizing how businesses handle excess inventory.

From building a successful apparel brand to hosting 907 episodes of his own podcast, this conversation covers the full spectrum of his entrepreneurial journey. We dive deep into:• Raw lessons from nearly a decade of podcasting• The untold stories of his fundraising journey• Why picking the right investors can make or break you• The real challenges nobody talks aboutThis conversation goes deep into what it really takes to scale a venture-backed company.

CHAPTERS00:00 Intro00:22 Lessons from 907 Podcast Episodes02:15 Leveraging Podcasting in Business03:56 Launching the Podcast: Early Days and Growth06:08 Building an Audience and Content Strategy10:57 The Importance of Niching Down13:41 Podcast Learnings15:52 Avoiding Burnout and Maintaining Relevance20:19 Introducing Ghost: A Marketplace Solution30:23 The Future of Retail and Distribution37:18 Fundraising Journey: From Idea to Seed Round44:03 Fundraising Challenges46:06 Building the Business from Scratch49:09 Pivoting to a B2B Marketplace51:25 Navigating the Venture Capital Landscape01:09:41 Hiring and Company Culture01:15:01 Lightning Round and Final Thoughts

Get in touch in the comments below or head to:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/Website: https://openresidency.com/Contact: [email protected]

Guest: Dee MurthyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/deemurthy/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deemurthy/Twitter: https://twitter.com/deemurthyWebsite: https://ghst.io/

Powered by IKONICKGet a 30% discount on the best motivational art from IKONICK at https://ikonick.com/openresidency

(use code: OPENRESIDENCY30 )

Note from Mark:

If you landed on this page, I just wanted to thank you. This is the first episode of a new chapter that I am very excited about ! All feedback is greatly welcomed in the comments. I will read, respond and look to get better accordingly. I am going to continue to search for business operators that I am interested in and share my learnings with everyone. If you got any value from this episode, sharing it with a friend would mean a lot. Hope you enjoy!  - Mark