Second Nature

Today's podcast is the ultimate example of cross-pollination. On Second Nature, we frequently talk about the value of connecting with people in adjacent industries, and that you get to have a glimpse into the future of your own industry. The people who are best at predicting shifts in an industry are typically the winners. What better way to do that than to identify an industry that's ahead of you and ask every possible question you can come up with?

Today's guest is Travis Wannlund, who just finished up a huge run as the head of Gaming at Red Bull. His most notable contribution to Red Bull was helping brand and sports marketing people understand the impact of gaming on their bottom line, how to connect with a wider audience and how Gaming insights inform the way Red Bull's other athletes do business. He made it easy for the people who were paying attention to reap insane benefits, and now it's your turn.

Links:

Travis Wannlund: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wannlund/

Why Gaming Is Still About Red Bull: https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/why-esports-is-still-about-razer-and-red-bull-not-pepsi-and-arbys/

GrandPooBear x Wings For Life: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/grandpoobear-lab-tour-wings-for-life

Ludwig x Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/theredbulletin/ludwig-youtube-streamer-profile

Among Us (Game): https://www.innersloth.com/games/among-us/

Ninja x Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com/se-en/ninja-joins-red-bull

Gamer vs F1 Driver - Reaction Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QenofJ-ARYU

BPC:

Peloton Lanebreak: https://www.onepeloton.com/bike/lanebreak

Audiosurf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiosurf

ANYTIME Film: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/films/anytime

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Dylan and Aaron dig into the details of each other's business and call out areas of opportunity for both Super Rider and Freetrail. This episode is part galaxy brain, part therapy session as they publicly share details about the struggles and triumphs of owning media businesses in the outdoor space. Using the concept of Simon Sinek's book "The Infinite Game", this podcast helps put a filter on decision making and how to move forward with business in the outdoor industry.

Links:

Simon Sinek - The Infinite Game: https://amzn.to/3N9JD23

Freetrail: http://www.freetrail.com

Super Rider: http://www.youtube.com/@superridertv

Aaron's Newsletter: https://superrider.substack.com/

Matt Trappe's Newsletter: https://amatterofbrand.substack.com/

NotebookLM (Podcast AI): https://notebooklm.google/

BPC:

Kilian Bron - Dolomites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FSmJ9n4Gsc

Shane Smith x Rick Rubin: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pQV6JlLNaypDofeAeukDT?si=b4a70427b8924856

TNF Summit Series Offtrail: https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/shop-all/footwear-new-arrivals-c829848/summit-series-offtrail-tr-shoes-pNF0A8A9W

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Arielle Knutson is the CEO of Oiselle, a running apparel brand for women, by women. In the podcast, we talk about her journey that started as a member of Oiselle's ambassador program, and how she found her way into the Outdoor Industry.

Links:

Oiselle Arielle Knutson on LinkedIn

Oiselle Director of Marketing Role

Morning Brew article about Arielle's brand going viral on TikTok

Aaron's favorite cottage cheese pancake recipe

NYT Bestselling Author and Oiselle athlete Lauren Fleshman

Alexis Ohanian>

BPC:

Ironman Women's World Championships Coverage

Lauren Fleshman's "Good For A Girl"

Alexis Ohanian 20VC Podcast Episode

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Nike has a new incoming CEO and we've got our resident Nike expert, Steve Holmberg, joining us for the podcast to talk about what this means for Nike - and maybe more importantly - what that could mean for the Challenger Brands that have taken advantage of the opportunity that Nike's misstep has created. As a 17-year veteran of Nike, Steve had some interesting thoughts on how this incoming CEO news was received, and what Elliott Hill must do in the next year to get Nike back on track.

Following our Nike discussion, Steve sticks around to riff with us on a new Galaxy Brain idea, then we dive into two articles he sourced - one about the end of Gorpcore and another about Lululemon's study around global wellness and the burnout that is coming along with it. As always, we end with a lively BPC segment, where we share our favorite things in Brand, Product and Content.

Links:

Elliott Hill on LinkedIn

GQ: The End of Gorpcore?

Lululemon's Global Wellness Report

Your Friend in Reykjavik

Health Goth Trend

Quiet Luxury

Veilance (Sub-brand of Arc'teryx)>

The Row (Brand)

Oura Ring

BPC:

New Yorker article - Grant Petersen

Rivendell Bicycles

Raide Research Running Belt

Aaron's Cross-Country Roadtrip

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Dylan and Aaron dig in to the real issues that they face as business owners and content creators, and the tactics that they might pursue to push past their current boundaries. They also riff on a "Galaxy Brain" idea that is sure to bring out some strong opinions and ideas of how best to support deserving athletes in the outdoor space. After that, it's a deep dive into an article titled "The End Of Big Surf" and the cautionary tale that could apply to outdoor sports in the future. The episodes wraps up as always with Job of the Week and BPC, with plenty of brands, product and content to highlight this week.

Links:

James Smith "Why I Quit" Video: https://youtu.be/VPH47CfCmL0

Ed Lawrence: https://youtu.be/M8W2wGRADIM

Sally McRae at Trailcon: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32JLAX0Ds7UEE5Ckw04zsT?si=95e53ca3af7e4add

Steve Holmberg Substack: https://steveholmberg.substack.com/

The End Of Big Surf: https://surfingworld.com.au/the-end-of-big-surf/

Bobby Hundreds - Brand Is Dead: https://substack.com/@bobbyhundreds/p-147787011

Job Of The Week - Canyon Sr. Brand Manager (US): https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/sr-manager-brand-and-marketing-at-canyon-bicycles-us-4023550253/

BPC:

Barbarian Days: https://amzn.to/3TuyRqw

DSTNC: https://www.dstnc.com/

TTL Naysh App: https://thattriathlonlife.com/blogs/journal/paula-prepares-to-race-uci-time-trials

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Dylan is back from UTMB with all the stories to share about the event - and more specifically, all the brands and athlete stories from the week. We run through all the top brand and product launches, discuss the key moments of the week, and dive into Dylan's Extremely Scientific Top 3 Athlete Kit Ranking. Also discussed was the ambush marketing on display and some of the new brands that appeared this year at the event. Links: Freetrail UTMB Trailgating: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzJmxVu-7Gn8TNh-hsJG1DpPdh4TSq-ST

Hoka at UTMB: https://www.hoka.com/en/us/hoka-utmb/

UTMB Champ - Vincent Bouillard Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHpms_dnQ0I

Salomon S LAB Ultra Glide Shoes: https://www.salomon.com/en-us/ultraglide

Norda 005 Shoes: https://footwearnews.com/shoes/sneaker-news/norda-005-trail-running-super-shoe-1203678149/

TNF Yves Klein Kit: https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/collections/summit-series#trail-run

Wise Trail Running: https://en.wisetrailrunning.com/

Matt Walsh/Trailmix UTMB Viewership Data: https://wearetrailmix.substack.com/p/utmb-is-growing-but-where-are-the

Matter of Brand/Matt Trappe - UTMB Ambush Marketing: https://amatterofbrand.substack.com/p/blowing-the-speakers-at-utmb?r=3a0aix

BPC:

The North Face Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKTwnQMb2vw

Freefly Systems: https://freeflysystems.com/

Glue Guys Podcast: https://joincolossus.com/series/glue-guys/

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We are on the cusp of a meaningful inflection point in the world of mountain biking. For the first time in its 20+ year history, Red Bull Rampage will welcome an entire field of women to the event. This wasn't a snap decision, it came from dedicated people like Katie Holden, who worked with the brand, the event organizers, and the riders to create the momentum to make this a reality. In this podcast, we dig into the backstory of how this came to be - and we have an unfiltered conversation about the struggles and successes that eventually unlocked such an important opportunity for the sport of mountain biking.

Links:

Red Bull Rampage: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/rampage

Women's Roster: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/rampage/women-athlete-roster

Red Bull Formation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvgbMsrgAC0

Katie's Trophy Truck Jump in Mexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbHJO42lBCc

Casey Brown: https://www.instagram.com/casey__brown__/

Rebecca Rusch - Blood Road: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/films/blood-road

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Matt Sharkey rejoins the podcast for this week's dive into outdoor industry news. We start with the state of the industry for outdoor retail. Matt and Aaron go deep on specialty retail and some of the emerging brands in the space - including a brand called Satisfy, who just made an interesting hire to expand their offering to include footwear. Building on that conversation, we explore which "Challenger Brand" is most likely to unseat Nike at the top (and if it could even be possible). Next, we dive into an acquisition in the metabolic health space, followed by our closing segment where we highlight our favorite things in brand, product and content.

Links:

Build by Tony Fadell: https://amzn.to/4gpfzwM

The Rise and Rise of David Geffen: https://amzn.to/3zhYUu6

The War of Art: https://amzn.to/3TtNIS5

Satisfy Brand: https://satisfyrunning.com/

Oura x Veri: https://ouraring.com/blog/welcoming-veri-and-furthering-our-metabolic-health-ambitions/

BPC:

Wild Company book: https://amzn.to/4d5COJ6

HIBT with Banana Republic: https://podcasts.apple.com/mx/podcast/banana-republic-mel-and-patricia-ziegler/id1150510297?i=1000664839923

Red Bull x Prada bike video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_0kFJGIbZk/

Red Bull x Prada wakeskate base jump: https://www.instagram.com/redbull/reel/C0bpOHni9w1/

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Jess The Maker is an internet sensation from the mountain bike world, creating fun and accessible content that connects riders of all skill levels and makes the newest members of the sport feel welcome. In just two years, she's developed a massive following, which has turned content creation into her career. In this episode, she shares insights for content creators and brands alike - everything from pitching partnerships to best practices for collaboration. Aaron was taking notes the entire episode - you might want to grab a pen and paper for this one, too.

Show Notes:

Jess The Maker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessthemaker

Jess The Maker on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessthemaker

Dirt Scouts: https://dirtscouts.co/

BPC:

Olympic Mountain Biking and Tom Cruise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CahdsQFjwQ&t=202s

Rebecca Rusch - Brain Storm Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kirqcZGSPq0

Brain Storm Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/womens-performance/id1559405048

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Today on the podcast, we're digging into the reason why brands are switching from athleisure and fashion-based products back into performance styles. Our good friend Steve Holmberg joins us again this week to also discuss the acquisition of MapMyFitness by Outside+ as well as a shift in big box retail chains globally. If you want to join the Second Nature Slack Channel (it's free), hit up this link here to get access. Links: The North Face's Innovative Offtrail Sneaker Features Kevlar Reinforcements, Speed-Lacing and a Hefty Tread Lululemon Pulls Breezethrough Leggings Line, Stock Price Targets Cut | SGB Media Online Foot Locker and JD Sports Are Taking Divergent Approaches to Growth. Which Is Working Better? How Footwear Is Driving Dick's Sporting Goods' Push into Lifestyle BPC: Steve: Americas Cup Aaron: DJI NEO Drone Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia