Morgan Tuohy is seven days into the launch of Dera, a trail running belt brand built around a BOA-style dial closure that nobody's tried before in the category. He sold out of two sizes in under eight hours, shipped hundreds of belts from his living room until 3 AM, and had $500 left in his bank account two days before launch. He's 27 years old.

In this conversation, Morgan walks through the full founder journey — from stitching prototypes in his attic with fabric from old running shoes, to convincing one of Osprey's largest factories to take a chance on him, to the moment Tim Tollefson told him he wasn't allowed to NOT do this. He also talks openly about his first failed brand, why he set three rules for himself this time around ("I know nothing, everyone else knows everything, and they all want to help"), and how seven members of the Second Nature Slack channel played a direct role in getting Dera off the ground.

This is a brand launch captured in real time — and a reminder that sometimes the best businesses start with a sewing machine in an attic and the willingness to ask for help.

Show Notes:

Popfly for Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands

Popfly for Athletes/Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators

Morgan Tuohy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-tuohy/

Dera: https://rundera.com/

Tim Tollefson: https://www.instagram.com/timtollefson/

Our IP Attorney, Ian Gates: https://krdglaw.com/staff/ian-gates/

Kitworks: http://www.kitworks.com

Second Nature Slack Channel: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature

Cade Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cade-michael-mba-914411152/

Clara Froeschner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarafroeschner/

Tim Nooney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-nooney-0a3bbaa6/

Courier Socks: https://couriersocks.com/

Claude: https://www.claude.ai

Mammoth Trailfest: https://www.mammothtrailfest.com/

BPC - Brand, Product, Content:

Goodles: https://www.goodles.com/

Dexa Scan: https://dexascan.com/

Kiprun - Kipsummit Max: https://www.kiprun.com/en-US/product/kipsummit-max-men-s-max-cushion-trail-running-shoes_362206--c153c385m9001281

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

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