Learn how to leverage third-party professional services to free you up to focus on new racing experiences. About Merchants of Dirt Merchants of Dirt is your insider's guide to the art and science of building, promoting, and directing off-road races. Join Kyle M. Bondo as he shares 20 years of practical sports management advice that you can use to start your own off-road racing business. Merchant of Dirt is the official voice of Reckoneer, my outdoor events company that teaches new race directors...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Learn how encouraging women to become better riders can create an environment that encourages more women to attend your events. About Merchants of Dirt Merchants of Dirt is your insider's guide to the art and science of building, promoting, and directing off-road races. Join Kyle M. Bondo as he shares 20 years of practical sports management advice that you can use to start your own off-road racing business. Merchant of Dirt is also the official voice of Reckoneer , my outdoor events company that...
Jun 18, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Learn why hiring your friends instead of employees can be the beginning of the end for your racing business. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who yearn ...
Jun 13, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Learn how spectator-friendly events create both excited crowds and marketing buzz for your growing events company. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who ...
Nov 05, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Learn why you are accountable for keeping track of all of your registered customers from the time they arrive to the time they leave your venue safely. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education ...
Oct 08, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Learn why you need financial protection for your business, volunteers, family, and yourself from other people’s injuries with event insurance. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media...
Sep 26, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Learn how forming or supporting a collegiate sports club can give college kids racing opportunities while serving as a laboratory for your next race idea. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting educati...
Aug 22, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Learn the levels of outreach where the marketing of each of your endeavors depends on how much time you have and what kind of impact you want to make. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education a...
Aug 15, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Jennifer "Jelly" Crawford from Sparent and DC Podfest walks me through the strategies and struggles of directing a conference from the ground up. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and me...
Jul 25, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Learn how to build redundancy strategies into your venue setup plan by removing all your single points of failure on race day. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold , a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for po...
Jul 19, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Learn the 5 special slog fest challenges that hide within a multi-day race that few single-day race directors experience until it’s too late. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold , a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media...
Jul 19, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Use these 7 important tips to turn any new trail into a rewarding adventure while on holiday. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who yearn to be yarn weav...
Jun 28, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Learn how to go on the road and use bigger events as a platform for announcing your event to find more racers and break your race out of obscurity. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and ...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Learn how to scale up your operation and make your races bigger when I reveal the secrets national championship race companies don't want you to know. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee I would love for you to tell me what you think of Merchants of Dirt by giving it a rating and ...
Jun 14, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Learn how to prepare yourself for the possibility that one or all of the four horsemen of race planning will show up and wreck your race. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media comp...
Jun 05, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Learn how basing your race decisions on measures or metrics helps you avoid unforeseen problems. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who yearn to be yarn w...
May 27, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Why you need to be on your toes when it comes to combating those wannabe activists and trail extremists who are out to sabotage your race. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media com...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Go behind the scenes of the first mountain bike race in a four-race series and learn what thinking goes into preparing and directing a recent race (Part 2 of 2). Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting ...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Go behind the scenes of the first mountain bike race in a four-race series and learn what thinking goes into preparing and directing a recent race (Part 1 of 2). Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting ...
May 07, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Learn how to get your events into locations you’ve never raced before by building better relationships with local trail stewards and organizations. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and ...
Apr 07, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Learn how to use the Always Be Racing (ABR) business model to make racing a full-time gig by maximizing your sales volume. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcast...
Apr 07, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Explore why avoiding negligence is a primary job of a race director and how waivers are your first line of defense against personal injury lawsuits. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and...
Apr 07, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 28
You can't fix a race you never start, so stop caring about what other people might think and go define your own race direction style. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company ...
Mar 20, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Cy Sack walks me through the State of Adventure Racing (circa 2017) and shows how a little data can go a long way to making big decisions. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media com...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Avoid race day woes using these registration strategies to improve your next event's participation numbers. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who yearn t...
Mar 20, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Mark Montague and I walk step by step through his latest adventure race launch and learn how to SPROUTE an Adventure Racing course. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company fo...
Mar 20, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 24
If you can communicate with your customers, your customers will communicate back by showing up to your races. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who yearn...
Mar 20, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Michelle Faucher and I walk step by step through her latest adventure race launch and learn how to Brake the Habit. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company for podcasters who...
Mar 19, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Race day volunteers can be a key element in your race’s success but only if you can recruit, manage, and effectively deal with them. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and media company f...
Mar 19, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Having an accurate timing process starts off being essential to deciding who won or lost your race, and ends up helping you pay for future races. Have questions? Connect with Kyle and Mr. Murphy at merchantsofdirt.com or wherever you find trail grinders, dirt eaters, and reckoneers! We love coffee! Support the show by buying Kyle and Mr. Murphy a coffee or two at https://buymeacoffee.com/waryankee Want to tell your story with a podcast? Join Oncetold, a Veteran-owned, podcasting education and me...
Mar 18, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 20
