Episode Highlights: Research showed that through the pandemic consumers eagerly want to align with brands who share their values Cooler offers calculations instantly so you can neutralize your carbon footprint as a business to achieve your customers’ climate goals Michel and Jon share how the company was founded and how they’re working to fight climate change Description: Consumer loyalty through the pandemic and still into 2021 is up for grabs. What we saw throughout COVID and the particularly ...
Jul 16, 2021•32 min•Ep. 175
Episode Highlights: Marketing Director, Holly Fraser, introduces Outsider’s Network, the newest network connecting talent and content creators in the outdoor industry Outsider’s Network helps drive inclusiveness with their mission to find a diverse, collective of outdoor talent Holly shares what phase of their launch Outsider’s Networks is currently in and where the network is headed over the next few months Description: All of us in specialty businesses and in the outdoor industry know that it ...
Jul 02, 2021•23 min•Ep. 174
Episode Highlights: Hear how Russ and the Path Less Pedaled team have grown their Youtube following to over 100,000+ by speaking to the enthusiasts, as opposed to the pros, within the biking community Party Pace is the how Russ describes the audience of Path Less Pedaled. They aren’t the cyclists on the podium, they’re the newcomers or long-time riders enjoying two wheels as their own pace With a tech savvy audience on YouTube, Path Less Pedaled focuses on authenticity and honesty on their chann...
Jun 25, 2021•34 min•Ep. 173
Episode Highlights: Inventor and Entrepreneur, Joe Wold shares the backstory behind LifeHandle, a versatile sling created to handle anything Hear how Kickstarter introduced the LifeHandle team to a new audience and ultimately a new target consumer Introducing ambassadors to the product has simultaneously introduced new ways to use LifeHandle’s products Description: I have been looking forward to introducing Joe Wold, inventor and Co-founder of LifeHandle to the Channel Mastery audience because h...
Jun 18, 2021•21 min•Season 5Ep. 172
Episode Highlights: Vice President of Strategy, Stephen Regenold is focused on continuing to connect with Lola Digital Media’s and AllGear’s consumer through authentic content Lola Digital Media recently acquired a number of sites. Hear what’s on the horizon next for the network of sites. With an emphasis on authentic content, journalistic integrity and honesty, Lola Digital Media continues to be the reliable source for today’s evolving consumer Description: It doesn’t matter what channel you, a...
Jun 11, 2021•27 min•Season 5Ep. 171
Episode Highlights: Rob DeMartini, CEO of USA Cycling since 2019 offers listeners a clear picture of the organization's long-term strategy and plans for the future With the recent shift to free youth memberships, USA Cycling isn’t dwelling on the past, but planning for the future of cycling and adapting a mission-driven mentality Hear how the vision of USA Cycling is shifting to include a different kind of member; a member that is excited to be a part of USA Cycling and wears it with a sense of ...
Jun 04, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 170
Episode Highlights: By sticking to their original business model, Outdoor Prolink offers exclusive membership to active industry professionals Hear how guides are the original influencers bridging the gap between brands and consumers With a database of over 130,000 members, Outdoor Prolink still provides a customized experience for their members Description: For specialty brands and businesses, referrals and recommendations from industry pros are a make it or break it tool and ultimately, a chan...
May 28, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 169
Episode Highlights: Hear how the welcoming and engaged community of Veloclub is fueling their membership growth Abby Mickey shares her personal story against inequality in cycling and as a female journalist Learn how Youtube as a channel is helping build an audience excited about women’s racing Description: I’ve been a long time follower of Cycling Tips and became even more of a fan when Abby Mickey, retired professional cycling and extraordinary journalist joined the team. Abby brings a beautif...
May 21, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 168
Episode Highlights: Host, Kristin Carpenter, sits down with Renita Smith and Emily Newman to offer a look at the tools Camber Outdoors offers to “Meet the Moment” A recent workplace survey by Glassdoor reported that 76% of employees and job seekers said a diverse workforce was very important when evaluating companies and offers. Hear how Camber Outdoors works with companies to move closer to the goals of diversifying their workforces As we approach the one year anniversary of the murder of Georg...
May 07, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 167
Episode Highlights: Scott Buelter, Ascent 360 CEO and founder returns to the show to share the newest consumer trends to focus on in Q2 2021 In the 2020-2021 ski season, resorts went from 15% consumer data collection to 90% consumer data collection almost overnight. What’s next for the ski industry? As biking is about to pick back up, hear what you can do as a specialty retailer to stay connected and engage with your target consumer above your competitors Description: Ascent 360’s CEO and founde...
Apr 30, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 166
Episode Highlights: Live Feisty founder, Sara Gross, shares how creating content that fits their ever-evolving target consumer and staying connected with that consumer has helped Live Feisty grow and expand their community Sara shares insight to her life and story as a professional athlete, mom, content creator, podcast host, Ph.D., and business owner and more Hear how Live Feisty expanded into a number of different spaces when the pandemic hit and how they pivoted from in-person to virtual even...
Apr 16, 2021•38 min•Season 5Ep. 166
Episode Highlights: You’ll hear how Outside Inc., is modernizing endemic journalism through editorial and experience acquisitions and a strong content ecosystem Robin and Kristin share how Covid-19 shifted consumer behavior and how those shifts are connected to a massive influx of newcomers into the outdoor markets You’ll get Robin’s take on one of the most important approaches to retain these newcomers - making it easy for them to identify and actively engage with their passions Discover the lo...
Apr 09, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 164
Description: For this week’s show, we’re replaying our MOST downloaded show ever in four plus years of Channel Mastery - the Jennifer Kriske, Machines for Freedom show, originally released as episode 118 in January 2020. Jennifer is founder and CEO of Machines for Freedom, a very specialized, very awesome women’s cycling apparel brand. Her entrepreneurial spirit and approach showcases a spirit and drive to serve her target consumer. She does that through the right mix of channels, remarkable con...
Mar 18, 2021•48 min•Season 4Ep. 163
Episode Highlights: After in-person events were cancelled in 2020, SIA names tradeshow and event veteran, Brian Stephenson Director of Snowbound Festivals What changes can consumer trade shows like Snowbound make to minimize the negative environmental impact of such large in-person events? Hear how offering educational and relevant content year-round through SIA’s membership portal creates a barrier-free entry point for newcomers to the sports and bridges the gap between experts and novices Desc...
Feb 23, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 162
Episode Highlights: Rach McBride, a non-binary pro-athlete, shares how they use their platform to be a vehicle for positive change and how brands can follow their lead People for Bikes introduces new sub committees including a DEI focused committee bringing together individual brands to discuss racial and gender inequality and how to make everyone feel safe on bikes Hear why accepting progress over perfection is the first step for brands! Description: Rach McBride is known in the sports communit...
Feb 16, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 161
Episode Highlights: Learn how Overland International is utilizing a multi-channel approach to marketing - print, podcasting, online, email - to connect with its customers. Why authenticity is so important in your marketing strategy - it makes all the difference and Overland International is doing an amazing job at it! The future of consumer shows, like the Overland Expo. Is there still a place for shows like this today? Overland International’s secret sauce to making newcomers feel welcome - and...
Feb 09, 2021•27 min•Season 4Ep. 160
In this episode of Channel Mastery, I sit down with Maria Boustead. Maria started Po Campo, an international distributor of functional, stylish, and practical cycling bags for riders of all ages after realizing there was a major need for a bag that cyclists would find functional and enjoy using throughout their normal workday. Maria and I dive into the foundation of Po Campo, how the pandemic completely shifted their marketing efforts, product focus, equity crowdfunding, and much more. Over the ...
Feb 01, 2021•35 min•Season 4Ep. 159
Kim Miller, CEO of SCARPA North America and a revered friend of mine and client of Verde Brand Communications is our guest today on Channel Mastery. In 2020, Verde launched a regular monthly episode series featuring resources and solutions to ensure people of color are more comfortable identifying as part of the outdoors communities. Verde is committed to strategically using our reach and the reach of our clients to welcome a more diverse participant base into the incredible outdoor community. O...
Jan 22, 2021•56 min•Season 4Ep. 158
Scott Buelter, CEO and President of Ascent 360 joins us on this episode of Channel Mastery. Ascent 360 was founded with the mission to build advanced technology that does amazing consumer personalization and bring it to the outdoor industry and specialty businesses and brands. This idea was an incredibly forward thinking idea at the time and I truly believe it has elevated the opportunity for small and mid-sized specialty brands to earn the hearts, minds and trust of their target consumers - a m...
Jan 14, 2021•34 min•Season 4Ep. 157
In this episode of Channel Mastery, I am joined by Andrew Osborn. Andrew became the VP of Brand Creative at Outdoor Research, a beloved Verde Brand Communications client, after years of working in creative studios and on the design side of advertising agencies. He started at Outdoor Research just weeks before Covid-19 hit the states and has played a pivotal role in rebranding and guiding creative efforts throughout 2020 and is leading the charge into 2021. Outdoor Research proved to be the leade...
Jan 08, 2021•39 min•Season 4Ep. 156
Michelle Duffy, Director of Off-Road Events and Marketing for Life Time leads a small and mighty team with huge hearts and a huge commitment to their event athletes. If you are a long-time listener of the podcast, you have likely heard me talk about my love for Leadville and other events that the team at Life Time puts on annually. If you haven’t heard me talk about it, episode 100 recaps the significance of the 2019 race for me personally and introduces Kimo Seymour, SVP of Operations at Life T...
Dec 23, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Earl Hunter, President and founder of Black Folks Camp Too joins Kristin Carpenter and Alice Baker on this episode of Channel Mastery. Black Folks Camp Too is a marketing-driven business with a mission to increase diversity in the outdoors. He and his son took a three-month road trip, staying at campgrounds across America and in those three-months, he saw only one other black family. It was through this experience and more, that he began his mission to help bring people of color into the outdoor...
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 154
Eric Porter is a professional mountain biker that I have worked with over the years in a variety of different ways. At the end of every year, he’s traditionally planning his trips for the new year, but just like so many of us in 2020, he had to change how he approached this past year. With cancelled trips, races and essentially all plans, he pivoted to focus on video production and ramped up his Youtube Channel - Porter MTB - over the past year. His goal throughout the year was reaching 100k fol...
Dec 05, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 153
The year 2020 will forever be defined for outdoor recreation with the word “Boom.” That’s especially true in cycling. In April, bike sales grew 75% year over year and in June, 63% according to Axios. Creating a more inclusive, welcoming community for newcomers has always been a focus of Steve Matous, President of NICA, but especially during the bike boom of 2020 and the pandemic. Steve was last on the show in August of 2019 for Episode 98 and I am stoked to have him back to Channel Mastery at th...
Nov 25, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 152
This week on Channel Mastery, I’m pleased to introduce you to Cassie Abel, who is spearheading Women Led Wednesday , an online shopping event taking place on November 25th, 2020. This annual event joins together 400 women-founded brands across multiple industries and is a solution to try and keep the acceleration going on developing women in leadership. As part of Channel Mastery’s justice, diversity, equity and inclusion series, we are elated to offer a platform here on the podcast that helps p...
Nov 18, 2020•24 min•Season 4Ep. 151
This year brought countless challenges, but 2020 also granted us with opportunities we likely didn’t expect for some of our businesses and brands. Outerbike, the premier experiential consumer cycling event dedicated to helping mountain bikers and gravel grinders find their perfect bike, stepped up in a unique way in 2020 instead of retracting and taking figurative shelter. When Outerbike’s expanded in-person events were cancelled, the small and mighty team designed and launched a digital tool de...
Nov 12, 2020•31 min•Season 4Ep. 150
Hello my friends and welcome to episode 149 of the Channel Mastery podcast. It’s the end of October 2020 as I’m recording this - we have a big day happening next week. It’s a lot, isn’t it? This election? What I have planned for you today is a light respite from the rhetoric you may be being bombarded with on EVERY CHANNEL known to man and woman kind - right now. So…. Let’s drop in! Channel Mastery exists to level the playing field for specialty brands as the competition continues to climb aroun...
Nov 03, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 149
Today, Verde launches the first of a regular monthly episode series featuring resources and solutions to ensure people of color are more comfortable identifying as part of the outdoors communities. Verde is committed to strategically using our reach and the reach of our clients to welcome a more diverse participant base into the incredible outdoor community! Today’s guest on the Channel Mastery podcast is Aaron Foley, who was named Director of the Black Media Initiative at the Newmark Graduate S...
Oct 07, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 148
This episode combines three interviews, which took place during a 3-day interview sprint with some of our most popular and knowledgeable Channel Mastery guests. David Howell of Howell and Associates, Ryan Riggs of Pattern and Kelly Ramirez of Prismatic, joined me for the first ever Verde Brand Communications and Channel Mastery Holiday Summit. They are absolute knock-outs for when it comes to specialty business experts and they’re here today to help offer tips and guidance for all of us leading ...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr 58 min•Season 4Ep. 147
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of doing my second interview for the Outdoor Biz podcast, a show produced by podcast leader Rick Saez. It was refreshing to be interviewed about the Academy, and franky, to be the interviewee and not the interviewer. The episode turned out super well for a couple of reasons: 1 - It definitely outlines who the course is for, why we launched it, and the intentional timing of our launch (it very much serves specialty brand and business leaders transforming during a ...
Sep 11, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 146
