Restless Native

"My marshal turns around and says, 'Hey Buddy." I turn around, and his face is ghost white. He's bent over in pain and says, 'You see that bank over there? We gotta go. Right now.' " — John HunterThis episode's a funny one.We have John Hunter returning. You may recall John if you follow professional fishing. This year he fished the FLW, and he's fished the Bassmaster Elite Series, too. He's also GoWild's Chief Strategy Officer, meaning he heads up all things related to our product strategy when it comes to hunting and fishing. And as if he wasn't busy enough, he started a little company called Graph Glass.We'll catch up on how the season treated John, and quickly dive into questions from users. You'll hear Brad stumble through your very specific fishing questions, admit he uses a godawful fishing reel setup, and then comes some hilarious stories from John. Oh, and Donovan Sears makes an appearance to try and foil GoWild's plans for wor

“When I want something, I’m going to do it. It keeps me up at night. I try, and if it fails, I’ll try again.” — Brad SmithIt’s hard to pinpoint when change is happening. It feels like it’s always happening and never happening. But in the age of storytelling and media, it’s happening right now.This interview is going to dig into that. What happens when an entity that is nearly synonymous with the Internet and freedom of speech decides to censor content? Hate speech is one thing, but what about when it's just something the entity doesn't like but it's totally legal? That's hunting. It will be interesting to see how digital censorship plays out.Now this episode isn’t all conspiracy theory discussion. That’s actually just a small part of it. But it was a part that's unique and extremely relevant to some things happening in the industry right now.Today’s guest is Brad Smith. Many of you will know Brad from his work with Wide Open Spaces, as well as for being the Founder of Walton Rods. We’

Eric Clark is back! But this time, he's driving the boat. This is Brad's show with Eric about five months ago. Take a listen to see what was going on and how things have changed.**Restless Native is brought to you by Houston Safari Club Foundation**This episode of Restless Native is brought to you by Houston Safari Club Foundation. GoWild is working with Houston Safari Club Foundation, and you know about some of the conservation efforts this group participates in.This is an amazing organization, that is not only funding conservation efforts, they’re helping kids further their education, learn how to get outdoors and actively tackle R3 efforts.Houston Safari Club Foundation has put $2.1 million into scholarships for hunters. That is, they are paying for scholarships to kids who are proven outdoors enthusiasts with hunting backgrounds. These are future decision makers and educators. They tackle Hunter Recruitment first hand with outdoor programs that have introduced hundreds of students to hunting exp

"Life is a film reel, not a snapshot."— Eric ClarkEric Clark is the founder of Where to Hunt. He's built the app as a side hustle, and today, we're talking about how he's pursuing making it his full-time job.The American Dream is synonymous with this mental picture of rainbows and pots of gold. But in reality, the American Dream is like the weather: Rainbows don’t come until the storm passes.Chasing that dream is hard. It’s more challenging than I ever thought. It weighs on me more than I tell people. Having the responsibilities of being the catalyst for a company—the make it happen person, the ideator, the chief of sales and head honcho of finance? All of that comes with a lot of stress in hopes of a reward. Those rewards vary—some do it to get rich, while some do it just in hopes of supporting their family while doing what they love. The stress is ubiquitous either way.I’ve talked about those challenges a lot on this show from my perspective with GoWild. Today I am pumped to bring o

"I gave myself three years. If this show wasn't profitable in three years, then I probably didn't belong on television. I kept it real. I was honest. And it's working out pretty well."- Gus Congemi, Host of Live the Wild LifeNetworking and relationships can take you a long ways.Today we’re talking to a guy who will time and time again echo this statement. Make sure you don’t just have talent, you better build some relationships along the way.I wasn’t too familiar with Gus Congemi, the host of the show Live the Wild Life, until I started working with Arcus for GoWild. And really, I hadn’t had a chance to really dive into his content until recently when I started preparing for this chat.What I found was I really liked Gus’ content and Gus. As a hunter, he’s very different than a lot of the personalities out there. And his show has a lot to like about it. Somewhere in watching four or five episodes for prep, I kind of forgot I was prepping and just found myself along for the ride.If you

As many of you know, GoWild has partnered with From Field to Plate and SIXSITE to promote hunter recruitment with a sweepstakes valued at over $4,500. The sweepstakes ran for 2 months, and collectively generated nearly 3,000 new hunters and anglers for 2018."I know this is a drop in the bucket in what the industry needs, but we're proud to be working with people and brands who understand that if we all just work together, these small efforts can eventually create bucket loads of new hunters and anglers," said GoWild Co-Founder Brad Luttrell. "For being as young of a company as we are, we're proud to see our little ol' community be this activated and inspired to jump in and solve this R3 issue."Team GoWild sat down on August 1 and called one random winner for the sweepstakes. You can listen to the episode above to see who won and just how that announcement went.The winner will join GoWild Co-Founders Brad Luttrell and Donovan Sears on an all-expense-paid hunting trip to Texas

"No matter where I've been or what I've done, it turns out, the most important aspect of it have been the people. I don't remember the photos as much as the relationships."— Tony BynumSpeaking up in contest when you know it could not only lead to backlash, but cost you clients and therefore your livelihood is not only courageous, it’s typically the makeup of a leader, which is who we have today.Tony Bynum is an outdoor photographer and the president of the Professional Outdoor Media Association by title, but he’s so much more than that. He's an activist as much as a conservationist. Tony is incredibly passionate about wildlife. You’ll find few people who dedicate so much of their life to improving our nation’s public lands and wildlife, as well as telling that story.You may have recently seen Tony’s image of a massive grizzly bear on the cover of Outdoor Life. It was the primary image for a story about the return of the grizzly bear and the science behind the hunt. He creates thi

"As an industry, if we keep drinking out of the same watering hole, we're all going to be thirsty."— Joshua Stratton, Against the CurrentI love disruptive people. If you’re building a product, or using products or marketing tactics in an unexpected way, or doing something entirely different, that takes courage.That’s Joshua Stratton.Today’s guest is not afraid to speak his mind. He’s not afraid to talk about the shortcomings of the outdoors industry. And he’s not afraid to talk about his shortcomings.Joshua didn’t come from hunting heritage. So in a lot of ways, he’s the guy we’ve talked so much about recruiting. We need people who might find this way of life interesting for the recreation and the meat acquisitions—not because it’s what their grandfather did.That’s a great tactic to grow the lifestyle we all love.Joshua and I talk about those R3 efforts, that’s recruitment, retainment and re-engagement. But we’re going so much deeper. This guy gets deep. We’re going to discuss religion, humanit

“You can’t blame hunters for the creation of humans.”— Lincoln Tapp, Bowhunter & Host of YoungWildLincoln Tapp has become pretty well known within the hunting community. He’s currently chasing a goal that’s almost synonymous with his name. He’s spent a third of his life traveling across North America in an attempt to become the youngest person to harvest 29 of North America’s Big Game Animals.At 12 years old, Lincoln became the youngest known archer to harvest the Stone Sheep. He checked another box at 14 when he became the youngest archer to harvest the Super 10 of North American Big Game, and he also completed his archery Grand Slam with the Four North American Wild Sheep, which means he harvested Dall’s, Stone’s Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn and Desert Bighorn sheep.Lincoln is also the host of “YoungWild” which you can find on the Outdoor Channel.I think about how young he is, and I'm so impressed and optimistic. This isn't your typical celebrity. This is a guy whose peers are thinking of pro

“It hit me that if this could happen to a 10 year old, it could be me. For a minute I was lost, not knowing what to do next. Since my experience going hunting, I’ve done things I would have never done before.”— Marcus Stiggers, SIXSITEWhen I look at our industry, I’m inspired most by brands that market through empowerment, not impossibility. SIXSITE is one of those brands.Stephen Holley, the founder, understands that he makes a high end product, but he also understands the market well. He’s marketing to a new generation of hunters. And he’s marketing to a generation that’s largely untapped.While SIXSITE does make high-quality gear, the organization understands the lay of the land. They’re doing their part to get more people outside. Overall, that creates a healthy industry, and a healthy industry is good for business. And also at the root of this is doing the right thing.We’re going to hear from one of those people that SIXSITE has activated. Marcus Stiggers has suffered incredible loss. And he’s going to tel

"People have failure. People should know that. If they come into this and think they're going to have a 100% success—they're not. Learning from your failures makes you a better hunter. And that has to happen."— Kimmi GreentreeSome of you know today’s guest because of her husband. But in a little over an hour, you’ll see she stands out on her own.Prior to my interview, I admired Kimmi Greentree's authenticity and self awareness. Her social media profiles are hilarious and I liked her. But in a very impersonal way, similar to how you might think a comedian is funny. Or how you might like to follow a social media account because they post good memes.But after this conversation, I really connected with that authenticity, and saw it being applied into the outdoors space. She doesn’t apologize for her feelings. She doesn’t apologize for not knowing something. She doesn’t apologize for disagreement, even with her husband. She doesn’t apologize for her experiences.Kimmi is Adam Greentree’s wi

Alaska made me think. Join me on this quick recap as I share my takeaways from the trip.We're skipping the show notes on this one. Let's just say we're going deep.**This episode is brought to you by Houston Safari Club Foundation**This episode of Restless Native is brought to you by Houston Safari Club Foundation. GoWild is working with Houston Safari Club Foundation, and you know about some of the conservation efforts this group participates in.This is an amazing organization, that is not only funding conservation efforts, they’re helping kids further their education, learn how to get outdoors and actively tackle R3 efforts.Houston Safari Club Foundation has put $2.1 million into scholarships for hunters. That is, they are paying for scholarships to kids who are proven outdoors enthusiasts with hunting backgrounds. These are future decision makers and educators. They tackle Hunter Recruitment first hand with outdoor programs that have introduced hundreds of students to hunting experiences and

Quick announcement on the new Restless Native shirts and a couple of other things!BUY YOUR SHIRTCome out to the Wild Child RendezvousOh, and you can watch the Alaska video with Jared and Bobby

"I caught a 125 pounder, and the guide looked at it and said, 'We gotta turn it loose.'"— Bobby Stoker recapping his trip to Alaska.Today’s episode is interesting.We’re going to hear some stories from two different generations, in the same industry but approaching it from vastly different angles. Bobby Stoker is a third generation tobacco man. Jared Boyce, better known by many as simply “Outlaw,” is a famous YouTuber in the tobacco and outdoors space.I recently fished with both of these guys in Alaska, chasing King Salmon, Halibut, Lingcod, and yes, even those unworthy little black bass (more on that in the show). We had a great time, and one night we decided to bust out the podcast and video gear and record a conversation.I've worked with Bobby and Stokers a lot over the years, but I wasn’t sure what to expect when I met Jared. I was pretty sure this guy was a content creating genius, having tapped into a perfect niche—one that was underserved on the content perspective, and one he u

"I can take one person hunting, but we all need to realize we're all part of a larger network. We've all got to get involved. One person is not too small to make a difference."- Joe Betar, Houston Safari ClubYou know those people you meet and connect with immediately? The ones who cause you to quickly forget you don’t know them all that well?That’s Joe Betar.Joe is today’s guest. He's with Houston Safari Club, and we caught up recently in Lincoln, Nebraska—my first trip there this year. We were both there for R3, the symposium pulled together to solve for huntings challenges, specifically when it comes to recruitment, retainment and reactivation.Joe and I really don’t know each other what I would call well. But at times in this show I forgot that, and I bet you will, too. He’s that kind of guy. Easy going. We have a lot in common, so it made chatting easy. One of those things is we have both switched industries entirely and moved into the hunting industry, coming from very different b

Surprise! Bonus content!Parker and Blake with Southern Ground recently had me onto their show to chat GoWild, hunting, cooking and life. After doing the show, I really liked these guys. We liked them enough to become partners with their network.So GoWild is sponsoring the fellas at Southern Ground. In support of our investment in them and our belief in their efforts, we're bringing you the Southern Ground interview with me, Brad Luttrell. Enjoy! Check out Southern Ground:https://sportsmensnation.com/podcasters/southern-groundCheck out the From Field to Plate Sweepstakes, brought to you by SIXSITE:https://timetogowild.com/blogs/news/gowild-announces-the-from-field-to-plate-sweepstakesLearn about SIXSITE:https://sixsitegear.com/Learn about From Field to Plate:http://fromfieldtoplate.com/

“I’m here today because of the way my grandfather established this brand. I’m still riding the wave today.” — Adam WeatherbySeven decades ago, Weatherby magnums were flipping the industry on its head for their velocity and flat trajectory performance.And they’re still leading the way.Weatherby needs no intro. It’s the gun you’ve lusted for. It’s an elite brand you respect, even if you’ve never fired one or even seen one yourself. That kind of brand equity takes sweat equity. And Roy Weatherby had that and more.Today we're talking to Adam Weatherby, the President of Weatherby and grandson of Roy. In this episode we'll talk about the legacy and brand that Roy built, how Roy impacted his son, Ed, and Adam's journey to lead.Adam’s done a lot of podcasts, but I promise you, if you’ve heard him before, stick around. He even said at the end of the show, he’s never done a show like this.DON'T MISS THE FROM FIELD TO PLATE SWEEPSTAKES, SPONSORED BY SIXSITEAlso, make sure you check out our sweepstake

"There are no sacred cows here. Do you care about preserving a memory, or do you care about preserving a lifestyle?"— Buck RobinsonI met Buck Robinson very early into my journey with GoWild. We're both entrepreneurs, but he's a few years ahead of our team with GoWild in our journey. I've admired him and his team's ability to scale and bring their vision to life.Team GoWild fully believes in what Buck is doing. You've heard it before—access is one of the toughest challenges for hunters. Outdoor Access not only solves for that in a way that's extremely affordable for outdoorsmen, it's benefiting the land owners, too. It's not all peaches and cream, though. Buck outlines his growing pains, too.Buck and I will discuss the reason we were together—the R3 Conference. We'll share our criticism of the effort, along with what we found hopeful. We talk through an interesting way to get new people outside for the first time, and you might just already have it in your

"I thought, 'there's gotta be a better way.' So I said, I'm going to start something to teach people to go from field to plate, with respect, honor and integrity."- Jeremiah Doughty, From Field to PlateThis show is with someone with a lot of drive. And talent. And maybe most importantly, a guy with a passion for helping others experience the outdoors.For episode 13, we welcome Jeremiah Doughty, who many of you would probably be more likely to recognize as the "From Field to Plate" guy. He’s a hunter, angler and amazing chef, and in this episode, we'll talk about his path to becoming a guy who's sponsored by some major brands in the industry, as well as how he's turned down more money because to him, it's about the people, not the paycheck.Jeremiah's version of success is probably different from many. He doesn’t care about the Insta-fame. He doesn’t care about the logos that show up at the end of his YouTube videos. To him, it's about helpin

“When we get a bird, that’s when I’m going to decide. Am I really a hunter? Or am I a nature photographer?"- Chris GleimThis show's a little different. I documented my co-founder's first hunting experience. You'll hear the excitement in his voice pre-hunt, the self doubt and curiosity of what it will be like to take an anima's life, and the overall the highs and lows hunters deal with. It's an honest, first-hand account of what it is like to try hunting for the first time.Chris Gleim is the Chief Development Officer at GoWild. He's an avid hiker and outdoors enthusiast. And now, he's a hunter.Since working on GoWild, he had gotten more and more interested in hunting culture, and decided he wanted to go himself. So we decided to make it happen this turkey season and document the experience.I wanted to do this to encourage all of you to take someone hunting for the first time. As I type these show notes, I'm coming out of the R3 Symposium (Recruitment, Retainment, an