KORE Outdoors Podcast

The one and only Kelli Jones joins host Christian Rawles to talk about how she's grown Noso Patches from creating a patch to repair her beloved puffy jacket to a thriving business on a mission to keep outdoor apparel out of the landfill. Kelli has been instrumental in creating the Title 9 Pitch Fest and has worked hard to support and advocate for other female founders in the outdoor industry.

This conversation covers how Kelli puts the 'show' in trade show, how she decided to go all-in on Noso, growing a business in a mountain town like Jackson & the work Noso is doing to keep outdoor apparel going for longer.

Show Notes:
Learn more about KORE Outdoors

Noso Patches website

Noso Patches on Instagram

GoggleSoc

Traction book & the EOS System

Rocky the Rocket

Connect with Kelli on LinkedIn

Connect with Christian on LinkedIn

This episode features a deep dive into the evolving world of outdoor content creation, brand partnerships, and community building with Aaron Lutze, former Red Bull field marketing manager turned full-time content creator and YouTuber behind "Super Rider." The conversation is rich with insights on how challenger brands can effectively partner with creators, the value of long-term brand relationships, and the future of media in the outdoor industry.

Aaron shares his journey from being an OG trials rider and VHS tape producer to his corporate career at Red Bull, and his eventual return to content creation. He explains his belief in building value and community over time rather than chasing viral hits. Central to his philosophy is the idea that content is king, but distribution is queen. He discusses the challenges and rewards of building a YouTube channel from scratch, his dream of reviving the Japanese trials show "Super Rider," and why authenticity and long-term partnerships are key for brands working with creators.

The conversation also explores field marketing, the art of creating "double secret handshakes" to unlock hyper-local opportunities, and how brands can connect meaningfully with communities rather than simply imposing their agendas.

Show Notes:
Learn more about KORE & the KORE Summit
Aaron's YouTube channel: Super Rider
Aaron's podcast: Second Nature

The Second Nature Slack channel

The Infinite Game - book by Simon Sinek

Influencers vs Content Creators - interview with Patrick Crawford

Six at 6 newsletter by Billy Oppenheimer

Andy Bethune has spent his career developing brand and marketing strategies for the biggest names in the outdoor industry and founder-led startups just getting started. In this episode, Andy breaks down the components of branding and provides actionable steps to creating a clear brand strategy.

This conversation covers topics such as consumer psychology, branding fundamentals, marketing strategies for startup brands, and what the outdoor industry can learn from the hunting industry.

Andy is the Principal Strategist and Founder of Black Ram Consulting.

Show Notes:
KORE Outdoors

Origin Agency

Stone Glacier

Gritty Films

First Light / Meat Eater

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn

Connect with Christian on LinkedIn

Raquel Vélez is the founder and CEO of Alpine Parrot, a company that makes technical outdoor apparel for sizes 14-30, which, until now, has been a category that the outdoor industry has all but ignored. Raquel has a background in engineering and she used her experience working with Bay Area tech companies to springboard her journey into entrepreneurship. In this conversation, she breaks down how apparel patterns are made and why previous methods for creating plus-size apparel didn’t work. She also discusses the important role that mentors, peers and her time in accelerator programs have played in keeping her going through turbulent times.

Greg McDonald is the General Manager of Ridley’s Cycle, an independent bike retailer with three locations in Calgary and a very successful online store. Greg is also a board member of the National Bike Dealer’s Association and, prior to Ridley’s, he was a sales rep in the outdoor and bike industry.

In this episode we discuss the current situation in the bike industry and the challenges many retailers and brands are facing. We learn about some of the issues that led to the situation as well as some potential solutions. We also get into the details about how brands can better support retailers through improved sales programs and partnerships that create win-win situations at every level of the industry.