Why Curiosity Outlasts Strategy
How eleven years of consistent work turned into something truly special.
Starting Line
We are so excited to have Floris Gierman on the podcast today; we’ve been trying to organize this one for a while, and finally all of our schedules aligned to make it happen! We had a great time digging into his past, present and future - and how they all seem to magically connect to create the perfect conditions for everything he’s putting energy into. We hope you love this conversation as much as we did!
Connecting Brands and Creators
We are so proud to announce our first ever partnership, and we wanted to make sure that we collaborated with a business that brings value to as many people listening to this episode as possible. If you’re not familiar with Popfly, it’s a platform that connects brands to outdoor, travel and adventure creators. They streamline the entire collaborative process, from bringing the brands and creators together around campaigns, to dealing with payments and affiliate programs to keep it all organized.
From Aaron: Having been on both the Brand and Creator side of this equation, I can tell you that the way Popfly organizes everything is a level above anything else I’ve experienced. Most brand collaborations are chaotic at best, and this platform simplifies it better than anything I’ve seen. I recently set up my storefront and joined my first campaign, and honestly, it felt frictionless compared to every other brand deal I’ve ever done. This is the real deal.
If you’re interested in Popfly, please support Second Nature by using these links:
Why Curiosity Outlasts Strategy
Floris Gierman has it all: he's an author, content creator, co-founder of a running apparel brand, and so much more. His approach in hindsight seems methodical and measured in its approach, but the truth is that this all came around from years of consistent, small steps. In this episode, we dig into the day-to-day as well as the big picture of Floris Gierman's world.
Job Of The Week
🏃 New Balance is hiring a Senior Marketing Manager, Global Run Energy.
🔥 Red Bull is looking for a Brand & Partnerships Manager to drive social strategy.
🚀 Raide Research has five new roles open - go check them out!
Article Of The Week
Seth LaReau drops bangers like this on a regular basis; we’ve become huge fans of Trail Waves. If you were going to invest in trail running as a category, here’s the case to be made for the entire industry. Fascinating to see how Seth pulled it all together here:
Show Notes
BPC - Brand, Product, Content
BPC is our closing segment where we share brands we’ve discovered, products we’re using and content we love. Dylan and Aaron also shared their favorite gear recommendations (unprompted!) from Floris’s brand, Path Projects.
⛳️ Manors Golf: There are a bunch of brands developing in the golf space that are super interesting right now - and Manors is leading the charge!
🤯 KetoneIQ: Floris’s secret weapon for authoring his book Running Breakthroughs was a tiny bottle of KetoneIQ.
👉 Path Projects Base Liner: Dylan’s pick for favorite Path Projects gear is their base layer, something he’s been buying and implementing since they first came out.
📕 The Way Of Excellence (Book): Brad Stulberg has written more than a few incredible books, this one is a guide to true greatness and deep satisfaction in a chaotic world.
👕 Path Projects Basis Tee: Aaron’s pick for favorite Path Projects gear is the Basis Tee. Not only is it great for workouts, runs and rides - it’s the perfect thing for long days in airplanes. Breathable, flexible, durable - and doesn’t get gross like a cotton shirt would after 12 hours of flying.
🔥 Backcountry Slickrock Kit: Aaron’s first campaign (as a creator) with Popfly was around the new Backcountry MTB kit - and he chose the oil slick blue kit for it. Have a look!
Thank You
If you’re going to be on-site at the Sea Otter Classic in a few weeks, we are doing a Second Nature meetup and live podcast recording! Thursday AND Friday morning at the Smith Optics booth, be there at 9am to hang with us. We also have a “Sea Otter Survival Kit” for the first 20 people to show up every day, you don’t want to miss it!