Why Skratch Is Not For Sale
Our 2025 approach - and the "technology of gathering" that unlocked six Olympic medals.
Starting Line
We started the week by sharing our mindsets, then we ended the week by getting our minds blown. What a week! Allen and Ian from Skratch, our first recipients of the Second Nature “Brand Of The Year”, joined us on the podcast - and they did not disappoint.
The Mindset We’re Bringing Into 2025
Dylan and Aaron reconnect to share the different approaches they are taking toward success in the outdoor industry in 2025 - digging into goals, frameworks and vision (and then some). They also riff on the new team launched by Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing) and why it matters a lot more than just the typical factory sponsorship announcement.
Why Skratch Is Not For Sale
Skratch won our award for "Brand Of The Year" in 2024, and the main reason was because we respected their approach to playing the infinite game: making decisions rooted in long term stability. So many brands in their position would angle for acquisition and an exit strategy, but that is not on their radar. The discipline and vision that it takes to stay true to that ethos is evident in this conversation with co-founders Allen Lim and Ian MacGregor.
Job Of The Week
🔥 NNormal is hiring a Country Manager for the USA. Huge role here for the right person!
👉 Hoka NAZ Elite is looking for a Director of Operations. Check out the job description here.
Article Of The Week
We challenge you to find a better name for a finance and running themed newsletter. Running The Numbers is absolutely perfect, and already loaded with tons of incredible insights. Derrick Dlouhy from the Second Nature community just launched it, and if the first few articles are any indication, we’re in for some supreme financial insight into the world of running.
Show Notes
BPC - Brand, Product, Content
This week’s BPC picks are all over the map. From brand re-launches to specific tools for training, we’ve got a little bit of everything this time around.
🚀 DB Clay - Begin Again: Aaron’s pick during the 2025 Mentality podcast earlier this week highlighted a brand that is relaunching after a lengthy hiatus. Check out the history of the brand and the relaunch, this will be a fun one to launch.
🏔️ Freetrail - Begin Again: Dylan reminded Aaron that there is another great film on the Freetrail channel by the same name, which is required viewing if you haven’t already watched it.
🏆 Never Second - C30: Dylan’s first BPC for this week is from Freetrail’s newest sponsor, Never Second, and the passionfruit C30 gel that he’s been smashing on all of his training runs lately.
🎿 Integrating Ski Areas: Skratch CEO Ian MacGregor shared an article about ski towns attempting to acquire the mountains (happening in both Colorado and Oregon right now) and how this integration between the mountain and the town will be a meaningful step forward.
🚴 Bosch E-Bikes: Allen Lim shared his love for e-bikes during this week’s BPC, utilized as not only a training tool, but as a new way for transportation. He’s tested and tried many different options, but the current Bosch motor is his favorite (Aaron uses the same motor on his e-MTB, too).
🎨 Gawx x Digital Spaghetti: Aaron’s second BPC of the week is the artist Gawx, who was recently on an episode of Digital Spaghetti (which is like a filming/editing breakdown, run by Patreon’s CEO, Jack Conte). Gawx is an incredible artist and this episode is mind-blowing inspiration for any filmmaker.
🏈 Aaron Rodgers "Enigma": Dylan shared this documentary, recently released on Netflix, which goes deep into the world of Aaron Rodgers on and off the field.
Thank You
Thank you for supporting Second Nature and joining us this week. Stay tuned for next week as we cross the 75-episode milestone and dive deep into the new media models being explored. If you’re not already in the Second Nature Slack Community, now would be a great time to join us!
We’re also incredibly close to the 1,000 subscriber mark on YouTube. Hitting this milestone allows us to open up new avenues for content and sharing (including live podcasts) - please jump over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel if you haven’t already.
Thanks for the shout out Lutze!