#29 Bear Handlon - From Navy SEAL to Entrepreneur

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Bear Handlon: From Navy SEAL Battlefields to Building a Fitness Empire Meet Bear Handlon, a true embodiment of grit, discipline, and unyielding drive—a former Navy SEAL officer, Yale athlete, and visionary entrepreneur who's redefined what it means to "work hard, wear easy." Born and raised in the heartland of Indiana, Bear's journey began on the gridiron, where he honed his competitive edge as a middle linebacker for the Yale Bulldogs. But Bear didn't stop at football; in 2013, he channeled that same intensity into the world of functional fitness, competing at the prestigious CrossFit Games as part of a team—a testament to his early passion for pushing physical and mental limits. Fresh out of Yale, Bear's path took a pivotal turn toward service. In the spring of 2014, just months before commissioning into the U.S. Navy, he co-founded Born Primitive alongside his partner (and now wife) Mallory Handlon (née Riley). What started as a simple idea—crafting high-performance compression shorts sewn by a neighbor to better support Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit sessions—quickly evolved into a garage-side hustle. As Bear reported for duty, he and Mallory bootstrapped the brand from their modest setup, turning late-night shipments into a foundation for something extraordinary.Over the next nearly 8 years, Bear served with distinction as a Navy SEAL officer in the Special Operations community, deploying on high-stakes missions that demanded the very resilience he infused into his fledgling company. Balancing classified operations with entrepreneurial demands, Bear led SEAL teams while remotely guiding Born Primitive's growth. It was a masterclass in multitasking under fire: no outside capital, no safety nets—just raw determination. By the time he transitioned out of active duty, Born Primitive had exploded from a one-product wonder into a global lifestyle powerhouse. Today, as Co-Founder and CEO, Bear oversees a 9-figure fitness, athleisure, and outdoor apparel brand that's synonymous with durability, style, and performance. From moisture-wicking tees that withstand the toughest WODs to versatile gear for everyday warriors, Born Primitive's motto—"Work Hard, Wear Easy"—mirrors Bear's ethos of excellence without compromise.Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kagan-dunlap-show/id1734065968Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoB0WzZTGwZHj7LJIZDTI?si=3f85eb09f07249e7Kagan Dunlap Show Links:Website - https://kagandunlapshow.com/X - https://x.com/KaganDunlapShowInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/kagandunlapshow/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kagan.dunlap.show?lang=enBear Handlon Links:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bearhandlonLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bear-handlon-699688152/