194: Nate Checketts - CEO Of Rhone: Leaving Comfort To Make An Impact

Mar 6, 2017

Nate Checketts, Founder and CEO of Rhone, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the importance of routine for sustained success. He emphasizes the value of focused scheduling, inspired by Jack Dorsey, and outlines his own disciplined daily habits. Nate discusses innovative textile technologies that differentiate Rhone in the premium menswear market and reflects on fundraising challenges using photography to attract investors. He also shares lessons from his upbringing, emphasizing gratitude and the importance of avoiding entitlement.

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INSIGHT

Routine Scales Daily Wins Into Years

Routine creates reliable good days that compound into good months and years.
Nate builds systems so small daily actions produce long-term sustainable success.

ADVICE

Be The Dentist Of Your Calendar

Protect your calendar and set guardrails so people adapt to your schedule.
Use focused days (e.g., outside-meeting days) and be the "dentist" of your calendar.

ANECDOTE

Lululemon Gift Sparked A Product Idea

A Lululemon gift sparked Nate's idea after men reacted negatively to a women's yoga brand.
He then researched odor technology and found better fabric treatments that lasted far longer than industry standards.

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Episode 194: Nate Checketts - CEO Of Rhone: Leaving Comfort To Make An Impact

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The Learning Leader Show

"If I didn't think people could change, then I think life would be less meaningful."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence:
- It's easy to say someone "got lucky" but that is almost never the case
- Routine - The best have a routine for long term success. Need good years, need good months, need good weeks, need good days. You must plan for that success. Create routines
Advice from Jack Dorsey:
- How to stay focused?
  - Focus on one thing at a time
  - Set specific days for certain meetings and do not deviate. Take ownership of your calendar and schedule
Nate's Routine
- Wake up at 5 am
- Spritual time, meditation
- Write in The 5 Minute Journal
- Exercise, Yoga, Running
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - At his desk by 7:30
"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." - Ben Franklin
"Be the dentist of your own calendar"
The story of getting Rhone started in 2011
- Nobody was doing premium menswear
- Feb. 2013 incorporated
- Spent an hour each way on the train commuting to his job working on Rhone
"Why does it feel like taboo to talk about inspiring men? It shouldn't"
Describing the fund raising process
- "Raising capital is much more art than science"
- "The biggest key for us was photography. People needed to see it"
Why Shane Battier is a Rhone guy
After raising $8M, how do you decide where to spend that money?
Speaking about the success of his Dad, Dave Checketts (CEO of Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks)
- How to instill a work ethic in your children?
- What it was like growing up with ultra successful parents and how that impacted him
- How Nate and his wife parent their children
- How the quote "He was born on third base and convinced he hit a triple" has motivated Nate
- How he made money creating a sports camp in his backyard growing up
"You can't teach effort"
Books to read:
Learning Leader = "I love the idea of being an eternal student."

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Continue Learning:

Follow Rhone on Twitter: @rhone
Follow Nate on Twitter: @natechecketts
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12