Doesn't matter if you do anything related to bicycles, Carl Strong has lessons that'll help every entrepreneur start and run a successful, profitable business. Carl is legend within the custom bicycle frame building industry for good reason - he leads seminars, coaches younger builders, and most importantly, leads an industry in running his business as a real business, not a passion play. That’s a mistake so many entrepreneurs make. Sometimes, that allows for a great lifestyle business, but if you want to build a real company that’s highly profitable and capable of growing, Carl’s two decades of lessons are distilled into this episode. On top of that, he’s launching a new, ready-made brand of carbon fiber bikes with a partner, which will focus on limited runs of a single model at a time. And it’ll be high end, which caters to a customer that’s not arguing over price, which lets them focus on building something great. Those discussions on pricing, value systems, and determining your real bottom line are pure gold! I took a ton of notes on this episode, check them out here with photos and more. And be sure to leave a rating and review whereever you listen to podcasts! Thanks! Check out more episodes at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Imagine launching your own product aligned perfectly with your passions, heading out on an 18-month roadshow to market it at your favorite outdoor spots, and having someone else paying for all of it. Sound’s amazing, right? That’s exactly what Boulder Denim co-founders Bradley Spence and Taz Barrett are doing. They hit the road in June in a custom Sprinter and Airstream trailer, traveling all over the US to demo their unique stretchy pairs of jeans that work just as well climbing as they do out on the town. They started out with nothing more than an idea, but thanks to fearless knocking on doors, jumping at all the right opportunities, and a killer Kickstarter strategy (plus a comically random assortment of crappy high school jobs and college startups), they’ve pulled off the ultimate lifestyle business. And it could get huge! For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

What does it take to build a global brand? Mike Sinyard founded Specialized Bicycles to get the parts he wanted into the US. Then he created a road bike tire because he couldn't find anything that met his needs. Step after step, he built his company, and now it's one of the largest bicycle brands in the world. A big part of his success is owed to the strong culture he's built with passionate, open minded employees all focused on a single mission: Create the best bicycles in the world. Here's how he did it, and check the show notes for photos, video and more at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Mark Gainey, co-founder of Strava, shares the startup story and growth tactics of the social platform for cyclists. They discuss gamification, device agnosticism, attracting venture capital, selling data to municipalities, and pivoting to better serve their audience.

What if you could start a business that funded you and your best buddies' adventures? Wolfpack Ninja Tour cofounder Noah Kaufman is using their teams' American Ninja Warrior celebrity platform to build a national consumer sporting event series. It could have just been a T-shirt business to fund climbing trips, but they kept their eyes open for opportunities and took advantage of them, and it's led them to create something big. And being smart about their growth, attracting sponsors, and learning as they go means they're buidling something that will last. Listen in as Noah tells how competition is good, how they're co-opting other's marketing to their benefit, and how they've focused on the right type of customer. For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Chris Warner has summited some of the tallest mountains in the world, and now he helps leaders reach the top of their game. He's also the founder of Earth Treks climbing gyms, which owns the largest indoor climbing facility in the USA. He drops some tips for building your own leadership skills (straight from his very expensive seminars!) and discusses revenue and management strategy...two things most passion-based outdoor/adventure entrepreneurs desperately need to do better! For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast for a LOT of post-interview knowledge, links to his videos (including a full speech) and a free download from Chris! Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

So you want to start a website. Or a podcast. Or a blog, YouTube channel or any other media outlet. Being able to talk about the things you love and live it every day sounds awesome. And it is. But things have changed, and the publications that are figuring out the right mix brand partnerships and editorial are the ones that are thriving. GearJunkie.com Founder and Editor Stephen Regenold has built a sizable team and business pursuing the activities he loves. He's able to climb, ski, hike and explore the outdoors and it's all "business". If that's not the definition of a dream lifestyle business, I don't know what is. But he's able to do that and support a staff of eight, each following their own passion to provide comprehensive coverage of the outdoor industry and life. Here's how he's done it. As always, for full show notes, time stamps and more, check the blog at http://www.thebuildcycle.com

My favorite quote from this interview with Tepui Tents founder Evan Currid? "Are we going to buy a house, or are we going to start this company?" It's this mentality that makes things happen. Setting aside creature comforts, sleep, an easy day job, and other "sacrifices" barely seem like such when you're following a dream. Tepui was started with personal savings of $33,000 right after Evan and his wife married, and that question up above was the decision they had to make. Here's how that even became a consideration, and where they've gone from there to build the most well known North American brand in car roof-top tents! For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

It doesn't matter what type of business you want to build, strong partnerships will help you and and your industry grow. Competitor Magazine founder Bob Babbit used this strategy to amazing success, building not just his magazine but also launching a radio show, podcast, awards ceremony and events. All of which created an ecosystem that supported gear brands and their retailers, which in turn gave him more readers, listeners and participants. There's some fascinating insight into the world of events here, but even if that and the media world aren't your interest, you'd be missing out to skip this episode! Easily one of my favorites so far! For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

It's not just apps and websites kids are launching in college. Pure Cycles started up as an idea in the middle of a fall semester. By winter break, Michael Fishman and two friends had a container of bikes delivered and sold all of them before returning for spring semester. The best part? They did all that with just a few thousand bucks from personal savings! If you're launching a consumer product, Michael's thoughts on development, sourcing, sales and marketing will give you all the tools you need to get up and running fast! For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.