Outdoors with AJ

My great buddy Frank Ciccone joined me on the podcast to talk about his origins in fly fishing, the outdoors, and why he started a youtube channel to document his adventures with his friends and family. Frank has always been an inspiring guy to be around and it really comes through in this episode why that is.  Frank loves to be around his friends and to provide amazing days in the places that he admires the most, beautiful rivers around the world. We covered a lot of ground in this interview, from how he got started in fishing, fly fishing and filming.  We talked about our Jefferson's fishing club first annual trip and why you should start a fishing club with your friends.   Frank shared a ton of great advice in this episode and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Bryan Walker, the owner of River Rat fishing rafts, joins Outdoors Podcast to talk about what makes his rafts the most approachable fly fishing boats on the market. Joining the conversation is long time friend of the channel, Fish Hands Franky, who just so happens to own a River Rat boat. We talked about: Why Bryan started the company What makes their boats such a great option for a wide range of anglers Why Bryan is dedicated to making boats that a lot of people can afford Where these boats are getting taken and what they're being used for Exciting news about new products and upcoming adventures You can find more information about the company and these amazing fishing rafts at: https://riverratusa.com/ https://www.instagram.com/riverratus/ Or join the facebook owners group at: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15qasFPFLY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Piper Bates, or UrLocalLumberJill on Instagram and Tiktok joins the show to talk about her background in the outdoors and her career as a professional timber faller & tree climber. We talked about how she got her first job in the industry, what a day in her life looks like in both roles, and how she has progressed in the industry. Piper is such a fun person to talk to, and she was just a joy to get to know. Enjoy

Scott Jensen, CEO and Founder of Near Zero Outdoors joins the podcast to talk about a whole bunch of exciting news from Near Zero. We talked about Scott's youth, growing up as an Eagle Scout, and the outdoor skills that he learned through the program. Scott spent the first 15 years of his career in corporate supply chain in the medical device and aerospace industries, which gave him exposure to global manufacturing partners and best practices. With a move back to the United States from China, Scott and his family turned their sights on the outdoor industry and founded Near Zero, to provide high quality backpacking and camping gear to the industry, at a more affordable, and accessible price. We spent time talking about the new 3rd generation of the Dean Backpack, and all of the updates the've made to the backpack, the little dean, their new 10 piece backpacking bundle and more. Finishing up the conversation, we talked about Near Zero's future, including working with more wholesalers, their growth, and even a new rental program they are launching to make backpacking even more accessible. Check out everything we talked about on the episode and more at: www.nearzero.co instagram.com/nearzero_outdoors tiktok.com/@ultralight_backpacking youtube.com/@nearzero_outdoors

Chris McKleroy, Founder and CEO of NOCS Provisions joins host AJ Eads to talk about his background in the outdoors and the events that lead him to starting a Binoculars company that is shaking up the industry.  NOCS Provisions got its start in the Bay Area of Northern California and now operates near the outdoor haven of Lake Tahoe.  Chris and the team have taken a very different approach to most of today's product companies and grown the business organically with their own cash flow, as opposed to the massive investments of private equity and venture capital companies.  This has allowed the business to stay true to its mission of connecting their customers with the outdoors and reducing the waste that is typical with most retailers today. This was a really insightful conversation and Chris really helped me understand what an ethical company can do to make an impact on the world. Enjoy.