Sep 24, 2019
I was able to catch up with Shawn Hostetter from Katadyn awhile back and we talked about the great work they are doing providing clean drinking water around the world and some of their cool outdoor products.
Show Notes
First Exposure to the Outdoors
I grew up in Colorado and spent a lot of time in the woods growing up, biking and skiing and hiking. I spent a lot of time and love being outdoors ever since I was a kid. My Dad was a cowboy. Cowboys you know, he had a cattle ranch, with cattle and horses. So I grew up like that. When I was going to BYU I applied to an outdoor store when I first got there, called Out and Back. Chris Speak and I worked there together at outback and were selling water filters and a lot of other things. We were the number one store in the nation selling water filters and water purifiers.
Things we talked about
Advice
I love to help people that are looking to get in the outdoor business and give them suggestions on where to go, what to do. I mean, a lot of young people want to want to break into the outdoor business and don't really know where to start. One of the best places to start honestly is outdoor retail. Working in retail stores, knowing the customers, knowing what retailers are dealing with. To me, that's such a foundational part of understanding the outdoor industry because in the end we're built on the backs of the outdoor retailers. So working for outdoor retailers and then maybe becoming an independent sales rep, supporting those retailers for a while before somebody moves into a manufacturing side of the business. That's a great career path. I've always liked to hire people that have an outdoor retail background.
Other Outdoor Activities
skiing, backpacking, fishing, canoe camping, climbing, paddling
Favorite Books/Podcasts
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Favorite Piece of Gear under $100
Connect with Shawn