Shows
Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP10 - Rob Chesnut - Former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb and Author of “Intentional Integrity”Former Council and Chief Ethics Officer of Airbnb Rob Chesnut has written a book that I think every business owner should read. “Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution” explains that companies that do not think about their culture and Integrity are destined to fail. Inc Magazine has named it one of the Top Ten Business Books for 2020.After 14 years as a US Justice Department prosecutor he joined ebay in 1999 as their third lawyer where he founded the Trust and Safety team. After working with many silicon valley companies he joined Airbnb in 2016 and oversaw and...
2021-02-071h 12Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP9 - Mark Hayes - Owner of Highland Mountain Bike ParkIf you built a tech company and successfully sold it, would you use that money to buy an out of business ski area? Mark Hayes did exactly that. In a move that must have taken huge nads, Mark has proved that his vision of what it could be was spot on. Today Highland Mountain Bike Park is one of the top destinations in the United States to ride a MTB bike. In our talk Mark takes me through the history of the park, how Covid has effected business unexpectedly, and what the future holds for one of the most fun...
2021-01-2757 minThrowing Sparks with Nate SanelEP8 - Norm Laviolette - Comedian, Actor, Author and EntrepreneurNorm LaViolette is the CEO and co-founder of the Improv Asylum. He is also a comedian, actor, author, corporate trainer, public speaker and a serial entrepreneur. In this conversation we talk about how Covid-19 has effected his business, what he's doing about it, and how the correct mindset can find opportunities even in the midst of a pandemic. Norm is an incredibly positive person and a lot of fun to talk to!
2021-01-181h 24
The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#19 - Bikepacking in Vermont with Daniel JordanDaniel Jordan is a Bikepacker, Endurance racer and Organizer for the Vermont Super 8 Course, a 640 mile backroads tour of VT. In this discussion we talk about his recent FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the T.A.T.R. Course in New York as well as recap my race of the Super 8. We geek out on all things to do with Bikepacking in Vermont! For more information on the Super 8 and XVT course - https://www.vermontbikepackers.orgFor more information on the new VTXL - https://bikepacking.com/routes/vtxl/Follow Daniel - https://www.instagram...
2021-01-131h 50Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP7 - Aaron Chase - Mountain Bike Freestyle LegendAaron Chase is a Professional Mountain Bike Freestyle rider, and a legend in the sport. He has starred in many MTB free riding films and has traveled the world with his bike.He also is a fun dude to hang out with! In 2019 I went to Peru with him and an incredible group of riders and had the trip of my life. Here we catch up, talk about his background, some of the horrific injuries he's had, making movies and what it's like to have such a long career in a tough line of work.
2021-01-0955 minThrowing Sparks with Nate SanelEP6 - Christian Griffith - Endurance Athlete, Reality TV show star, Inspirational DudeChristian Griffith never stops moving. He is always looking to try "anything and everything healthy and productive to challenge his mind, body and spirit". That quest has led to running over 100 ultramarathons, competing in many of the toughest obstacle course races, running 3100 miles across the country (and raising over $300,000) for child sexual abuse victims, and participating on The History Channels "The Selection", a show that put 30 civilians through the toughest military training to see how they would fare.He has faced an enormous amount of adversity in his life, including being sexually abused as a child, dealing with...
2020-12-241h 08Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP5 - John Lacroix - Owner of Human Potential Running SeriesJohn Lacroix is an Ultra runner and the owner of the Human Potential Running Series. The company was founded in 2014 and unlike most other running races, they do not provide preferential treatment for top finishers, nor do they present age group awards or cash prizes. The focus is on individual discovery, rather than on determining winners and losers. This unique approach comes from Johns deep belief that people are capable of more than they are aware, and he thrives on providing the opportunity for them to discover just how much they can do!Johns success with this unique...
2020-12-191h 34Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP4 - Rod Lopusnak - GM of Triumph Motorcycles North AmericaRod Lopusnak has been involved with the Motorcycle Industry for his entire life. He grew up riding dirtbikes and working in the dealership that his grandfather started. Now the General Manager for Triumph North America, Rod is using his vast wealth of information to help them create, produce, market and sell some of the most desirable motorcycles available. In this conversation we talk about how he worked his way up from dealerships to the OEM side, and the importance of putting together an excellent team. We also talk about innovation, current trends, electric bikes, how Covid changed everything this year...
2020-12-1552 minThrowing Sparks with Nate SanelEP3 - Brian Beckstead - Co-founder of Altra ShoesBrian Beckstead is the Co-founder of Altra Shoes. He is also a long distance runner, fly fisherman and outdoorsman. While working as a running store employee, he and the other co founder started modifying shoes to help with their customers running injuries. After pitching their innovative approach to many shoe companies and getting nowhere, they decided to form a company to produce them on their own. Now 9 years later Altra is a major brand in the space. In this interview Brian talks very candidly about managing the rapid growth of Altra, and the struggle of trying to maintain a good...
2020-12-091h 16Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP2 - Kale Poland - Ultra Endurance MonsterKale Poland is an incredibly tough and driven person. He has run 500 miles over 9 days on a brutal 10 mile mountain course. He has completed the Deca Iron Man Triathlon twice. Thats 24 miles of swimming, 1120 miles of biking and 262 miles of running in one event. He has run multiple 100 mile races. He is also one of the nicest and most down to earth people you will ever meet. It’s not every day you get a chance to pick the brain of a true outlier, and we had a great time discussing the crazy things that he does on a...
2020-12-021h 21Throwing Sparks with Nate SanelEP1 - Jack Greco - Co-founder of a Billion Dollar CompanyIn this episode Jack Greco, the co-founder of ACV Auctions, talks about building a billion dollar company and shares his passion for investing in and helping others build their businesses.
2020-11-201h 22
The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#18 - Ed Vilandre - Investing In VT Series #1After a summer break, the VTO podcast is back! This episode kicks off a series called “Investing in Vermont”. I will be interviewing people that are involved in shaping the local economy/community in the St. Johnsbury area.My first guest in the series is Ed Vilandre. Ed founded AV&Co. with Rory Altman in 2002. Ed assists clients with many industry topics, frequently advising CEOs and Boards during complex strategic situations. He often speaks at industry, executive and investor conferences such as COMPTEL, CTAM, the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference, Jefferies TMT Conference and the Telecom Investor Conference.
2019-12-171h 08
The Dealership Fixit PodcastWhat's missing at powersports dealerships these days? - Episode 43Natan Sanel, founder of National Powersports Distributors joined me tonight to discuss his thoughts on what is missing from the powersports business these days. Thankfully he is passionate enough about seeing it get healthier industry wide that he shared many insights with me that most business owners would probably prefer to lock up in a safe, than share with all their competitors!
Coming from a background in auto parts, Nate says he and his wife decided to get into the powersports business when 9/11 happened and the stock market shut down for several days. He planned to gain...
2019-11-121h 23The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#17 - Peter Vollers - Vermont OverlandWhen Peter Vollers is not working as a Real Estate Lawyer, he owns and runs Vermont Overland. His knowledge of and appreciation for Class 4 VT roads has led to the creation of some very unique gravel adventure ride/races. A former Collegiate National Champion and Professional Cyclist, Peter also founded the Killington Mountain School Junior Cycling Team. In this interview we talk about exploring the endless back country roads, ebikes, living in VT and his other big passion, Land Cruisers. Vollers Law Website - https://www.vollerslaw.com/Vermont Overland Website - https://www.vermontoverland.com/
2019-05-311h 17The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#16 - Dr. Alan Betts - Climate Change ScientistDr. Alan Betts is an Atmospheric Researcher and Vermont's leading Climate Scientist. In the late 1970s, he moved to Vermont, and for over 40 years he has continued his research on regional and global weather and climate. He has worked with scientists and institutions in the US and around the world; and on many national and international research projects. His work has received wide recognition and several awards. His website is a repository for his many years of work and an excellent place to research the science of Climate Change. Dr. Betts' website - http://alanbetts.com/Additional...
2019-05-231h 15The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#15 - Collin Daulong - Kingdom Cycling and Experiences (KT Series #9)Collin Daulong and his wife Caitlin own Kingdom Cycling and Experiences. Their company gives bike tours all over New England and during the summer is based trailside at the Kingdom Trails on Darling Hill. In this interview Collin talks about how the company was started, and why accessibility is so important. While we talk about cycling a lot, we also talk about how meditation has been so beneficial to both of us. We go a little deep on this one!This is #9 in a series on the people of Kingdom Trails in East Burke Vt. ...
2019-05-161h 23The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#14 - Alex McAndrew - Green Mountain Pro TuneAlex McAndrew is a professional downhill and enduro mountain biker based in East Burke Vt. Alex and his soon to be wife Ella (also a professional MTB rider) run Vermont Mountain Bike Tours, are coaches and guides and have just opened their new venture Green Mountain Pro Tune. GMPT is a company that helps people set up (and repair) their suspension on mountain bikes. Prior to the podcast Alex set up my new bikes suspension and it was obvious that he loves helping people set up their bike properly.Vermont Mountain Bike Tours - https://www.vtmtbtours.com/
2019-05-091h 18The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#13 Maura Adams - Program Director of Bike the BorderlandsMaura Adams is the Program Director for the Northern Forest Center in Concord NH. They work to develop economic opportunities in the Northern Forest through a number of different programs. She is also a trail runner and mountain biker who is responsible for the new Bike The Borderlands program. Joining Quebec, Main, NH and VT, the Borderlands is a group of 7 trail systems across three states, a province and two nations all within a 2 hour drive of each other. The idea of the program is to promote the amazing mountain biking as a draw to the entire area, not just...
2019-04-121h 03The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#12 Chris Hibshman - Owner Villiage SportsChris Hibshman is the co-owner of the Village Sport Shop in Lyndonville VT. He is a backcountry skier, a mt bike rider and coach who cares deeply about how his employees and customers get treated. We talk about what it was like growing up in the business, the growth of the mountain biking in the area, and how much business has changed since he inherited it.Coming home video - https://www.facebook.com/villagesportshop/videos/989836424551588/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/villagesportshop/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/villagesportshop/
2019-04-0557 minThe Vermont Outdoors Podcast#11 Bob Dion - Founder of Dion Snowshoes and Ultrarunning legendBob Dion is the founder of Dion Snowshoes, a company based out of Bennington Vermont. He is also a Veteran Ultrarunner who has an incredible list of wins and records in very long distance races. If you are a runner this discussion will blow your head apart. This is a guy that used to run 190 mile weeks for training and has run 50 miles in less than 6 hours. He tells some epic stories of his first 100 mile attempt, trying to win the Western States 100, and what it was like running long distance races before most people had ever heard the word “Ul...
2019-03-291h 23The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#10 - Rasputitsa Gravel Race founders Anthony Moccia and Heidi MyersRasputitsa means Mud Season in Russian. It is also the name of a ridiculously fun and tough gravel bicycle race that happens during, you guessed it, mud season in the NEK of VT. Since its launch, the race has grown its participation by a huge amount and has donated thousands to charitable causes. It’s been named “Best Cycling Event in the Northeast” by Competitor Magazine and listed in “7 Challenging, Fun Spring Classics to Ride” by Bicycling Magazine.I sat down with the founders Anthony Moccia and Heidi Myers to talk about how Rasputitsa came to be, what’s in store for...
2019-03-221h 08The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#9 - Carrie and Chief Tomczyk - Owners of The Hub at Darling Hill (KT #6)Carrie and Pete (Chief) Tomczyk own “The Hub” at Darling Hill in Lyndonville VT. The Hub is a bar nested in the Village Sport Shop hillside and serves lots of amazing craft beer. It is a great spot to relax after a day of riding some of the best trails in Vermont. The view there is amazing! Some of the things we talk about are how they ended up opening the Hub, changes in the bike industry and what it was like growing up in a sports shop.Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thehubtrailside/Facebook - https://www...
2019-03-161h 09The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#8 Ted King - Co-Owner Untapped, retired pro riderTed King is a retired professional bicycle racer who recently moved to Vermont. Teds love for using maple syrup as a race fuel led him to co-found “Untapped”, a company that started putting it into single serving containers like gel packets. Ted also hosts the “King of the Ride” podcast, which deals with all things bikes and business. Since retiring Ted has been a tireless advocate of all things to do with bicycling. He spends almost all of his time being involved with and giving back to the cycling community.This was a super fun chat. I had been a b...
2019-03-151h 22The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#7 CJ Scott - Trails Manager for Kingdom Trails (KT Series #5)CJ Scott is the trail manager for the Kingdom Trails in Burke VT. He is an outdoor enthusiast, with a deep appreciation for being in the woods and recreating outdoors. He came to the NEK from Maine to go to school (majoring in outdoor recreation) in 1997 and a broken arm led him to change his plans of moving to Alaska to staying in the Kingdom. We talk about his early days at KT maintaining the trails by hand, with little to no resources, to how his team has grown to 12 people and lots of equipment. We also discuss...
2019-03-121h 13The Vermont Outdoors Podcast#6 Lilias Ide - Marketing Director Kingdom Trails (KT Series #4)On this episode I sit down and chat with Lilias Ide. Lilias is the marketing manager for the Kingdom Trails in Burke, VT and a Mountain Biking badass. If you follow KT on social marketing you should be familiar with her trail update videos. During our conversation we talk about how she ended up working for the Kingdom, the early days of the trail system, and of course…riding Mountain Bikes!follow KT/Lilias on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kingdomtrails/
2019-03-071h 14The Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #5 - Abagail Long, Executive Director for Kingdom Trails (KT Series #3)Abby Long is the recently appointed Executive Director for the Kingdom Trails Association in Burke VT. Abby comes to the Kingdom from Leadville Colorado, where she worked first as the Athletic Service and Registration manager then as the Executive Director for the Leadville Legacy Foundation. We talk about her excitement of being back in Vermont, her respect for the community, her love for bikepacking and future expansion plans for the trail system. “It’s only through listening that Kingdom Trails can be responsible” – AbbyThis interview is Part 3 on a series about the people of the Kingdom Trail As...
2019-03-0640 minThe Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #4 - Ryan Thibault, MTB EntrepreneurOn this show I talk to Ryan Thibault. Ryan is the owner of Ranch Camp, a Mountain Bike base lodge concept that contains a bike shop and also serves great beer and food. He is also the creative director for Collective Arts brewery and owner of MTBVT.com.We talk about bikes, beer and the innovative method that Creative Arts uses to find artists for their labels. We also talk quite a bit about the stress of having so many irons in the fire and what he does to prevent burnout. This was a really fun conversation that...
2019-02-251h 23The Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #3 - John Worth (Kingdom Trails Series #2)On today’s episode I speak with John Worth. John is the co-owner of the East Burke Sports, the Burke Mountain Ski Patrol Director and the founder of the Kingdom Trails. John and I talk about how the KT system started, how it has changed and what is needed for balanced future growth.This is an episode that I almost didn’t release. Being new to the podcasting game, I am still learning. A few things happened prior and during the interview that completely threw me off my game. About 8 or 9 minutes into the interview I noticed that my equi...
2019-02-1940 minThe Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #2 - Knight Ide (Kingdom Trails Series #1)This interview with Knight Ide is the first in a coming series about the people of the Kingdom Trails in Burke Vt. Knight is a stonemason, a trail builder, and a damn good MTB rider. His business creativity, love of riding and sense of community have allowed him to create a life that is fully immersed in the riding lifestyle. Knight talks about his love of jumping and how he became involved with trail building. We also discuss his several businesses which all are tied to riding bikes. Find Knight on Instagram - @knightrisoxideFind Nate on...
2019-02-121h 14The Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #1 - Andy Weinberg, owner The Endurance SocietyAndy Weinberg lives to help people realize what they are truly capable of. His company, The Endurance Society, puts on challenging races for runners, skiers and bikers. These are not typical races, and include a snowshoe marathon, a 10-day Ultrarunning event with distances of 8k to 888k (551 miles!!!!) and a death race style event that the details are kept secret. An endurance athlete himself, Andy has participated in 100 mile running races, long distance swimming events, and even a quintuple iron man distance triathlon (12 miles swim/560 mile bike/131 mile run). He is a strong believer that Adversity is the path to...
2019-02-041h 04The Vermont Outdoors PodcastEpisode #0 - A quick preview of whats to comeLast year I moved back to Vermont for the third time in my life for what I call “semi-retirement”. My business (National Powersports Distributors) is run by an incredible team and my involvement is no longer needed on a daily basis. My wife Amy and I always knew that we would move back to Vermont, and we chose the North East Kingdom (NEK) partly because of the amazing Kingdom Trails. It’s not only the trails that are awesome here, the people are too. It is a community full of people who have turned their love for the outdoors into a life...
2019-02-0215 min