Longfire

Steve Seger
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  • Entrepreneurship
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Stories worth gathering around. Longfire tells the stories of the people building the brands, businesses, and experiences that shape life outdoors.

  1. 6d ago

    #41: Tyler Sharp: Africa, Hemingway, and the Story Behind Modern Huntsman

    Tyler Sharp is a documentary photographer, writer, filmmaker, and the founder, CEO, and editor in chief of Modern Huntsman, an independent publication focused on hunting, conservation, food, culture, and wild places. In this conversation, we trace the path that took him from USC film school to the Tanzanian bush, years of traveling and working around the world, and eventually building Modern Huntsman. Tyler shares the story of a lion with a mohawk mane returning to his tent across multiple full moons and another encounter when a leopard charged him from twenty yards away. He explains what Africa taught him about living inside the natural order, why many of the wild places he knew are disappearing, and how misunderstandings about hunting inspired him to build a publication that could reach non-hunters without preaching to the choir. We also talk about balancing creative work with running a business, his connection with the Hemingway family, and what is coming next for Modern Huntsman. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show LinksModern HuntsmanSubscribe to Modern HuntsmanFollow Tyler Sharp on InstagramRead “Hemingwrite to the Rescue”WATCH ON YOUTUBEListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyConnect with Steve Seger on LinkedInFollow Longfire on Instagram Chapters: 00:00 Star Wars, Aragorn, and Fighting Liam Neeson 04:48 The Lion With a Mohawk Mane Outside Tyler’s Tent 12:44 Charged by a Leopard in Zambia 15:41 From USC Film School to Six Months in Tanzania 20:35 Larry Knowlton and the World’s Biggest Joke 22:12 The Wild Places That No Longer Exist 27:39 Why Tyler Built Modern Huntsman 32:17 Translating Hunting and Conservation for Outsiders 34:08 Creativity, Leadership, and Administrative Shit Shoveling 38:14 Hemingway, Writing, and a Life of Adventure 41:51 Why Independent Publishing Needs Subscribers 45:02 Mark Maggiori and the Next Modern Huntsman Volume

    #41: Tyler Sharp: Africa, Hemingway, and the Story Behind Modern Huntsman

  2. Aug 7

    #40: 26 Conversations Later - The 5 Lessons That Actually Stuck

    After every guest conversation on Longfire, I save one piece of advice that stayed with me. For episode 40, I went back through all 26 interviews and grouped those ideas into five themes: expect the work to be hard, choose direction over activity, build the work around a life you actually want, remember that people are the point, and stay teachable. This is my slightly late 2026 midyear check-in on what the show has taught me so far. I get into volume and luck, strategy as subtraction, work that gives energy back, the outdoors as a reset, the cost of chasing achievement at the expense of relationships, and why collecting advice is not the same as living it. If one lesson stays with you, send me a note and tell me which one. Subscribe to Longfire for more thoughtful conversations with builders, athletes, outdoorsmen, entrepreneurs, and original people whose stories are worth gathering around. 00:00 26 Conversations, Five Lessons 01:45 Why Episode 40 Was the Time to Look Back 02:18 The Work Is Supposed to Be Hard 08:34 Direction Matters More Than Activity 13:50 Build the Work Around a Life You Actually Want 19:18 People Are the Point 23:51 Stay Teachable and Optimistic 26:44 Summary and Conclusion

  3. Jul 31

    #39: Steve Smith -The Career Move I Wish I Made 20 Years Earlier

    Steve Smith has spent nearly 30 years at the intersection of technology, strategy, and operations, with a career spanning startups, IBM, TSIA, 8x8, and now Intelligence by Intent, where he helps law firms put AI to work. In this conversation, we trace his path from teaching adults to program when he was 13 to leaving corporate America and building a business he says he wishes he had started 20 years earlier. Steve explains why AI should handle individual tasks while people protect relationships and judgment, how firms can move from chatbots to agents, and how his agent system, Project Ollie, manages email, calendars, research, projects, and client knowledge. We also talk about becoming more present with family, protecting close friendships, skiing with his kids, and the standing rule that work stops whenever his 165-pound Saint Bernard brings him a toy. Chapters: 00:00 Rapid Fire: Ping Pong, Star Wars, and Steak With Magnus 03:54 Thirty Years in Tech, Startups, IBM, and RevOps 06:46 The Career Move He Wishes He Made 20 Years Earlier 08:54 The AI Advice Steve Gives His Kids 12:40 Building Intelligence by Intent for Law Firms 16:48 Choosing the Right AI Tool and Moving Beyond Chatbots 22:55 Teaching Adults to Code at 13 and Learning How to Learn 26:26 Magnus: Life With a 165-Pound Saint Bernard 33:53 Building More Time for Family, Friends, and Presence 38:21 Writing, Teaching, and Sharing What He Learns 46:24 Project Ollie: The Agent System Running His Business 52:46 Claude Code, ChatGBT, and Agentic Travel Planning 56:12 Final Wisdom: Find What Makes You Tick Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show LinksWatch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=f5abdaf2294c4a35 Connect with Steve Seger on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger Intelligence by Intent: https://intelligencebyintent.com/ Read Steve Smith’s Substack: https://www.smithstephen.com/ Connect with Steve Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithstephen

    #39: Steve Smith -The Career Move I Wish I Made 20 Years Earlier

  4. Jul 24

    #38: Rick Wittenbraker - The Brand Lessons Behind YETI and Howler Brothers

    Rick Wittenbraker has built a career by following curiosity into rooms he was not necessarily planning to enter. His path has included private equity in Latin America, commodities trading, a medical device startup, YETI’s early growth, angel investing, and more than a decade helping grow Howler Brothers. He joined YETI when eight employees shared one Gmail account, then later joined his friends at Howler Brothers as the company grew from a small team into a distinctive outdoor brand. In this conversation, Rick explains why the best brands know what they are not, why creativity and originality have to be protected as a company grows, and how curiosity can create opportunities that no career plan could predict. We also discuss building work around things you genuinely care about, investing as an extension of learning, creating companies that can outlast their founders, his belief that every business is ultimately a people business, and why he can beat Liam Neeson in a fight (All Credit to Seth MacFarlane for the bit). Subscribe for more stories like Rick's. Chapters: 00:00 Rapid Fire: Liam Neeson, Favorite Brands, and Lonesome Dove 06:16 Rick’s Path From Private Equity to YETI 10:53 From YETI to Howler Brothers Through Friendship 12:49 What Made Early YETI Special 17:49 How YETI Turned Coolers Into a Tribe 19:39 Building a Complete Brand World at Howler Brothers 24:48 Protecting Creativity as the Company Grows 27:58 Why Every Brand Needs a “Not List” 30:49 Finding Work That Overlaps With What You Love 36:08 Investing as an Exercise in Curiosity 46:19 Building a Company That Outlasts Its Founders 51:04 Every Business Is a People Business Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=f5abdaf2294c4a35 Howler Brothers: https://howlerbros.com/ Howler Brothers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howlerbros Rick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wittrick/?hl=en

    #38: Rick Wittenbraker - The Brand Lessons Behind YETI and Howler Brothers

  5. Jul 23

    A New Name and a Clearer Mission: Welcome to Longfire

    In this short solo episode, Steve explains why Pieces of Impact is becoming Longfire and what the new name represents. Longfire will continue sharing conversations with builders, athletes, outdoorsmen, entrepreneurs, creators, and original people with worlds worth stepping into, but with a clearer mission: to tell stories worth gathering around. The goal is to help busy, ambitious people slow down, reconnect, and remember the people, places, and experiences that make the work worthwhile.

    A New Name and a Clearer Mission: Welcome to Longfire

  6. Jul 17

    #37: Kate and Brandon Couden: The Real Business Behind a Great Gym

    Kate and Brandon Couden are the husband-and-wife team behind CrossFit Grandview in Columbus, Ohio. Brandon started the gym in 2009 after taking over the old Rogue Fitness gym with almost no resources, a small private loan, and only 14 members. Kate brought 13 years of experience at Lifetime Fitness, where she built a foundation in personal training, nutrition, and understanding what strong fitness culture can look like. In this conversation, we talk about building a gym from the ground up, growing from survival mode into a real business, and creating a community that can evolve with people through different seasons of life. We also get into the economics of gym ownership, payroll and equipment costs, buying a building, working together as a couple, making decisions when you disagree, and avoiding burnout in a people-based business. Subscribe for more conversations like this. Join the newsletter: https://substack.com/@steveseger Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=f5abdaf2294c4a35 Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger CrossFit Grandview: https://crossfitgrandview.com/ CrossFit Grandview Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossfitgrandview/ 00:00 Building Something That Compounds 02:08 Kate’s Path From Lifetime Fitness to CrossFit Grandview 03:17 Brandon’s Path 05:58 Starting With Almost Nothing and 14 Members 08:38 Early Traction and Getting People Into It 09:55 Moving to Grandview and Building a Bigger Vision 11:48 Nutrition, Childcare, and Keeping Members in the Community 13:41 Barbell, Power Hour, HYROX, and Training for Longevity 18:00 Day-to-Day Ownership and Avoiding Burnout 23:08 Working Together as a Couple 28:34 The Economics of Running a Gym That Lasts 36:23 What They Would Do Differently

    #37: Kate and Brandon Couden: The Real Business Behind a Great Gym

  7. Jul 10

    #36: Dr. Paul Sereno - The Real-Life Indiana Jones and the Age of Discovery

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Paul Sereno, a paleontologist, professor, explorer, artist, author, teacher, and one of the closest things you will find to a real-life Indiana Jones. Dr. Sereno has led expeditions across the world, from the Sahara to South America and now toward the Amazon. We get into AI, de-extinction, lost fossils, the asteroid that changed Earth’s history, whether humans would exist if that asteroid had missed, his course on intelligence in the universe, and why he believes the world is still a playground for the next generation. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. Join the newsletter: https://substack.com/@steveseger Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@steve_seger2?si=2E2mUXAfOLL9ztyQ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTS... Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger Guest Links Paul Sereno Website: https://paulsereno.uchicago.edu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulserenoofficial/?hl=en Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro and why I wanted to have Dr. Paul Sereno on 02:02 Dr. Sereno joins the show 06:44 Dr. Safety, black bones, and leading expeditions 11:21 The real-life Indiana Jones comparison 16:15 Why discovery is far from over 24:00 AI, de-extinction, and what people misunderstand 31:59 The Amazon expedition and the next big discovery 37:10 Teaching, science, and the evolution of intelligence 49:19 Lost fossils, repatriation, and preserving history 54:25 Would humans exist if the asteroid missed? 57:49 Naming discoveries, future expeditions, and final wisdom 1:06:54 Where to find Dr. Sereno

    #36: Dr. Paul Sereno - The Real-Life Indiana Jones and the Age of Discovery

  8. Jul 3

    #35: Aaron Foss - How to Turn Everyday Problems Into Businesses That Scale

    Aaron Foss is a serial entrepreneur who has built five companies, including Nomorobo, the service that has stopped billions of unwanted robocalls and spam texts. Nomorobo was acquired by Applause Group in August 2023. Before that, Aaron participated in Techstars NYC with SideTour, which Groupon acquired in 2013. He has testified before Congress three times and has been featured by outlets including The New York Times, Wired, CNN, CNBC, and Fox News. In this conversation, Aaron explains how to identify problems worth solving, distinguish progress from real traction, and know when to narrow your focus from a wide flashlight into a laser. We also discuss why entrepreneurs should fall in love with the problem instead of chasing trends, how constraints can improve creativity, what he looks for in founders, and why his work with Defy Ventures has become such an important part of his life. Aaron also shares lessons from building and selling companies, along with the books and negotiation tools that helped him along the way. Subscribe for more conversations like this on Pieces of Impact. Join the newsletter: https://substack.com/@steveseger Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Steve_Seger2 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-impact/id1851467002 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IGYfTSYNvsD96UjUqqCJt?si=f5abdaf2294c4a35 Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveseger Connect with Aaron and explore his work: https://go.aaronfoss.com/linktree Learn more about Defy Ventures: https://www.defyventures.org/ Never Split the Difference Negotiation Cheat Sheet: https://medium.com/yanda/negotiation-cheat-sheet-31c73031956a 00:00 From Tech Kid to Serial Problem Solver 03:41 The Wing Dipper and Learning Through Real Feedback 07:48 Techstars, Focus, and the Road to Nomorobo 14:53 Retiring at 45 to Coach Entrepreneurs 16:19 Start With the Problem, Then Narrow the Beam 21:23 Constraints, Forcing Functions, and Learning by Doing 29:24 Fall in Love With the Problem, Not Your Passion 35:19 Every Interview Is a Pitch, and Experience Beats a Resume 41:30 Defy Ventures and Entrepreneurship After Incarceration 48:18 Progress vs. Traction: The Proof Investors Need 54:43 Mistakes, Book Recommendations, and Founder Green/Flags 01:05:27 Final Wisdom: Keep It Simple

    #35: Aaron Foss - How to Turn Everyday Problems Into Businesses That Scale
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About

Stories worth gathering around. Longfire tells the stories of the people building the brands, businesses, and experiences that shape life outdoors.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve Seger
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Steve Seger
  • Show Website
    Longfire

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