Longfire

Longfire
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Stories worth gathering around.

  1. 16h ago

    #53: Dan Klitsner - Inventing Bop It and Knowing Which Ideas to Pursue

    Dan Klitsner is an industrial designer, the inventor of Bop It, and co-founder of KID Group. His work also includes Pop It! Pro, the electronic take on the familiar popping toy. We talk about choosing which ideas deserve your time, the relationships behind Bop It, and how a rejected TV remote became a game. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show links Watch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest links Follow Dan on InstagramAbout Dan KlitsnerPop It! ProBop It for GoodChapters 00:00 Favorite Toys, Comics, and Liam Neeson 06:48 The Invention Hiding in a Garden Hose 08:40 RITE: Which Ideas Are Worth Pursuing? 15:44 Timing, Execution, and Getting Unstuck 18:45 Falling in Love With Your Own Idea 22:26 Pop It! Pro and Playing the Long Game 25:11 The Pitch That Got Bop It Made 30:35 Why Bop It Isn’t Simon 34:05 The TV Remote That Became Bop It 37:59 Can You Learn to Think Originally? 42:17 Google It Before You Pitch It 43:56 Where to Find Dan and What’s Next Minister of Music: Willie Austing

    #53: Dan Klitsner - Inventing Bop It and Knowing Which Ideas to Pursue

  2. Oct 30

    #52: Al Perkinson - From Costa to Building Bajío on His Own Terms

    Al Perkinson is the co-founder and CEO of Bajío, a fishing sunglasses company based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A former sculpture major whose career took him through advertising, banking, Costa, Simms, and Huk, he built Bajío with Marguerite Meyer around fishing, conservation, and a more independent way of doing business. We talk about how studying sculpture shaped his approach to building a company, what he learned helping grow Costa, and what changed when the whole business became his responsibility. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show links Watch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest links Bajío SunglassesBajío on InstagramBajío’s conservation missionCasey Anderson and the bus-and-tattoo storyThe Hero and the Outlaw by Margaret Mark and Carol S. PearsonChapters 00:00 Books, Bob Dylan, and a Very Persuasive Rescue Dog04:26 Growing Up Outdoors, Surveying Land, and Studying Sculpture10:45 From Banking to the Outdoor Industry12:19 Developing a Brand-Building Playbook at Costa15:39 Leaving Costa and Building Something of His Own20:50 Imagining Bajío During COVID25:08 Making Time to Think26:14 Raising Money and Racing Toward Launch29:13 Learning the Job of CEO33:05 Fly-Fishing Films, a School Bus, and an Unexpected Tattoo40:04 Getting the Business on Firmer Financial Ground43:05 What Bajío Means and What Al Wants to Protect

    #52: Al Perkinson - From Costa to Building Bajío on His Own Terms

  3. Oct 23

    #51: Will Benson: Fish, Philosophy, and the Future of the Keys

    Captain Will Benson is a Florida Keys fly-fishing guide, filmmaker, conservationist, and founder of World Angling. Raised on Sugarloaf Key, he started cleaning boats at the local marina before building a life guiding anglers for tarpon, permit, and bonefish. He also works with the Lower Keys Guides Association and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust to protect the waters that made that life possible. We get into the mentors who shaped him, the philosophy degree he still puts to work, and how fishing films pulled him into conservation. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show links Watch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest links Fish with Will: World AnglingFollow Will on InstagramWatch World Angling’s filmsWatch Silver LiningLower Keys Guides AssociationBonefish & Tarpon TrustCaptains for Clean WaterChapters 00:00 Before the Fishing Starts07:50 A Kid on the Docks in the Florida Keys11:21 How His Family Found the Keys15:04 What Philosophy Taught Him About Fishing19:25 Choosing the Water Over Law School21:25 A Camcorder, a Surprise Trophy, and World Angling26:09 When the Guides Got Organized30:57 Conservation Wins and the Cruise-Ship Fight35:35 The Next Fights for a Healthy Fishery42:27 Why Fishermen Belong in Conservation46:08 Why Will Is Hopeful About What Comes Next

    #51: Will Benson: Fish, Philosophy, and the Future of the Keys

  4. Oct 16

    #50: Cristina Zenato - A Life Spent Understanding Sharks

    Cristina Zenato is a professional diver, shark behaviorist, cave explorer, and founder of People of the Water, a nonprofit focused on exploration, education, and conservation. Raised in the Congo, she has spent more than three decades in the Bahamas. Her work brings together shark encounters, diving education, and the exploration and protection of underwater caves. In our conversation, we talk about the childhood that shaped her relationship with wildlife, her mentor Ben Rose, and what you notice when you stop swimming past everything. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show linksWatch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest linksVisit Cristina Zenato’s websiteFollow Cristina on InstagramWatch Cristina on YouTubeExplore dive trips with CristinaDiving courses with CristinaPeople of the WaterShop People of the WaterChapters00:00 Five Languages, Insects, and Favorite Books05:33 Growing Up Alongside Nature in the Congo09:27 The Half-Price Trip That Changed Her Life11:35 Ben Rose and the Value of Paying Attention17:12 The Life Hidden in the Sand20:17 Diving That Supports Local Communities25:52 Different Sharks, Different Personalities29:31 Tiger Sharks and Why Context Matters32:01 Bull Sharks and the Environment36:21 An Unexpected Tiger Shark at Cocos38:15 Predators, Perception, and the Stories We See45:58 People of the Water and Protecting What She Loves

    #50: Cristina Zenato - A Life Spent Understanding Sharks

  5. Oct 9

    #49: John Langmore - Cowboy, Lawyer, and a Life Behind the Camera

    John Langmore is an Austin-based photographer, author, and documentary filmmaker who has also worked as a cowboy and corporate lawyer. His books include Open Range and Fault Lines, and he co-directed Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait with Bud Force. We talk about going to work on Benny Binion’s Montana ranch at twelve, entering law, and finding his way back to the cowboy world through photography and film. John also shares the story behind his documentary in progress about Angola prison’s working cowboys. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show linksWatch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest linksJohn Langmore’s photographyOpen Range: America’s Big-Outfit CowboyFault Lines: Portraits of East AustinWatch Cowboys: A Documentary PortraitJohn Langmore on InstagramJohn Langmore on FacebookChapters00:00 Westerns and a Motorcycle Ride to Alaska03:35 Photography Books and Earning Trust in East Austin07:26 Dinner Guests and Taking on Liam Neeson09:47 Becoming a Cowboy at Twelve14:26 Benny Binion, Tough Horses, and a Lasting Friendship21:18 A Great-Grandfather in Roosevelt’s Rough Riders24:25 From Cowboy Wages to Corporate Life30:36 Finding Photography and Stories Close to Home35:29 A Documentary About Angola’s Working Cowboys38:10 Finding the Range Crew and Getting Access47:41 A Visit Without Cameras and How the Film Took Shape53:39 Film Plans, Books, and Where to Follow John

    #49: John Langmore - Cowboy, Lawyer, and a Life Behind the Camera

  6. Oct 2

    #48: Jake Hounshell - From $750 in Vintage Hats to Shells Vintage

    Jake Hounshell is the founder of Shells Vintage Hat Co., a Charlotte-based business selling vintage sports hats and original, ’90s-inspired designs. A Raleigh native and University of South Carolina graduate, Jake started buying hats to resell with $750 of graduation money in 2019. He later created his own State Snaps and city designs, leaving his sales job in 2021 to run the business full-time. I’ve followed Jake’s work since college, so it was fun to finally hear how it all came together. We talk about developing an eye for vintage, learning to manufacture his own designs, and getting hats into the hands of professional athletes. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show linksWatch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest linksUse code SHOUTOUTSHELLS21 for 15% off your first order at Shells Vintage. Shop Shells Vintage Hat Co.Follow Shells Vintage on InstagramFollow Shells Vintage on FacebookChapters00:00 A Hundred Hats and One He’ll Never Sell07:16 Starting Shells Vintage with $75011:07 State Snaps and the Leap to Full-Time16:08 Learning Design and Manufacturing from Scratch18:19 Expensive Mistakes with Ads and Inventory20:05 Warehousing, a First Hire, and a Cash Crunch22:35 What Makes a Vintage Hat Worth Buying25:22 A Day Running Shells Vintage27:37 Getting His Hats onto Professional Athletes30:26 New Designs and What Comes Next34:25 The Mystery of Oxford, Ohio36:26 Where to Find Shells Vintage

    #48: Jake Hounshell - From $750 in Vintage Hats to Shells Vintage

  7. Sep 25

    #47: Sarah Calhoun - Work Pants, a Music Festival, and Small-Town Montana

    Sarah Calhoun is the founder of Red Ants Pants, a women’s workwear company based in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. A former outdoor instructor and trail-crew leader, she launched the business in 2006 after years of working in pants that didn’t fit. She also founded the Red Ants Pants Music Festival and leads the Red Ants Pants Foundation, which supports women’s leadership and rural communities. In this conversation, Sarah traces the path from sewing backpacks to touring the country with an Airstream for pants parties and launching a music festival in a cow pasture. We talk about choosing small-town Montana, learning the business as she went, and why handing over the company’s day-to-day leadership felt like a relief. She also explains the less glamorous side of festival production: buying up toilet paper across three counties. I also learned that a lonely male llama may start pooping in a perfect circle. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Chapters: 00:00 Rapid Fire: Books, Music, and Liam Neeson02:53 A Farm Childhood and a Few Facts About Llamas06:03 From Trail Crews to Women’s Workwear08:20 Learning to Build a Business From Scratch12:01 An Old Saddle Shop in White Sulphur Springs15:27 Loans, Manufacturing, and Mentors19:48 Tour de Pants: Taking the Business on the Road22:13 A Music Festival in a Cow Pasture27:14 Making It Better, Not Bigger28:20 Hiring a CEO and Bringing In Investors32:57 Work Skills, Girls’ Leadership, and the Foundation35:35 Life Behind the Shop Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Show linksWatch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest linksRed Ants PantsRed Ants Pants Music FestivalRed Ants Pants FoundationRed Ants Pants on InstagramThe Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoThis House of Sky by Ivan Doig

    #47: Sarah Calhoun - Work Pants, a Music Festival, and Small-Town Montana

  8. Sep 18

    #46: Ron Schara: The Man Behind Minnesota Bound

    Ron Schara is an outdoor writer, television producer, and the creator of Minnesota Bound. A former Minneapolis Tribune and Star Tribune outdoors columnist, he launched the show in 1995 with his black Lab, Raven, and later hosted ESPN’s Backroads with Ron and Raven. Before any of that, he was a music student who wanted to be the next Andy Williams. In this conversation, Ron shares how a writing professor changed his direction, why he left a newspaper career for television, and how a red bandana helped turn Raven into the star. Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around. Chapters: 00:00 Minnesota Favorites and Rapid Fire02:55 Duck Hunting with Bud Grant07:26 Growing Up Outdoors in Iowa09:31 Music School, Journalism, and Andy Williams15:47 Why Minnesota Bound Started With People20:40 Raven’s Red Bandana and the Leap to Television26:08 Leaving the Newspaper and Reaching ESPN29:09 Peacock Bass, Tarpon, and Piranhas34:01 Africa, Hunting, and Habitat36:44 Monarchs and Purple Martins40:47 Finding the Next Story42:54 The Fishing Story He Never ForgotShow links Watch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyGuest links Minnesota BoundRon Schara ProductionsRon’s BooksMinnesota Bound on InstagramMinnesota Bound on YouTube

    #46: Ron Schara: The Man Behind Minnesota Bound
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About

Stories worth gathering around.

Information

  • Creator
    Longfire
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Longfire
  • Show Website
    Longfire

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