The Founderz Lounge Episode #95 with Eric Chesser. In this episode, Don and Steve sit down with Eric Chesser of HUSH to talk about how hunting content turned into a real brand. Eric shares how a deep obsession with antlers, the outdoors, filming hunts, and documenting what most people kept secret eventually became HUSH, a loyal community, and a business built through YouTube, storytelling, apparel, and digital content. They get into the Fire Bull logo story, the early days of filming on old Hi8 tapes, how Eric and Casey Butler joined forces to build HUSH, and what made their content connect from the beginning. They also talk about building a tribe instead of just a product, why YouTube changed everything, how social media shifted from an even playing field to a pay-to-play game, and what it really takes to stay authentic while still growing a brand online. Eric also opens up about trusting your gut when people doubt your path, the sacrifices that come with building something unconventional, and how discipline from fitness carried over into business, content, and one of the biggest hunts of his life. If you care about brand-building, content creation, community, storytelling, digital media, entrepreneurship, hunting, and turning passion into a real business, this episode is for you. Timestamps: [00:00] Trailer and Intro [02:17] What HUSH is [03:26] Building a tribe [03:54] Eric’s outdoor roots [04:54] First antler obsession [05:52] Photography and filming [08:01] Why Eric shared everything [08:39] Early YouTube days [09:49] Eric’s first antler [10:49] Casey and early YouTube [13:16] The YouTube lightbulb [14:38] Building HUSH together [15:25] Roles in the business [17:15] When people doubt your path [19:58] Making money from content [21:32] How Don found Eric’s content [22:31] The Fire Bull logo story [24:43] Hunting the Fire Bull [31:03] The million-dollar video [33:44] Persistence and trusting your gut [34:51] Early business mistakes [35:37] Fitness built the discipline [37:32] No blueprint for YouTube [38:27] Retail and ad spend lessons [41:14] How social media changed [44:22] Community and authenticity [47:14] Impact over virality [48:24] Is hunting growing or shrinking [51:43] Hunting and technology [55:04] Social media changed fitness too [56:10] Advice for young founders Key Takeaways: • Great brands get stronger when they are built around real passion, storytelling, and community instead of just a product. ~Don Varady • Great brands stand out when they feel like a full brand experience, not just another product line. ~Steve Bon • If people let outside doubt become their own belief, they will talk themselves out of the thing they are supposed to build. ~Eric Chesser • Discipline from fitness gave Eric the patience, persistence, and mental strength he used in both business and hunting. ~Eric Chesser • Social media used to feel like an even playing field, but now the algorithm and ad spend make authenticity and community even more important. ~Eric Chesser • “If we’re impacting lives positively, we’ll always be successful.” ~Eric Chesser • “You just gotta like trust yourself, trust your instinct.” ~Eric Chesser • “I was never the secret guy.” ~Eric Chesser Connect with Eric Chesser: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eric_chesser/ HUSH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gethushin/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Eric_Chesser YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Eric_Chesser/videos Website: https://gethushin.com/ Connect with Don and Steve… Don Varady: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.varady/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donvarady/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-varady-450896145 Steve Bon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbon Instagram: https://instagram.com/stevebon8 Tune in to every episode on your favorite platform: Website: https://www.thefounderzlounge.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFounderzLounge Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Nurr4XjBE747qJ9Zjth0G
