120: Darren Josey- Darren tells us about his role at Polartec and all the outdoor fun he has on the east coast
First Exposure to the Outdoors
It was my mom who got me into the outdoors. You know, neither one of my parents are outdoors people by any stretch of the imagination. But my first experience in the outdoors was actually going fishing. I was probably six or seven years old and saw a fishing show over the summer and I was just sitting in front of the TV and looked at my mom and said, I want to do that.
I should give you a little background. My mom never had a childhood. Really some of the worst possible things that can happen to a kid happened to my mother. She had to raise her two younger brothers and so her first childhood was raising my sister and I. My dad, you know, worked a regular nine to five thing. But Mom's a Boston public school teacher, so she had summers with my sister and I. I saw that fishing show on TV and said, you know, mom, I want to do that. And you know, her being a teacher and never having fished in her life. She said okay, let's figure this out. And I kid you not, we took some branches from the back yard, dug up some worms, took a safety pin and tied them to it. It was so much fun and I'm really fortunate within walking distance of my childhood home was the mystic river. We walked down there, through a shoelace, you know, tied to a tree in the water. You know what we did not catch any fish, but just to see fish in the water and see them actually eat the worm, was cool. I definitely didn't put the worm on the safety pin. I think she did. Later she took me to a real bait and tackle shop in the town next door and bought me my first rod and reel and I've been fishing ever since.
Things we talked about
Yvon Chouinard
Patagonia
Cannabis
Advice, tips
I think for those looking to get in, pick the brands you're most passionate about that you use and follow them meticulously online, and just stay on their career pages. And I'd say really for, for hiring managers, be comfortable to bring people in who don't have a professional background in the sport that they're selling to. What I look for when I hire folks are their personal interest just as much as their professional skills because you know, especially at a brand like polar tech we serve so many different markets and we have so many different brand customers. I want some new people that come in with a knowledge set of, you know, I know this industry because I participate in it as a sport. And that kind of information is so valuable because I think it's really easy for us in the outdoor industry to forget what the consumer process is like, We're either buying something at a super deep discount or getting something for free and we're forgetting about the whole set of decisions that, you know, your average consumers are making about brands and bring someone fresh in it can be really, really helpful for a team.
Other Outdoor Activities
Cycling
Surfing
Fishing
Favorite Pocasts/Apps
Black on the air with Larry Wilmore
Best Gear Purchase under $100
Connect with Darren
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