Ruben tells us how his parents shared their passion for hiking, fishing, camping and skiing and got him excited about the outdoors. We talk about how Quivers got started, how brands are taking Quivers and creating unique online experiences for a wide range of audiences and much more.

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First Exposure to the Outdoors

It was really when in the late 80s when I moved to Colorado that I got introduced to the outdoors. My parents were into hiking and fishing, camping, skiing you name it. They were taking us on the weekends into the outdoors in western Colorado. So my earliest childhood memories were camping in the mountains of Colorado, everything from hiking during the day to sitting around the campfire at night and then evenings trying to fight off hypothermia.

After that I moved to northwest Montana in the mid 90s. My parents bought property kind of parallel to Glacier Park, it was unbelievable. We still have property up there and it's a place that I just absolutely love to go back to and again. That allowed me not just to go on weekends but even in the evenings, afternoons after school I could go do a hike or go wakeboarding. So for me outdoors has always been a huge part of my life.

Things we talked about

Quivers

Advice, tips

I think the first part that advice is really not to be so focused on products that are directly in the outdoor industry right. When I was coming out of university I really wanted to do something with outdoors but you know I love software, it's what I'm good at and is what I'm interested in. I thought that those were polar opposites right. But in reality they became very complimentary to each other which was interesting. So I think it's one of those situations where you don't necessarily ignore what you're good at, or what you're interested in just because you want to stay in the outdoor industry for example. But look for opportunities where the two can actually work together. 

And that was that was really where Quivers came about, yeah we do work with a lot of other industries. We work in consumer electronics and Twelve Volt automotive and a variety of others but sporting goods is certainly our biggest industry at this point and it's where we started. And it allows me anyway to engage with a lot of brands in that industry which is a huge part of what I enjoy and like. 

Yeah absolutely. And actually the company I worked for right out of university or while I was in university actually was based out of Bozeman Montana. And that's another interesting trend is more and more tech companies are getting based out of more places that are not Silicon Valley or major cities. I had some great friends that worked there that would put in their 8 to 4 in the summertime and in the evening hours and they'd go I fly fishing. It's not just necessarily a career choice but now also a lifestyle choice in terms of staying in the outdoors and still being able to do what you like to do.

Other Outdoor Activities

Hiking

Skiing

Favorite Books

The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

Best Gear Purchase under $100

Leatherman knife

Connect with Ruben

Linkedin

Instagram

Welcome to a podcast dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts looking to elevate their outdoor careers while embracing the freedom and joy of outdoor adventure. We dive deep into outdoor recreation, adventure travel and outdoor activities, helping you find the best outdoor jobs that fit your ideal outdoor life. Whether you're seeking career growth or just more time to get outdoors, we've got you covered