Second Nature

Michael Rueckert was a ski resort marketing director who got curious about a simple question: when someone asks an AI where to ski, does Snow Basin show up? That curiosity led him down a rabbit hole that eventually became Centium AI, a platform now working with over 170 outdoor brands to help them understand and improve their visibility across every major AI model.
In this conversation, Michael and Aaron dig into how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity each "think" differently about outdoor brands, why landing a GearLab ranking may now be worth more than any paid search campaign, and what it means for marketing when AI starts making purchasing decisions on behalf of humans. They also go deep on the practical side — how to set up Claude projects as a creative co-pilot, why taste is still the irreducible human advantage in an AI world, and why the outdoor industry is actually better positioned than most for what's coming.
Show Notes:
Popfly for Brands: https://www.popfly.com?growsurf_campaign=jpeg2o&grsf=x4d7gg
Popfly for Creators: https://www.popfly.com/creators?growsurf_campaign=wovvt7&grsf=3jh7ss
Michael Rueckert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rueckert/
Centium AI: https://www.centium.ai/
Christian Rawles on SN: https://youtu.be/EVPKsO0O8us
GearLab: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/
OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai/
Rick Rubin on "Taste": https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNyma-0WMZL/
Claude: https://www.claude.ai
BPC - Brand, Product, Content
Scott Sports: https://www.scott-sports.com/
Gnarly Nutrition: https://gognarly.com/
DBo's Gnarly Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPtESorSIso
Go-Giver (Book): https://amzn.to/4mzP632
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media
Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

We hosted a Second Nature meetup with everyone at the Sea Otter Classic, and pulled a handful of friends up to the microphone to have conversations about everything happening in the industry and in their world at large. 
Jeremy Dunn, Braydon Bringhurst, Eric Porter, Tom Austen, Rachel Fussell, Steve Blick and Yuri Hauswald joined Aaron on the stage to chat through the lessons they've learned and the things that they're working hard to accomplish in 2026.
A big thank you to Smith Optics for hosting the space for our community to meet up, and for all the brands who contributed to our "Sea Otter Survival Kit".
Show Notes:
Popfly For Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands
Popfly For Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators
Jeremy Dunn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyddunn/
Smith Optics: https://www.smithoptics.com
Braydon Bringhurst: https://www.instagram.com/braydonbringhurst/
HardMTB League: https://www.hardmtbleague.com/
Eric Porter: https://www.instagram.com/portermtb
PorterMTB on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/portermtb
Tom Austen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomausten1/
Pelotan: https://usa.pelotan.cc/
Rachel Fussell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-m-fussell/
People For Bikes: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/
People For Bikes - Backyard Initiative: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/backyard-advocacy-toolkit
Steve Blick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-blick/
Yuri Hauswald: https://www.instagram.com/yhauswald/
Yuri's Charity Ride: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/yurichasetherace/yuri-hauswald
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media 
Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature 
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media 
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media 
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

What if bikes could transform cities, create economies, and solve problems nobody thought they were for?
We're joined today by Peter Abraham, one of the most connected strategic minds in the bike industry, just ahead of Sea Otter Classic. We cover a lot of ground: the state of the bike industry after a brutal few years, why e-bikes are reaching people the legacy brands never could, what London and Paris figured out about infrastructure that LA hasn't, and why Bentonville might be the most important proof of concept in outdoor sports right now.
Plus: the $21 million Scotland Mountain Bike Innovation Center, the LA Olympics bike infrastructure push, and why the brands at Sea Otter with just a tent and a couple of bikes on stands are leaving a lot on the table.
Show Notes:
Popfly for Brands: https://www.popfly.com?growsurf_campaign=jpeg2o&grsf=x4d7gg
Popfly for Creators: https://www.popfly.com/creators?growsurf_campaign=wovvt7&grsf=3jh7ss
 
Peter Abraham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterabraham2/
Sea Otter Classic: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/
Bicycle Leadership Conference: https://www.bicycleleadershipconference.org/
People For Bikes: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/
Modern Elder Academy: https://www.meawisdom.com/
The Algorithm (Book): https://amzn.to/41ROQTg
Rivian's e-Bike: https://ridealso.com/
Amsterdam, The Bike City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbRL6Opifg
Abundance (Book): https://amzn.to/4caqpFt
Why Can't We Build Bike Lanes?: https://peterabraham.medium.com/why-cant-we-build-bike-lanes-1115b713a5cf
Festival Trail: https://www.festivaltrail.org
Runway Group: https://runwaynwa.com/
Scotland's MTB Innovation Center: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-a-21-million-investment-the-worlds-first-mtb-innovation-centre-is-breaking-ground-this-spring-in-scotland/
Atherton Bikes: https://www.athertonbikes.com/
BPC - Brand, Product, Content:
Bicycle Diaries (Book): https://amzn.to/4e48iDA
Barbarian Days (Book): https://amzn.to/4csxC4W
Levrack: https://www.levrack.com
Kitworks: https://alnk.to/hsyF2FO
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media
Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

150 episodes. Two years. No shortage of stuff happening.
On this milestone bro pod, we take stock of where Second Nature has been — and where things are heading. Digging into what's actually changed in 2026: what we've removed, working with an executive coach, launching a live weekly show, and opening the first mountain bike retail store in Shenzhen, China. Plus a real conversation about the grind before the momentum, why the irons are finally heating up, and what it feels like when years of consistent work starts clicking into place.
Show Notes:
Popfly for Brands: https://www.popfly.com?growsurf_campaign=jpeg2o&grsf=x4d7gg
Popfly for Creators: https://www.popfly.com/creators?growsurf_campaign=wovvt7&grsf=3jh7ss
Second Nature's Catalog: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia/videos
Dustin Klein Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM0r0_R-cfk
Matt Lloyd-Thomas on SN: https://youtu.be/UFukxaniLMI
Christian Rawles on SN: https://youtu.be/EVPKsO0O8us
Christian Rawles: https://www.christianrawles.com/
Enneagram: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test
Super Rider: https://www.youtube.com/@superRiderTV
Freetrail Rest Day: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-freetrail-podcast-with-dylan-bowman/id1492327668
Trailcon: https://www.trailconference.com
Outside Interactive Revenue: https://www.adweek.com/media/outside-interactive-profit-transformation/
The Rebooting - Outside: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-outsides-media-as-flywheel-strategy/id1595625177?i=1000755772587
BPC - Brand, Product, Content:
Thinking In Bets (Book): https://amzn.to/3QnzUK1
Speedland RXLDVL: https://www.runspeedland.com/products/rx-ldvl
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media
Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

Floris Gierman has it all: he's an author, content creator, co-founder of a running apparel brand, and so much more. His approach in hindsight seems methodical and measured in its approach, but the truth is that this all came around from years of consistent, small steps. In this episode, we dig into the day-to-day as well as the big picture of Floris Gierman's world.
This episode is supported by Popfly, a platform that connects brands with outdoor, adventure and travel creators for campaigns. Support this podcast by using these links to check out the platform:
Get a personalized Brand demo: https://popfly.com?grsf=x4d7gg
Get set up as a Creator: https://www.popfly.com/creators?growsurf_campaign=wovvt7&grsf=3jh7ss
Show Notes:
Floris Gierman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florisgierman/
Path Projects: https://pathprojects.com/
Floris on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlorisGierman
Flo's First Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CAxzM2mkrc
Extramilest Podcast: https://extramilest.com/
Personal Best Running Club: https://www.skool.com/personalbest/about
Scott Bailey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-bailey-0bb22b28/
Geoff Rowley: https://www.instagram.com/geoffrowley/
Running Breakthroughs (Book): https://amzn.to/4sNFEeC
Ryan Hall: https://www.instagram.com/ryanhall3/
Believe In The Run: https://believeintherun.com/
Kilian on Extramilest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJZO-t6O5Bk
BPC - Brand, Product, Content
Manors Golf: https://manorsgolf.com/
KetoneIQ: https://ketone.com/Freetrail30
Path Projects Base Liner: https://pathprojects.com/collections/base-liners
The Way Of Excellence (Book): https://amzn.to/4sNFEeC
Path Projects Basis Tee: https://pathprojects.com/collections/short-sleeves-and-tanks/products/basis-tee
Backcountry Slickrock Kit: https://app.popfly.com/@superridertv/storefront
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media
Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia