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Sports + Outdoor Mentors

Sports + Outdoor Mentors

Dan Trapp 57 episodes Latest Jun 9, 2026

Join our community as we build the definitive content source to inspire and motivate sports and outdoor industry leaders, providing practical career and business insights. We started with a podcast and YouTube channel, and in 2025, we’ll be adding webinars, newsletters, and more. Click the follow button to keep updated and join the community. You can watch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify or listen to it on your favourite podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

Episodes

Business Failure Is Not Personal Failure with Dave Hanney CEO of Alpkit Jun 9, 2026 3211 Most people assume leadership gets easier with experience. Dave Hanney, CEO of Alpkit, would probably tell you the opposite. The problems change. The context changes. The market changes. And every time you think you've found the playbook, something comes along and proves it doesn't exist. Dave has spent more than two decades building businesses in the outdoor industry. He helped scale GO Outdoors
Why the Best Leaders Move Faster on Tough Decisions with Georgina Kirby General Manager at Kari Traa May 12, 2026 2967 The reality of building a career in founder-led businesses and then stepping into leadership yourself.   Today’s guest is Georgina Kirby, General Manager at Kari Traa.   Georgina is an experienced outdoor industry leader with over 20 years in premium brand-led businesses. She’s built her career across fast-growing, founder-led brands and now leads the instantly recognisable base layer brand, Kari
The mistakes no one talks about, with Bergans of Norway CEO, Silje Garberg Ree Apr 14, 2026 3112 What does it actually feel like to step into a CEO role for the first time… especially when the business needs fixing fast? In this episode, I sit down with Silje Garberg Ree, CEO of Bergans of Norway, to talk about what it actually looks like to step into a CEO role for the first time. We get into the shift from consulting to “real business,” why strategy is often the easy part, and what it reall
What 20 Years as CEO Teaches Us About Leadership with Martin Axelhed, CEO of Fjällräven Mar 19, 2026 3648 Becoming a CEO is challenging under any circumstances. Doing it at 29, after a phone call from the company’s founder, is something else entirely. In this episode of Outdoor Voices, host Dan Trapp sits down with Martin Axelhed, CEO of Fjällräven, to explore a leadership journey that began on the shop floor of a retail store and eventually led to running one of the world’s most respected outdoor bra
Leadership Has a Price | Johannes Jurecka, CEO of All4Golf, Europes largest golf ecommerce store Feb 15, 2026 4331 In this episode of the Sports+Outdoor Mentors Podcast, host Dan Trapp is joined by Johannes Jurecka, CEO of All4Golf, Europe's leading e-commerce golf retailer.   Johannes shares his experience navigating leadership, strategy, and organisational transformation in the sports and outdoor retail space.   We explore what it really takes to drive meaningful change inside organisations, from engaging te
What the Outdoor Industry Gets Wrong About Leadership with Martin Riebel, CEO of Schwan-STABILO Outdoor Jan 11, 2026 3668 In this episode of Sports+Outdoor Mentors, we sit down with Martin Riebel, CEO of Schwan-STABILO Outdoor, to challenge some long-held assumptions about both digital and physical retail, leadership decision-making, and how the outdoor industry adapts to change.   Martin shares candid reflections on what leaders thought they knew about brick-and-mortar retail and why some of those assumptions no lon
Opening up the outdoors and closing the nature gap with Anthony Owosekun, CEO of EMPOCA Dec 21, 2025 3442 In this episode of Sports+Outdoor Mentors, I sit down with Anthony Owosekun, Founder & CEO of EMPOCA, to explore an essential leadership challenge and opportunity: closing the nature gap and making the outdoors truly accessible.   Anthony shares his personal journey into outdoor leadership and the realities faced by Black children and young people across Europe regarding access to nature, envi
Go Further, Lead Smarter: Xavier Le Guen’s Playbook for Career Adventure and Bold Leadership Nov 16, 2025 3859 What does it really take to become a transformative leader in the sporting goods and outdoor industries? Join us for a vibrant, honest, and actionable conversation as we sit down with Xavier Le Guen, the inspiring leader behind Salomon's Winter Sports Equipment business and a 16-year veteran of the global outdoor sports industry. Xavier shares the pivotal moments and bold decisions that defined hi
Hunting for the next Sports and Outdoor Unicorn with Armelle Solelhac Oct 19, 2025 5411 Join us for an inspiring conversation with Armelle Solelhac, a visionary who fearlessly pivoted from law to entrepreneurship, and now, to the competitive world of Venture Capital. In this episode, Armelle takes us on her incredible journey, sharing the raw challenges and exhilarating triumphs that led her to build her own VC fund focused on the French outdoor sports and travel industries. Discover
Why NNormal CEO Says the Outdoor Industry is Broken (And How He's Fixing It). Sep 21, 2025 4147   In this episode, NNormal CEO Sito Luis Salas shares his honest perspective on the outdoor industry's challenges and explains why his brand is taking a different path forward. From challenging the dominance of other sports brands to building authentic values in a world of marketing hype, ex-Campers, Sito reveals the uncomfortable truths about brand building that most executives won't admit. Disco
From Nickelodeon to Nikwax: Purpose-Driven Marketing insights Aug 24, 2025 3927   Get inspired by Laura Ball, Group Marketing Director at Nikwax, as she shares her remarkable journey working with global brands such as Nickelodeon and the Jamie Oliver Group, and her current role as a leader in sustainable outdoor products.   She's a perfect example of what "outside of the industry leaders" can bring to the game!   In this episode, Laura reveals how she has combined high-perfor
Becoming the first female executive at a 118-year-old company! Jul 27, 2025 3890 Join us for an inspiring conversation with Liz Wilson, a pioneering female leader in the sports and outdoor industry.   In this in-depth interview, Liz shares her remarkable journey, spanning 30 years of building world-class products and teams at iconic brands, including Nike and The North Face, and now as the General Manager for Softgoods at the Rossignol Group.   Episode highlights: ✳️ Career am

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