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The Rich Outdoors

The Rich Outdoors

Von: Cody Rich: Hunter | Entrepreneur | Dad
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 The Rich Outdoors is hosted by Cody Rich, an entrepreneur, and hunter. In this podcast, Cody interviews all kinds of folks about hunting, business and adventure to find the nuggets that will make you more successful in life, hunting, and anything else you wish to accomplish.
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  • Josh Smith of MKC: Getting Sued, Scaling Culture, and Taking on Giants

    Josh Smith of MKC: Getting Sued, Scaling Culture, and Taking on Giants
    Feb 12 2026
    EP 677 Josh Smith - MKC What's up! This week on the Rich Outdoors Podcast, I'm sitting down with Josh Smith—founder of Montana Knife Company and honestly one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs in the outdoor space right now. This is a podcast I've been wanting to do for a long time, and we did not disappoint. Josh went from being a lineman for the power company, making knives on the side in a 200 square foot shop in his horse pasture, to building one of the most beloved brands in the hunting industry from the ground up. No investors, no conglomerates, no selling out. Just a guy who refused to quit and built something that hunters actually care about. We talk about the origin story of MKC, why he saw a massive hole in the hunting knife market, and how he quietly infiltrated the hunting community like a Green Beret special ops team before anyone even knew he was there. We get into the Benchmade lawsuit and why his entire team cheered when they found out they were getting sued. We dive deep into building company culture at scale, hiring the right people, why listening to your customer beats watching your competitor every single time, and why most people have no idea how many hunters have never even heard of a brand they think everyone knows about. But this one goes way beyond knives. We talk about Bridger Watch, building a product in a category dominated by giants, the parallels between what Josh built and what we're trying to build, and the advice he gave me that I'm going to be thinking about for a long time. We also talk about legacy—knives that get passed down, stories behind the blades, and why sometimes the most important tool isn't the most impressive one, it's the one that means something. This is one of those conversations that reminds you why you started. Whether you're a hunter, an entrepreneur, or both—this episode is for you. Let's get into it. Interested in the Bridger Watch? If you heard us talk about the smartwatch we're building for hunters and want to be the first to know what we're up to—head over to bridgerwatch.com and get on the list. Three years in the making and we're just getting started. Go check it out. Episode Sponsors Tricer Tripods - They make gear that's fast, light, and simple, from amazing tripods to bino mounts, panhead truck mounts, and now even bipods. Trier just dropped their new updated AD and BC tripods, and I got to test the new Tritech technology this year. The center post is now a T-post, which makes it pack down smaller and cleaner—Drew is a mad scientist and he just keeps innovating. If you want to use code TRO, it'll save you 10% at checkout. Go support a great company. Head over to tricer.com. Stone Glacier - If you're in the market for a new pack, I ran the Sky Archer 6400 this year and packed out a lot of animals with it including a couple of elk. What I love about Stone Glacier packs is they work great whether you're on a 10-day backpacking trip or day hunting from the side-by-side. Minimalist, tough, and they work. You don't need to own multiple packs—this thing does it all. Check it out at stoneglacier.com and use code TRO for a discount. Chapter Timestamps 0:00 - Intro & Sponsors 3:45 - Welcome Josh Smith: Driving Across Montana for a Podcast 6:30 - Why Josh Started Montana Knife Company 10:15 - Seeing the Gap: What Was Missing in the Hunting Knife Market 14:00 - Authenticity from Day One: Building Community Without Money 18:30 - Sending Knives Out with No Ask: How Word Spread 22:00 - From the Horse Pasture to 11 Employees: The Growth Timeline 26:15 - The Green Beret Strategy: Quietly Taking Over the Hunting Space 30:00 - Getting Sued by Benchmade (And Why the Team Cheered) 34:30 - Don't Watch Your Competitor, Listen to Your Customer 38:15 - Scaling Fast Without Losing Culture 42:00 - Hiring Doers: What Josh Looks for in Employees 46:30 - The Pizza Rule: Why You Can't Manage Too Many People 50:15 - How MKC Uses Transparency to Build Employee Buy-In 54:00 - Taking on Giants: Parallels Between MKC and Bridger Watch 58:30 - Most Hunters Have Never Heard of You (And Why That's Exciting) 1:02:15 - The Legacy of a Knife: Stories Behind the Blades 1:07:00 - Building a Family Heirloom vs. Building a Gadget 1:11:30 - Josh's Advice for Bridger Watch 1:15:00 - Don't Quit Your Day Job Yet: How to Chase a Dream Responsibly 1:18:30 - The People You Surround Yourself With Matter Everything 1:21:00 - Final Thoughts & What Josh is Most Excited About Three Key Takeaways Listen to Your Customer, Not Your Competitor - One of Josh's most powerful pieces of advice: don't open your competitor's website every day and react to what they're doing. Your product roadmap should be driven entirely by what your customer is telling you they need—not by what the big brand is doing. By the time you react to a competitor, you're already behind. The companies that win are the ones so locked into their customer's needs that by the time the big guy realizes ...
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    1 Std. und 23 Min.
  • Heart Rate, VO2 Max, and Hunt Readiness with MTNtough

    Heart Rate, VO2 Max, and Hunt Readiness with MTNtough
    Feb 5 2026
    EP 676 Heart Rate, VO2 Max, and Hunt Readiness with MTNtough What's up! This week on the Rich Outdoors Podcast, I'm sitting down with Jason and Nick from MTN Tough Fitness to talk about something we've been geeking out on for a while—health metrics, performance tracking, and what "hunt readiness" actually means for backcountry hunters. As we're building the Bridger Watch (yeah, the smartwatch for hunters), we've been having deep conversations with the MTN Tough crew about what metrics actually matter when you're training for elk season. Because here's the thing: most fitness wearables are built for runners, cyclists, and gym rats—not for hunters humping 60 pounds on their back through deadfall at 9,000 feet. Nick is a MTN Tough coach and physical therapist who programs their daily workouts, and Jason is one of their athletes who's joining the Bridger team. These guys know what it takes to train for the mountains, and more importantly, they understand the difference between sustained Zone 2 cardio and getting absolutely crushed by a 42-minute Mountain Tough workout that leaves you laying on the floor. We dive into what a "hunt readiness score" could look like, how to measure work capacity beyond just heart rate, why rucking strain is completely different than cardiovascular strain, and how we can use wearables to help hunters stay in that 80-90% efficiency zone all day long. We also talk about the mental side of fitness—how to make better decisions under fatigue, why discipline in the gym translates to discipline in the mountains, and what happens when you're on day two of a hunt with frozen boots and a broken water filter. This episode is part fitness science, part backcountry hunting strategy, and part startup talk about building products that actually solve problems hunters face. Whether you're training for September or just trying to figure out how to not get your butt kicked on your next western hunt, there's a lot of good stuff in here. Let's get into it. Tricer Tripods - They make gear that's fast, light, and simple, from amazing tripods to bino mounts, panhead truck mounts, and now even bipods. Tricer makes gear that's fast, light, and simple. I love their gear, and if you're looking for a new system for better glassing, check out Tricer. Head over to the website tricer.com. They make great products and it's just a great company. Awesome dudes. Been using the heck out of the bipod—killed a lot of critters with it. Use the code TRO and you'll save yourself 10% at checkout. Stone Glacier - I've packed out a lot of animals with my Stone Glacier pack this year. The Sky Archer 6400 has been with me to Alaska, British Columbia, Wyoming, Montana, and I love the thing. Whether it's a 10-day backpack hunt or you're day hunting from the side-by-side, that's what I love about Stone Glacier—it's minimalist, it's lightweight. You can use it day hunting or for an alpine backpack hunt. Stone Glacier makes an entire suite of hardcore mountain hunting gear. If you're in the market, head over to stoneglacier.com. Use the code TRO and you'll save yourself a discount and get some great gear. Chapter Timestamps 0:00 - Intro: Fresh Off a MTN Tough Workout 3:15 - Meet Nick: MTN Tough Coach & Physical Therapist 6:30 - Jason Joins Bridger: Startup Life with a Kid on the Way 9:00 - Why We're Talking About Health Metrics for Hunters 12:45 - The Backcountry Boondoggle: Testing Fitness in the Field 16:30 - How Many Miles? Average Archery Season Days 19:45 - Have You Ever Bonked on a Hunt? 23:15 - The Hunt Readiness Score: What Would It Look Like? 27:30 - Heart Rate Efficiency & Staying in the 80-90% Zone 31:00 - VO2 Max vs. Work Capacity: What Really Matters? 35:15 - The Rucking Problem: Muscular + Neurological Strain 38:45 - Measuring Strength Load vs. Cardio Load 41:30 - Subjective Scores & Mental Toughness Training 44:15 - Decision Making Under Fatigue 47:00 - Discipline in the Gym = Discipline in the Mountains 50:30 - Baby #2, Hunt Plans & Balancing Family Life Three Key Takeaways Heart Rate Monitoring Can Keep You in Your Efficiency Zone All Day - Most hunters blow themselves out on day one by pushing too hard when camp isn't where they thought, or the trail is longer than expected. A wearable that monitors your heart rate and keeps you in an 80-90% efficiency zone (based on your current fitness level) could be the difference between being smoked for three days versus being able to hunt hard every single day. It's not about going slow—it's about understanding what pace your body can sustain without bonking.Rucking Strain is Completely Different Than Cardiovascular Strain - Carrying 60-70 pounds on your back for 8 hours isn't primarily a cardio challenge—it's muscular, skeletal, and neurological strain. Most fitness wearables only measure cardiovascular load based on sustained heart rate, but they can't quantify what it feels like to have weight on your frame all day. Building a "hunt readiness ...
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    54 Min.
  • Cal Arnold: From Plane Crash to Purpose — Building a Life Worth Living

    Cal Arnold: From Plane Crash to Purpose — Building a Life Worth Living
    Dec 18 2025
    EP 675: Cal Arnold Alright, so this episode is one I've been looking forward to for a while. Cal Arnold is the real deal—a guy who's built an incredible business, survived a plane crash that should've killed him, and came out the other side with a perspective that'll make you rethink everything. We dive deep into entrepreneurship, the trades, building BTI Log Home Care from nothing, and what it actually takes to become your best self. Cal's story is wild—from buying his first business for $35k with no money, to crashing his plane into a power line and spending months in a wheelchair, to building a multi-million dollar company while learning to walk again. But this isn't just another success story. We get into the hard stuff: gratitude when life kicks your teeth in, why busy is lazy, the difference between speed and velocity, and how to actually focus when everything's pulling you in different directions. If you're an entrepreneur, a DIY hunter, or just someone trying to figure out how to live life on your terms, this one's for you. Cal doesn't sugarcoat anything, and honestly, I needed to hear a lot of what he shared this week. Let's get into it. OnX Hunt - The ultimate tool for elk hunters and the app I absolutely won't go into the field without. Whether you're e-scouting from the couch or actually hunting elk, OnX gives you detailed maps, property boundaries, and over 50 layers of mapping data including satellite imagery, offline maps, and waypoints. It helps you make smarter decisions no matter where you hunt. Save time, avoid mistakes, and stay connected to your crew. If you're not an Elite member yet, you're missing out on a whole other level of tools. Head over to onxmaps.com and use code TRO to save 20% off your membership. Tricer - These guys make gear that's fast, light, and simple. From bomber tripods to spotting scope mounts, panheads, truck mounts, and now even bipods—Tricer makes gear that just works. I've been running their bipod hard this season and it's been rock solid. If you're looking to upgrade your glassing system, check out Tricer. Head over to tricer.com, use code TRO at checkout, and save yourself 10%. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro & Bridger Watch Announcement6:15 - Meeting Cal Arnold & First Impressions8:30 - Were You Always an Entrepreneur?12:45 - The First Car & Learning to Hustle16:20 - College Dropout to Ski Bum19:40 - Buying the Soda Blasting Business24:10 - Pawn Shop Financing & Early Struggles28:35 - The Big Break & Building BTI Log Home Care33:20 - The "Aha Moment" in Business36:50 - The Contractor Doom Loop41:15 - Why Most Tradespeople Shouldn't Start Businesses45:30 - Falling in Love with Business, Not the Trade48:00 - COVID as a Dragon to Slay51:45 - The Plane Crash Story Begins56:20 - January 2nd, 2019 - The Day Everything Changed1:01:30 - Waking Up in the Hospital1:04:15 - The Power of Gratitude in the Wheelchair1:08:40 - Choosing to Amputate & Keeping Your Foot1:11:25 - Would You Go Back and Change It?1:14:50 - Seasons of Life & Hunting Philosophy1:19:30 - The Gratitude Muscle & Journaling1:26:45 - Recognizing Gain vs. Chasing the Gap1:31:20 - Removing Resistance & What Focus Really Means1:38:15 - Busy is Lazy1:42:30 - Speed vs. Velocity1:46:50 - Efficiency vs. Effectiveness1:50:00 - Writing a Book Someday?1:52:15 - Outro THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS Gratitude is a Muscle You Must Exercise - Cal's plane crash forced him into a wheelchair for months, but instead of falling into victimhood, he committed to writing down three things he was grateful for every day. This simple practice became the foundation for his recovery and business growth. You don't need a wheelchair to start practicing gratitude—just 10 minutes and a journal. The discipline of recognizing what you have, rather than obsessing over what you don't, is what separates those who thrive from those who survive.Focus Means Saying No, Not Thinking Harder - We hear "focus" all the time, but Cal breaks down what it actually means: saying no to everything that doesn't serve your one primary goal. It's not about grinding harder or being "busy"—busy is lazy. It's about ruthlessly eliminating distractions and resistance. Most of us are driving with the gas and brake pedal pressed at the same time. Real progress happens when you take your foot off the brake by cutting out the things that don't matter, even if they feel productive.Fall in Love with the Process, Not the Destination - If your only measure of success is the end result—whether that's a dead bull, a business milestone, or a bank account number—you'll miss 99% of your life. Cal built BTI over 20 years by showing up every day and doing the work, not by hitting some magical finish line. The same applies to hunting: if you only win when there's an animal on the ground, you're robbing yourself of the experience. Success is loving the daily grind, not reaching some arbitrary destination.
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    1 Std. und 17 Min.
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