Conversations with Big Rich

No wonder Nate Hunt is so good at what he does for Jackson Motorsports and Events, he had work ethic drilled into him from a young age. Listen in as Nate tells us how he landed the job, what life was like between naps and where he likes to spend his time now. Great listen, good stories, good people – our favorite kind of podcast! 3:06 – meet farm boy Nate 12:21 – third in my class, on the podium 18:10 – You’re only as good today as your practice 25:06 – those tires have been sitting on a...

Stephen Watson of Off Road Design shares growing up in rural Colorado to wheeling experiences all over the country. The King of Full-Size, especially GMC’s, Stephen has a storied history. Listen in on your favorite podcast app, or dive in on YouTube – wherever you are, we’ve got your content ready for you. 5:21 – learning how to steer at 3 or 4 years old 14:02 – the magic is less when you know how things work 27:53 – I think there would be more value for most people by just spending more...

Tom Yash brings a ton to the table for any industry company he works for. He’s got all the classic over-achiever qualifications we can all relate to. Never satisfied with just one thing, he’s always building and growing. Loved this interview, Tom is a great guy, easy to be around, and always up for a beverage or two. We appreciate his participation in Dirt Riot and his contributions to 4Low Magazine. 3:55 – teacher called me a hammerhead 8:44 – who here knows how to drive a stick? 11:35 –...

Making good decisions for his family, work, and team, Russell Battles brings patience and discipline to the sport of rockcrawling and life. Listen in on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube. Always good to hear from our friends, a little history, a little present, a bit of the future. 7:48 - …the scout went down the road 12:45 – First phone call to Marlin Crawler 15:40 – know exactly what you want and don’t let them tell you can’t 20:15 – in Abu Dhabi, we were doing something that had...

Mike Stump – from off-road to electronics, back to off-road with electronics. Yep, we all come full-circle. Give Episode 106 a listen on your favorite podcast channel – or YouTube! Yep, we release on YouTube now at the same time as we release everywhere else – be sure to Subscribe to the channel: Big Rich Klein. 7:49 – they gave me lots of candy 13:28 – we’re going to have beachfront property! 20:00 – just call me Push Start 23:30 – I was kinda a liability. 42:24 – the first black...

The start of the 3rd season of the podcast sees off-road newcomer, Skip Scott, share his story of how he got started with off-road, competition, and this new phase of life. It’s important to remember that all histories matter, new and old, all tell the history of off-road. Thanks for joining us Skip. 5:37 – let’s get the hell out of this Burg! 11:37 – we’re communicating, sir! 17:53 – no one wants to hear your ideas 26:02 – I want somebody to want me and to be valuable 33:37 – I’m...

It's been an awesome two years of podcasting at Conversations of Big Rich. In this episode we share the stats and some highlights. 102 guests: 91 men, 11 women 8114 minutes of content 52,000 downloads with over 4 million minutes listened to Episodes mentioned: Bob Bower – Episode 55 and 56 Jack Bettio – Episode 75 Emily Miller – Episode 29 Larry McRae – Episode 15 Rob Bender Park – Episode 8 Charlie Melchner – Episode 4 Then enjoy a replay of Episode #1 The first, the pillar...

Let’s do Epic Sh*T! You will laugh out loud with us on this episode of Conversations with Big Rich. Guest, Phil Norvold, founder of Max-Bilt Offroad is a natural storyteller, come along for the adventure that starts with a pizza. We talk Max-Bilt, leading, Epic Willy’s Adventure, and Mo-hab! 6:39 – I liked taking things apart, if they went back together that was a bonus! 13:04 – not only did I fix a problem, I made somebody’s day 22:55 – old is cool 32:07 – good thing your middle name...

Crazy Doug with some crazy stories. Shooting golf clubs, racing down ski hills on wheels, blood boosting, cocoa leaves, Baja, rockcrawling. If it includes adventure, this episode has it. Join Doug Hayduk and Big Rich for Episode 102. 5:28 – I won the hill climb three years in a row. 9:53 – I was charge with solving the welding cracking problems on titanium 14:41 – mountain bikers were a little more counterculture 20:36 – I always thought the ultimate opportunity was to use my engineering...

Hooked on cars since age 2, Andy Lilienthal is now Warn Industries Strategic Communications Manager. That seems like a mouthful, what you need to know about Andy is that he’s a cars and community kinda guy. He can talk about them, write about them, and work on them. Our kind of human. Listen in as Andy gives us some background on how he got to this point in his career. 2:44 – Hot Wheels were my jam. 7:34 – people swap sides of the desk all the time from editors to PR people 11:27 – united...

A renaissance man, Corey Osborne keeps re-inventing himself and his ideals by learning everything he can. From corporate suit to off-road guy, Corey brings the CTI trailer to the masses for conversation and insight. Join him at Modern Jeeper online or one of their many adventures. 3:57– It’s a demented curiosity… 13:43 – are you sure this is something you want to do? 21:37 – so that’s why you have a yellow Jeep! 27:54 – …literally having a party for a year and a half straight! 32:22 –...

Alan Woodson of Axis Fabrication, an OG rockcrawler, dishes dirt with Rich on Episode 99. A true east coast competitor, Alan shares his love of travel and building with all of us. 3:13– growing up in a big, little city 11:17 – Scott bailed me out 19:14 – Full Disclosure: I did something to deserve the ability to not have my license 39:13 – let me tell you about how I met Charlie 48:07 – anything west of Tennessee is just a different mentality 56:12 – I’m definitely doing Axis...

IH8MUD founder, Brian “Woody” Swearingen, was on the internet before most of us knew what it was. Driving one of his 8 vehicles on the hardest core trails, you find Woody wherever the people are. Check out this episode number 98 4:05– we mowed seven days a week, every hour that we could 9:56 – I basically scrubbed floors and cleaned toilets in a suit and tie for years 11:13 – the better you are at continuing to learn new thing, the better you will be 18:33 – I laid in the driveway under...

Work seems to be the only word in Rusty Megois’ vocabulary. Owner of Rusty’s Off-Road in Rainbow City, Alabama, Rusty shares the friendships that have helped him through the changes in the industry. 3:12– a neighbor started fueling the fire for being outdoorsl 8:34 – I try to push my guys to do more and do better 14:50 – I just brought more knowledge that I was acquiring on the west coast back home 26:37 – and thank God, along came the XJ Jeep Cherokee 36:52 – I understand you have a...

Multi-faceted, Poly Dave Schlossberg tells his story on Episode 96. Bringing the energy, experience, and education to build things that are more than the sum of their parts, Synergy and Poly Performance are running at full steam. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. 4:24 – …he wrapped his whole house in tin foil 15:04 – I had passed out and spilled some Goldschlager on my chest, and this bear… 18:34 – I kinda subscribe to the philosophy that there’s always an angle,...

Knowing what you want to do from first grade. Priceless. Meet Scott Trimarco, the pump guy. Scott is the man when it comes to hydraulic steering pumps – high flow applications is where his product thrives. Listen in to hear how all that came about. Scott’s Custom Offroad. www.scottscustomoffroad.com 10:28 – I want to design cars 15:18 – she’d make shirts with the pocket upside down… 23:03 – oh, yeah, I lived on Pirate 32:03 – you get one free day 36:25 – I borrowed garages for...

Living life on his own terms, Randy Ellis, on Episode 94. From tearing up trucks to building them, Randy is chasing sunshine in Mexico now on Simplify. Listen in as Big Rich and Randy share what it was like in the Phoenix desert when rockcrawling was still new. 5:06 – vroom, vroom dad 14:04 – at 16, I started flipping cars 17:56 – If you boys are going to play, you got to learn how to fix ‘em 23:02 – I messed up so many things, but that’s how you learn 32:35 – you started out building...

Classically trained guitarist to self-proclaimed Jeep guy, Christian Hazel of MotorTrend Group on Episode 93. There’s a lot about Christian you wouldn’t guess by his outward appearance. Rock-n-roller, scientific editor, long-distance commuter, listen in to find out where his story began and where he is now with all the changes MotorTrend had undergone. 3:53 – that’s the kind of spirit Boston has 8:31 – my heart and soul were in this other genre of music 13:47 – I just got up and walked...

All-American Badass, JT Taylor, on Episode 92. JT is currently the race director for American Offroad Endurance working with Mid-America Outdoors, but that’s just the latest feather in his cap. Former race director at Ultra4, racer extraordinaire in all forms of go-fast, especially Baja. JT has seen and done more than most. Listen in for a few chuckles, a lot of history, and more info about What's Next. 2:45 – the grease went outta my knees 9:21 – the e-brake came in handy when you passed...

Trending on Conversations with Big Rich is Senior Director of Marketing for Jeep & Off-Road Brands at Truck Hero, Lee Riser. Lee chased her career around Monroe, Louisiana with Superlift and Skyjacker, landing at Truck Hero recently. Listen in on a marketing 101 class for anyone in the industry. We support strong women in off-road!. 1:54 – This industry is definitely where I’ve grown up 11:36 – “I hired you as my replacement, so I’m handing it over” 20:05 – We like to align ourselves with...