Episodes
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Art Is Design and Design Is Art | Makenzie Brown
Makenzie Brown knew what she wanted to do when she was three years old. Then she spent the next twenty years getting foggier about it, the way everyone does. What snapped her back was watching her own preschooler paint at the kitchen table every single day and thinking, why am I not doing that?…
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Why He Stopped Filming Other People to Focus on His Own Riding
The first trick Christian Rigal ever learned on a BMX bike was a tree ride, at a Burger King in Moraga, California. Twenty five years later he rides mountain bikes for a living and, in his words, all he is doing is driving around looking for cool trees to ride his bike on. Christian spent a…
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He Spent Years Making Logos Bigger. Then He Built a Brand Without One. | Ornot's Matt Quann
Matt Quann spent his design career being asked to make the logo bigger. So when he started his own cycling brand, he took the logo off entirely. Thirteen years later, Ornot is still made in the USA, still small on purpose, and still one of the most quietly loved brands in cycling. We go back to…
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He Got Airlifted Off Mt. Baker, Then Taught Himself to Sew Left-Footed | Spencer Kadas
Spencer Kadas quit his data science job at 31 to be a ski bum for a year. No grand plan, just one question: will I regret not doing this? A year later he bought High Above, the Seattle company behind some of the most bombproof, USA-made mountain bike packs out there. He'd never sewn a stitch. A...
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How One Engineer's Instinct Became a Cult Outdoor Brand
What does it take to build an outdoor brand the whole industry starts referencing? For Kyle Siegel, founder of Raide, it started with a problem, not a brand. In this episode we get into how an engineer with stops at SpaceX, Snap, and The North Face ended up building one of the most distinct…
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Why Your Process Doesn't Have to Look Like Anyone Else's | Cait Oppermann
This conversation got me fired up. Cait Oppermann is a photographer and creative director in Brooklyn who runs her own studio, FLOWERS, and she's spent her whole career quietly refusing the standard playbook. Cait moved to New York a week after turning eighteen, off a friendship she'd made on…
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How Steve Crandall Built an Entire World Out of a BMX Bike
Steve Crandall is the founder of FBM, the BMX brand he started as an inside joke and an art project that turned into a bike company. Today he runs RadShare, a grassroots nonprofit out of Richmond, Virginia that gets kids on bikes and keeps their heads safe. This one is personal for me. Crandall…
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Why Being a Beginner Again Matters with Michelle Wilcox
Meesh and I have known each other a long time. Mutual friends, overlapping rides, the kind of friendship that started by crossing paths in the same places and got real once we both landed in Portland. We come at this work from the same spot too. Two people who spend most of the day alone behind a...
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When the Path You're On Stops Feeling Like Yours — Max Young
Max Young and I came to this conversation from the exact same spot. Two senior creatives, a decade-plus in, standing at the same crossroads and asking ourselves the same questions. What kind of work do we actually want to be doing now? What should we be focusing on? And is the path we're on still...
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She Spent 12 Years at Patagonia. Then She Built Her Own Brand. | Laura kinman
Laura Kinman spent 25+ years in the outdoor industry, and she didn't plan to start a brand. Then, in October 2024, she was laid off from Patagonia while flying home from Vietnam. She calls it the day she "won the lottery." In this episode, Laura traces a winding path. Growing up hunting for…
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Process, Self-Belief, and the Bike as Teacher with Braydon Bringhurst
In this episode of outside Is Magic, I sit down with Braydon Bringhurst, a professional mountain biker, filmmaker, public speaker, father, and the founder of the Hard MTB League. You may know him from his film 8,600 Feet, but this conversation goes well beyond the bike. This one is about process....
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Authenticity, Gratitude, and the Long Road Forward with Jarrod Allen
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with my longtime friend Jarrod Allen. We go way back to our BMX days, and over the years our paths have continued to cross through creativity, work, family, and life. This conversation is about growing up without losing yourself. We talk about...
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Finding Common Ground with Kyle von Hoetzendorff
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with Kyle von Hoetzendorff — one of the first people I met when I moved to Portland, and someone I’ve respected for years across the outdoors, creative work, and community. Kyle is a partner at Lucky Day, a storyteller, a cyclist, a traveler, and…
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The Truth About Creativity, Identity, and Growing Up with Jake Webski
This episode dives deep into creativity, identity, and how to stay grounded when life keeps changing. Jake shares lessons from Instrument, Google, cycling, fatherhood, and co-founding Apogee Bikes. EPISODE OVERVIEW In this conversation, Christopher sits down with Jake — Creative Strategy Lead at...
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Learning to Get Out of Your Own Way with Brett Stenson
In this episode of outside is Magic, I talk with illustrator and designer Brett Stenson about creativity, style, community, and the long, messy path of figuring out who you are as an artist. We dive into everything from his early days in the Milwaukee BMX scene to discovering design through zines...
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Why Creative Growth Starts with Looking Back with Sean Steed
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with Sean, a creative working at Rapha, to explore how architecture, design, and sport all intersect through storytelling and process. We talk about growing up in Switzerland, the value of reflection, and what it means to create work that feels...
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Focus what matters most with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with professional skier, artist, and filmmaker Sage Cattabriga-Alosa for a conversation about creativity, mentorship, and what it means to stay inspired after two decades in the mountains. We talk about doing hard things, learning to love the…
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The Beautiful Mess of Growth with Serena Rio
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with artist, mountain biker, and psychology student Serena Rio for a conversation about fear, creativity, and the art of stepping outside your comfort zone. We talk about her evolution from graffiti and murals in New York to painting in Los Angeles,...
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A Little Update
This week there’s no guest, just me. I wanted to take a moment to share where the podcast is at, why I started it, and what I’ve learned 16 episodes in. I talk about the intention behind outside is Magic, the challenges of scheduling and editing, the process of putting an episode together, and…
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Finding a Voice in Photography with Bryan Banducci
I am joined by Bryan, someone I first met in the NYC cycling scene and really got to know on the Oregon Outback, a 364 mile ride across Oregon. We talk about growing up around skateboarding, finding photography, the move from New York back to California, and what it takes to keep showing up as a...
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Jeremy Dunn on Building Culture and Keeping It Fun
Jeremy Dunn has been shaping cycling culture for years. From co-founding The Athletic to making zines, hosting rides, and creating community through the simple joy of sport, his work has always been about more than products. It is about people. What I admire most about Jeremy is his openness and...
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Creativity, Risk, and Living Fully with Chris Burkard
Fear can stop us in our tracks, but Chris Burkard reminded me that sometimes the only way forward is to do it scared. Chris is one of the most recognized photographers and explorers of our time, but what stands out most is his openness and his willingness to share his process, his lessons, and…
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Live Like You’re Dying with Jenn Levo
Life moves fast and summer in the Northwest feels even faster. My conversation with Jenn Levo is about holding onto those fleeting moments, making space for creativity, and finding balance between work, play, and everything in between. Jenn’s story stretches from Ohio to SCAD, from building bikes...
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Life Through a Different Lens with Kyle Emery Peck
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with photographer and rider Kyle Emery Peck. We talk about growing up in BMX, lugging around a Hasselblad on massive rides, and how bikes shaped the way he sees the world. Kyle shares how photography became his career, his take on film vs digital…
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Inside the MADE Bike Show with Founder Billy Sinkford
Billy Sinkford is the founder of Clipless Communications and the Director of the MADE Bike Show. A handbuilt bicycle show that celebrates craftsmanship, culture, and community. In this episode of outside is Magic, we talk about Billy’s early connection to bikes, the journey that led him to launch...
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The Creative Side of Retail with Nate Hoe of Windthrow
In this episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with Nate Hoe, founder of Windthrow, a creative retail space in Seattle that's part gallery, part store, part cultural experiment. We talk about the art of slowing down, trusting your taste, and building a shop that feels more like a conversation…
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Curiosity First: Natasha Woodworth Shares the Story Behind Curious Creatures
In episode 13 of outside Is Magic, Christopher sits down with Natasha Woodworth, founder and creative force behind Curious Creatures, a mountain bike apparel brand based out of Montana. We talk about: Building a brand rooted in values Slowing down to move with purpose The magic of rituals and…
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John Watson on Creating a Soulful Space for Bikes and Stories
John Watson is the founder of The Radavist, a beloved cycling site rooted in storytelling, photography, and independent thought. In this episode, we talk about what it means to build something on your own terms, the highs and lows of creative work, and how bikes became a medium for so much more...
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The Power of Trust and Collaboration with Naohmi Monroe & Ginger Boyd of Amiga Studio
In this episode, I sit down with Naohmi Monroe and Ginger Boyd, co-founders of Amiga Studio, to discuss creativity, collaboration, and the lessons learned from building a values-led business. We explore the early sparks that shaped their creative paths, the leap from freelance and full-time into...
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Casey Robertson on Building a Creative Life You Believe In
In this episode, I talk with illustrator and designer Casey Robertson about the long road to finding your creative voice. Casey shares how skateboarding, Thrasher magazine, and the pandemic all shaped his unique style—and why he's less interested in chasing trends and more interested in making...
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Gritchelle Fallesgon on Becoming Who You Really Are
Gritchelle Fallesgon is a Portland-based photographer with a background in graphic design and roots in punk and DIY culture. In this episode of outside is Magic, we talk about what it takes to leave the safe path, how to rebuild your creative identity, and the power of showing up fully as…
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Designing from the Inside Out: Tom Briggs on Process, Burnout, and Creative Alignment
In this episode, I sit down with Tom Briggs, designer, creative director, and one of the minds behind some of the most impactful work in cycling, music, and identity design. We talk about how punk and DIY ethics shaped his creative foundation, how he approaches big design challenges, and why…
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Ron Lewis on Choosing Intuition Over Convention
In this episode, I sit down with Ron Lewis, a musician, rider, and route builder, to talk about the creative process, burnout, music, and the quiet lessons that come from spending time outside. Ron shares how he approaches life like a trail: one turn at a time, guided by feeling and intuition. We...
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Anya Miller on Making Meaningful Work and Creative Leadership
In this episode of outside is Magic, I talk with creative director Anya Miller about her path from architecture to brand storytelling and how sometimes the most honest career moves start with asking yourself what actually feels good to make. We dig into how Anya found clarity by mapping the parts...
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Lessons in Slowing Down and Showing Up Outside with Gabriel Amadeus Tiller
Gabriel Amadeus Tiller builds things that matter—trails, systems, communities. We talk about slow creative work, staying grounded, and building with care. From the Oregon Timber Trail to burnout, bikepacking, and mapping with meaning, this one’s packed with insight. Guest Links...
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Painting with Intention: Lucas Strain on Creativity, Discipline, and Nature
In this episode of outside Is Magic, I talk with painter and craftsman Lucas Strain, founder of Sparkle Factory and lead painter at Allied Cycle Works. We dive into his journey from a rough childhood to becoming one of the most respected custom bike painters in the country. Lucas shares how...
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Built by Hand: Ira Ryan on Bikes, Balance, and Being a Good Human
In the first episode of outside is Magic, I sit down with Portland-based frame builder Ira Ryan—founder of Ira Ryan Cycles. We talk about what it means to build something with your hands, the balance between creativity and responsibility, and the lifelong process of becoming a good human. Ira…
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