Long Run Labs Podcast & Network

Showing people how you think >>> telling people how you think A brand came inbound asking how to structure a podcast marketing pilot. I sent them two articles I'd already written that include case studies. Your content is your sales deck. Start publishing.

Why We Built the @longrunlabs Network: longrunlabs.substack.com/p/why-we-built… Why Most Affiliate Programs Stall (and 8 Ways to Make Yours Thrive) substack.com/home/post/p-17…

50% of the time I ask a brand what a successful partnership looks like, I don't get a clear answer. I sat down with Erin Cooper, Senior Marketing Manager at @SalomonRunning at Big Alta last month. She said something that should be obvious but apparently isn't: "If you can't answer what a win looks like, you have no business really getting into a discussion. It's going to end up not being a great experience for anybody." Her boss requires it before any partnership conversation goes anywhere. Not "awareness." Not "community." Something specific you can point to. The brands that get this right walk in with a playbook. Here's what we're missing. Here's what you're good at. Here's what winning looks like for both sides. The ones that don't are pulling teeth on both ends trying to figure out why the partnership isn't working; usually after it's too late. Full conversation with Erin is live on @LongRunLabs.

I’m loving these single serving cuts of @goodranchers and I’d say that even if they weren’t sponsoring @ForTheLRPod (and six other shows in the @LongRunLabs network as a test because OF COURSE meat delivery makes sense for an audience of runners)!!!

Perimenopause is not a niche. It’s half the population going through a physiological transformation with almost no dedicated support infrastructure. Every woman who finds care that actually works becomes a referral engine. The referral flywheel here will be faster than most categories. On the patient who broke the system (and what they actually need): longrunlabs.substack.com/p/the-patient-…

Brand awareness isn’t a vanity metric. It’s what eventually drives revenue. But only if it’s authentic and people actually use the product. Hannah Sedgwick Shin on what brands get right and wrong. Full episode on Long Run Labs.

Hot take: the warmest prospect in proactive healthcare isn't the one who's read every Peter Attia book and listens to @hubermanlab. It's the one who just had their worst appointment yet. I've spent 9 months on the phone with both types of buyers interested in @Eternal. The optimizers are real. But a different buyer has quietly become just as important: people who tried the normal system, got burned, and stopped waiting for it to improve. They don't need persuading. They need permission. I wrote about what that means for the category, including why women in perimenopause are becoming the most motivated segment in the space, why the price conversation has completely flipped, and what 91% of our highest-risk members improving metabolic markers in six months tells us about the model. open.substack.com/pub/longrunlab…

We just launched a meat delivery brand across 7 running podcasts in @longrunlabs network. Here's the logic behind why that's not a weird idea, and why first-movers in a niche own the category. longrunlabs.substack.com/p/the-best-bra…

Athletes aren’t just athletes anymore. Now they’re expected to:
• perform
• create content
• build an audience
• drive engagement Hannah Sedgwick Shin on the rise of the athlete-creator on the Long Run Labs podcast, out now!

Coming tomorrow: "The Best Brand Partners Are The Ones Who Haven't Tried This Yet" Subscribe so you don't miss it: longrunlabs.substack.com/publish/post/1…

I’ve been digging into my bloodwork and performance data lately. Years of data, cross-referenced with my best and worst race performances. One thing keeps showing up: iron. When I moved to Colorado, my average ferritin dropped 19% and never fully recovered. Living at altitude forces your body to produce more red blood cells; and that process quietly drains your iron stores whether you’re training hard or not. I went into a one mile focused training block in 2023 with ferritin at its highest in years and ran 5:00; an 8 second PR. I ran an incredibly strong 55k a few weeks later starting at 9,000’ in Crested Butte. I feel my best, and particularly at higher altitude, when I’m on the higher side. That’s why I’m excited to partner with @goodranchers. American-sourced beef, chicken, and seafood delivered to your door. If you’re training hard; especially at altitude, you need quality protein and consistent iron. Good Ranchers makes that easier to actually execute on. Use code IRON to save $25 + get a free protein and even more savings when you subscribe. One more thing: as you’ll hear me talk about on this week’s @forthelrpod with @racin__grayson, this is a pilot partnership. Good Ranchers has never worked with an endurance network or podcast before. They’re sponsoring seven shows in the @longrunlabs network, including two hosted by sports dietitians (@stevielynlyn and @eatforendurance) plus a trio of pro athletes who have talked at length about iron and their needs as pro female trail runners! We’re the test case. After you order, fill out the post-purchase survey and select For The Long Run. It’s how we prove this audience is worth investing in, and how we turn a pilot into something bigger, like supporting more shows, more athletes, and races!

A $550 pack on Rainier that couldn't open with skis on his back. That's where and why Kyle Siegel decided to start Raide Research. We talked product-led growth, no-discount pricing, athlete vs. influencer strategy, and the fundraising mistake he still regrets. New on @longrunlabs.

The Setup: How to Wire Up Your AI Environment and Actually Get It Working Part 3 of 3: Tooling, integrations, prompting, and what not to put in there longrunlabs.substack.com/p/the-setup-ho…

This one was a masterclass in building a brand in the outdoor space in 2026: youtu.be/RJCBVgq64Hg

What drives a $20K launch day isn’t just product. It’s clarity of vision and conviction behind it. Kyle Siegel shares how Raide came to life after a defining moment on Mount Rainier, and how that experience shaped the brand. 🎧 Listen to the full episode by tuning in now!

"More fiction has been written in Excel than in PowerPoint." 🤣 -@zuckercole on @LongRunLabs

Raising capital is easy to frame but difficult to get right. Cole Zucker explains why founders often over-index on projections and future upside, while overlooking a more critical factor: partner alignment. 🎧 Listen to the full episode now.

Excellence emerges at the intersection of experience and insight. Cole Zucker shares his journey from exiting a successful lighting business to pursuing elite-level running, and ultimately, to reengineering performance footwear through Kila Run. 🎧 Tune in now.

Ready to yap! Grayson Murphy and Dan Green coming up on @ForTheLRPod + @SalomonRunning’s senior marketing manager for performance + sport style on @longrunlabs!