What can I say? When I grow up, I want to be Riverhorse. For those of you who don’t know him, Riverhorse Nakadate is an angler, surfer, writer, musician, adventurer and someone I am proud to call a friend. You can find his words in the The Flyfish Journal, Fretboard Journal, and on Patagonia’s Cleanest…
Category: Sustainability
10 Years of Sustainability Consulting for Fishing & Outdoor Brands | Emerger Strategies
In 2016, I started Emerger Strategies with a simple bet: that the brands making the gear we love could also help protect the places we love — and that doing right by the fish could make them stronger businesses, not just better-intentioned ones. Ten years later, I’m still betting on that. And I’ve got a…
Journal Entry: Tarpon Fishing in the Keys
May 31, 2026 My alarm sounded at 4:30 AM and I gladly jumped out of bed. Any other day, I might lay in bed for a few minutes, but not today. Ben Young, Paul Puckett, and I were set to leave at 6 AM for a twelve hour drive down to the Keys. It is…
Tier 2 Suppliers, Bluesign Certification, and Why Sustainability Should Be Called Business Excellence — A Conversation with Kevin Myette
I am a sustainability nerd, and I find the history of the sustainability movement fascinating, which is why I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview 40-year outdoor industry veteran, Kevin Myette on the latest episode of The Sustainable Angler podcast. The Outdoor Industry’s Sustainability Origin Story Starts in 2006 In this episode,…
Emerger Strategies and Douglas Strategies to Present “Selling What Matters” at Switchback Spring 2026
How Sustainability Can Elevate the Retail Customer Experience — and Drive Sales FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Charleston, SC — May 2026 Emerger Strategies, a leading sustainability consulting firm for the fishing & outdoor and specialty retail industry, announces that founder Rick Crawford will co-present a featured breakout session at Switchback Spring 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana….
10 Years of Giving Back: How Emerger Strategies Uses Business as a Force for Good
I can honestly say that Emerger Strategies would not exist if I hadn’t picked up a copy of Let My People Go Surfing. Yvon Chouinard’s memoir about building Patagonia into a company that uses business as a tool to solve environmental and social problems didn’t just inspire me — it gave me a blueprint for…