Staying Connected with Dylan Tonkin of TownShirt | By Land Podcast #140
Dylan Tonkin had the crazy idea to take the fun design of a lightweight Hawaiian shirt and marry it with a design that would remind thru-hikers of their favorite long-distance trail. The result was “TownShirt” and it’s awesome.
This is Dylan’s second time on the podcast and in the two-plus years that have passed since our last chat, a lot has changed. Dylan is now married, has a kid, and has taken a fun little business concept and made it a reality with TownShirt. Since that first episode, Dylan and I have stayed in touch so when he randomly sent me a picture of a thru-hiking-inspired hiking shirt he’d been working on, I about fell out of my chair. I knew right away this was going to be something great. The designs were fun, they reflected the iconic imagery of the trail, and the shirts were functional as trail-wear.
Over the next few months, Dylan and I talked about what TownShirt was about, how he could give back to the community that had given him so much, and how to go about building a business that reflected his personality and values and not what the outdoor industry says it should be. Those were some of my favorite discussions and I told Dylan that when he was ready, he was welcome back on the show to talk about what he’s been up to.
That time is now and I couldn’t be more excited to put this episode together. Dylan has become one of my favorite people because he’s just a genuine person that wants to put positivity out into the world, do the right thing, and make an impact. This episode isn’t just about TownShirt, it’s about Dylan, it’s about community, and finding ways to stay connected to the community we love so much.
When you get a chance, please check out Townshirt.co and go give Dylan’s startup some love!
Show Notes
Catching up with Dylan
The birth of Townshirt
The mission of Townshirt
On giving more than you take
How Townshirt is going to give back
Learning to not care what others are doing
Hiking trails in different ways
On the current thru-hiking culture
How life has changed as a Dad
The Townshirt collaboration with the PCTA
How to followup with Townshirt
Links
Emory, By Land
Thanks for stopping by the website and checking out the podcast! If you have any questions for me or want to connect, you can leave a comment below or shoot me a personal message at emory@byland.co.
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