Matt Barber & Joel Doub, Part 2 – Tales from an Entrepreneurial Adventure

Matt Barber and Joel Doub are the owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, one of the West’s most renowned custom fly rod companies.  I was introduced to Matt and Joel nearly three and half years ago and was quickly fascinated by their entrepreneurial journey and Tom Morgan Rodsmiths’ storied history in the fly fishing world. As longtime listeners may remember, I recorded a podcast with Matt and Joel in January of 2018, about a year after they had purchased the company from Tom and Gerri Morgan. In that conversation we talked in-depth about the history of the company, Matt and Joel’s unconventional backgrounds, and their plans for the future of TMR– it was a fun conversation that led to a great friendship between all of us.

But in the more than three years since I published that episode, Tom Morgan Rodsmiths has grown in size and scope, and Matt and Joel have continued to evolve as business owners.  They’ve enjoyed highs that include being featured in the New York Times and steadily growing their sales year over year. But they’ve also faced unexpected challenges, most notably a global pandemic and its far-reaching supply chain and economic effects. But thanks to their creativity, planning, complementary skill sets, and unwavering commitment to the values of the founders Tom and Gerri Morgan, Matt and Joel have thrived as entrepreneurs and built wonderful lives for their families in Montana.

A quick, one-time snapshot of any entrepreneurial venture can never provide the full, vivid story of a company and its owners, so I wanted to bring Matt and Joel back on the podcast to give us an update and share some of their hard-earned wisdom and lessons learned. We talked a bit about the specifics of the fly fishing business, but most of the topics we discussed were around resilience, teamwork, marketing, managing complex work, and maintaining a positive attitude– actionable advice that almost anyone could put to use in business or creative endeavors. You don’t need to listen to our first episode to glean value from this one, but it’s worth a listen too, so there’s a link in the notes to access that episode if you’d like.  

Be sure to check out the Tom Morgan Rodsmiths website and follow them on social media– links to everything are in the notes. They will be celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary in the coming weeks and offering some special, one-of-a-kind products that will be of interest to anglers and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. Thanks to Matt and Joel for the inspiring conversation, and I hope you enjoy.

Header photo by Paolo Marchesi

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EPISODE NOTES

Topics Discussed:

• 4:30 – Introduction to Matt and Joel
• 11:30 – Update on the progress of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths
• 16:15 – Matt and Joel discuss the benefits and challenges of co-owning a business
• 12:15 – Matt and Joel discuss how they navigate owning Tom Morgan Rodsmiths while respecting the legacy of its founders
• 27:45 – Matt and Joel talk about the coverage they received from the New York Times
• 31:45 – Matt and Joel explain their thoughts and practice of marketing their products
• 38:15 – How Matt and Joel stay organized to manage the many, many challenges of running a business
• 49:30 – Matt and Joel discuss generosity in their work and lives
• 53:15 – Matt and Joel talk about living in Montana, having recently moved there
• 56:15 – Matt and Joel’s book recommendations
• 58:45 – Matt and Joel’s parting words of wisdom

Information Referenced:

• Tom Morgan Rodsmiths
• Previous M&P episode
• Saint Lawrence University
• Suez Canal
• Techstars
• Cal Newport
  • Deep Work
  • Digital Minimalism
  • A World Without Email
• 10 Percent Happier
  • App
  • Book
• Vipassana 
• Waking Up
• Malcolm Brooks 
  • Cloudmaker
  • Painted Horses
• Callan Wink
  • August
• John Larison
  • Whiskey When We’re Dry
• Mattew Crawford
  • Shop Class As Soul Craft
• Joe Haldeman
  • The Forever War

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• Max Wenerstrom – Timeless Craftsmanship
• Kelsey Johnson – Chasing Her Artistic Ambitions
• Chris Douglas – An Unexpected Artistic Journey
• Kate Kavanaugh – Regeneration & Restoration
• Chris Burkard – The Art of Suffering
• Live in Bozeman – Cate Havstad, Jillian Lukiwski, Becca Skinner & Juanita Vero
• Hal Herring – A Man of Words & Wild Places
• Mark Kenyon – A Passion for Public Lands
• Matt Skoglund – Adventures in Bison Ranching

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