He Never Wanted to Go Viral. That's Why Brands Trust Him.
About this episode
Tommie Runz started running in 2018, a year after choosing sobriety, and began documenting the journey simply because it felt good to share progress and get encouragement. Seven years later, he's built an audience of over 30,000 through nothing but consistency and honesty — no viral moments, no big follower jumps, just a steady climb built entirely on trust.
In this conversation, Tommie and Aaron pick up where they left off after a live panel at TrailCon, digging into what it actually looks like to build a career as an athlete-creator without compromising who you are. Tommie breaks down why he's turned down "ambassador" deals that undervalue creators, how relationships with brands often take years rather than emails to develop, and the moment he realized his content needed to sound exactly like him or it wasn't worth doing at all.
Second Nature is supported by Popfly:
Show Notes:
Tommie Runz
Tommie on Instagram
Tommie on YouTube
Asics
Mack Baker (Asics)
Cosign Creatives
Tommie Runz Show (Podcast)
Broken Arrow
TrailCon
BPC - Brand, Product, Content: