She Wore the Same Broken Helmet for 10 Years, Then Built Her Own — Second Nature episode artwork

She Wore the Same Broken Helmet for 10 Years, Then Built Her Own

Second Nature October 23, 2026 1:10:03

About this episode

Lizzie Shilko wore the same busted ski helmet for more than 10 years, the foam coming loose from its shell, and every year she looked for a replacement worth buying and found nothing she liked. So she wrote a business plan in her notes app and built the helmet herself.

Now just over a year into Revi, she joins Second Nature to trace the path from that note to product on retail shelves: why putting a helmet on someone's head sells it better than any website copy, the customers who walked into ski shops and pitched Revi to buyers unprompted, and how sharing her story on TikTok, shot on her phone, put her in front of two major retailers who reached out by DM. Lizzie also shares what she's learned about showing your work as a founder, why she's choosing slower, more deliberate retail growth over launching more products, how Backcountry Garage fits in, and what she took away from a week at her manufacturer overseeing safety testing.

Second Nature is proudly supported by Popfly and Halo:

Popfly for Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands

Popfly for Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators

Halo: https://www.poweredbyhalo.com

Show Notes:

Lizzie Shilko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzieshilko/

Revi Helmets: https://revigear.com/

KORE Podcast with Lizzie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR5uP3npGP0

Backcountry Garage: https://www.backcountry.com/rc/backcountry-garage

Revi on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzieshilko

Revi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revigear/

BPC - Brand, Product, Content: