EP 110 | Bear Handlon – From Navy SEAL to CEO: Building Born Primitive & Giving Back

From the Teams to the top of the apparel industry, Navy SEAL veteran Bear Handlon joins Ryan “Birdman” Parrott to talk about building Born Primitive, a mission-driven brand that gives back millions to veterans and first responders.

Bear reveals how he bootstrapped Born Primitive from his garage, built a 100+ person company without outside capital, and turned it into a global powerhouse—while staying true to his ethos of faith, family, and service.

What we cover:
• Transition from Navy SEAL to CEO
• Building a brand with purpose and values
• Why Born Primitive paid off $11 million in veteran medical debt
• Business growth, faith, and fatherhood
• The real standard of leadership after service

Guest: Bear Handlon (@bearhandlon | @bornprimitive | bornprimitive.com)
Host: Ryan “Birdman” Parrott (@frogmanfridayshow)

🪖 Support the Veterans Day Campaign: Nov 7 – 11
Born Primitive & Black Rifle Coffee pledge 100% of profits to erase veteran medical debt.

📌 Chapters:
00:00 Intro – Bear Handlon’s story
02:00 Transition from service to entrepreneurship
05:00 The birth of Born Primitive
10:00 Bootstrapping vs big capital
19:00 The mission behind veteran medical debt relief
28:00 Faith and leadership after service
50:00 Final thoughts on purpose and fatherhood

Connect with Ryan “Birdman” Parrott:
Instagram.com/frogmanfridayshow
Facebook.com/frogmanfridayshow
Threads.com/frogmanfridayshow
x.com/FrogFridayShow

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