the morning shakeout podcast

Matt Taylor is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Tracksmith. He recently stepped down from the CEO role, which he held since 2014, to return his focus to what drew him to the brand in the first place: its creative expression.
I recently sat down with Matt in Boston to trace the full arc of his journey, from a cold letter left at a hotel for IMG founder Mark McCormack, to embedding himself in top-tier college cross country programs for Chasing Tradition, to funding the early days of Tracksmith with an Usain Bolt iPhone game. We talked about how each of those pursuits helped shape the brand he eventually built, and also got into what has always set Tracksmith apart: narrative-driven storytelling, reverence for the history of the sport, and a refusal to be everything to everyone.
This is a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, craft, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build something with genuine staying power that I've been waiting to have for a long time, and it did not disappoint. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed having it.
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Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raziq Rauf is the author of the forthcoming book, This is Running, and he also writes the popular newsletter, Running Sucks. Raz’ book, and his work in general, celebrates running as a sport, activity, and culture, and digs into the people, events, trends, and technology that push it forward.
I sat down with Raz in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles before the 2026 L.A. Marathon and we covered a wide range of topics, from the increased excitement around that particular event, to the evolution of run crew culture in that city, to the growth and strength of community in general. We also discussed his background as a journalist and a runner, how his relationship to running has evolved over time, why he started writing about running a few years ago (and how that led to the publication of his first book), and a lot more.
Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our first quarterly conversation of 2026, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #48 of LtW, which is out now. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.) In this episode, we discuss the launch of the U.S. edition of LtW U.S., fresh starts, various cultural differences in running, and a lot more.
Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with runner and writer Devin Kelly to discuss his new novel, Pilgrims, and also talk about his process, his use of repetition throughout the book, and the parallels that exist between what he feels when he writes and what he feels when he runs. We also got into how he used the novel to explore his obsessions, the importance of committing to a daily practice, what's exciting him in running today, and a lot more.
Longtime listeners may remember Devin’s first appearance on the podcast in Episode 119, a wide-ranging and impactful conversation that touched on running, writing, exploration, masculinity, shame, self-worth, hope, and more. If you’re new to the podcast, or simply missed it the first time around, you can give it a listen right here.
Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our final quarterly conversation of 2025, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #47 of LtW, which comes out this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.)
In this episode we discuss when to push and when to pull back in running, business, and life.
Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.
Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.