Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Pankratz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ryan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

For now, I am managing our social media presence for us through Instagram. The thought was to start off small and see where it goes organically over time. For now, I’m satisfied remaining in the “hobbyist” space – but who knows where it may lead?

Ryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always been my best self when I’m involved in creative spaces and working with my hands – either through writing music, painting Warhammer minis, or DIY stuff around the house – it’s always felt like the best fit for me.

Wardonkey Outdoors came to fruition when my buddy Sean said we should make our own gear. This was, of course, after introducing me to well-made and durable – albeit expensive – gear for hiking and shooting sport enthusiasts – but not limited to anything specific! We started with fanny packs and small pouches, but as our experience and following grew, so did the requests for commissions on other styles of bags or gear – like dog collars and leashes, specialized training harnesses, camera bags. and shooting sport kits.

I had always wanted to get into sewing for cosplay or costumes for the local Renaissance Faire, but just never got into it. Sean already knew I had a sewing machine – I just needed that push to finally jump in. So, we started off small; getting to learn how to make basic pouches to round out the gear we already had – extra stuff to put in or on our packs. Once we got the hang of it, we started making a few things here and there for friends, family, and co-workers but that soon became people from across the country reaching out for a product!

Using Instagram was a great way to publish that progress and show off our improvements over the months and the slow build through word of mouth and sharing of the media we post. It’s been an incredibly fun and challenging hobby to get into!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Our business started out like many – just one or two people with an idea and some means to get it going. I already had a sewing machine on hand and plenty of clothing that I turned into fabric to get the hang of things.

Once I started making things for people I knew, I ended up with some cash to start putting towards more materials. After about a year, I decided to go in on an industrial sewing machine that I knew would be able to power through the thicker materials and really open up my capabilities. Finding a used machine for $200 really helped – and with a little TLC, I was putting out better quality pieces.

From there, my buddy Sean and I picked up a laser and made ourselves a larger work table and have been making quality of life upgrades to the things we have now to keep us moving at the pace we’re enjoying.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

We manufacture all our products in-house and it’s been a fantastic outlet for me creatively. It started out with just a few simple designs – small zippered pouches – to reproducing some gear I had bought on the cheap that was made from low quality materials that I saw I could improve.

Once I took apart my first pouch to study the design and take measurements, I bought some of the actual materials we’d be using and got to work. It took a lot of time to get used to how it all went together and I’m still learning each time I work on a new product.

Each project pushes my experience to another level, so I am thankful for the people that have stuck with me since we started this and keep coming back for more!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wardonkeyoutdoors.com/
• Instagram: @WardonkeyOutdoors