Building a Legacy of Grit, Curiosity, and Independence

YETI co-founder Ryan Seiders shares his thoughts on life after creating an iconic American brand

 

Ryan Seiders is often introduced through the shorthand of success: co-founder of YETI, the architect of one of the most recognizable outdoor brands of the past two decades, and a businessman whose products became cultural artifacts. If you’re squarely middle-aged, you have witnessed YETI coolers move from the back of pickup trucks to the front porches of America.

The public-facing version of Ryan is confident, deeply rooted in the outdoors, and quietly allergic to flash. But sitting across from him, what surfaced wasn’t a founder reliving victories or a brand builder recounting growth curves. Instead, he is a father thinking carefully—and sometimes uneasily—about time, example, and legacy. Not financial inheritance, but the subtler kind: things like values, grit, curiosity, and independence. These are the elements that shaped him but can’t be handed down forcefully. Rather, children absorb them by watching how you live in the monotony of everyday life. 

Ryan grew up with mud on his boots and tools in his hands. He watched his father leave a teaching job to build his own small business, making and selling a specialized fishing-rod epoxy called Flex Coat. Roger Seiders developed the product to solve a real problem he faced while fishing (most clear coats would crack under stress) and turned that solution into a thriving business. He took his sons fishing even when money was tight, something his children realized only in retrospect. Ryan and his younger brother Roy observed early on that working for yourself wasn’t rebellion—it was a viable path where you could be your own boss. They also learned that building something with your hands mattered and that time spent outdoors wasn’t recreation; it was education.

YETI may have changed the scale of Ryan’s life, but it has not changed the deeper questions he asks himself. His children are growing up in Austin, instead of wandering freely from the back door to the creek. They experience opportunity and comfort differently than he did; and he is acutely aware that while success solved many problems, it introduced new uncertainties. How do you model effort, purpose, and presence when the grind that shaped you is no longer visible?

Throughout our conversation, he returned to one quiet concern again and again: Am I showing my kids the right things? Not ambition or achievement, but the willingness to take a chance, take responsibility, and stand behind your choices. Ryan’s story is not about coolers, at least not anymore. It has evolved into a reflection about what lasts: family, traditions, and freedom. His words are also a meditation on the uneasy, hopeful work of passing those things on. 

Enclosed, Ryan offers us an exclusive, inside look into how he thinks about his past, present, and future.

On the values that shaped him…

I was heavily influenced by my parents. Our dad, in particular, was instrumental in getting us outside and also working with our hands. He was a woodshop teacher originally, and in 1977 he left that job to build his own company. We watched his transformation from working for someone else to working for himself. No matter what else was going on, and even when budgets were tight, he always made sure hunting and fishing were part of our lives. Because of our dad’s example, there was never really a thought of working for someone else. He modeled the concept of freedom to do what we wanted, and that foundation stayed with us.

My mom pushed us academically. We did okay in school, and I can’t imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t stayed on us like she did. But when we got out of college, we immediately started building businesses: I built fishing rods, and Roy built shooting tables and boats. Eventually, through the boat business, we landed on the cooler—and in 2006 we launched YETI. We never imagined it would turn out like it did.

On building YETI and why it worked…

When we started thinking about how to build a better cooler, we pulled from our personal experience and frustration—in that all the value had been engineered out of coolers and they were basically disposable. You could buy one for $30, use it a couple of times, then toss it. Then, on the economics side of it, you had these independently owned sporting goods stores that catered to fishermen and hunters, but as a business owner they couldn’t actually make money on coolers. They could buy an Igloo from Walmart cheaper than wholesale.

When YETI came along selling a cooler for $300, a dealer could put some real money versus zero. We also focused on engineering value back into the product. Instead of selling YETI to Academy or Bass Pro, we built an independent dealer network, and we had leverage because we weren’t dependent on one big customer. In other words, we always had the ability to walk away from a bad deal.

“Always build in such a way that you have the ability to walk away from a bad deal.”

So, essentially what ended up happening was that we filled a huge void, both on the shelf and in the market. Another thing that we had going for us is that we made decisions really fast. A lot of founders and business leaders get paralyzed making decisions. We didn’t always make the best decisions, but we moved on quickly and kept evolving the product.

On being a present parent…

I’m still technically an employee at YETI, even after we went public in 2018. But from 2006 to about 2014, Roy and I were really swinging from the fences every day. Roy had kids before I did, and he had to put a lot of his personal life on the back burner. I had kids later, so they aren’t seeing their dad work at the breakneck pace it took to get the company to where it is today.

Now in my post-building-YETI era, my kids are the absolute most important thing to me. I try to do as much as I can with them outdoors to get them off screens. Roy and I own several ranches together and separately, and that’s where I like to spend my time now, with family and friends.

Gratefully, my two oldest are into hunting and fishing. My son is really into football, but I never had much interest in sports. My oldest daughter and son both ride horses regularly; whereas I’m not inclined to ride a horse unless it involves a hunting trip. But, showing up for my kids means being there for their interests—not forcing mine.

On what keeps him up at night…

What I worry about is this: my kids didn’t watch me build YETI. They don’t see me working the way I used to. When I’m not traveling for hunting or fishing, I’m pretty much always around and available. So, sometimes I wonder what example they’re getting in terms of what it takes to build your own business. Honestly, I’m really just trying not to screw up my kids [laughs]. Will they understand effort? Responsibility?

“My kids didn’t watch me build YETI…so I wonder what kind of example they’re getting in terms of what it really takes to build a business.”

I think about the fact that my siblings and I grew up playing outside all the time, and going hunting or fishing. My kids are growing up in Austin—which isn’t bad, it’s just not the same as my childhood. I don’t know that moving them to the country would change anything. They’re just having a different experience, and I have to accept that.

On tradition and time outdoors…

These days, probably not surprisingly, we really enjoy hanging out with our friends and family at one of our ranches. Outside of that, we try to go back to the same places year after year, because this is what builds memories and starts to instill tradition. For example, Roy and I have a place in Port O’Connor, Texas—we go back every summer; now that they are old enough, we take our sons.  

But I also like to spend time outdoors in solitude, or with one fishing buddy. This is what helps me reset and reflect. I like to be part of a select few fishing tournaments, which keeps my competitive spirit alive. In terms of my favorite outdoor fishing spots: the Texas coast for redfish and the Florida Keys for tarpon.

On craftsmanship…

What I tell founders and builders is fairly simple, in theory: if you build the best thing you can, meaning you’re not cutting corners and you are truly engineering something that is the highest quality you can muster, then it should last. It shouldn’t be disposable. That’s true whether it’s hunting gear, fishing gear, or anything else. Design the best product you can and let the price fall where it does. If it fits a need, and people value it, they will buy it.

“Design the best product you can and let the price fall where it does. If it fits a need, and people value it, they will buy it.”

On legacy building…

The only shot you have at building a professional legacy is by hiring people you know and trust—they have to believe in what you’re doing. The people we hired early on at YETI were instrumental to our success. I also had this mentality with our workforce that people should always do what was best for their family. It’s America—you can do what you want in terms of a job. So, if someone decided to pursue something else, we didn’t take it personally. We replaced them, we moved on, and that was okay. 

Seeing how YETI continues to evolve is powerful, but my kids and family are now the focus for me, in terms of building a legacy.

On risk, entrepreneurship, and the American Dream…

One of the things I hope my kids carry forward is my spirit of taking chances and learning how to make decisions. More specifically, learning how to be the final decision-maker in something you care about. Entrepreneurship is always a choice, and a good one if that’s what you want.

Also, I hope they can fully appreciate the fact that opportunities here in the United States are incredible. What we have in this country is unique and special: the freedom to try something, to own it, to build it. For me, the real American Dream is the freedom to pursue something unencumbered. 

“For me, the real American Dream is the freedom to pursue something unencumbered.” 

Postscript…

In the end, Ryan Seiders isn’t trying to recreate his childhood for his kids. He’s trying to translate his effort, presence, and freedom into a world that looks nothing like the one he grew up in. That tension, between gratitude for what he’s built and responsibility for what he’s passing on, may be the most honest measure of success there is.

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“Would you Rather” with Ryan Seiders

Would you rather have the perfect piece of gear for every adventure, or one beat-up item that’s been with you everywhere and somehow always works?

I always want the perfect piece of gear.

Would you rather spend a weekend in total solitude off the grid, or host a rowdy campfire with friends that lasts until sunrise?

I like a little of both, but I really like sharing time with friends at the ranch. Even if it’s less than rowdy.

Would you rather only drink coffee that’s gone cold or only drink beer that’s gone warm—for the rest of your life? 

Are you really asking the founder of a cooler company about warm beer? I cannot stand warm beer. There is truly nothing worse. Hence, YETI.

Would you rather have your kids inherit your work ethic or your sense of adventure?

Whatever sense of adventure I have, I’d rather have them inherit that.

Would you rather lose cell service forever while outdoors, or be forced to answer emails at the campfire?

Definitely lose service forever while outdoors. I could care less about emails, I’m terrible at it. I go on these sheep hunts, and I don’t turn on my in-reach satellite phone for days. When you’re on a hunt like that, the only news you’ll ever get is bad news. I prefer to delay it.

Would you rather spend a weekend with your dog or the British Royals?

I have zero interest in or connection to the Royals. However, they do hunting and bird shooting that could make for a memorable experience. So, if given that opportunity for a weekend hunting on one of their estates, I’d definitely go for it. But if it was just hanging out, then my dog wins without question.

Would you rather know exactly how everything turns out—or keep chasing the unknown?

I’m more into chasing the unknown, although it would sure be nice to know that everything turns out okay in the end. 

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