Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight: Nate Hanson

Name – Nate Hanson
UW-Stout graduation year – 2011
Major – Business / Finance & Property Management (Minor)
Sport Played – Baseball
Years Played – 2007-10
Hometown (High School) – Bloomington, Minn. (Academy of Holy Angels)
Currently Reside – Bloomington, Minn.

 

Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout? 
Since graduating from Stout, I started working for UnitedHealthGroup, and have been there for the last 10 years shuffling jobs between Optum and UnitedHealthCare. In the last three years, I've been working in the Growth and Customer office of Optum, supporting Omnichannel Experience Engagement for our AARP client. For the first six years out of school, I was also juggling an assistant baseball coaching gig at Bloomington Jefferson High School on their varsity staff.
 
I married my wife, Hannah, in August of 2018. We had our first baby girl together (Olivia) in April of 2019. And we have another girl coming in April of 2021. Hannah is a real estate agent for Edina Realty, and does most of her work in the Prior Lake and Rosemount areas.
 
Tell us how you got started with the Two Bros. Co. Fishing Apparel concept. On the website, it reads that you began at Stout, then hung it up for a while, then returned to it. Could you tell us about all of the ups and downs of getting this going?
During my last year at Stout (2011), a former teammate and I decided that we wanted to start a clothing line. It was honestly just for fun and never really thought anything would come of it. We had a logo that we created, and enough of a following to have some fun with it while we wrapped up our collegiate careers. It was nothing more than some shirts, sweatshirts, and hats at that time…
 
Over the last couple of years, former Stout teammate Brandon O'Connell and I started talking about how we could resurrect the logo and name into something again. But we weren't quite sure what that was. We kicked some ideas around and nothing really stuck. Fast forward to the beginning of 2020. My brother approached us about looking into the fishing/angler space a little bit more. And that's where we are today.
 
Two Bros. Co. Fishing Apparel
 
 What does the following phrase from your website mean – "Ultimately, the dream fizzled for a number of years as the primary owner and the logo made their way into the "real world"
All I'm really saying here is that we didn't have a long-term plan for the brand when we wrapped up at Stout. We agreed that I would take ownership of the logo and see if an opportunity arose at some point in the future. But as work and life took over as it typically does post-school, there was not a lot of thought put into what I could do with the logo and the brand. That was until recently as mentioned above. But I would say that partnering with Brandon was what helped bring the logo and company back to life initially, and then my brother who ultimately came to us with the idea that stuck. We are now a mighty team of three. Just seeing where we can take this.
 
You really relaunched this concept in 2020, which means you relaunched it during the current pandemic. Why did you decide to pick the concept up again?
The timing of the pandemic was purely coincidental. But the story behind the re-launch was that my brother, Josh Hanson, came to me with an idea. The idea was basically to create comfortable, performance based fishing apparel. We both have a passion for fishing, and we recognized that there were only a few major players in that space (Columbia, Huk, and a few others). We thought that it would be cool to create a 'Midwest' based brand that people around this area could relate to and get behind.  

One of the things we saw in the opportunity was a huge spike in fishing licenses being purchased across Minnesota and Wisconsin (during the pandemic). I think it was upwards of 60-70 percent increase in license sales compared to previous years. What we saw were more people taking fishing on as a hobby. And similar to golf, once you take it on, you need the apparel to go with the overall makeup of starting out in that sport. We see the same thing with fishing and the new anglers who came with their new COVID hobby of fishing. When you buy a rod, reel, and some lures, why not also get the garb to go with it? But instead of going with the traditional companies, maybe there was a way to insert ourselves as new and shiny to the fishing apparel space in general.
 
 

How is the business going? Obviously your aim is sportsman-type people, or is it? What is your projected demographics for the business?
All things considered, I would say the relaunch of the Two Bros Co. brand has been a success. For all of us involved, this is a 'side-of-the-desk' pet project that we are working on. We all have full time jobs, families, etc. It's been a fun experience, we have gained a ton of followers, and the sales are slowly but surely picking up. We are collectively in the mindset of 'let's see what we can do' in this market, which is primarily gear towards fishermen-women. But our initial aim is not necessarily towards the 'hardcore' anglers, but rather, the casual anglers that just want to be comfortable, and look good while doing it.
 
One other great partnership that has come from the relaunch is the one we have with the JP4 Foundation through Blizzard Baseball. It's a Foundation whose mission is to enrich the lives of youth through baseball. This mission is carried out through the foundation by providing opportunity to youth and young adults via scholarship and education to inspire them to be outstanding citizens, students and athletes. JP4's Executive Director is also a former Stout baseball athlete, Jeff Huth. The partnership has naturally become multi-faceted in tying our new apparel venture and partner with an organization that has a baseball focus.
 
We actually have a fundraising event coming up on February 6th that will be both an in-person and virtual event. (See the Ice Fishing Tournament flyer)

There are many, many somewhat similar business out there? What separates your business from the others? What do you have to offer that other companies cannot?
There are lot of somewhat similar businesses out there for sure. I would say what separates us from the rest is that we want our customers to help guide us just as much as we are pulling together a strategy. We feel it's important to listen to those who have bought from us, or are prospective buyers, to see what would 'you' like to see in a product or accessory as you're out on the open water, or fishing from shore. We believe the customer experience is key. And although it's tough, we truly strive to make everyone happy. And for those involved, I want to make sure that we are focused on having fun with this idea/concept.
 
How are you using your Stout education in your occupation? In your daily life?
In general, my degree from Stout got me in the front door of UHG. And it has since taken off from there. I wouldn't say it was a path I would have imagined given my degree and background. But I couldn't have asked for a better outcome.
 
 How did working together as a team prepare you for life?
Having had the fortune of playing a college sport has paid huge dividends for me in every walk of life since graduating. Especially in  my professional environment. Just like any team sport, everyone plays a role. And in that role, and the responsibilities of that role, contribute to a single goal, or set of goals. From the time management skills, the competitiveness of being your best self, and striving to be the best teammate or co-worker you can be.
 
Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout?
For me it was quite simple, I loved the game of baseball. And I knew it was something I wanted to pursue after high school. Stout was not even on my list as I started my visits across Minnesota and Wisconsin. I had spent a day visiting both Carthage College in Wisconsin, and UW-La Crosse and their respective baseball programs. And it was on the way back to Minneapolis that my Mom said we should stop at Stout on the way home and check it out. I immediately fell in love with the campus and the staff in the athletic department. I was fortunate enough to meet some of the baseball coaches and players while I was there. And the relationship only took off from there. In the end, one of the primary drivers to choosing Stout for me came down to cost. I knew I was going to be on the hook for paying for my education, and Stout offered things like a laptop program, book rental as opposed to buying, and what felt like a very manageable credit price tag that a then 18-year-old could swallow.
 
What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics?
At the time, it was being a part of a team, and working hard towards a common goal. But that quickly folded into the overall comradery and family feeling you get when you're a part of a team. I did not have an appreciation going in how much harder college athletics was going to be compared to high school. But striving toward a common goal with your teammates by your side is one of the most rewarding experiences anyone can have. I also loved the competitiveness of the WIAC. So many strong teams and players made the preparation that much more important. There were really no days off.
 
The other thing I really appreciated about my time as a collegiate athlete, is how much we interacted with the other sports teams at Stout. Some of the best friendships I had coming out of my time at Stout was with guys on the football and hockey team. Given we had to share a lot of the facilities with other teams, it gave you a chance to know other people outside of your respective sport.
 
 What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete? 
The biggest lessons I learned from being a collegiate athlete was time management and the art of preparation. Both of which play into my day-to-day work life time and time again. I feel fortunate to have learned those skills at such a young age.
 

Who are the most influential persons in your athletic career?
First and foremost, my parents. They are the ones that encouraged my participation in athletics at a young age. On top of that, I am one of five kids who have participated in extra-curricular activities. Their ability to shuttle and be engaged in all of our activities is something I will always appreciate about them. No matter what it took, if we had a passion for something, they were always going to make sure we were in a position to be successful.

The second person for me would have to be coach Ryan Levendoski. He was our pitching coach my senior year. And he really knew how to push me and the staff in a way that I hadn't been pushed before. I learned more about the art of pitching, the art of preparation, and what it took to lead, then I had in the three years previously. Any success that I had in that final season was in large part because of our relationship.
 
Which former Blue Devil student-athletes are you still in contact with? 
I would say that I've stayed in contact with a lot of teammates since my playing days in some fashion. But since our playing days, there is a core group of guys that I get together with regularly. And we've all been in each other's weddings or big life events in some way. And I don't see that changing anytime soon: Brandon O'Connell (Two Bros Co. Business Partner), Russ Jiskra, Carter Vogt, and Jake Duske are the ones I'd say I'm in most constant contact with.

How would your teammates describe you as a person and as a student-athlete?
That's a tough question to answer.. My hope is that they viewed me as a leader, a loyal friend, and someone who will always go the extra mile. Both on the playing field and in life.
 
What are some of your career highlights, both athletically and academically?
My biggest career highlight would have to be getting selected by my teammates to be a captain my senior year. No matter what level, that's a huge honor. Additionally, there are a few others that will stick with me: making the conference tournament my freshman year and beating Oshkosh right out of the gate. Winning the state amateur tournament with a lot of former and current Stout baseball players in 2012. Being selected as the pitcher of the year in the wood bat collegiate summer league I participated in between my junior and senior years. And I would say in general being able to participate in collegiate athletics was a huge accomplishment. 
   
What are some other activities you were involved in on campus (or off campus) while in Menomonie?
I was part of the Event Staff for all five years that I was at Stout. That was technically part of my work-study program. But it was one of the best, most fun jobs I think I've ever had. Erin Sullivan and Erik Johnson are a big reason why I enjoyed that job so much. I also participated in a lot of the intramural sports: Hockey, flag football, racquetball, and kickball.
 
Anything else we should know about your time at UW-Stout?
Since I did stay for a fifth year to wrap up my degree and minor, I was asked to be a student assistant baseball coach with Seth Meyer and Ryan Levendoski. So although my eligibility was done, I was still able to stay close to the team and sport.