Podcast Summary: Take Command: A Leadership Podcast Episode Title: Running the Long Game: Small Steps, Big Impact
Host: Joe Hart (CEO, Dale Carnegie)
Guest: Jake Rawson (CEO, Craft Sportswear North America)
Date: April 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the power of incremental growth, persistence, and curiosity in business and leadership, as told through the career journey of Jake Rawson. Starting in an entry-level position at Cutter & Buck, Rawson worked his way up to becoming CEO of Craft Sportswear North America. The conversation, led by Joe Hart, delves into lessons on leadership, company culture, innovation, forging trust with teams and customers, and aligning core values across diverse teams and challenging markets. Throughout, Jake shares practical habits and life insights for both emerging and seasoned leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jake Rawson’s Background & Journey to CEO

[02:17–05:28]

• Grew up in Park City, Utah, a place that nourished his love for outdoor sports.
• Started at Cutter & Buck at 18, initially planning a brief stint before college; stayed 25 years across multiple roles, growing with the company.
• Emphasizes the value of taking unexpected opportunities.
  • Quote: “Say yes to the opportunities that come to you... you can do a lot more than maybe you expect that you can.” — Jake Rawson [08:14]

Lesson in Leadership & Company Culture

[05:38–08:05]

• Career shaped by strong mentors who fostered his development.
• Cutter & Buck’s supportive culture, investment in employee growth (including scholarships), and a sense of being valued, contributed to his long tenure.
• Fun and passion were key to job satisfaction, from golf tournaments to international travel.

Lifelong Learning, Curiosity, and Coaching

[09:26–10:44]

• Asks lots of questions and seeks subject matter expertise.
  • Quote: “I probably asked a lot of silly questions...but I had people who were approachable, people who wanted to help me understand...” — Jake Rawson [09:26]
• Coaching children in sports improved his professional coaching skills and taught transferable leadership lessons.
  • Quote: "Coaching 6, 7, 8 year olds...helped me in the workplace...never thought it would transition...but it definitely did." — Jake Rawson [10:44]

Dale Carnegie Principles at Work and Home

[11:30–12:46]

• Leadership lessons are applicable at home and in the office; open questions and sincere appreciation build better relationships.
• His son attended Dale Carnegie’s teen program, boosting his confidence.
  • Quote: “Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. We have to teach that positive mindset, positive attitude, extremely important.” — Jake Rawson [00:00; 12:06]

Transition to Craft Sportswear

[13:28–14:31]

• Took CEO role at Craft with excitement and a sense of alignment between personal passion (sneakerhead) and professional opportunity.
• Felt prepared and driven by the brand’s potential in North America.

Innovation, Customer Focus, and Brand Differentiation

[15:03–16:40]

• Craft’s philosophy: creating high-quality products for both world champions and everyday athletes.
• Emphasis on detail, performance, and listening to customers as primary drivers of product development and differentiation.
  • Quote: “You’re designing sports cars for your feet...what goes into footwear design is unbelievable.” — Jake Rawson [15:03]
• Staying competitive means constant innovation and telling a compelling brand story.
  • Quote: “Everybody makes good products now...and you have to be able to stick out in the market for the right reasons...” — Jake Rawson [16:40]

Trust, Customer Service, and Internal Alignment

[17:48–23:43]

• Trust is hard to build, easy to lose—key for both brands and interpersonal relationships.
• Strives for “frictionless” customer experiences; quickly and clearly resolves issues (“runner’s mindset”).
  • Quote: “We want to be frictionless...You want to move quicker to resolution faster...keep moving forward.” — Jake Rawson [18:13]
• Internally, frequent, transparent team check-ins and roundtables keep the organization aligned and prevent silos.
  • Quote: “We have a weekly check in...alignment every single day...” — Jake Rawson [20:52]

Leading and Hiring in Modern Teams

[19:34–20:34]

• In a geographically distributed team, communication and transparency are top priorities.
• Culture of respect and openness is vital for recruitment and teamwork.

Organizational Alignment & Multi-Horizon Planning

[22:03–23:43]

• Sets clear annual, quarterly, and multi-year objectives.
• Apparel and footwear development requires thinking across several time horizons concurrently and communicating this multidimensional planning to the whole team.

Drawing Inspiration from Endurance Sports

[24:15–25:36]

• Approaches business objectives like an endurance athlete: focusing on compounding small improvements, persistence, and the “long game”.
  • Quote: “It’s not one moment...it’s the stacking of goals, it’s the removing friction...incremental gains.” — Jake Rawson [24:15]

Personal Routines for Well-Being & Leadership

[26:17–27:22]

• Invests in physical and mental health through weekly long walks, time outdoors, and family activities—especially golfing with his son.
• Sees these habits as vital to high performance and emotional well-being.

The Value of Long Preparation in Leadership

[28:23–29:17]

• Diverse experiences, generational and cultural exposure, and incremental responsibility prepared him for CEO.
  • Quote: “The experience is irreplaceable. That couldn’t have come early...those are the things that I remember every single day.” — Jake Rawson [28:23]
• The “long game” of career preparation produces deeper empathy, resilience, and perspective.

Notable Quotes & Key Timestamps

• Say yes to opportunities, even if unsure:
  “Say yes to the opportunities that come to you...you have to take a leap. You have to believe in yourself, and you have to say yes.” — Jake Rawson [08:14]

• On curiosity and learning as keys to advancement:
  “I asked a ton of questions, and I still do today...I really value subject matter experts...” — Jake Rawson [09:26]

• Transferring parenting/coaching skills to leadership:
  “Coaching little kids...really helped me in the workplace to be a coach, to be a volunteer...super beneficial.” — Jake Rawson [10:44]

• Positive leadership principles from Dale Carnegie:
  “Don’t criticize, condemn or complain. And we have to teach that positive mindset, positive attitude, extremely important.” — Jake Rawson [00:00; 12:06]

• On building a differentiated, trusted brand:
  “Tell a really, really good brand story...that’s how you’re going to stand out and how you’re going to build trust.” — Jake Rawson [16:40]

• Making frictionless customer experiences a priority:
  “We want to be frictionless...deal with trying to fix [issues] as cleanly and efficiently as possible.” — Jake Rawson [18:13]

• Running the long game in business and life:
  “It’s the stacking of goals. It’s the removing friction...these are incremental gains. And if we get enough incremental gains, we’re going to get where we want to go.” — Jake Rawson [24:15]

• On the value of lasting preparation before leadership:
  “The experience is irreplaceable. That couldn’t have come early. That had to come through development...” — Jake Rawson [28:23]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:00]–[02:17]: Introduction, Dale Carnegie principles, guest background
• [05:38]: Leadership lessons from mentors
• [08:14]: Advice to younger self about seizing opportunities
• [09:26]: Importance of curiosity and asking questions
• [10:44]: Transferable leadership lessons from parenting/coaching
• [13:28]: Transition to Craft, passion for brand
• [15:03]: Innovation and building a performance brand
• [16:40]: Differentiation and brand story
• [18:13]: Handling customer trust and issues
• [19:34]: Qualities sought in new hires
• [20:52]: Practices for transparency and alignment
• [24:15]: Applying the endurance mindset to business
• [26:17]: Personal routines for health and well-being
• [28:23]: The payoff from a long preparation season

Conclusion

Jake Rawson’s story is one of steady, persistent growth—a “long game”—driven by curiosity, gratitude, and continual self-development. His advice applies across all career stages: embrace opportunities, remain hungry to learn, build trust through transparency and service, and see both leadership and life as an endurance journey, where small, consistent improvements have the greatest impact.

The episode is rich with actionable wisdom for aspiring leaders, emphasizing that genuine success is built step by step over years of commitment and learning—not just with bold breakthroughs but with repeated, thoughtful effort.