How "Gritty" Became Gritty | Brian Call

In this episode of the Mountain Dude Podcast, we sit down with Brian Call—better known as Gritty—to unpack the early days of hunting films, the rise of his platform, and how he helped shape the modern era of outdoor storytelling. Brian walks through his transition from self-filming hunts to building a podcast that drew tens of thousands of listeners and introduced a new wave of long-form hunting content.

We cover the film tour days, his first major break, learning social media from the ground up, and the hustle it took to produce daily episodes while still working a full-time job. Brian also breaks down what the hunting industry looked like before YouTube and podcasting became mainstream, and how authenticity, consistency, and storytelling built the foundation of the Gritty brand.

Plus — Giveaway Winner Announced!
Stay tuned in this episode as we reveal the winner of our latest Initial Ascent Giveaway!

Topics Covered:
• How Brian’s early hunting films gained traction
• Building the Gritty brand during the rise of social media
• Why long-form conversations changed the outdoor industry
• Filming hunts, learning content creation, and finding an audience
• The shift from DVDs to YouTube and podcasting
• Lessons from interviewing some of the biggest names in the hunting space
• What the future of hunting media looks like

Watch the full episode, hear the giveaway winner announcement, and join us each week as we climb higher together.

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https://initialascent.com/

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