This episode was originally recorded in February of 2016. The “Did someone get paid to say that?” question runs through my mind a lot. Often, I have trouble finding the answer. For example, when a guest on MtnMeister gives a gear recommendation, does he/she get paid by that company? If he/she does, can we trust that the recommendation is authentic? How do these sponsorships work? What do the brands get from the athletes and what do the athletes get from the brands? How does this impact us as outdoors consumers? In this episode, we hear from a couple of professional athletes, a large outdoors brand, and a talent manager. If you have questions or comments, leave them in the discussion forum on our website mtnmeister.com or send me an email (ben at mtnmeister.com).