Mount O Country

Welcome to Mount O Country! 

Highlighting a new generation of idealistic cigarette ad models but without the tar and nicotine. Taste the difference of these young students and professionals who are doing cool shit and setting a new paradigm for the rest of us.

Welcome to the "🐀" episode. Reverse office hours session with Dan Rettinger is coming at you.

Dan is a student at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and a brother in Kappa Alpha. The half cowboy/half surfer is also known as yungfatdan and rocks a Jeff Spicoli pfp on Instagram. His resemblance to Spicoli is certainly there, yet Dan also embodies that same laid back "Aloha Mr. Hand" style. In fact, the Spicoli vibe, funny remarks and all embracing weirdness is the cultural driver behind his entrepreneurial ventures. However, don't be fooled. Dan isn't simply content with "tasty waves" and witty remarks, but is slowly building an empire from the ground up. Speaking of ground, he is doing so while giving a nod to the world's more famous ground dwelling rodents.

About the inspiration for the brand, there is a story that the Wu-Tang clan was conceived by RZA by blending his favorite things: kung-fu, chess, religion and hip hop. Dan also found a confluence which he hints as his genesis story and influence for Local Skate Rats...

One thing Dan understands is the importance of community. His brand is rooted in local, tangible communities of people doing things together. Affectionally, known as rats. Whether Local Gym Rats or Local Wake Rats, there is a place for every kind of rat. His main mantra is: support local and therefore Dan embodies a line from Roger Payne's seminal work, Among Whales:

"Any observant local knows more than any visiting scientist. Always, no exceptions."

And unlike faceless conglomerates, he practices what he preaches. Dan is a fervent supporter of other entrepreneurs and local businesses. He has no scarcity mindset when it comes to entrepreneurial success. Beyond working on his brand, he also sets up pop-ups and forms other collaborations to benefit others who are getting started or want to get their name out there. 

So put on some Round and Round by Ratt in the background and enjoy this sesh.

Word on the street is you are sponsored by Mt. Dew, just like Ricky Bobby. What are you sponsored for and how did that all go down? 

I am sponsored by Mountain Dew Energy - I got that because they noticed how much content I create for Waco Surf and my company Skate Rats. In addition to my own brand, I am a marketing assistant for Waco Surf. Since the parent company, Pepsi-Cola sponsors Waco Surf that is the other piece that got me noticed. Part of the sponsorship is being one of 40 Mountain Dew ambassadors in the country. So it was cool to be recognized for all the content I create.

What drew you to join KA at Baylor? What is your favorite part of being in Greek Life?

When I was a freshman I thought frats were cliche and did not plan on rushing until I met two juniors in the Baylor gym that we’re from Orange County and super chill and racked their weights. I wanted to be around people like that and this is also my favorite part of being in Greek Life. The connections you make with your brothers is really helpful. 

You are a Malibu kid living in Waco, Texas, what was your experience transitioning to a college as an out of state student?

Malibu and Waco are very different however being in a relatively empty college town makes college more fun because we kindle rule the town and it is way easier to network and grow business wise here in Waco. The transition was easy because I found things I enjoy doing like skating with other people. Even though skateboarding and surfing is not what Waco is known for, Just going full send on participating in stuff is the best way to transition in a new place.

Beyond your merch, you have also set up pop-ups for people to sell their goods. How has that been received and what are your future plans?

Yeah, so I started a market for college students. The purpose of the Local Trading Post hosted at Common Grounds Waco is so college kids have the opportunity to showcase and sell their brand...which is very tough to do while being in college. I really want to support and promote others who are creatives and artists. In terms of future plans, I think these pop-ups and markets are great lessons and testing for brick and mortar ideas I am playing with.

Biggest personal life lesson(s) you’ve learned through experience in college that you think others might benefit from.

I have learned to prioritize stuff that is positive and helps me grow. Conversely that means I have learned also to get rid of toxic situations that only bring harm. Sometimes you have to learn what is positive and what is toxic, but ultimately the lesson is once you find out what matters, do everything to focus on that. 

Random Question: Since you are in Magnolia territory, if you took over the Magnolia kingdom from Chip and Joanna, what changes would you make?

"If"? I will take over Magnolia. Waco, Texas will be known for Skate Rats. Chip and Jo denied me from their "Silobration"...it is time for Skate Rats to support local. Maybe replace one of those silos with a fat drop in ramp.

Dan is a wagon. Keep an eye on Waco but also don't be surprised if you find "rats" in your own local precinct. When it happens, it is because of Dan's labor of love to support local!  Be sure to check out Local Skate Rats. You can also visit the Local Skate Rats Instagram. Or if you are a little more corporate, and want to collab, be sure to follow Dan's LinkedIn.

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About Mount O

Mount O is a digital community with a pre-social media soul aiming to maximize your college experience with the best communication tools, network & the occasional meme. We believe a period of maximum freedom and minimum responsibility is the prime occasion to build lifelong friends, wisdom and career opportunities. We mainly facilitate this through our free House Management app. Our service provides cleaner comms and a more community-driven Greek Life on your campus. We also send out and post Mount O Country articles on bad ass students, provide real life office hours, and like to post memes & videos about Greek and College Life on our instagram.

Check out the app here on iOS. (Execs, reach out for a custom onboarding onto the Free app or if your school is not on our network, let's get you set up!)

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