Will Watters
📍Telluride, Colorado | Creative Director/Co-Founder at Western Rise
📝 Editor’s Note
I was genuinely mind blown for the first time with AI.
I’m guessing I’m like most of you, I am approaching anything “AI” with some resistance and skepticism.
There are competing parts of my thinking:
I’m never going to be a top .001% of users that stays on top of the latest AI trends to make it useful and lucrative
My tin foil hat makes me feel doom and gloom about how it could negatively impact society
On a more positive note, when I use Chat GPT I find it very helpful for creative brainstorms that make me better at my job
So what blew my mind?
My buddy from college casually dropped a link in our college group chat. Skeptical that it was going to take me to something NSFW, I didn’t click on it. But once I realized it wasn’t nefarious and was actually a song, I got curious. It was a link to an AI generated song he made giving it a simple prompt about a reunion we are planning. The song was shockingly…good? And incorporated the prompt very well.
It is simple to try: click here, create a free account and type in a 100 word or less prompt, then 🤯
Check out the song I created in 30 seconds called “Phoenix Burns” an ode to college basketball’s newest legend, DJ Burns.
Without further ado….
Why Will?
I got connected to Will through my friend Trevor. I saw Trevor modeling clothes on Will’s company website and asked him to see if Will would be interested in a profile. Since then, I’ve been impressed and interested to follow along with Will’s writing on Linkedin about building his company and brand, Western Rise. I’ve been able to try the clothing first hand and I would highly recommend for anyone looking for quality tech pants and tees for travel.
Follow Will on Instagram @Will.Watters and @Western_Rise
Self-Description
A Southern kid living in Telluride, Colorado. Ski, fly fishing, and travel obsessed. Constantly building brands and working on Western Rise. Firm believer in the phrase "Fortune favors the curious".
Will’s Recommendations
Written in his own words…
Brand
We make the ultimate clothing for guys that like to travel light. From our best-selling Evolution Pants that are comfortable, stain-proof, water resistant and pack smaller than a t-shirt, to our Limitless Merino Wool Button Down that you can wear for 3-5 days without it smelling. If you travel often, you can't go wrong.
Digital Tool
I think this has been recommended here before, but I am a long-time fan of Sunsama. I use it as my to-do list, but then organize my days using the calendar tool. It helps me stay focused on the important tasks and creates blocks of uninterrupted deep work.
Food & Drink
If you find yourself in Telluride, Colorado, check out Stronghouse Brewpub. It's located in an 1892 railroad warehouse and makes all of their own beer on site. It's a perfect stop after a day of skiing, mountain biking, or fishing and they are cool with our kids running around. It's stunning inside and the beer is great. Can't recommend it enough.
Professional
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
I burnt myself out hard at the end of last year. Like trouble getting out of the bed in the morning burnt out. I was pushing myself super hard with Western Rise and other projects and have 2 kids under 4. Hiring a virtual assistant has been life changing for me. She fully manages my inbox and calendar as well as helps us plan our meals. It has freed up hours of my time every day. I am sharing my journey weekly in my newsletter (https://blog.willwatters.com/), but if you want a deep dive, check out Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. It's full of helpful tips.
Music
I'm not sure how "under the radar" these guys are anymore, but I would be remiss if I didn't shout out my good friends from college (Carter and Daniel) of the Futurebirds. Have been watching these guys play since 2007 and it's always a good time when they swing through Telluride.
Travel
We recently did our Spring 2024 photo shoot in Mexico City and I was blown away. It's like a European city meets Central America. From lush streets and gardens to small cafe's and bars I can't recommend it enough. Here's a guide I put together for 72 hours in Mexico City
Plug
If you travel, we would love if you checked out our brand Western Rise. My wife and I have put our heart and soul into the company and it has been growing incredibly fast. I also recently started a newsletter called Ownership where I focus on empowering individuals to enhance their health and happiness through entrepreneurial success using proven systems.
Want to get in touch with Will? Email him at will@willwatters.com / will@westernrise.com or just head to his website at willwatters.com
P.S. from Rambull — Great travel hack from Reddit: “If staying at a hotel, I always get a business card with the hotel's address on it. If my phone battery dies, I can show this to a cab driver and have them get me back to my hotel. Especially useful if you don't understand the language.”
Fabric Guide Addition:
This guide comes from Richmond local, Tom Ellington. Tom and his wife Jane are behind two locally loved Richmond companies: Cirrus Vodka and The Yoga Shed
Big +1 on Mexico City.
And love the Grateful Dead hat!