Meet the CLN Team:

KRYSTA PAFFRATH

Cowboy Lifestyle Network was founded in 2010 by the O’Donnell brothers after they discovered rural communities had limited resources to connect individuals, information, brands, products, and services with any lasting or growing success. It wasn’t long after the company was founded that current Chief Operating Officer, Aaron Kuhl was brought on board to help build what would be the current-day Cowboy Lifestyle Network. I was thrilled to sit down with Aaron to get his personal take on his journey and what it’s been like leading up to where the company is today.

KRYSTA: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU STARTED WITH COWBOY LIFESTYLE NETWORK AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE BEGINNING?

Aaron: I started with Cowboy Lifestyle Network (CLN) after graduating from The University of Arizona in the beginning days of the company. My mother, Lori, who had worked for Wrangler for over 30 years, reached out to the Vice President at the time, Joe Hertz, to see if he had any connections in the industry.

One person came to Joe’s mind, Patrick “OD” O’Donnell, who had his finger on a lot of businesses in the Western industry stemming from founding Bull Riders Only (BRO) in the early 90s. I met OD and his brother Danny at a party down the street from my house, and I’ve been working with the O’Donnells every single day since.

KRYSTA: WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO GROW WITH A COMPANY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING?

Aaron: Joining a company from its early stages has been an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience. When a company is just starting, there is a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose among the founders and the team members. Everyone is working towards a common goal, and there is a strong sense of camaraderie and collaboration.

As the company grows and evolves, the challenges and opportunities certainly change as well. In the early stages, the focus consisted of establishing the company’s identity, building a customer base, and refining the