EPIC Convo with Toshi Sling Creators (NN Podcast EP 17)

If you want to get notified when the newest bags and travel gear drops, be sure to sign up to the NNewsletter 👉 https://nomadsnation.com/newsletter/ 🎙️ Welcome to Episode 17 of the Nomads Nation Podcast! In this episode, I chat with the co-founders of Rework Gear — the team behind the slick new Toshi Sling and a whole lot of carry creativity. We dive into their immigration story from Singapore to the U.S., their leap from the corporate world into bag design, and how they brought their Reset System to life on Kickstarter. From prototyping challenges to balancing price, design, and materials, we get into the nitty-gritty of building a bag brand from scratch. We also chat about Singapore as a carry capital, how the Bay Area bag scene is evolving, and the real struggles of running a bag company—from cash flow to customer support and everything in between. The duo also shares their thoughts on Facebook ads, working with reviewers, the importance of female voices in the carry community, and what’s coming next for Rework Gear. Oh, and there’s even a little detour into entrepreneurship in Hong Kong. If you love bag stories, startup journeys, and hearing how gear comes to life, this one’s for you. 🧳🔥 00:00 - Intro to Rework Gear and the Toshi Sling 00:20 Meet the Co-founders of Rework Gear 01:39 Immigration Story: From Singapore to the US 02:47 - The Story Behind Rework Gear: From Corporate Aversion to Bag Design 04:05 - Launching the Reset System on Kickstarter 06:09 - Journey into Bag Industry 07:26 - Jia's Initial Thoughts on Starting a Bag Company 09:14 - Kickstarter Realities and the Transition to E-commerce 11:49 - Singapore as a Carry Capital 14:33 - Bag Scene in the Bay Area 16:56 - Inspiration Behind the Rework Toshi Sling 18:30 - Development & Prototyping Process 21:38 - Balancing Design, Materials and Price 24:55 - Marketing Strategies: Facebook Ads and Reviewers 27:44 - Expansion and Compression Design of the Toshi Sling 30:36 - Most challenging thing aside from the product development 33:17 - Cash Flow and Business Planning 35:03 - It's not easy to run a bag company 36:56 - Future Plans for Rework: New Products and Series 40:00 - Customer Support and Brand Connection 42:01 - Female Perspective in the Carry Community 46:55 - Aaron's Journey to Hong Kong and Entrepreneurship ********** 🌐 Sign up to the NNewsletter ➡️ https://nomadsnation.com/newsletter/ 😊 Connect with gear-heads on the NN Subreddit ➡️   / nomads_nation   🤝 Buy/sell used bags on the NN Marketplace ➡️ https://marketplace.nomadsnation.com/