Developing and Retaining Riders
Lauren Swanson has been around motorcycles since she was a baby before eventually buying her own bike in her twenties. Today, she serves as Marketing Manager, Americas and Global PR Manager for Cardo Systems, where she helps lead regional marketing, product launches, PR efforts and industry partnerships across the motorcycle space.
In this episode, Lauren talks with host Heather Wilson Schiltz about how her riding journey evolved from street bikes to adventure riding, dual sport and single-track. She talks about learning off-road skills on a Harley-Davidson Pan America, finding confidence on smaller dirtbikes, getting involved with Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders and helping make the sport more welcoming for newer riders.
Lauren also reflects on her time at Harley-Davidson, where she worked in experiential marketing and helped introduce new riders, women riders and community groups to motorcycling. She and Heather discuss the importance of rider retention, creating authentic motorcycle marketing, riding communities and why communication systems can be especially valuable.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
• How Lauren’s motorcycle story started with her dad’s Heritage Softail
• What she learned riding the Harley-Davidson Pan America off-road
• Why bike setup and suspension matter, especially for smaller riders
• How Wisconsin Dual Sport Riders is working to welcome newer and younger riders
• The role community plays in keeping people engaged in motorcycling
• Lauren’s path from nonprofit marketing to Harley-Davidson and Cardo Systems
• How Cardo is expanding into integrated helmet communication systems
• Why communication can be so useful in all segments of riding
• How women’s riding communities and industry networking continue to grow
📲 Connect with Lauren Swanson on Instagram or LinkedIn
📲 Follow Cardo Systems on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube
🌐 Learn more at CardoSystems.com
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“I started going to their events and then I’m like, ‘There’s no women here. There’s no young people here.’ I want this to be accessible, so we can keep growing the sport. Because, to me, as someone who one works in the industry and someone who rides — we all have a responsibility to keep growing ridership. And so for me, if I get involved then I’m gonna like do the whole thing where I get super passionate about it and like full send into it… Because that’s what I do when I want to help with something.”
-Lauren Swanson, Cardo Systems Marketing Manager, Americas & Global PR Manager
