Happy Friday Amigos,

Welcome to the next edition of JM’s Weekly Roundup. A quick hit of what’s new at La Matera and a few things that’ve popped up on my radar lately.

TL;DR:

• La Matera Highlight: Marrón Polo Belt

• Worth the Read: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

• Worth a Listen: Pancho and Lefty live cover by Eric Church and Stephen Wilson Jr.

• Brand I’m Eyeing: Rancourt & Co

• Weekend Wisdom: Teddy Roosevelt

1. La Matera Highlight: Marrón Polo Belt

Just got more of the Limited Edition Marrón Polo Belt in stock this week and this one has definitely earned a top spot in our lineup. The deeper brown tones give it a nice grounded feel that pairs easily with denim, boots, or something a little sharper.

It’s clean. It’s versatile. And the leather only gets better with time. Some pieces don’t need a lot of explaining. They just earn their spot.

2. Worth a Read – The Creative Act: A Way of Being

I decided to revisit The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin over the last week. It’s less about music production and more about how you approach creativity in general.

Rubin spends a lot of time talking about attention. Paying attention to your work, your surroundings, and what’s actually worth building. The chapters are short, the ideas are clear, and it’s the kind of book you can pick up for a few minutes and walk away with something useful.

It’s not about forcing some big breakthrough. More about showing up, noticing things, and refining what’s already there. Really interesting read.

3. Worth a Listen – Eric Church

Caught Eric Church at The Moody here in Austin this past weekend. Towards the end of the show he covered Willie Nelson’s Pancho and Lefty with Stephen Wilson Jr., and it was one of those moments where the whole place just locked in.

One of those songs where you could feel the whole room leaning in a bit.

I also dusted off one of our old Field & Stream belts for the night. Seemed fitting, considering Eric’s one of the new stewards of the F&S brand. Felt like the right belt for the occasion.

4. Brand I’m Eyeing – Rancourt

With the temps heating up in the Hill Country, I’ve been paying more attention lately to Rancourt & Co., specifically their loafers. Rancourt is a footwear brand up in Maine doing things the right way. If you’ve followed La Matera for a while, you know that about half of our belts are finished up in Maine, so I’ve developed a real appreciation for brands building things there.

Maine has a deep heritage of leather goods and footwear manufacturing. Generations of craftsmen, small workshops, and companies committed to doing things properly instead of cutting corners. Rancourt is one of those brands continuing to carry that tradition forward.

Whenever I see companies still making quality goods up there, I’m always happy to give them a little nod. Good products, good people, and a piece of American manufacturing worth supporting.

5. Weekend Wisdom: Theodore Roosevelt

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” - Theodore Roosevelt

You don’t always get perfect conditions. Most of the time, you just get the moment in front of you.

Start there. Adjust as you go. That’s usually enough.

Alright, that’s it from me. Appreciate y’all being here.

Cheers,
JM

Jon-Mark Craddock
CEO

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Originally sent through JM's Substack on 2026-03-06.