Inside The Adventure: Recent Episodes
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Inside the Adventure features the inside stories of the struggles and victories of building an unconventional lifestyle in the world of adventure and travel. From record-breaking adventure athletes, to innovative outdoor entrepreneurs, to everyday people who took a chance on the things they love, these are the stories that will inspire you to face your fears and make life into the adventure it’s meant to be.
Vivian James Rigney is an accomplished mountaineer who’s climbed all 7 summits as well as the President and CEO of Inside Us LLC, an executive coaching consultancy, where he’s helped implement leadership development initiatives for some of the world’s leading companies and their executive teams. Vivian is a renowned speaker and expert on mindset and behavior, whose talks and presentations have inspired audiences across the world. Men's Journal favorably compares Rigney’s new book to Into Thin Air, where his book Naked at the Knife-Edge: What Everest Taught Me About Leadership and the Power of Vulnerability, uniquely combines Rigney’s hands-on and reflective approach with extreme adventure and a raw, revealing personal story.
Based in Boulder, CO, Mike Lewis has worked in the outdoor and action sports industries for more than 20 years. He currently oversees Zeal Optics' brand globally, focusing on driving demand for their sunglasses and goggles, as well as helping his retail partners sell through engaging, creative marketing strategies, content, and storytelling.
Nick Norris (@nick_norris1981) is a graduate of both the United States Naval Academy and Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) Class 247. Upon completion of SEAL training in 2004, Nick assumed progressively higher positions of leadership within Naval Special Warfare. His deployed roles included combat advisor to Iraqi and Afghan military units, Cross-Functional Team Leader, and Ground Force Commander during combat operation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nick was most recently assigned to Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command — SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) as Officer in Charge prior to transitioning off Active Duty. Originally from Chicago, Nick received his Bachelor in Science from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 and his Masters of Science in Real Estate from The University of San Diego in 2013. He is the Executive Director of the C4 Foundation, which provides support and resources through science-based programs to active duty Navy SEALs and their families. Nick is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Protekt Products, a wellness company that is committed to positively impacting customer health via both personal care products and nutritional supplements. Both Protekt and the C4 Foundation value the power of time spent in the outdoors and the positive impact it has on overall well-being.
A few years ago, Mina noticed a consistent pattern of very people of color taking part in outdoor recreation sports so she decided to help change that by creating the BOA, Black Outdoor Adventurers, in October of 2015, to bring diversity into the outdoors. Mina believes that everyone should enjoy life beyond the concrete jungle and do the things that truly enrich our lives. Her goal is to help more people of color discover this world, be open to the power of nature to heal our burdens, and gain a new perspective on life, one outdoor adventure at a time.
A little About BOA:
We are an outdoor adventure social enterprise focused on the health and wellness of people of color mainly between the ages 27-42 that live and work throughout the New York Tri-state and Northeast region. Founded by Mina Okpi in 2015, Black Outdoor Adventurers works to eliminate the lack of outdoor participation through our dynamic programming and by making outdoor activities more visible and accessible to Black and Brown people.
We want to educate and get more people in the black and brown community excited about new opportunities to expand their community circle, make gains in wellness and challenge themselves to new potential through the outdoors and nature.
You can check out more about us on our website - Black Outdoor Adventurers, Instagram, or Linkedin.
Nathan Pettijohn is an author, talent manager, and entrepreneur. Nathan is a contributing writer for Forbes on topics relating to what business leaders need to know about innovations in media and technology. Nathan is also the coauthor of a short tactical guide, Zen and the Art of Admin Tasks, about outsourcing administrative work. His newest book is a travelogue called Travels With Hafa.
As a National Geographic photographer, writer, creative director, artist, speaker and adventure seeker, Erin is a force to be reckoned with. Whether snowmobiling in Whistler, camping in Alaska, repelling down cliffs or hanging out of a helicopter, Erin will do whatever it takes to capture the seemingly impossible.
Erin’s been awarded an X-Games Gold Medal for Action Sports Photography, was selected as an O (Oprah) Magazine insider, and is one of the official Sony Alpha Females. Erin works with clients including Oakley, Red Bull, and more.
Jonathan Cedar is the CEO and of BioLite, a social enterprise that develops, manufactures, and markets advanced energy products for off-grid communities around the world (outdoor + emerging markets). With roots as an engineer (previously working for SmartDesign), Jonathan co-founded BioLite after inventing a cleaner-combusting cookstove that produced 99% fewer smoke emissions than traditional, open-flame fires. After taking the HomeStove to a combustion conference, Jonathan realized the positive impact his product could have on lives in emerging markets as smoke from traditional open flame fires leads to over 4 million deaths a year. BioLite continues to grow within the parallel innovation pipeline, producing similar products for two distinct audiences and using funds from the outdoor market to subsidize the growth within emerging markets. You can read the full impact report here. Fun Fact: He's a great banjo player.
Have you ever dreamed you could go to class while sailing the sea, watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean, or stare up at the Mediterranean stars? Well, with Semester at Sea you can! Whether in class, studying, or engaging in shipboard activities, students are always a few steps away from friends, the ocean, and a global perspective in learning and life. In Scott's role as the President and CEO, he’s responsible for the overall strategic direction and financial well-being of the Institute for Shipboard Education and the Semester at Sea program. Scott earned his Ph.D. in International Business from the University of Oregon, a Master of International Affairs from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from Willamette University.
No matter the situation, Patrick is ready to take off. Whether it’s a 5000-meter jump from a helicopter over the Eiger or a detailed lecture about the lessons of his magical moments, his backpack is always full of new experiences and ideas. As the 2nd place finisher of this year’s Red Bull X-Alps alongside the longtime uncontested dominator of recent years, Chrigel Maurer, Patrick understands the impact of teamwork to break boundaries. From his early days as a kid stealing his parent’s paraglider to becoming one of the world’s top pilots today, this is the story of how Patrick defied the odds and climbed to new heights.
Elliott Lyons is the founder and CEO of EnVision, a revolutionary visualization app. Elliott’s mission is to empower people to ‘go for it’ - whatever the ‘it’ is. Through the EnVision app he hopes to bring the tool of visualization to the wider world, giving people a powerful opportunity to help them fulfill their potential and achieve a meaningful vision for their life.
Elliott is passionate about creating cutting-edge technology, loves to get out in nature, and is an Ironman triathlete in his free time. Before founding EnVision, Elliott built App Magna, a mobile app company, which has over 3 million downloads and a monthly passive income of $15k+.
Danny McGee is an adventure photographer and filmmaker who went from a kid with a passion for digital media to a professional who travels around the globe taking photos and making films for clients like Redbull, Google, and United Airlines. His goal is to not only share his vision of the world, but to inspire people to get out and explore it for themselves.
Danny's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcgee/?hl=en
Dylan Bowman is a professional ultra runner from Portland, OR, who was raised in the endurance mecca of Boulder, CO where he spent his early competitive years as a team sport athlete -- eventually focusing on lacrosse in high school and college. After graduating and living in Aspen, CO, Dylan began running in the mountains which quickly became his passion and lifestyle. Now, more than a decade later, Dylan works with companies like The North Face and Red Bull and is one of the top ultra runners in the US.
UltraRunning is devoted to covering the sport of long distance running, also known as ultramarathoning, or, as we call it, ultrarunning. So how far is an unltramarathon? The standard definition is anything past the marathon, or 26.2 miles. However, the shortest standard distance that is considered an ultra is 50 kilometers, or 31.07 miles. Other standard distances are the 100 kilometer and 100 mile races as well as a series of events that last for specified time periods: anywhere from 6 hours to 6 days.
Isaac is a professional kayaker who got his start in whitewater kayaking as a member of the national slalom team and then went on to be a 2x Green Race Champion, 2012 Canoe & Kayak magazine paddler of the year, and a Go-Pro Games Steep Creek champion. As a 32-year-old from John’s Creek, Georgia, Isaac now lives in White Salmon, Washington, where he’s been for the last 9 years. Now he spends most of his time kayaking or in flying sports.
Ari Delashmutt is a professional action sports athlete, particularly skilled in skiing, paragliding, and highlining, where he’s set multiple distance records. He hosts a podcast, Ari in the Air, that features leading-edge thinkers on psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, as well as other athletes who have gleaned deep insights from their sports. He is a filmmaker, specializing in both educational paragliding videos and adventure travel films. Ari has said that he is trying to grow up, and it is turning out to be harder than he previously thought.
As a New Jersey native, Pete graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and started his career at Fila before joining the team at Nike. At Nike, Pete worked primarily on the ACG brand and Nike Advanced Design team. After Nike, he worked for Spyder, then eventually opened his own design and creative agency where he spent over a decade. He was eventually recruited to work for The North Face where he served as Vice President of Global Creative for over six years. During his time with TNF he worked on some of the streetwear's biggest lifestyle collabs. He left TNF to join the ranks of Mountain Hardwear where he serves as the VP of Product and Creative for the core climbing brand. Pete is also an avid mountain biker when he's not brainstorming the next creative move for MHW.
Bill Gamber might be the most influential person in the outdoor industry that you’ve never heard of. Over the past 20 years, he’s helped to build two of the best known and fastest growing brands in the outdoor retail category. His innovations in outdoor gear have become mainstays for people who love to camp as well as creating a whole new category of race nutrition. He’s been massively influential in building Colorado’s outdoor economy and shaping the state’s recreational future, but Bill fundamentally believes that actions speak louder than words, so he rarely touts his successes.
He’s a product pioneer, a born leader and hard charging when it comes to running a growing company in a competitive market. Bill started his first business in a Pennsylvania college dorm room at Lock Haven University in 1985. Needing money to pay for triathlon race entry fees, Bill began selling homemade bike and triathlon shorts out of the back of his Jetta. This side hustle would become Bwear Action Products, otherwise known as BAP! Eventually, Bill would graduate and move to Steamboat Springs, Colo., where he found a permanent home for BAP!
In 2000, Bill co-founded Big Agnes and launched with a simple, but revolutionary idea: save weight and space with a unique, integrated sleeping bag and pad system. This would be the first in a long line of products “firsts” that would revolutionize the outdoor industry.
In 2001, Bill co-founded Honey Stinger, which specializes in honey-based nutrition. You could say honey runs in Bill’s blood – his family has been in the honey business for more than 60 years and his grandfather invented the original plastic honey bear. Today, Honey Stinger is known throughout the endurance sports world, and products like Honey Stinger chews and waffle are favorites for runners, cyclists, skiers, hikers, climbers and more. In 2019 Bill transitioned away from Honey Stinger after a significant third-party investment and now focuses on Big Agnes and BAP!. Bill is competitive, but not just when it comes to camping and nutrition. He holds the 12-hour solo record for the 24 Hours of Steamboat mountain bike race. He’s completed more than 100 triathlons, including 16 Ironmans.
For the past 28 years, Bill has been living off the grid in Steamboat with his family, in a solar and wind-powered home and spends most of his free time camping, fishing, cycling and skiing.
Spencer Sutlive originally started Rugged Road Outdoors as a UGA student dedicated to changing the cooler game, making the world’s lightest high-performance cooler. Spencer spent years developing an ultralight high-performance cooler that would be the perfect addition to any outdoor adventure.
His newest cooler release, the Rugged Road 65 weighs in at just under 10 pounds, but remains tough as nails due to its Rigorite coating, originally developed to make the walls of the Pentagon blast-proof after the attacks on 9/11. It also holds ice for up to ten days, and floats upright, even when fully loaded.
Spencer’s biggest motivator to grow Rugged Road has been his goal of providing clean drinking water to communities in need. At the end of each year, Rugged Road donates 10% of its profits to build wells and bring clean, reliable water to underdeveloped communities. We aim to use our platform for good and to provide others with the opportunity to help make the world a better place.
Adrian Ballinger is a world class mountaineer, skier, business leader, and professional speaker. As founder and head guide of the internationally acclaimed Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian envisioned a more holistic climbing experience for his clients than the status quo.
This vision, with a focus on small groups and client education, continues to change the way big mountains are climbed. What started in 2004 with three trips on one continent with one lead guide has grown into a thriving company running 30 trips annually on 5 continents with six lead guides. In 10 years, Alpenglow has helped more than 100 clients successfully summit Everest, Lhotse (the 4th tallest mountain in the world), Manaslu (8th tallest), and Cho Oyu (6th tallest).
How was Alpenglow able to expand to 10 times its size in 10 years all while setting new industry standards and expectations? Adrian believes running a business is a lot like climbing a mountain and attributes his extensive mountaineering experiences to his company’s success. In his forthcoming book, “Why Everest Matters – Lessons Learned from the Roof of the World,” Adrian explains essential business concepts such as leadership, teamwork, and risk management from a climber’s perspective. Adrian’s inspiring stories from the amazing places he’s traveled embolden audiences to integrate these important concepts into their own lives and businesses.
As a professional athlete first and foremost, Adrian is the only American who has skied two 8,000 meter peaks, was the first person to ski Manaslu, the 8th tallest mountain in the world, and in 2011 became the first person to summit three 8,000 meter peaks in only 3 weeks (Everest twice and Lhotse once). He is the only American guide to have both AMGA/IFMGA guide’s certifications and has achieved more than 10 summits of 8,000 meter peaks (including 6 summits of Mt. Everest). Adrian is a sponsored athlete for Eddie Bauer, La Sportiva, Kaenon, Goal Zero, Hypoxico and Alpenglow Sports and welcomes new sponsors who are committed to aligning with high altitude achievement.
Shane Rogers is Co-Founder and CEO of RPM Training Co. An entrepreneur at heart, Shane’s background in Engineering, along with his love of training and the outdoors, took him from leading engineering teams at Gore Medical to the creator of the RPM speed rope, adding to his running list of patents. Even as CEO, Shane still leads all manufacturing initiatives and does most of the technical design for RPM. In his (very) limited spare time, you can find him teaching entrepreneurship classes for Santa Clara University and exploring the beaches of Santa Cruz, CA with his wife, Jackie, and their 2 young kids.
Josh Rogers is Co-Founder and CCO of RPM Training Co. As the owner of one of the earliest CrossFit affiliate gyms, Josh used his love of design and training to create the RPM brand along with his brother, Shane. He now drives the long term vision and strategy for the brand, breaking daily at noon of course to train with the rest of the RPM team. When he’s not writing copy, recruiting athletes, or building out RPM’s ever-growing product line, you’ll find him taking up some new project at his home in the hills of Santa Cruz, CA with his wife, Alicia, and their 4 homeschooled kids.
Born and raised in Colorado, Tony headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma for college and walked onto the D1 track and cross country teams, eventually becoming the team captain. More importantly, Tony fell in love with running.
With ambitions to train harder and get faster, Tony moved to Massachusetts and started training with a few top runners on Boston’s North Shore. Unfortunately, his goals were often thwarted by injury, over-training, or ill-fitting shoes. Like many runners, he began working in the shoe industry where he learned everything he could about making footwear.
After almost 30 years in the industry, Tony knew there was still something missing from the market—a shoe that allowed runners to access the important benefits of natural running while maintaining some of their favorite features found in traditional running shoes. Intent on delivering the best natural running shoes in the world, Tony sets out to establish his own footwear company. He launched Topo Athletic, founded on common sense, simplicity, and comfort, for runners seeking a more natural running experience.
Quin Schrock is an adventure and lifestyle photographer based out of Southern California. As a kid, Quin spent his free time outside surfing, skating, and pushing the limit on acceptable backflip locations. That sense of wonder and freedom that Quin got from nature as a child never went away, and there is still nothing he would rather do than play outside. Although now you’ll find him with his camera in tow!
Quin is always one to forge his own path and his distinct photographic style captures the intrepid human spirit engaging with diverse, remote, and off-the-beaten-path landscapes. Quin genuinely enjoys living on the edge, and the excitement and anticipation that he experiences for each new destination and adventure comes through in his unique and creative compositions.
We're back!
Season 3 will launch a new episode every other Wednesday, starting July 28th. We hope you enjoy these amazing new interviews!
Will Gadd is one of the top outdoor sports athletes of his generation. He has done first ascents on ice and rock globally, kayaked first descents of wild rivers, and flown his paraglider over the Andes, Rockies, and Alps while setting the world distance record twice. He’s also won national and international titles in multiple mountain sports. His writing appears regularly in some of the top publications in the world, and his book on ice climbing has been translated into five languages and is the top seller in its field. He has produced or presented more than 100 television programs ranging from the Discovery Channel to the BBC, and his films have won multiple awards. He is a guide and frequent speaker on risk management to groups ranging from at-risk youth to some of the largest companies in the world. His most recent expeditions have focused on helping scientists do cutting-edge research in remote locations from Greenland to the top of Kilimanjaro, and he recently co-authored a paper on Greenland’s melt cycle. He is most proud of leading his family up his local peaks and sharing the amazing natural world through his work.
It all started when Matthew purchased a van as he was winding down 5 years spent working in Tech, first at Airbnb and then Robinhood. He wasn’t exactly sure of his plan; if it would be his home, weekend adventure vehicle, or something totally different – but he knew it was the right next step.
After a trip to Joshua Tree he realized he needed an awning and started a search for one that was both rugged and packable. As you’ve likely already guessed, he didn’t find one.
He started working on a design and called his friend Henry who had made a career of producing things (brands, marketing campaigns, films, etc.) for young companies – a handful of them in the Outdoor Retail & Overland space. From that, Moon Fabrications was born.
Connect with Immersed and Renji on Instagram and Twitter.
Renji Bijoy founded Immersed with the belief that a future where humanity is able to live wherever/however they want without the constraints of the physical office is fundamentally more freeing than one bound to an office.
Today, Immersed is actively developing the technology to remove the barriers of remote work in order to empower productivity, with the ultimate goal of restructuring civilization to be more efficient, and thus, more enjoyable.
Connect with Kate Schade and Kate’s Real Food on Instagram.
Try some Kate’s Real Food at their website here.
Kate Schade moved to Jackson Hole in the early 90s, never dreaming that her pursuit for adventure would give rise to Kate’s real food. Kate created a tasty, portable, organic, whole foods energy bar with the premise that the taste and quality of her food must match the amazing experiences of her adventures. After years of sharing, she finally brought her recipes to customers, with the aspiration of inspiring more people to eat healthier, eat organic, and get outside to adventure.
Connect with Viktor and 57hours on Instagram!
Viktor Marohnic was born in Croatia where he grew up and graduated from the computing science college. Today, Viktor is a serial entrepreneur running a product design agency called Five out of Brooklyn, New York as well as a passionate skier, climber, runner and kitesurfer.
As a combination of his passion for business and adventure, an idea for a new product was born. 57Hours is a platform that connects individuals with certified guides for outdoor adventures all over the world. Viktor founded this new company with his wife and Perica Levatic, also an accomplished climber and a math science graduate in 2019, based on the belief that every weekend should involve time spent in the outdoors, enjoying it to the fullest — which means taking advantage of the full 57 hours from 3pm on Friday to midnight on Sunday. Their mobile app makes it easy to find and book adventures worth tackling and guides worth booking, all gathered from locals and first-hand experiences. The platform also enables a passionate community of independent mountain guides to share their amazing itineraries, fill up their trips quickly, build up their client base faster and make guiding a successful and sustainable career. 57hours aspires to benefit everyone involved — guides, clients, local communities, and our environment — and promote safe, accessible outdoor recreation for all.
Connect with Kieren and the Lady Alliance on Instagram here and check out their upcoming event on Nov 13th, the Winter Adventure + Safety Workshop Tour with Mammut!
After being told too many times that she was "brave for a girl,” Kieren Britton, Founder of The Lady Alliance, had enough. Bravery is in all of us, regardless of your gender, race, or background, and Kieren is determined to bring this to light.
The Lady Alliance started as an online social community where women had the chance to share their stories. Whether it was a photo or adventure article, ladies could submit their adventures and speak through The Lady Alliance.
As the community grew, so did the demand for a chance to meet everyone in person. The Lady Alliance's first all-women meet up was held in September 2017 in Glacier National Park.
This meetup was titled the "First Annual Long Weekend Meet-Up" as there was no original intention of this becoming an adventure traveling community.
The meet up reached capacity in only a matter of weeks and was full of inspiring women from all over the globe.
Since that first trip, The Lady Alliance has grown to include other adventures, retreats, and courses. Through the Lady Alliance, she’s empowered thousands of women to embrace adventure through inspiration, action, and awareness. They’ve yoga'd in Bali, surfed in Tofino, learnt avalanche safety, and so much more, including partnering with brands such as the Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) to help extend their reach to empower women of all ages and backgrounds to embrace a new level of courage through an empowered sense of adventure and community.
How to join:
The Lady Alliance is a community of women dedicated to encouraging and empowering other women to be the best versions of themselves. Easy peasy. You can join the community through our Facebook Groups, Instagram, or by purchasing a membership. We want to encourage involvement and you can do this in many ways: local or global events, applying to be a Chapter Coordinator, submitting photos for our Instagram page, or writing posts for our stories, and more!
Tom Fabbri has not only dared to dream, but he’s mastered the art as an author and lifestyle coach, inspirational speaker, top trainer, award-winning athlete, corporate helicopter & jet pilot, and culinary arts graduate, just to name a few. Tom has learned to harness fear to achieve his dreams, and he now uses this unique insight to inspire and motivate others through his books, blogs, and personal coaching. He is constantly challenging himself while acquiring valuable life lessons of inner strength, passion, and motivation.
Tom is a world-class adventurer in every sense of the word and is currently on a journey to complete the Adventure Grand Slam, summiting the tallest peak on each of the seven continents and skiing to the North and South Poles. In one year, he climbed four of these peaks in his quest to fulfill his dream, (Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina) and Mt. McKinley, Alaska in 2013. His most recent climb took him to Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica where he faced a storm with hurricane-force winds and extreme temperatures to summit on December 7th, 2017. With the mountain of all mountains left, Mt. Everest, and skiing to the North Pole and back to Antarctica to ski to the South Pole, Tom is well on his way to becoming part of an elite group of Adventurers.
Tom’s equation is simple. Once he decides to do something, he does it! Whether it’s becoming a corporate helicopter pilot, captain of a major airline, landing the title of Mr. Natural Universe at the age of 52, graduating from culinary school, becoming a certified personal trainer, or publishing books.
Daniel Robinson is an F-22 Fighter Pilot & CEO of Red6 a new tech company that’s revolutionizing augmented reality (AR) for military training applications, bringing the Virtual and Constructive assets into the real-world by allowing pilots and ground operators to see synthetic threats in real-time, outdoors and, critically, in high-speed environments. By blending augmented reality and artificial intelligence and using both the indoor AND outdoor space around us as a medium, Red 6 has redefined the limits of how the world will experience, share, and interact with its information.
Rob Rast, the founder of FLX Electric Bike and Miles Board Electric skateboards, is a college dropout that left it all to move to China. Between becoming a Chinese TV star and taking the leap into product-focused entrepreneurship, Rob’s story eventually lands him in the same AirBnB with Pete Leaviss in Beijing five years ago, and the story of the Babymaker was born, the worlds’ sexiest electric bike!
Within a year, Rob and Pete got to work sourcing motors, frames, components and drawing up unique e-bike designs. They launched their first design, the FLX mountain bike, a year later on Indiegogo, raising $2 million and shipping nearly 3,000 units.
The success of the FLX motivated Rob and Pete to go even further with the inception of the Babymaker, the world’s first single-speed “stealth electric” road bike, which incorporates the best of both worlds — the sleek styling of modern road bikes and the pedal assistance of electric bikes. The result is a bike that lets the rider go fifty miles on a two-hour charge without sacrificing style.
The Babymaker is redefining what it means to be an e-bike. In a world of clunky, heavy pedal-assist bikes, the Babymaker offers a sleek, lightweight alternative at a price point similar to traditional entry-level bicycles -- proving that with good design and a strong following, you can shatter records. And that’s exactly what they did.
In just a few months, the Babymaker’s unique combination of performance and style launched it into the record books by raising over $13 million on Indiegogo, putting it among the top Indiegogo campaigns of all time.
So many of us are going down the path that we think we want, only to realize that something is missing. The same was true for Chelsea Yamase (@chelseakauai) who found herself heading into a potential career that wasn’t fulfilling her in the way she had hoped. Through a winding path of architecture, graphic design, journalism, and a myriad of side hustles, she found herself faced with the big question: pursue the unconventional life of your dreams or stick to a “real job”. So, she took the leap.
Today, Chelsea is a sought after freediver, model, photographer, influencer, creative, and movement enthusiast from Hawaii with a focus on mindful living. She’s been featured in Travel and Leisure & Cosmopolitan to name a few, and has worked with numerous brands such as Canon USA, Adidas, Google, Athleta, GoPro, DJI Global, and The National Parks Foundation.... and this is her story.
"What makes the difference between the ones who succeed and those who fail? Why do some choose to quit while others come back even stronger when facing adversity? Today’s story with Karina Hollekim answers these questions in an incredible way.
Karina Hollekim is an international keynote speaker, author, computer programmer, and professional athlete where she competed for Red Bull as a big mountain skier and Base jumper. Karina is a truly inspirational female pioneer, being the first woman in the world to perform a ski BASE jump.
Karina shares her story about those moments that change our lives forever, about raw willpower and passion.
She inspires us to be targeted as living proof of the importance of little changes and how they make a difference in the long run. By raising awareness of our choices, she challenges our willingness to change. She shows the importance of stretching your comfort zone to achieve your goals. Karina’s incredible journey, her gripping story about struggle and resilience together with her indomitable spirit makes a story to remember.
In 2006, Karina’s life was turned upside down when she had a freak, near-fatal skydiving accident, leaving her in a wheelchair with the low odds of ever walking again. After 20 surgeries and years of relearning how to walk, she’s returned to skiing and is living life to the fullest today. Her autobiography ‘The Wonderful Feeling of Fear’ is internationally published and her speech is part of the exclusive group of TedX talks. Karina’s coaching skills comes from a background in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Active Commitment Therapy, and working as a performance consultant since 2012, with clients ranging from professional athletes to top business executives. Her ability to push boundaries, stay focused, and re-mobilize through hardship are core qualities she transmits through her coaching & speaking and serves as key themes all throughout her life story.
Aaron Fitzgerald, known as ‘Fitz’ to his friends and colleagues, grew up in Wenatchee, Washington. Wenatchee is home to a USFS Tanker base and Aaron grew up watching airplanes and helicopters overhead as they fought fires in the surrounding mountains. Seeing these aircraft in the skies all summer instilled in him a strong desire to fly.
After serving in the US Army as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, Aaron began formal flight training in Long Beach, CA in 1994 and quickly earned his commercial rating. He went right to work flying news helicopters in Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Aaron has primarily focused on flying for the film and television industry. He is a member of the prestigious Motion Picture Pilots Association, and the Screen Actor’s Guild. He has performed and filmed for over 100 films and television shows. He has also flown in various other capacities such as utility flying in mountainous terrain and offshore support. He has flown in flight test programs for NASA and Lockheed/Martin. He was the aerial coordinator for several projects that broke world records and he continues to work as an aerial coordinator and stunt pilot for the movie industry. His company, Airborne Images, provides aircraft, pilots, and support services for aerial production worldwide. Aaron has two Emmy nominations and a BAFTA award for his work in aerial production.
Aaron was introduced to Helicopter Aerobatics in 2017 when he was trained by Rainer Wilke and Blacky Schwarz, the masters of Helicopter Aerobatics. He joined The Flying Bulls that same year, becoming the only American pilot on the team. He has performed aerobatic helicopter displays for millions of spectators throughout North America.
In March of 2000, Aaron was awarded the Medal of Valor for rescuing two people from a burning helicopter.
When not flying or performing, Aaron lives with his family in Los Angeles. He spends most of his spare time on the ocean; fishing.
Dane Jackson knows whitewater. The freestyle kayaker grew up traveling the USA in an RV with his family, getting homeschooled by his mother and chasing kayaking competitions with his father, Eric Jackson, an Olympic paddler and founder of the popular paddling company Jackson Kayaks. Dane dominated nearly every junior world title early on in his career and by 2011 he'd started winning pro-level contests, including the Whitewater Grand Prix and the IFC Freestyle World Championships. Dane has been featured in Kayak Session and Rapid Magazine, launched first descents of waterfalls in Mexico, has bagged seven 100+ waterfall descents, and has racked up over 80 first-place finishes in freestyle kayaking competitions. Dane travels eight months out of the year, attending events, clinics, and living his passion from an RV by the river. As an avid videographer, photographer, and content creator, Dane documents these amazing pursuits on his Instagram and TikTok and describes in today’s episode the inside story of his amazing journey to becoming one of the most elite paddlers in the world.
As a Toronto schoolgirl, Jill was fascinated by the Apollo program and wanted to be an astronaut. However, Canada did not have a space program, and it wouldn’t be until 1992 that Dr. Roberta Bondar became the first Canadian woman in outer space. Instead, Jill navigated a path to inner space and is recognized as one of the world’s most prolific underwater explorers.
Jill’s expeditions include exploring and mapping some of the world’s longest submerged caves, documenting ancient Mayan remains along the way. In Florida, Jill was a lead technical diver on the ground-breaking Wakulla2 project, where she piloted the first 3D underwater cave mapping device - technology that will be bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa. When the largest moving object on the planet, the B-15 iceberg, calved from Antarctica, Jill led a dive team into the labyrinth of frozen underwater caves beneath the massive iceberg’s surface, discovering a diverse, colorful ecosystem of life in one of the harshest environments on earth.
A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, Jill has made extreme conditions her specialty. Her ongoing expeditions to document the changing climate of the Arctic resulted in Jill being awarded the prestigious Canadian Polar Medal.
From the desert oases of the Sahara to the cold waters of Baffin Bay, Jill Heinerth continues to explore what lies beneath the surface, sharing images of places where no person has gone before. Through collaboration, she becomes the hands and eyes for climatologists, archaeologists, and engineers, extending their reach into the depths.
In her role as the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Jill visits schools and universities, sharing her love of exploration and science. She is a frequent online educator, leveraging technology to inspire classrooms full of eager young people from Anchorage, Alaska, to Mumbai, India. Jill is a presenter on radio and TV broadcasts, including PBS, the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, the CBC, and networks from Japan to Australia. Over two million people have learned about climate change, water advocacy, and exploration by viewing Jill’s passionate and motivational TED Talks. A gifted storyteller, Jill is an associate editor and columnist for Diver Magazine, and a contributor to publications as diverse as Canadian Geographic and the Los Angeles Times. Her recent book, “INTO THE PLANET - My Life as a Cave Diver” was published in late 2019 by Harper-Collins in the United States and Penguin-Random House in Canada.
Jill’s accolades include induction into the inaugural class of the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, first presentation of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje medal for exploration, and the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences “NOGI” award. Jill has recently been named a member of the 2020 class of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame and receives the William Beebe Award from the Explorer's Club in March 2020. Jill Heinerth is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the National Speleological Society, and the Explorer’s Club.
Sarah Milby is the Founder and CEO of Valor Performance, an enterprise software company that supports some of the highest performing global organizations with the skills, analytics, and coaching for professionals to stay on top of their game, even under pressure.
Prior to starting Valor, Sarah was an Entrepreneur in Residence at F-Prime Capital Partners. She also launched Grokker's enterprise division as VP of Business Development and Partnerships, and lead health plan relationships for Castlight Health from start-up through its IPO in 2014. Sarah has a BA from Yale, an MPA from Harvard, and an MBA from Stanford.
While not an Olympian herself, Sarah did play varsity soccer at Yale for 4 years, and became a competitive runner, running for Greater Boston Track Club and Strava
Sarah’s experiences both in athletics and business gave her the inspiration and conviction to start Valor, and this is her story.
Trask Bradbury, a longtime legend in both the recreational and industrial world of rope access. Whether on ice, rock, or dropping from wind turbines, Trask is equally at home in the vertical world. Trask has worked and rigged in a variety of industries including petroleum tanks, bridges, wind turbines, skyscrapers, paper mills, and grain silos, and has also designed and managed rigging for several popular climbing movies.
Born in Arizona, Trask moved to Colorado Springs at twenty, where he’s been climbing for twenty years and turning his passion into a job every day. Trask owned his own rope access company Gemini Rope Access Solutions for 6 years and has since sold it to an engineering firm. Now based out of Denver, Trask is currently a Co-Owner and operator of Master Point Rope Access Solutions. In addition, he is an EMT, and holds both a SPRAT level 3 and an OSHA 30 certification. Trask puts safety above all else.
This laidback Canadian dude, who lives wherever he lays his paddle and moves wherever the white water takes him, is not only super cool, he’s also one of the best kayak surfers on the planet.
Benny Marr has placed himself firmly at the top of the list of epic big water kayakers in recent years and just finished filming a new short film on big wave surfing on the Ottawa River.
In a boat since the age of two, he’s paddled everything from the Stikine Canyon to the Zambezi River, but loves nothing more than a day trip ‘front surfing’ on the biggest waves he can find.
Kayleigh Grant is a shark naturalist, conservationist, free-diver, and Safety Diver for One Ocean Diving where she spends most days working with the sharks and marine life on the North Shore of Oahu. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Kayleigh moved to Hawaii shortly after graduating college in pursuit of an exciting new journey that would help her further connect with her passion for travel and the ocean, an obsession began at a very young age when she first saw the Little Mermaid and dreamed of exploring the ocean depths alongside Ariel.
While living in Hawaii and going through a bad breakup, she remembered looking around at her life and not being entirely happy with everything that she saw. She had a good job, lived in Hawaii, amazing friends, but there was something missing and she had no clue what it was.
So, she decided to take a step back. She moved out of her place, quit her job, bought a plane ticket to Thailand, and went on a month-long, soul-searching journey. When the time was up she vowed to herself that when she got back home to Hawaii, she would never do a job again that she didn’t love. Kayleigh was already diving as a weekly hobby, but it was around this time that she made it her life’s work.
After completing her Dive Masters training and some initial work in the field, she met Ocean Ramsey and Juan Oliphant, two of the world-leading experts in shark conservation, and begun a life dedicated to helping the world fall in love with the Ocean and the amazing life within.
From Scottsdale, Arizona, 25-year-old Sierra Blair-Coyle has been competing professionally in the world of rock climbing since the age of 14. She’s also been a World Cup Competitor, was a two-time National Champion as a junior competitor, and was voted one of the Top 99 Most Outstanding Women of 2015. Sierra graduated in May 2016 from Arizona State University with a degree in marketing and now travels the world competing and doing what she loves full-time.
Tucker ‘Cinco’ Hamilton is an Experimental Fighter Test Pilot for the United States Air Force and is the previous Commander of the U.S. Air Force F-35 Integrated Test Force. Tucker Hamilton started his Air Force career as an operational F-15C pilot where he supported multiple Red Flag Exercises and real-world Operation Noble Eagle missions where he protected the President of the United States, at times escorting Air Force One. He served as an Air Liaison Officer in Germany where he was the director of operations for a key command and control squadron. While serving in Germany, he was hand-selected to be the initial cadre for the first MC-12 squadron in Afghanistan as a part of the Air Force's first tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft.
After Afghanistan, he attended Test Pilot School where he flew over 30 different aircraft. After Test Pilot School graduation, he became an F-15C and F-15E Instructor Experimental Test Pilot, leading 11 test programs, supporting the newest software and weapons for the 450-plus F-15 fleet. He then served as the Developmental Test & Evaluation Lead for the Joint Strike Fighter, F-35, overseeing the entire Developmental Test & Evaluation effort for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marines. He then transitioned to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he began to fly all three variants of the F-35 as the Developmental Test Director of Operations.
I’ve personally had the pleasure of knowing Cinco in our work together with the US team at Gravity Industries, and while it’s no secret how incredible Tucker’s career has been, I actually didn’t know most of that until putting together this podcast! The most inspiring thing about Cinco is his incredible humility and servant leadership mindset, always putting the needs of others before himself. While I’m biased from knowing Cinco well, I can easily say this is one of our best stories yet.
Luke Peters has started over 5 businesses. His current brand NewAir is growing with over 50 employees and multi 8 figure sales, which Luke started as a side hustle out of his garage, and has been ranked as one of the fastest-growing private Internet retailers in America for three consecutive years according to Inc.
Luke's newest venture is a new ecommerce service business at www.retailband.com and he is the Host of The Page 1 Podcast, a twice-weekly Podcast featuring a variety of guests and thought leaders on topics ranging from channel strategy, tariffs, influencer marketing, product launches, and the details about how to grow ecommerce with big box retailers.
To listen in and stay current with the most recent Page 1 Podcast please visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-page-1-podcast/id1478811133
You can see his linked-in profile here https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke--peters/
During the winter, you’ll find Leigh Coates free diving in the crystal clear waters, soft sands, and vibrant rainforests of the Big Island in Hawaii. In the summer, look up into the Alaskan sky and you might see Leigh rising over rugged glaciers and snow-laden mountains as she owns her own piloting business, VS Helicopters, where she leads helitours for tourists, carries workers into the Alaskan wilderness and mines, and once in a while stops to strike some epic yoga poses on the remote mountaintops along the way! She shares her experiences in these brilliant landscapes through her Instagram, where her followers can live the magic of her adventures with a vivid lens into her blissful world. But what her pictures don’t immediately express is the journey she took in order to reach this place of success and joy.
Leigh’s attraction to snowy terrain began during her youth, when she spent her time snowboarding professionally. In 1998 she was ranked as the fifth-best snowboarder in the world, specializing primarily in boardercross. Leigh was preparing to compete in the Olympics once snowboarding was considered an official Olympic sport, but at 26 years old, a freak accident ended her career as a professional snowboarder when a moving car pinned her leg to another vehicle, only to drive off without any help or remorse. Leigh went through ACL surgery and extensive physical therapy, working tirelessly to return to the sport she so loved — but a second surgery revealed an overgrowth of muscle tissue that permanently ended her ability to fulfill her snowboarding dreams.
Yet instead of allowing this tragic change to consume her life and identity, Leigh held tightly to her resilience and positivity. She opened her heart to new possibilities such as adventures in Hawaii, becoming a helicopter pilot, starting her own helicopter business in Alaska, and most recently training as a Jet Suit Pilot and the first woman to fly both the Gravity Jet Suit and the JetPack Aviation JetPack. This is truly an incredible story of a woman who lives a life driven by her dreams and who never lets a fear of failure hold her back!
In March 2007 Gary sold his house, started traveling, and has probably done and seen more in that time than he has in the rest of his life combined.
So far Gary has visited all 7 continents, over 130 countries, all 50 US states, every Canadian province, every Australian state and territory, over 150 US National Park Service sites and over 315 World Heritage Sites.
In 2014 Gary was named as the Society of American Travel Writers Photographer of the Year, the 2013 & 2015 North American Travel Journalists Association Photographer of the Year, and a 3x Lowell Thomas Award Winner.
His blog Everything Everywhere is widely considered one of the most popular travel blogs in the world. In 2010 Time Magazine named it one of the Top 25 Blogs on the Internet and it earned a Gold Medal in the Travel Blog category in the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA) awards.
As if that wasn’t enough, Gary has also hosted his own podcast since 2009 as the co-host of This Week in Travel, an award winning weekly podcast which covers travel industry news. He is also the host of The Global Travel Conspiracy on the CBS Podcast Network.
And today, Gary shares the story of how he turned his passion for travel into a career in photography, and how before 2003, he didn’t even own a camera.
Chris Korbulic is one of the world’s leading expedition whitewater kayakers, with first descents and incredibly grueling expeditions that have taken him all over the world. His philosophy of life is to “appreciate what you have, enjoy the day for what it is, and say yes to new experiences.”
Growing up on the Rogue River in Oregon, Chris had an extremely early introduction to the river lifestyle as some of his earliest memories where the wilderness, culture, and excitement stuck with him for the rest of his life. His parents and their friends inspired and taught him to enjoy and appreciate wilderness, especially on the river. Years down the road, or river, he’s still following the water and enjoying it more than ever!
Bryan and Shannon love creating self-sustaining, innovative companies as the Co-Founders of BELAY, a leading virtual services company, and NoFO Brewing Co. They started BELAY in late 2010 after resigning from their full-time jobs on the same day where they cashed in their 401(k)s to start their company all during the "Great Recession." As leading voices for remote work, Bryan and Shannon’s entire company works remotely, empowering their employees to work from wherever best suits their needs. On this episode, we’ll learn how Bryan and Shannon built a business that empowers a lifestyle balance of work and travel along with the concept of virtual culture.
As one of the best whitewater kayakers in the world, Nouria has more incredible accomplishments than I can count in canoe, freestyle, and extreme kayaking where her achievements in the various disciplines prove she’s truly one of a kind. In 2013 she won the Ottawa XL, one of the most important freestyle world meetings, followed that by taking K-1 silver at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, and just a few months later she was crowned extreme kayaking world champion. The following year she won team gold at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships and team bronze at the European Championships. In 2016 she was runner-up at the Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championships and in 2017 took first place at the GoPro Mountain Games Steep Creek Championships.
As if competition wasn't enough for this seemingly inexhaustible athlete, Nouria ventured on multiple solo kayaking trip and first descents around the world.
It’s hard to understand how such an outstanding athlete would have any spare time to partake in any 'normal' activities, but she also has a masters in journalism and political science saying that “Journalism is actually very similar to kayaking. You always have to adapt!” But that’s Nouria, always where you least expect her.
David Clapper is a long-time media marketing and branding professional with 20+ years of experience in promotion, marketing, and branding.
From launching the successful Classic Hits radio station, 97-1 The River in Atlanta - to the creation of its eclectic sister station at 97-7 - The OTHER Side of The River - David Clapper has transitioned into other areas of media in the last few years. After a short stint with Nashville based record company - Big Loud Records, David has launched his own business Scamper Van LLC and spent some time as the Ad Directory of the legendary ALT/Weekly Newspaper in Atlanta - Creative Loafing.
Outside of launching the brand and business for Scamper Van, David has been a hired hand to assist in amazing Atlanta area events like Food That Rocks and the Southern Wing Showdown as well as regional promotions rep for Canada’s FOD Records.
David has thrived in the creation and execution of the ideas of others as well as building a vision and implementing his own successes as an entrepreneur.
Pierre Carter has been climbing since 1982 and paragliding since 1988 where these activities have taken him all over South Africa, her neighboring countries, and around the world.
Pierre is currently attempting to hike, climb, and fly off the Seven Summits, the tallest mountain on all seven continents (including Everest), together with living life, and saving up the money required for these massive expeditions. The adventure has taken him almost 10 years, where he’s so far completed five of the Seven Summits. During those 10 years, he was also a bit distracted by the Red Bull X Alps in 2009, 2011, and 2013, commonly referred to as the world's toughest adventure race where athletes race non-stop across the Alps from Salzburg to Monaco only by paraglider when the conditions are good to fly and by foot when they’re not.
Pierre is currently on track to fly off Everest in 2021!
Jeremy is an entrepreneur, speaker, flow junky, and mountain sports athlete - passionate about helping people lead authentic and intentional lives with rich with experiences that make them feel alive. His interests lie at the intersection of flow science, life design, and action/adventure sports.
He’s the cofounder of Outwild, a community and event series focused on helping people design more intentional lifestyles, creator of the Adventurepreneur Playbook podcast, which shares the stories of unconventional entrepreneurs and change makers building businesses and lifestyles in the adventure and outdoor space, and a consultant for the Flow Research Collective.
An adventurer and tech savvy entrepreneur that's traveled many of the planet's remaining wildernesses, Gary Mancuso is truly an explorer of our past and future.
Gary yearned to travel ever since he was a boy. Then, the summer before his senior year in high school, he left his family home in Ohio and drove to California, arriving in Los Angeles with four dollars in his pocket where he slept on the beach for a spell until he got his footing. When he wasn't off wandering somewhere, he studied economics, communications, and political science, got a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California went on to headed business development in the trading room of a large regional bank where he created a game changing automated cross-borders payments service, a forerunner in what is now known as "Fintech".
In late 2005, he dropped everything, including a successful career, to pursue a life-long dream. Realizing that if he didn’t just go, the last intact cultures and wild places on the planet would vanish before he could see them. Six years later, he returned from his odyssey with a story like no other. This unique story is recounted in his highly-acclaimed memoir, "The Last Places on Earth: Journeys in Our Disappearing World", which went on sale in fall 2014, and will soon be in its third printing.
Presently, he works with a couple of technology startups and is an investment specialist helping clientele achieve their life's dreams by building a rock solid financial foundation.
A lifelong environmentalist, Gary is a strong advocate of using advanced technologies toward sustainable and socially responsible economic development. With his breadth of knowledge of traditional cultures, wildernesses, and the latest technologies, Gary brings a unique perspective tying our ancient past to the wondrous possibilities ahead.
Along with his passion for travel, he's an avid trekker, fitness buff, swimmer, scuba diver, and private pilot.
Matthias Giraud, also known as "Super Frenchie" is a professional skier and B.A.S.E. jumper whose first claim to fame was pioneering very the first ski B.A.S.E. jump off Mississippi Head on Mt Hood, Oregon. Matthias Giraud started as a competitive ski racer, but moved on to freeskiing and later on to big mountain skiing. Matthias is known for combining BASE jumping with skiing and completed several first descents and ski BASE jumps across the globe including the first ski BASE jump off the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Matthias has been featured on 60 Minutes Sports, 50 most adventurous men by Men’s Journal, Good Morning America, and has worked with companies such as Apple, GoPro, and Facebook.
Brad Neathery and Tyler sharp are the founders of a Modern Huntsman, a unique publication supported by some of our past guests including Chris Burkard, that seeks to stand together to fight for wildlife conservation, public land access, and ecological sustainability, all under the code of ethics that make the outdoors culture so strong.
Tyler Sharp is a photographer, writer, and director who has spent over a decade documenting stories and adventures in the hunting, outdoor, and conservation arenas who will share some insight into the roles that hunting plays in conservation and habitat preservation, as well as an awareness of the gaps in communication that exist between hunters and non-hunters. This eventually led Tyler to co-found Modern Huntsman and take up the charge as Editor in Chief of the publication, in hopes of bridging the gap between those worlds, correcting areas of misinformation, and challenging often outdated stereotypes.
Brad Neathery was born & raised in the Dallas, TX area, where he spent his younger years pursuing any outdoor adventure he could find throughout the in-between cracks of the suburban landscape didn’t really have much of a background in hunting. In fact, he tended to make it a point to disassociate from hunters and the lifestyle of hunting, as he didn’t much care for the stereotypical crown that culture had placed on the heads of hunters. It wasn’t until recent years when that stereotype was flipped on its head for Brad, and his paradigm of hunters was shattered. Along with Tyler, he created Modern Huntsman to exist as a platform where hunters and non-hunters could unite under common cause for the first time in modern history and together, work towards a shared positive impact on wildlife, conservation, land, and society.
When it comes to finding wind and waves in remote places, Gavin is without a doubt one of the most knowledgeable and experienced skippers in the world. He grew up on boats in the Pacific Northwest and commercially fished in the Bering Sea before getting into sailing in the mid 90’s. He has 13 straight years at sea under sail across all three oceans of the world. He’s rounded both Capes (Horn and Good Hope); racked up over 160,000 blue water miles; sailed solo across the Atlantic and through the Java Sea and Malacca Straits; and is passionate about protecting wild places for future generations.
Gavin McClurg is a Patagonia ambassador and the owner of Offshore Odysseys. In 2015, he took eighth place at the Red Bull X-Alps (the first American in the race’s history to reach the goal) and won National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year award for his paragliding traverse of the Canadian Rockies with Will Gadd. When he’s not sailing or flying Gavin calls Ketchum, Idaho home.
Nicholas Coolridge calls himself a Movement Artist from his combined love of movement and capturing it via photographs or video. Surprisingly most the photos you see on his social media are also taken by him with a camera setup on a tripod and a timer.
Many will know Nicholas from his truly positive, and simplistic lifestyle. He is one of little possessions and has lived in a van he modified into a home for a good portion of his adult life.
Before his movement career, Nicholas grew up building houses with his Dad (Paul) and was studying in college to be an auto mechanic. Movement and media were just a past time hobbies up until one of his first youtube videos went viral. This was the first spark that led him to devote his life to his love of movement and photography.
The three activities that light up his world most are Parkour, Climbing, and Acro Yoga. Even though it’s how he supports himself now he says that even if the world went into financial crisis he would still be just as happy since these three activities require no money at all!
He also loves spending his time traveling the world, playing the piano, exploring nature, cooking fresh food, or fixing things.
Although by birth his name is Nicholas, most now refer to him as Tarzan and some may not even know his real name! You won't have to hang out with him long to see that he truly embodies the nickname with a touch of sophisticated wisdom and love for technology. Say hello to ModernTarzan
Dan Pierson is the founder of Bolt Collective, a travel-loving community of incredible people all coming together to unlock otherwise impossible experiences through group economics.
Dan's adventures have taken him to over 50 countries, with stints living in Argentina, the Czech Republic, and Mexico, long bike rides across the United States and New Zealand, and an ultimately ill-advised 500-mile walk across the island of Cuba.
Dan's professional background is in the production of experiences for brands like Airbnb and The Rockefeller Foundation. He is also the creator of Subway Sets: A sold-out concert series bringing New York's best underground musicians to rooftops above New York City.
Since Brent was a kid, he remembers helping his dad with the family company, Kline Motor, where modifications to Vans and RV's have always been a part of the family trade. While Kline Van has up-fitted passenger vans for companies for years, Brent started VanDOit to meet the demand of the adventure van lifestyle and movement that’s taken off in the past few years. As a huge adventure seeker himself, Brent’s passionate that the minds behind the VanDOit movement are driven by a passion for adventure: people who bike, moto, surf, ski, hike, camp, run, fish, hunt, climb… Those who love the thrill of being free on the open road and seek the freedom, adventure, excitement-and the means to do those things.
For Brent, the desire to live those passions started from the day he could hold a wrench and work on a car.
There hasn’t been a ton of revolutionary changes in the tent industry but after an idea discussed during a surf trip in Portugal while camping on the beach, Stefan and his cofounder set out to build the world’s first inflatable tent.
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. On this episode we discuss: 1. How Chris fell in love with the outdoors 2. How he ruined $30,000 worth of camera gear. 3. Why he spent a night in a Russian jail 4. Chris takes us behind the scenes of all the hard work that goes into planning an outdoor trip. 5. How anyone can turn their passion into a career.
Raised in Portland, Oregon, Colin spent his childhood exploring the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and cultivated a passion for adventure in the outdoors. Colin was an active kid and excelled at sports, competing in both swimming and soccer. By the time he reached high school, he was nationally ranked in both sports. Ultimately, he was recruited to swim at Yale where he graduated with a Bachelors in Economics in 2006.
The resources to travel internationally weren’t there growing up, so Colin started painting houses in the summers to earn money. After college graduation and before settling into his career, he took a backpack and surfboard and set out to explore the world. In 2008, while in Thailand, Colin suffered a tragic accident and was severely burned in a fire; his injuries covered nearly 25% of his body, primarily damaging his legs and feet. Doctor’s warned him he might never walk again normally. With the encouragement of his mother, Colin was determined to beat the odds. He set himself a seemingly impossible goal: to complete his first triathlon after recovery.
A mere 18-months after his accident and after extensive rehabilitation, Colin amazed the sporting world when he not only completed his first triathlon, but he placed first overall at the Chicago Triathlon. After winning his first race, sponsors took note and signed on to support his future. Colin went on to become a professional triathlete and raced in 25 countries on six continents, representing the United States in international triathlon competitions.
Six years of professional triathlon was the exact preparation Colin needed when he and his fiancée, Jenna, came up with an audacious plan. Colin would attempt to complete a prestigious mountaineering challenge – The Explorers Grand Slam – in world record time. Without the resources to personally fund the expedition, Jenna and Colin spent 18-months raising the money and gathering the support they needed.
On May 27, 2016, the world record project came to a victorious end. Colin conquered The Explorers Grand Slam in a world record-shattering 139 days. Colin summited the tallest peak on each of the seven continents including Mt. Everest and skied the last degree to the North and South Poles. Fewer than 50 people have ever completed this staggering achievement and only four in under a year. With grit and perseverance, Colin became the fastest person to complete the mountaineering challenge, and in the process also broke the speed record for The Seven Summits in 132 days.
Colin and Jenna established a non-profit, Beyond 7/2, before Colin set out to break the Grand Slam world record, all in an effort to raise awareness and funds to inspire kids and their communities to lead active, healthy kids and pursue their biggest dreams. Colin’s efforts have impacted hundreds of thousands of children across the country since launching Beyond 7/2.
Knowing first-hand what it takes to overcome a serious setback, and the grit and perseverance required to achieve peak performance, Colin shares his story around the world speaking at the likes of Google, Samsung, Mashable’s Social Good Summit, P&G, and other influential Fortune 100 Companies. In the spring of 2017, Colin was invited to deliver a TED talk in Portland, OR. Nearly 1 Million people have viewed his talk online. It was the fastest growing talk that summer, globally.
Doug Heinrich (b. 1962) was introduced to climbing when he was twelve years old by a classmate. Early on he took climbing lessons with Jim Dockery, a local legend, and during his first year in climbing he achieved the summit of the Grand Teton on a guided climb. He quickly developed an interest in summiting alpine peaks. Doug discusses the Salt Lake climbing community of the late-70s and '80s, identifying some of the key figures involved in pushing grades and new-route development. He shares his opinions about the fascination with first ascents, explaining how this was not a priority or fascination for him. That said, Doug has developed some classic new routes, specifically on Big Walls in Zion National Park. He describes himself as not particularly good at any aspect of climbing but certainly able at all aspects: rock climbing, Big Walls, mountaineering, ice climbing, etc. Doug tells stories of working with Conrad Anker at The North Face store in Salt Lake City prior to Conrad's rise to stardom. Doug climbed with many of Salt Lake's most prominent mountaineers, a number of whom have tragically died in the mountains. After working at TNF, he went on to manage IME before moving to Black Diamond, where he continues to work. Doug describes the history of Black Diamond and also provides an overview of some of its more significant efforts in product development. Outdoor Recreation Oral History Project. Interviewer: Matt Driscoll
Heinrich, a prolific climber and veteran of the company, has served the brand in increasing roles starting in customer service, creating the BD retail store and as a sales representative. Heinrich’s diverse background includes having worked in senior executive roles at Patagonia and Icon Fitness. Most recently at Black Diamond, Heinrich served as the vice president of equipment.
Miles is an accomplished canopy pilot with more than 7,200 skydives and 4,500 BASE jumps, which is more known BASE jumps than anyone on the planet. He is a member of the Red Bull Air Force, a specialized human flight team of expert pilots.
Miles also holds the world record for the most human-powered BASE jumps in 24 hours. With Dasher’s record of 63, he climbed a total of 30,618 feet in 24 hours. For reference, Mount Everest — the tallest mountain in the world — towers at 29,029 feet. Or, in Daisher’s case, 60 BASE jump cycles.
On this episode, we learn how a single moment at the age of 25 changed the trajectory of Miles' life, as well as the importance of taking calculated risks and having a lust for life.
Dr. Jessie Stone is a medical doctor and member of the US Women's Freestyle Kayaking Team. In 2003, a kayaking expedition along Uganda's White Nile first brought her to the region. During this trip, a group member contracted a severe case of malaria and while treating them, she became acutely aware of the devastating effects the disease was taking on the Ugandan population as well. Determined to help control this needless health crisis, she founded Soft Power Health in 2004. Today she and her staff continue to expand upon and improve the range of healthcare services SPH provides to the region.
On this episode, we learn how Dr. Stone ended up in Uganda for a kayaking expedition on the Nile River which would later be a catalyst for starting Softpowerhealth.
Rob Little founded Cairn in the spring of 2014, combining his passion for the outdoors and his interest in changing the way that brands and consumers interact in the industry. As a graduate student, Rob studied creative retail applications in other industries and brought to life in Cairn the elements that he thought were most relevant for the outdoor market. Prior to launching Cairn, Rob worked as an operations engineer for Lockheed Martin in their Space Systems and Aerospace divisions. Rob is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, having spent over two years building infrastructure projects in Latin America. During his occasional breaks from Cairn, Rob can be found backpacking, skiing, biking, and paddle boarding with friends, his wife Betsey, and their Cairn terrier, Rocco.
On this episode, we get to hear Rob's journey from joining the Peace Corps, becoming an Operations Engineer at Lockheed Martin, to co-founding Cairn.
Troy Hartman is a professional aerial stuntman, skydiver, inventor, X Games gold medalist for skysurfing (a sport he pioneered in the US), and an accomplished television host for several TV shows. Most notably, the MTV series "Senseless Acts of Video” where he created and performed stunts such as plane to plane skydiving, base jumping off a moving semi truck, trapped in a free falling car, wakeboarding behind a helicopter, and most famously, skydiving with a flaming parachute! Troy was the face of the award-winning 1998 Pepsi Super Bowl commercial. Most recently, Troy built a jet-powered personal backpack that he’s used on skis and in flight which he’s currently building into an exciting new form of aerial recreation as he follows a strong passion to change the possibilities of aviation, a passion born early on from his father love of flight. On this episode, we get to hear the origin story of Troy Hartman and his epic life adventures. This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Christian Griffith is the Founder of Live for a Living and an ultra-marathon athlete. Christian has completed over 100 races of marathon distance or farther, racing all across the world: over volcanoes, across deserts, through tropical jungles, and infested swamps. He’s earned his 50-mile bib at the World's Toughest Mudder on CBS, took a beating on American Ninja Warrior on NBC, and survived Hell as a finisher on the History Channel's THE SELECTION: a Special Operations Experiment. He’s successfully completed a 100K trail-running Ultramarathon in Nicaragua more times (3) than anyone else in the history of the race. As a victim of secual abuse at a young age, Christian is taking a stand to prevent and treat the one in three girls and one in six boys who are sexually abused before the age of 18. To do this, he’s embarking on his latest adventure, Run2Heal - a 3000 mile run leaving New York City on March 19th and arriving in San Francisco 5 months later with the goal of raising 1 million dollars for the prevention and treatment of child abuse. You can directly support Christian and his run across the country by donating to his cause at the link here: https://www.gofundme.com/run2heal This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Mike Pfotenhauer is the Founder of Osprey Packs, which creates innovative, high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and devotion to the outdoors. With the help of his mother, Mike learned to sew, and created his first backpack at the age of 16. As a young entrepreneur in Santa Cruz, California, Mike opened a retail shop in the front of his rented house where backpackers and travelers – drawn by word of mouth – came to get measured for his custom-fitted, made-to-order packs. Each pack was constructed by Mike himself over the course of several days. To these avid travelers, the legendary packs were well worth the wait for one key reason: Mike’s obsession with the perfect fit, a trait originating from his study of the human body through his pursuit of art in college. On this episode, we learn how Mike's childhood shaped his love for the outdoors and how his devotion to “the perfect fit” has turned Osprey into a leading outdoor brand. This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Bryant Bertrand, the Co-Founder & CEO of Ronin, was always inspired by the adventures of super heroes like Batman and the gadgets he used. So, after working a number of years in the rescue industry designing hoists and winches for rescue helicopters, he drew upon his inspiration from Batman to bring one of his most famous gadgets to life with the goal of revolutionizing recreational ascension. His creation, the Ronin Lift personal rope ascender, represents that dream of creating a product anyone can use to solve the problem of vertical ascension, transforming a normally challenging task into the effortless feeling of superhero. When Bryant is not running Ronin, he enjoys fishing, hunting, backpacking, snowboarding, and generally any activity that gets him outdoors with some friends and some beer! You can see the Ronin in action here or try it for yourself on their website. On this episode, we learn how Bryant’s childhood shaped his love for the outdoors and how he manifested his dreams of being a superhero into starting Ronin! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Min Fitzgerald, the CEO of Nutrigene, is an Entrepreneur and Behavioural Scientist who’s passionate about using technology and innovation to change the game in public health. As the co-founder of Nutrigene, she’s on a mission to optimize health and prevent nutrition-related disease, a problem which affects over half of the world’s population.
Nutrigene does this by sending pure, personalized liquid supplements backed by scientific research and optimized to your specific characteristics. This create a unique formulation specifically for you with results that are 10x more effective than generic off the shelf options.
Min is currently based between San Francisco and Vancouver and her work spans across Canada and the US.
On this episode, we learn how the death of Min’s Aunt shaped her career and how Min started Nutrigene. Use the code: GETME-NUTRIGENE-10 to receive $10 off your first order. This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Richard Browning is the Founder of Gravity, a human propulsion technology start up that’s invented, built, and patented an ‘iron man like’ flight system. This UK-based inventor has truly thrown away the rule book in building a suit powered by six small jet engines, where he pioneered his first flight in the Spring of 2017. Richard’s dream was to reimagine an entirely new authentic form of human flight leaning on an elegant collaboration of mind and body augmented by leading edge technology. Gravity has to date been experienced by over a billion people globally with video views alone running at more than 60m within 7 just days of launch. Richard's vision is to build Gravity into a world class aeronautical engineering business, challenge perceived boundaries in human aviation, and inspire a generation to dare ask ‘what if…?’. On this episode, we learn how Richard's childhood shaped his career and Richard shares the story of the journey to creating the first ‘iron man like’ flight system. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Tommy Breedlove is an influencer, speaker and coach empowering individuals and ambitious leaders to achieve meaning in life, rediscover brilliance, build a legacy, and obtain true balance & freedom. Tommy does this as the founder of Choose Goodness, a movement dedicated to helping executives and entrepreneurs focus beyond the financial bottom line; a movement empowering Courageous, Clear & Conscious Choices for both individuals and businesses. Through his work, he aspires to encourage organizations to search for unmet human needs that create transformational impact on themselves, their business, and society at large. On this episode, we learn how Tommy went from being in jail at 19 to building the life of his dreams and the advice he would give to others who want to make a change in their life. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Sarah L. Knapp is the Founder & Director of OutdoorFest, a community platform to connect urban dwellers to outdoor recreation in cities. Through their signature festival and monthly Mappy Hours, OutdoorFest is able to reach urban dwellers in over 10 cities in North America. Knapp is also the owner and publisher to offMetro, an award-winning green travel resource for urban dwellers wanting to get out of town, car optional. On this episode, Sarah shares how she fell in love with the outdoors, how she started OutdoorFest, and how anyone can experience the outdoors no matter where they live. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Devin Graham is an American videographer who produces adventure and extreme sport videos on YouTube under the name devinsupertramp. His channel has more than 4.8 million subscribers and over 1 billion total views. On this episode, Devin shares how he fell in love with the outdoors, how he fell in love with filmmaking, and the journey of his YouTube channels success. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Dan Berlin is the cofounder of Team See Possibilities, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people challenge their perceived limits and redefine possibility. Despite losing his eyesight to the diseasecon rod dystrophy, Dan strives to prove that the only limits people truly have are the ones they place on themselves. To showcase this, Team See Possibilities takes on endurance challenges around the world never done before by a blind athlete. They’ve raced nonstop across the Grand Canyon and back, up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in 13 hours, hikes to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the dark in 2 1/2 days, andcompleted a 3-day endurance challenge through over 100 kilometers of remote sections of The Great Wall of China.Their goal is to help Dan make history on 7 continents in 7 years and inspire the local children who are blind by delivering a simple message: challenge your perceived limits. On this episode, Dan shares the journey of losing his eyesight and the impact it’s had on his life. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Matt Wilson is the co-founder of the travel company Under30Experiences.In just a few short years U30X has grown to 15+ countries worldwide and 30+ local communities throughout the USA and Canada. Matt is also the Co-Founder of Under30CEO (Acquired 2016) and the Host of the Live Different Podcast. He brings a unique, uncensored approach to his interviews and writing. His work is published on Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, Reuters, and is part of the invite-only Young Entrepreneurs' Council (YEC) comprised of the world's most successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger. Matt is a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. He hosts yoga and fitness retreats in his free time and completed the Crossfit Level 1 Coaching Course. He buys all his food from an organic farm in the jungle of Costa Rica where he lives. On this episode, we learn how Matt went from working a corporate job to building his dream lifestyle, how he started his outdoor companies and advice he would give to others on how they can do the same. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Zach Davis is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief at The Trek and was named the The Top Hiking and Outdoor Blogger by USA TODAY. He has more than 5,000 miles of backpacking experience, including thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. He's authored a pair of books, Appalachian Trials and Pacific Crest Trials, resources geared toward mentally preparing people for a thru-hike. When he's not hiking, Zach is most likely playing with his dog or at a brewery in Golden, Colorado, where he currently calls home. Today, we’re going to learn how Zach went from hating the outdoors to making a career out of it, his journey hiking the Appalachian trail and advice he would give to others on how they can turn their passion into a career. This podcast is sponsored by ReddyYeti: Use the code VESTIGO to get your first two months of membership for free! This podcast is produced by Force Media.
Chris Baker is the founder of OneSeed Expeditions, a global guiding outfitter that uses adventure travel to support entrepreneurship around the world. OneSeed connects travelers with local guides and communities while investing in local businesses through microfinance loans. To date, OneSeed has invested more than $250,000 in more than 500 entrepreneurs in places like Nepal, Chile, and Tanzania. Chris was born and raised in rural West Virginia where the state motto reads "Mountaineers are always free." While his path has taken him around the world, he's always felt at home in the mountains. Chris launched OneSeed with a laptop and a crowdfunding campaign in 2010 and has since grown the team to more than 65 guides working across 7 countries. Today, we’re going to learn how Chris’s childhood and world travels shaped his future career, how he built OneSeed Expeditions and the advice he would give to the 18-year-old version of himself. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Bryan Snyder grew up exploring the rolling hills and shady creeks of upstate New York. A year abroad in Scotland, filled with hitchhiking adventures in the highlands and journeys to ruined castles convinced him that he needed to find employment outdoors. So after college, Bryan taught natural science to young students at various environmental schools from Maine to Hawaii before settling on the West Coast. Through trial and error, Bryan learned how to travel on the limited budget of a seasonal outdoor educator, which enabled a series of summertime odysseys in the Sierras and Rocky Mountains. Two decades after coming to the West, Bryan continues to tempt fate in the thorniest of natural landscapes. His "Off The Map" trilogy of adventure stories documents his numerous encounters with bears, storms, cliffs and other near-catastrophes. Today, we’re going to learn how those stories inspired Bryan to pursue a lifestyle of adventure and how he inspires other to find their own passions in the outdoors and travel, through writing. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Today we are going to hear the story of Joe Ewing and Britten Ferguson; 2 incredible outdoor enthusiasts and world travelers whose paths have crossed in Denver, Colorado to found Wayfinder co-op: A member owned cooperative, co-working space in Denver that gives a home to businesses in the outdoor recreation industry to collaborate and create together. Joe Ewing is Colorado native from the Denver area. Joe is former outward bound instructor, a river and mountain guide & an EMT. He has a degree from University of Colorado in Political Science and Economics, MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from Colorado State University. Joe is currently the co-founder at Desta Technologies, a client lead generation platform for freelance guides and adventure outfitters Britten Ferguson grew up in Eastern Washington before going to the business school at the University of Washington. His work as a bilingual guide and educator motivated him to start Revolución, a bike travel business that takes people on inspired cycling adventures throughout Latin America. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Wade Holland is an adventure personality and video producer. He works with small to large size brands to bring them to life through engaging original video content and through an unmatched energy. As a personality, he hosts a variety of programs from digital series, to brand feature videos, as well as national corporate events. His specialty is original adventure lifestyle content. With a background in competitive adventure sports, he knows this world well and creates entertaining first-person perspective video that takes the viewer on an exciting journey through his adventures. On this episode, we chat with Wade on how his childhood shaped his career, he tells the story of how he built a brand around 500 days of adventure and shares stories of his favorite adventures. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Davis Smith is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi. He was Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s CEO of the Year in 2016 and is a member of the eight-person United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council. Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School and is an adventurer who recently led the first successful crossing from Cuba to Florida via kayak! On this episode, we chat with Davis on how his childhood shaped his career, he recounts the journey that eventually led him to start Cotopaxi and the story of how he crossed Cuba to Florida via kayak! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Jess Nepstad was the Divisional Vice president of Nestlé until an unexpected severance caused him to jump into the world of owning a small business. In September 2016, Jess and his business partner, Ned Becker, had the opportunity to combine their passions for coffee and the outdoors by purchasing Planetary Design: a company in Missoula, MT, dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect backcountry coffee. On this episode, we chat with Jess on how networking is the most important tool in business, the life lessons Jess has learned from his personal/professional career and how he purchased Planetary Design. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Kissy Moehl is a world renowned ultramarathon runner who has set multiple world records! She is the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning and set the women's record for the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in 2007. Through her passion for trail running, Krissy has had the opportunity to travel and experience the world. She credits the support of her family, the trail running community, her rich life experiences and the open spaces of high alpine terrain for inspiring her to keep moving forward. On this episode, we chat with Krissy on how she fell in love with running, how she trains/prepares for her races and how she turned running into a full time career. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Eric Baird is the founder and CEO of Granogi. This all started when Eric dreamed of bringing 300 people down to the beautiful waterfalls located in Havasupai. Combining hiking, camping, yoga and meditation, and later incorporating other healthy living skills such as cooking, emotional healing and more. Eric is also a contributing team member of Landmark Worldwide’s, Team, Management and Leadership Program, and has spoken all over the U.S. about entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Eric's love for people and the world has led him on numerous adventures to help drive success. On this episode, we chat with Eric fell in love with the outdoors, how he started Granogi and how humanity can use the outdoors to bring our communities together. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
JJ Yosh is a TV Host, Adventure Filmmaker, Backcountry Chef, Outdoor Enthusiast, and social media influencer. Back in college, JJ discovered his love for nature on his first backpacking trip, and quickly saw that exploring our earth was his key to helping the world. Since that time, JJ has led countless groups of people all over the world to explore some of the most beautiful places on earth, now producing engaging media to inspire people to get outside and explore their backyards. JJ has appeared in national commercials for AT&T, DirecTV, Coors, Intel, Chipotle Grill and hosted television shows for Discovery, TLC, and Tastemade networks. He recently produced and starred in a full feature length documentary, Ancient Tomorrow. On this episode, we chat with JJ on how he built his passion into a career, he recounts the stories of his most memorable outdoor experiences and shares what he wants his legacy to be. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Scott Nelson is the founder and CEO of Advanture Company, a company whose mission is to help people renew their passion for life through building them a custom home on wheels. Scott grew up in Santa Cruz, CA where adventure was just an everyday activity. Surfing, camping, and hiking were all apart of his daily routine. Scott has taken all of these experiences and has applied them to his startup, Advanture Company. They recently built a van for the famous photographer, Chris Burkard! On this episode, we chat with Scott on how his childhood shaped his passions, how he went from living in Hawaii to getting his MBA and how he started and builtAdvanture Company! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
In 2012, Emily & Scott Manning sold everything they owned and traveled to and lived in 12 countries in 12 months with their 7 month old son. Upon returning to the US, they didn't know where the best "home" would be as they wanted to incorporate a lot of values, lifestyles, and climates from the places they lived internationally. They decided the best way for them to discover a good home for their family in the US was to have a home on wheels! They were able to buy a bus in April 2015, renovate it themselves that summer, and have been living and traveling on it since September of 2015. Emily & Scott welcomed their second child, Zellie onto the bus in December 2015 and have been enjoying tiny living on wheels as a family of 4 as they've traveled all over the west US. They're expecting kid #3 this fall! On this episode we discuss how they transformed the bus, they share stories from their travels and give advice to other families who want to travel! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Devin Cohen is the co-founder of Parks Preserve, an e-commerce based outdoor goods company that gives 50% of its profits back to state & national park systems. On this episode we discuss how his childhood shaped his career, how/why they started Parks Preserve and how anyone can get involved with preserving and promoting the state and national parks. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Keegan McColl is the co-founder of Slipstream, commonly referred to as the Netflix for adventure films. Always passionate about the outdoors and the environment, Keegan has rock climbed in Oman, paddled the Arctic Circle and surfed all 3 coasts of Africa. Keegan studied at The Williams School of Business at Bishop's University, worked at Hootsuite before starting Slipstream. Keegan grew up on Saltspring Island, a unique community off the coast of British Columbia that served as the initial stomping grounds of that passion for the outdoors, adventure, and photography that lead him to start Slipstream. On this episode we discuss how his childhood shaped his career, the reaction of the outdoor community after the launch of Slipstream and advice he would give to fellow outdoor entrepreneurs. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Nicole Bassett was a film and video editing professional in a past life, but she decided to follow her passion for the outdoors and sustainability. She used that passion to start her new company, Renewal Workshop, which seeks to redefine waste in the apparel industry. On this episode, we chat with Nicole on how she fell in love with the outdoors, why she started Renewal Workshop and how the average individual can get involved and help make the world more sustainable. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
David Williams is a serial entrepreneur, CEO, and startup investor. Dave has had some incredible experiences From Rafting roaring rapids in Africa, Scuba diving along the Great Barrier Reef, Nightclubbing in Ibiza, to Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain — twice. Dave Williams truly lives for life experiences, and today, he shares the story of why those experiences were crucial step in making him a better entrepreneur. From the Dot Com days to navigating a recession, Dave has endured the cycles of entrepreneurship for nearly twenty years. He created, lead, and exited two successful startups, 360i and BLiNQ Media and now serves as an angel investor, advisor, mentor through Global Ad Ventures, and most recently, founded his latest startup called NomadX, a brilliant way to share his passion for traveling and entrepreneurship with all those brave enough to take the first step. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Tom Mulliez is the founder of iTrekkers: an online platform that enables outdoor adventures by connecting the public to expert guides in Florida. During this episode, we chat with Tom on how he fell in love with the outdoors, how he transitioned his life path and how he built his outdoor company iTrekkers. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Rick Ridgeway is Patagonia’s Vice President of Environmental Affairs where he oversees vanguard environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, Common Threads and the Footprint Chronicles. He also co-founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. In addition to business, Rick is recognized as a mountaineer and adventurer, making the first American ascent of K2. He has produced and directed several documentary films, written dozens of magazine articles and six books. National Geographic recently honored him with its “Lifetime Achievement in Adventure” award.
During this episode, we chat with Rick on how he fell in love with the outdoors, he recounts some of his most memorable adventures and shares the advice he would give to a younger version of himself. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Josh Salvo is the founder of ReddyYeti, an online platform that helps emerging outdoor entrepreneurs get the traction & exposure they need. This is done through seasonal gear giveaways on their website. During this episode, we chat with Josh on how he fell in love with the skiing, how he started ReadyYeti and the advice he would give to someone who wants to start a business in the outdoor industry.
Links mentioned in the episode: 1. ReadyYeti
2. ReadyYeti Podcast
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Brittney Carlberg is a world traveler who has dedicated her life to inspiring wellness through intentional outdoor experiences and a lifestyle mindset she refers to as Travel Happy. She founded her company Travel Happy Tribe upon that mindset and has since become a bit of a celebrity through her work. On this episode, we chat with Brittney on how she fell in love with the outdoors, how she built her lifestyle around travel (and how she was robbed in Bolivia) and the advice she would give to others who also want to build their life around travel. Links mentioned in episode: 1. Travel Happy Tribe Website 2. Instagram
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Anna Stork is the co-founder of Shark Tank featured startup LuminAID, an innovative new solar company that makes a solar-rechargeable, inflatable lantern that packs flat and inflates to create a lightweight, waterproof light that’s safe, sustainable, and portable. Their mission to make light more sustainable and affordable for everyone with their roots focused on disaster relief. LuminAID has currently been used in more than 70 countries after disasters including Hurricane Sandy and the devastating earthquakes in Nepal. On this episode we chat with Anna on how she was a problem solver from a young age, where the idea for LuminAID came from and how they were able to start and build the company. Links mentioned in episode: 1. LuminAID
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Jennifer Scism and her husband, David Koorits, are the founders of Good To-Go: a unique outdoor startup that makes delicious, all natural meals which are lightweight and simple to prepare whether you’re 20 miles in the backcountry or next to your car at a campground! On this episode we chat with Jennifer & David on how they met, how they had the idea for Good To-Go and how they have built and run their business over the last couple years. Links mentioned in episode: 1. Good To-Go
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Dan Opalacz decided to sell most of what he owned and move into an 86’ Subaru Powered VW to travel around North America and build one of the nation's most exciting footwear startups, Bedrock Sandals. After a couple years in the VW, Dan traded in his VW van for a small boat in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved the company out to Oakland, CA where he’s currently living at the marina out of a sailboat...with no sail…or even mast. In addition to building the Bedrock Brand, Dan recently traveled the entire country of New Zealand via bike, foot, and canoe and was recently named to the Outdoor Industry's 30 Under 30 list. On this episode we chat with Dan on why he decided to made such a radical change to his lifestyle, we hear amazing stories from his epic adventures and we discuss how he built Bedrock Sandals. Links mentioned in episode: 1. Bedrock Sandals
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Jason Antin is currently the director of Partnerships at Gociety, an app dedicated to easily getting you outside with awesome people; simply and spontaneously.
On top of that, Jason is a guide for Denver Mountain Guiding, has extensive emergency medical training as an EMT, and he coaches mountain athletes at the Alpine Training Center in Boulder, CO.
On this episode, we discuss how Jason went from being a law enforcement officer to working in the outdoors, how he built his career around the outdoors and advice he would give to someone who wants to make a career change into the outdoors.
Links mentioned in episode: 1. Adventure Fest 2. Gociety
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Bob Dalton was inspired to help the homeless population when his mother, a hard-working single mother, found herself living on the streets in 2013. Because of his Mother's story, Bob realized that not all choose to become homeless, and that some just need a second chance. He began to call homeless shelters in his area to ask what they needed: They all said blankets. In June of 2014, Bob founded Sackcloth & Ashes. For every blanket that you purchase, Sackcloth & Ashes gives a blanket to your local homeless shelter. On this episode we discuss: 1. How Bob’s childhood shaped his career and the business he started. 2. How Bob used his mother’s time on the streets as inspiration to start his business. 3. The impact Sackcloth & Ashes has had on the homeless community. 4. The advice Bob would give to someone who wants to be a social entrepreneur. 5. How Sackcloth & Ashes is revolutionizing social entrepreneurship.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Craig Cooper is a 53-year-old serial entrepreneur from Australia and an early investor in companies such as The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed. Craig is currently the CEO of CooperativeHealth, a digital media company focused on men’s health, as well as the author of the Harper Collins book “Your New Prime: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick-Ass Life After 40“. Through this, he’s created a comprehensive guide to healthy aging for men, highlighting the specific things to focus on – flexibility, mobility, balance, functional strength, nutrition and endurance.
And as if that weren’t enough, Craig is also the host of CNBC's new Shark Tank style show, the "Adventure Capitalists,” showcasing the best new innovation from outdoor startups across the world. On this episode we discuss: 1. Craig’s early life and how he forged his own path in his multitude of careers. 2. How his many injuries and near death experiences have shaped his life. 3. A behind the scenes look at the TV Show “Adventure Capitalists”. 4. Why an active and healthy lifestyle is so important to Craig. 5. The advice he’d give to other outdoor entrepreneurs. 6. What Craig wants his legacy to be.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere. On this episode we discuss: 1. How Chris fell in love with the outdoors 2. How he ruined $30,000 worth of camera gear. 3. Why he spent a night in a Russian jail 4. Chris takes us behind the scenes of all the hard work that goes into planning an outdoor trip. 5. How anyone can turn their passion into a career.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Patrick Sherwin is the founder of GoSun Stove; a versatile and powerful portable stove that can cook a meal in only 20 minutes, safely sizzling its contents up to a remarkable 550°F, all without the use of fuel. On this episode, we discuss how Patrick fell in love with the outdoors, the impact solar energy has on our community, how Patrick discovered this technology and created the GoSun stove and advice he would give to others on how to make an impact on society. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Mark Llano is the owner and driver of Serket Racing, a seasoned veteran, and entrepreneur dedicated to bettering the lives of his fellow veterans.
Llano joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1986 and served five years prior to being called up for active duty during Desert Storm in 1991. Llano’s dedication to excellence was apparent as a marine, and upon leaving the service, continued with his entrepreneurial work.
In 2003, Llano left Sterling to pursue a new venture that would bring him closer to his military family and community. Named Source One Distributors, Inc., Llano’s new venture provided equipment, products and support services to the defense industry. In 2012, Llano married his success with Source One and his passion for racing by creating Serket to raise awareness and direct financial support for veterans and their families.
On this episode, we discuss how Mark got into Serket racing, how he trains for Serket racing, his favorite memories from racing and we learn about his mental approach to series racing and how we can apply it to our lives.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Brody Leven is a professional adventure skier and storyteller raised in flat, northeastern Ohio as a freestyle skier and soccer player. Brody graduated from Westminster College in 2010 where he was elected as a two-term student body president and recipient of his college's highest honor, the President's Leadership while studying economics, honors, and Spanish. He’s obsessed with climbing and skiing the world's mountains and volcanoes. Once a year Brody wears a suit once a year to talk with congress about climate change. On this episode, we discuss how Brody fell in love with skiing, how he became a ski mountaineer, and how Brody has built his lifestyle around outdoor adventures and making an impact on the world.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Kyle Davidson is the founder of Sourced Adventures, an adventure travel company specializing in day trips, weekend excursions, and destination travel. Sourced Adventures helps people escape the city and experience the outdoors. In three short years, Sourced Adventures has taken over 30,000 passengers on trips. On this episode, we discuss how Kyle got involved guiding outdoor trips, how he started Sourced Adventures, and advice he would give to people who want to lead outdoor trips.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Justin Lukasavige is a free-lance marketing and photography guru who gets paid to travel the world and pursue what he loves. On this episode, we discuss Justin’s experiences motorcycling the Colorado mountain passes, how he combines his passion for photography and the outdoors, and advice he would give to others on how they can build an income around the outdoors.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
After college, Heath and his wife Alyssa both started off working conventional office jobs. However, that lifestyle was so boring they didn’t last a year before they knew sitting in an office all day for the next forty years wasn’t going to work.
They both love to travel, but when you’re 25, it isn’t always easy or affordable to see the world. Together they hatched a plan to quit their jobs, buy an old RV off Craigslist, and cross off a major bucket list item: traveling to all fifty states.Four days after their wedding, they hopped into their 1994 Coachman Leprechaun and headed west. They spent the next seven months on a cross-country road trip that spanned across 48 states. As they traveled, they loved their new lifestyle so but didn’t want their full-time travel lifestyle to end after they visited all fifty states; they wanted to find a way to keep traveling indefinitely.
So, they started finding dozens of creative ways to make money during their travels: sponsorships, books, consulting, film work, podcasting, affiliate marketing, blogging, and more. On this episode we talk to Heath about how they got started traveling in the RV, how they financially supported themselves during their travels (including Heath working a job in every US State) and advice they would give to others on how they can travel on a budget.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Erika Wiggins love for adventure started from her days sailing the South Pacific when she was 4 years old with her parents to earning her first pilot’s certificate while in the US Virgin Islands at 17 years old. For over 25 years, Erika has been flying, backpacking, caving, diving, camping, and rappelling. To fund her passion, she’s worked as a flight instructor, corporate pilot, and firefighter/ EMT.
In 2005, she threw herself head first into the corporate-rut as a commercial real estate broker. Working 80 hours a week, without days off forcing her to the brink of insanity. In 2008, she began blogging as a form of mental escape. The more she wrote, the more she knew something had to change.
By 2009, she was back out on the trails, kayaking and crawling around in caves again, learning to live on less money and more efficiently managing her business to allow more freedom.
On this episode, Erika shares what life was like growing up sailing and learning how to fly planes at a young age. Erika also shares how she fell into the trap of being consumed by work but how she was able to get herself out of it. Finally, Erika gives advice to others on how they can build a life that combines work and passion. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
John Huston is a professional polar explorer and veteran of the first American unsupported expedition to the North Pole. He has completed major expeditions to the South Pole, Greenland, and to Canada’s fabled Ellesmere Island. John is also a motivational speaker, safety and logistics consultant, and wilderness guide. He regularly speaks to companies and organizations, referencing his expeditions to discuss overcoming challenges. Whether it is navigating through a junkyard maze of sea ice rubble, skiing into the alpenglow of the midnight sun, or the camaraderie that comes with a team safely pitching a tent in a howling blizzard, he lives for moments in which effort and reward seamlessly flow together.
On this episode we discuss: 1. How John fell in love with the outdoors.
- What goes into a polar expedition and how they work.
- How they plan and prepare for an expedition.
- What can go wrong during an expedition.
- The technology they use during their expedition.
- John’s mental attitude and how he stays strong while on an expedition.
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The type of challenges John has faced on the ice and the lessons he’s learned.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Camrin Braun is fascinated by the marine life of our planet. In 2010, he joined a team of experts who employ cutting edge techniques to understand the ecology of the world’s most important fish.
Since then, he has been elected a National Geographic Young Explorer and become a member of the Explorer’s Club. His expeditions have ranged from sailing the remote Pacific to understand coral reefs to tagging sharks in Sudan.
He is now pursuing his doctoral degree in Oceanography at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where he explores the relationship between the movements of large, open ocean fish and the physical, chemical, and biological environment they inhabit.
On this episode we discuss:
1. How Camrin fell in love with the ocean.
2. The science behind fish tagging.
3. The biggest misconception people have about the ocean.
4. The type of tools Camrin uses to study the ocean.
5. Camrin’s favorite stories from his work as an oceanographer.
6. Why Mako sharks are Camrin’s favorite marine animal.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Jessica Wahl is the Government Affairs Manager at the Outdoor Industry Association. Along with being the Government Affairs Manager, Jessica has fought to improve the state of outdoor recreation in the US since 2009 in the Office of the Secretary in the Department of the Interior. Jessica also serves the Outdoor Industry Association as the Recreation Policy Manager. On this episode we discuss: 1. Washington D.C. and the outdoor opportunities it offers. 2. How Jessica got into the role of combining policy and the outdoors. 3. Jessica’s favorite initiatives she has worked on throughout her career. 4. The impact the outdoors has on the United States and careers throughout the country. 5. Jessica’s prediction of the outdoor industry in the next 10-20 years.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Dan Vinson is the co-founder of Monkii Bars, a versatile fitness device that allows you to have epic workouts no matter where you are in the world. Previously, Dan worked as a Wilderness Ranger and a Wildland Firefighter. On this episode we learn: 1. How Dan fell in love with the outdoors and fitness. 2. Dan’s favorite stories as a Wilderness Ranger and Wildland Firefighter. 3. How Dan’s different outdoor business ideas led to the creation of Monkii Bars. 4. The story of how Dan did a workout with the Monkii Bars while attached to a hot air balloon hundreds of feet in the air. 5. How Monkii Bars raised $1,073,512 on Kickstarter. 6. Why it’s important for everyone to workout and be involved in the outdoors. 7. Dan’s advice on how to maintain a fitness routine outdoors.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Andrew Siess is now the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe on foot. In the Summer of 2009, Andrew biked from Minnesota to the southern-most tip of South America. In September of 2011 Andrew canoed the entire Mississippi River, he finished in December of the same year. In May of 2012 Andrew Sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, hit a whale, was rescued by a cargo ship then began walking around the entire planet. On this episode we learn: 1. How Andrew biked from Minnesota to the southern tip of South America (and biked all the way back home!) 2. Andrew shares his experience when he canoed the entire Mississippi (and did it without spending any money!) 3. The story of Andrew circumventing the world. 4. How Andrew’s ship sank in the middle of the ocean and they were rescued by a cargo ship. 5. How Andrew made money to support himself while he walked around the world. 6. How Andrew made it through the challenging months during his trip (loneliness, sickness, no money, police, danger). 7. The advice Andrew would give to someone who wants to add adventure to their life.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Milo Pierwola is the founder of World 360 VR and EXP Adventures, a privately guided adventure company. World 360 VR is a company that produces virtual reality videos of real adventures including winter alpine climbing, flying a drone inside a mine, and much more. They use those videos along with virtual reality headsets and take them inside orphanages, hospitals, inpatient care centers and let people who have never been able to experience these type of activities, feel like they are actually on the adventure. On this episode we learn: 1. Milo’s life story and how he turned his unhappy lawyer lifestyle into a life of adventure. (At one point Milo was working over 95 hours a week in a room with no windows) 2. How Milo overcome the criticism and doubt of his friends and family when he changed his lifestyle. 3. How Milo brought the outdoors to life by recording it with a virtual reality camera. 4. The impact virtual reality is going to have on humanity. 5. How we can combine technology and the outdoors.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
David Nour is the CEO of the Nour group. David is also an author, entrepreneur and an avid cross-country motorcyclist. David has ridden the entire route 66, he owns over 7 bikes, and has ridden over 3,500 miles in under 10 days. On this episode we learn: 1. How David fell in love with motorcycling. 2. The misconceptions many people have about motorcycles and the motorcycle community. 3. The stories of his long distance rides. 4. The 4 times David has fallen off his motorcycle and what he learned from the experiences. 5. The lessons David's learned from riding and how they have contributed to his success in business. 6. How a beginner can get started with riding motorcycles. 7. David’s most memorable riding experience over the last 6 years. 8. The positive impact riding has had on David’s life.
If you'd like to go on a trip with David, you can sign up here!
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Lucas is a professional filmmaker, cinematographer, and former award-winning professional climber, holding world championship titles in bouldering, has multiple first place victories in the Italian Climbing Cup, and was ranked as one of the top 5 climbers of the World Cup ranking till 2011. Lucas is now currently managing his production company, The Coral Climb, one of the best-established filmmaking companies in Italy that specializes in documentary filmmaking and branded content, where he’s worked on dozens of documentaries, films, and advertisements around the world for major network and corporate clients such as National Geographic, the US Navy, and LaSportiva. Lucas is currently is based in Los Angeles managing the filmmaking company full time. On this episode, we learn about Lucas’s life as a world-class rock climber (and how Lucas overcame his fear of heights), how Lucas transitioned from Rock Climbing to founding The Coral Climb, and how the team at Coral Climb creates their breath taking outdoor films. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Grace Anderson is the Inspiring Connections Representative with the Sierra Club. Grace currently coordinates the 52 group nationwide volunteer-led program that connects marginalized communities to the outdoors, especially youth. She has worked as a council member for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and has worked to promote diversity in the outdoors through NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School. Grace was also recently named as one of America’s “30 Under 30” outdoor movers and shakers by the Outdoor Industry Association.
On this episode, we learn the story of how Grace fell in love with the outdoors, how she is making the outdoor community a more comfortable place for people of color, and the impact that the outdoors has on the youth in our community.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Langely McNeal is most well known for her phenomenal accomplishments as a pro skier on the US Ski Cross World Cup Team. She was the top American Ski Cross female in 2008/2009/2011/2012/2013, has appeared in 4 Winter X GAMES and was the 2012 Winter X GAMES National Champion. She’s been featured in top publications such as Ski Magazine, Shape Magazine, Powder Magazine, and Eddie Bauer. Through all of this, she served as her own manager and agent, mastering the business side of sports marketing and social media. On this episode we discuss how Langely fell in love with skiing, how she turned skiing from a hobby into a profession, the story of how she got to the X GAMES (After not skiing for months and having only 1 week to train), and we get a behind the scenes look at the mental/physical/emotional aspect of being a professional skier. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Chris Shiver is a natural born entrepreneur and investor who has visited over 36 countries, living in 4 of them and working in 6. Chris was the founder and President of a NASA-based composite thermal materials and products company who’s proprietary material helped NASA patch it's heat shield in orbit. Chris is also an avid scuba diver who’s spent 30 years in the sport and 5 years as the director of sales and marketing for 6 high-end diving resorts located in Fiji, Belize, and the Philippines. Chris is currently the CEO and editor of ColoradoAdventures.com, a one-stop-shop for outdoor recreation and adventures. In this episode we learn how traveling around the world at a young age led Chris to his love for the outdoors, the story of Chris' Mt. Everest Expedition in search of Sandy Irvine body, Chris’ opinion on making the ocean habitable for humans, and Chris’ advice on how to build a lifestyle that combines your career and the outdoors. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Lisa Slagle is the founder and Creative Director of Wheelie Creative: A creative marketing agency that creates wild and meaningful content for the outdoor industry. They build brand identities, make videos, and work with businesses to help them tell their story in a fun and engaging way. In this episode we learn how Lisa started Wheelie Creative, what inspired Lisa to get into snowboarding (Lisa has had 5 concussions in the last year from snowboarding) and how snowboarding, fear and the outdoors are closely tied together. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Ryan is the founder of Alpine Hammock and Deep South Mountaineering. Alpine Hammock has raised over $60,000 on Kickstarter. Deep South Mountaineering creates elegantly functional outdoor equipment that seeks to protect our shared natural resources. On this episode, we learn how Ryan started Alpine Hammock, how Ryan used Kickstarter to fund his company, Ryan’s experience as a dog sledder and we hear the story of how Ryan and his friends summited a mountain for the first time and officially named the mountain! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Jon Bowen is a cartographer at National Geographic where he works on building interactive maps and atlases. Through cartography, Jon has worked in the Galapagos islands at The Charles Darwin Research Center and has also led numerous whitewater rafting trips in the back country. Jon was also nominated as one of the 30Under30 creative leaders in the outdoor community. On this episode we learn how Jon fell in love with cartography, how cartography can help people get involved with the outdoors, and a behind the scenes look at how maps and cartography shape our world. We also get to hear what Jon thinks of Pokemon Go! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Lance Haynie is the associate director of the University of Georgia Recreational Program. Lance’s primary responsibilities include leading, organizing and managing all the outdoor trips for the UGA recreation program. On this episode we learn what inspired Lance to get into the outdoors, the positive relationship the outdoors can build between your family and friends, and how the outdoors can strengthen you as a leader and communicator. Fun fact: Lance is also who inspired our host, Marshall Mosher, to get into the outdoors. Without Lance, this show probably would not exist! This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
After spending 3 years as an event director, Adam spent 2015 with his wife traveling internationally through Chile, Thailand, Australia and many other countries across a total of 6 continents. Following their return home from the United States, Adam set out in February 2016 to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of the USA on foot, traveling from Huntington Beach, CA to Tybee Island, GA, completing the 2,500 mile journey in 60 days. On this episode we get to hear how Adam fell in love with running after a half-marathon race with his wife (After the race he said he was not going to do a race ever again…quite the opposite happened), the intense challenges Adam faced running across America, and the life lessons Adam learned from being an ultramarathonner. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
On November 1st, 2014, Hina Dar went hiking for the first time in her life. In 2016, Hina hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. On this episode we get to hear Hina share her powerful story on how going through a tough divorce got her into working out and hiking, how she went from a beginner to hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro and the advice she would give to everyone else about getting started in the outdoors. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Kirk Reynolds is the founder and CEO of Discover Outdoors. Started in 2004, Discover Outdoors has been guiding local, regional and international adventure trips for thousands of city dwellers. Their team handles it all from transportation to logistics for adults, kids, private parties and corporate teams. On this episode, we learn what got Kirk into the outdoors, how Kirk left a secure job at IBM to build Discover Outdoors and the impact that outdoor trips can have on your life. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo.co and produced by ForceMedia.me