Episodes
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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+.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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