The Stokecast

What is a food forest? You'll have to listen to find out! On this episode of The Stokecast, Emily and Jonathan chat with adventure photographer, writer, farmer, conservationist, and National Geographic Explorer, Becca Skinner. For Becca's take on permaculture and sustainable ranching, her experience of building a career as photographer and storyteller, her top tips for car camping/living (learned from 32,000 miles on the road with her pup and a camera!), and her feelings about business, busyness, and balance, dive in! For the show notes from this episode, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/becca-skinner

Kit Deslauriers is a Jackson-hole based ski mountaineer, the first person in the world to ski off the top of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents (famed Seven Summits), an author, speaker, activist, and mother. That's quite the impressive resumé and we were honored to chat with Kit for episode 21 of The Stokecast! For the show notes: https://exploreinspired.com/kit-deslauriers

In episode 20 of The Stokecast, Emily and Jonathan recap the joys and pains of their recent experience running the Trapp Lodge Mountain Marathon in Stowe, Vermont. After, they have a deep conversation about building businesses with social impact with Cotopaxi Founder and CEO, Davis Smith. Also on the show, learn: - How Davis runs his business AND his family by defining values and building an organizational culture (14:32) - When and why Davis learned to embrace his entrepreneurial spirit (16:00) - How Davis started and scaled his first business, going digitally native and selling pool tables online (18:45) - Why you shouldn't hire your closest friends first or at all (24:20) - How to identify ideas that are going to work and stick with it (29:35) - How to compete in a crowded market (34:38) - Why he started an adventure race series called Questival and hired two llamas off Craigslist to launch Cotopaxi (41:14) - How Cotopaxi is empowering creativity within their manufacturing facility in the Philippines (49:31) - What is a Benefit Corporation and how does it work? (53:55) - The benefits of bootstrapping vs. raising capital (56:33) - Davis' work to promote gender equality with GirlUp and Women's Leadership Institute - How he balances professional and personal life by managing both like a business (1:05:00) - What Cotopaxi is doing to aid the refugee crisis and one incredible story of the impact made (1:11:06) For the show notes from this episode, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/davis-smith

Tim Burke was an airport operations manager at Boeing Field in Washington, overseeing the safety of everything happening on the airfield. He loved his job and he had worked so hard to get there. So why then did he walk away from everything stable and certain to pursue the roads of the world with his camera and a motorcycle? In episode 19 of The Stokecast, we chat with Tim Burke about: - His decision to leave his job and start living on the road - What place, after nearly 2 years of travel, has left the biggest mark on his soul - The realities of life and travel without deadlines or destinations - How he makes money on the road and is building his business as a photographer and journalist - Brand relationships and competing on social media - Why you don't need the best gear to take the best photos (and Tim shares his sketchy shooting setup) - The struggle to return home after long-term travel and connect or find common ground with anybody at home who can't relate to your experiences - Why you just need to send it and figure it out! For more on this episode and ways to connect with Tim, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/tim-burke

Sanni McCandless is a life and transition coach for outdoor-minded individuals seeking more intentional lifestyles, as well as the co-founder of the Outwild festival series. On this episode learn how to embrace career and lifestyle changes, deal with vulnerability on display, and start asking yourself, "what is it that I want from life?" In this episode: - How to overcome mental barriers to start embracing transitions in your life or changes in your career - Lifestyle design and how much life experience do you need to be a life coach? - Believing in the power of connection to bridge the gaps in finding your calling - Knowing how to recognize when you've felt balance, and how to go back to that - Honing the mindset to turn failure into opportunity within a long-term vision - The importance of micro-challenges to boost your confidence - Vulnerability on display For the show notes: https://exploreinspired.com/sanni-mccandless

Have you ever thought about climbing Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, or starting a global expedition guiding company specializing in rapid ascents on the world's biggest mountains? Adrian Ballinger has. If you're a total logistics nerd (like Emily and Adrian) and obsessed with operations, or if you're just drawn to pursuing crazy challenges, listen, learn, and be inspired as Adrian shares his story. On this episode: - Learning to trust your team and delegate tasks when you start to scale beyond yourself - The grind of growing guiding company, Alpenglow Expeditions - Balancing a career as a professional athlete with running a business and keeping relationships alive - How Adrian got his start as an adventure athlete - Learning to reframe failure as success - Altitude training systems and big mountain speed ascents - The Lake Tahoe Via Ferrata and Adrian announces his quest to climb K2 without oxygen! For the show notes: https://exploreinspired.com/adrian-ballinger

If you've been wondering how much work it takes to become a professional outdoor athlete, working on building your base of physical fitness, your personal brand, and keeping your mind on track, you're going to want to tune into this one. TJ David is a professional skier and Aspen-based plant-powered endurance athlete with experience on both sides of the lens. And he's also still hustling to make it work - because let's be real, it's rare to be a full-time athlete in this industry! Listen and learn: - How new opportunities emerged for more athletes to have viable careers when they started creating social content - The way TJ approaches building his Instagram audience and curating moments - How focusing on trail running has improved his skiing - The importance of having a meditation practice grounded in stillness - What TJ's plant-based training diet looks like - TJ's take on being a paid athlete and still having a normal job Show notes: https://exploreinspired.com/tj-david

Sarah Herron was born without the lower half of her left arm but that hasn't stopped her from living out some of life's greatest adventures, looking for love on The Bachelor, finding it within herself, starting a non-profit, and helping others with limiting beliefs learn to love themselves and accomplish more than they ever felt capable of. On this episode, Jonathan and Emily chat with Sarah about: - The importance of challenging self-limiting beliefs - Providing spaces for women who are living with physical differences - What it takes to found a non-profit - How women and young girls need more communities to discover confidence and self-esteem - The healing nature of the outdoors - Tapping into mentors as much as possible - When to give all of yourself to your passions and make a leap of faith For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Sarah, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/sarah-herron

This week, we had the extraordinary photographer, entrepreneur, filmmaker, adventurer and storyteller, Chris Burkard on the podcast.  Chris shares his no-BS approach to the perpetual hustle mindset and gets real and raw about how much you have to sacrifice to find the success you desire.  Also, Jonathan and Emily chat with Chris about:  - How to fill the gaps in your skillset  - Why you should be investing in yourself with time AND money  - Everything you need to learn about the 'technical stuff,' you can find online  - His interesting relationship with Instagram  - Creating passive revenue streams  - When you should consider getting an agent  - How to manage communicating with your loved ones while you're on the road  For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Chris, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/chris-burkard

What an incredible episode. From burn victim to pro-triathlete to world record crushing mountaineer, Colin O'Brady of Beyond 7/2 and 50HP is a bundle of inspiration, stoke, and an overall fantastic guy. On this episode, learn: - What 'sleep-hiking' is and learning to micro-nap - The drive behind pursuing mountaineering World Records - His project of Beyond 7/2 and motivating young people to get outside - The use of social media as a platform for building communities - His 50HP project and the 'Forrest Gump' effect - How to bring a crazy idea to life (through tons of hard work, meetings, failures, etc) - Why just any sponsor won't do and the importance of finding the RIGHT sponsor partners - Colin's training regimen and his take on balance For the show notes, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/colin-obrady

Want to learn how to be well-rounded, passionate and creative while also living your dream? How to be self-motivated in an industry without much structure? Take notes from this weeks' Stokecast guest, Michelle Parker. On the show: - How she skied before she could even walk - Growing up in a premier mountain town, Squaw Valley - Importance of female role models - Being your own boss - the need to be diligent, productive and well-rounded - The process of pitching, planning and starring in a TV series with Red Bull - How to go after sponsorship with big brands - Continuing to evolve your passions/athletic endeavors - The origination of the organization, SAFE AS - How to get involved in outdoor advocacy efforts like Protect Our Winters For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Michelle, visit: exploreinspired.com/michelle-parker

Redefine running with The Mirnavator. Mirna Valerio is the creator of the Fat Girl Running blog, author of A Beautiful Work in Progress, as well as a speaker, educator, and mother. On this episode, Mirna takes us on her journey of becoming an ultra-runner, learning to be her own boss, advocating for representation in the sport, and... - Jonathan and Emily have an exciting update on their lives and goals! - Mirna's experience running this year's freezing wet Boston Marathon - From growing up in Brooklyn to her life now, the importance of going outside and exploration - How a health scare pushed her to rediscover running and an active lifestyle - Her new series, Slow AF Trail Running Adventure Retreats - How running clears the mind and helps promote creative energy - Having a coach is a game-changer but you should also be able to motivate yourself intrinsically For the show notes, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/mirna-valerio

Do you know the difference between joy, awe, and stoke? Veteran, climber, skier, star of Adventure Not War, Stacy Bare digs deep on The Stokecast to paint a thought-provoking picture of the ups and downs in his life and how he was able to reframe some of his darker defining moments. Stacy also shares: - How he puts himself in situations in which he needs to push himself out of his comfort zone (any why it's important to do so) - His work with The Phoenix: A Sober Active Community - Thought on privilege and the need for self-awareness - The definitions and differences of joy, awe and stoke - Using the 'stoplight' to figure out how to balance your life each week For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Stacy, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/stacy-bare

Have you ever thought about going out for 2,000+ mile run? Do you think even if you had the physical strength, you could muster the mental stamina? This week on the Stokecast, record-breaking distance runner, Joe McConaughy, shares what it takes to smash records on the world's longest trails. Plus... - How Joe came to be a runner, and even crazier, an ultramarathon trail runner - Combining your passion with a cause (Run for Colin) - What you learn when you dig deep - Joe's journey on both the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail (to crush the speed records) - How a positive mindset works wonders - The importance of gratitude and having a support crew - Jonathan also gets his first sub-5-minute mile right before we interview Joe! For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Joe, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/joe-mcconaughy

Professional rock climber, writer, and mom, Beth Rodden, joins Emily and Jonathan on to chat about: - How and why Beth fell in love with climbing - Creativity vs. competition and what’s changed about the sport for kids today - Women in climbing and growing up without access to many female role models or any clear path to turning climbing into a career - How barely escaping a kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan rocked the foundation of Beth’s confidence in climbing, her marriage, and mental health. - Vulnerability vs. the conquerer’s mentality - California’s yummy summer produce For the show notes on this episode and ways to connect with Beth, visit: https://exploreinspired.com/beth-rodden