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10 Feb 2022
Where There's a Will, There's a (Vagabond) Way: Tiffany Soukup, Vagabond Way
00:56:41
I'm coming in HOT today with my guest, Tiffany Soukup.
Tiff is a fireball of energy and positivity, and will probably be #lifegoals to any of you who aspire to a life filled with travel and the outdoors.
Tiff and her husband are Park Rangers (aka Park Managers) within the Vermont State Park system, and have also served as the managers of the AMC’s Little Lyford Lodge & Cabins in Greenville, Maine for several winters. Although not this winter - and we’ll get into why in our conversation.
But if that wasn’t interesting enough, Tiff is also an inveterate world traveler during the stick and mud seasons, a photographer, a writer, and the #1 evangelist over at VagabondWay.net, as she terms it, a site about "a deliberate way of living, allowing the freedom to travel".
And because we covered some ground, links for everyone!!:
Blaze Your Own Trail to Self-Love: Sydney Williams, Hiking My Feelings (Part I)
00:38:38
My guest this week, Sydney Williams, may be familiar to some (and if you listened in on my conversation with Victoria Amico of Plus Sized Outdoors a month or so ago, this name should definitely be familiar to you!)
Sydney Williams is the founder ofHiking My Feelings(the group) and the author of Hiking My Feelings (the book). And yes, you will have to listen to a little bit of fan girl blathering from me, because Sydney is a rock star and I have huge respect for what she’s creating and supporting in the outdoors.
Sydney and I could’ve talked for a week, there’s that much to dive into, and this conversation wound up being a long one. So I’m doing something a little different this week.
This is 'Part I' of our conversation, I’ll be dropping the rest tomorrow - load them both up and listen in as you head out for your long weekend adventures. But consider yourself forewarned - this conversation has plenty of salty language and adult theme landmines, so if you’re with your kids, you might want to pop in the earbuds first.
Although once you’ve listened, you might want to share with your tweener daughters anyway, because there are so many messages here that are important for women and girls to hear.
Make sure you check out Sydney's Blaze Your Own Trail to Self-Love program that will be kicking off with a FREE workshop on Sunday, February 20th! Sign up at Hiking My Feelings, and get ready to feel loved and supported as soon as this weekend.
You can also follow Sydney and Hiking My Feelings on Instagram or Facebook, and join one of their Virtual Campfires on YouTube.
Hike Your Feelings and Your Healing: Sydney Williams (Part 2)
00:41:28
And we are back! Yes, it’s Part 2 with Sydney Williams of Hiking My Feelings.
If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I highly recommend you go back and do so, we laid down lots of groundwork yesterday that will make today’s conversation an even richer one for your eardrums.
BUT - if you’re more interested in the origin story of Hiking My Feelings than the story of the brains and breakthroughs behind it, you can still absolutely listen to this one on its own and get a ton of value.
Sydney brings the truth bombs fast and furious. So grab your flak jacket and start Hiking YOUR Feelings for real - the Blaze Your Own Trail to Self-Love program kicks off with a free workshop this Sunday, February 20th - make sure to visit Hiking My Feelings for more info or to sign up.
And lest you think the value stops there....more links galore!:
You may sense from the lack of what my daughter calls ‘my annoying intro’ that this week is a departure from normal - and you are correct!
After 90 something consecutive weeks of posting an interview, I’m actually on vacation with my family this week, and since I double dropped my epic conversation with Sydney Williams on you last week, I decided to take a quick break to refresh and re-set today!
Never fear, I’ve got a bunch of great women queued up for the next several episodes, who’ll get you inspired to blast out of your comfort zone and try something new or go somewhere different. Or both! But you’re just gonna have to wait a few more days.
I hope you'll support the podcast by following us on Instagram and Facebook, or you could pop over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave us a rating and review.
OR, in my opinion, the best possible way to support Guides Gone Wild is to share it with your friends who need a little kick in the pants to start adventuring with you! Send them the link to your favorite episode from the Guides Gone Wild website, all of the audio is available there, or just look for the share icon on your podcast player and shoot some inspiration right into your buddy’s messaging app - easy peasey!
Tthank you for your patience while I enjoy a little free time this week, I hope you’ll come back next week and join me when I jump back into the wild!
Become the Person You're Interested in Being: Jackie Lastinger, The Girls Trip Adventure Co.
00:48:35
Jackie Lastinger of The Girls Trip Adventure Co. is my guest today - representing one of the very few so far that I’ve had the good fortune to meet in real life BEFORE I actually interviewed her.
Jackie organized a super-fun Shred Rebels gals snowboarding event at Sugarloaf this winter that my daughter and I signed up for, and it turns out that amazing day she pulled together for close to 30 women was the first step in her full-fledged return to the adventure leader world.
Listen in to find out how this barely car camping Georgia gal turned her back on the familiar, so-called ‘normal’ life plan, and started patching together the people, places and experiences that she intuitively knew would bring her joy. Next thing you know, she’s making snow and driving a groomer at Sugarloaf, among other things.
In addition to being my newest lifestyle design idol and a badass snowboarder, Jackie has launched The Girls Trip Adventure Co. and is hosting her first trip this summer. Since we recorded this, Jackie has actually sold out Catalina and the Channel Islands - woo hoo! -but I know what that means.... She's got her maps and calendar out in the snowmaker’s warming hut getting her next trip offering nailed down before mud season!
So follow Jackie and The Girls Trip Adventure Co. on Instagram, and head over to her fancy new website, and subscribe to be notified as soon as new adventures are posted so you don’t miss out on more fun!
Becoming a DoryWoman: Nicolle Littrell, DoryWoman Rowing
00:36:29
I’ve got a fun little series coming to your earbuds to end this week with my new friend Nicolle Littrell of DoryWoman Rowing.
If you’ve listened to this podcast before, it probably won’t take you too long to realize why Nicolle’s story resonated with me - I’m not entirely unfamiliar with what happens when a woman collides with midlife and realizes she wants something entirely different than what she’s been up to the last few decades…
This one covers a lot of ground, so I’ve broken it up for you. Today we're mostly talking about how Nicolle got into rowing dories in the first place (since that’s not exactly an obvious outdoor activity choice for most people), and also how she basically manifested her way into her first boat….. was it pure will, or witchcraft? I’ll let you be the judge.
In Part 2, we'll be getting into the nitty gritty of Nicolle starting her business, and becoming a registered Maine Guide along the way. Some interesting insights in that one, if you've contemplated taking the Guide test.
Come back tomorrow to see what happened after Nicolle set her mind (and her oars) to starting her own business!
Or if you can’t wait that long, you can book a rowing session with Nicolle right now on her website, and also check her out on the socials, she’s @dorywomanrowing on Instagram and Facebook.
A parting thought!: If you haven’t created the free profile for your guiding or trip business on Navitour yet, now is the time to get in touch with them, they are cranking up their consumer marketing efforts at the end of March, just in time for warm weather bookings!
Building the DoryWoman Rowing Business: Nicolle Littrell, Part 2
00:38:48
Aaaand we are back! This is Part 2 of my conversation with Nicolle Littrell of DoryWoman Rowing.
Yesterday in Part 1, we talked about how Nicolle got into rowing in the first place, how she found herself the proud owner of Sorcière, her Swampscott Dory, and how her son almost disowned her in the process - if you haven’t listened yet, load it up, we have some fun there!
Today, we pick up our story at the point that Nicolle has her boat, but finds herself without a job during a global pandemic.
Given the circumstances, I think a lot of folks, myself included, would curl up in a ball and lick our wounds for months, but Nicolle got right back on the horse, or should I say right back in her boat, and decided the time was now to start her business, DoryWoman Rowing.
If you’re having visions of rowing through the lightly falling snow, you should head over to the DoryWoman Rowing website to see if your vision matches up with reality, because Nicolle has some very cool footage up on her home page right now of just such magic! You can, and should, also follow Nicolle @dorywomanrowing on Instagram, DoryWomanRowing on Facebook, and come back to your podcast player in a few days to hear a little bit from her on the water, actually doing her stuff!
BONUS - On The Water With DoryWoman Rowing! (And Nancy! And Jerri!)
00:53:36
As promised, come along for a row with Nicolle Littrell of DoryWoman Rowing... Listen in as we tour Belfast Harbor, talk technique, and enjoy a beautiful winter day on the water!
If You Love It, Someone Else Will Too: Jana Olenio, SUP Yo Adventures
00:45:32
My recent obsession with water sports and adventure tours (preferably at the same time) continues with today’s guest, Jana Olenio.
Jana is the wizard who spent the last decade growing SUP Yo Adventures from a handful of women doing yoga on a weird floating thing most people around here had ever seen before, to a four-season adventure excursion operator and 10-location SUP yoga mobile studio… oh, with a lovely six-bedroom retreat center at their disposal in the White Mountains.
And did I mention she also has a completely unrelated full-time job?
I’ve been following SUP Yo Adventures for a long time, so get ready for some fangirling. And I'm even more into her now that I’ve had a chance to meet her, even if virtually over zoom - Jana’s “why” is so powerful, and she gets so much joy and fulfillment from bringing people together around common interests, I know you’ll be into her too.
Jana’s entire business is built around doing things that make her feel good, then finding some of the other people whom she can help feel good in the same way. Just because you don’t see something being done, doesn’t mean there aren’t other people out there who’ll want to do it with you. Put it out there, be authentic, and you will attract the right people.
A simple idea, although a little complicated in the execution, now that she’s juggling five million good things! But so inspiring. It always comes back to her 'why'. And I’m so excited to see where she’s taking everyone next.
Check out all of the upcoming SUP Yo Adventures and classes at SUPYoAdventures.com, on Facebook, and Instagram. Whether your jam is ziplining in the tropics, or sip-lining some local brews after a paddle, there’s something for you.
But what if you want to solo travel, or DIY your adventure? My friend Tiff is going to drop some total value bombs this week to help you out!
Tiffany joined me back in February to talk about her interesting approach to lifestyle design, which has evolved into spending part of the year working for Vermont State Parks, part of the year working for the AMC, and the rest of the year traveling all over the world. But in that episode, we barely scratched the surface of how she actually makes those travel portions work from a cost and logistics standpoint, so that’s what we’re diving into today.
So if you’re curious about how to find and use discount sites and reward programs, how to find the best value in accommodations, how to plan, how to prep, and most importantly, how to get out of your own goddamn way when you start freaking out or making excuses about why you can’t do something or go somewhere - this is the conversation for you!
Make sure you check out Tiffany’s travel-oriented site, VagabondWay.net, where she’s got a zillion more resources and articles that will help you save money and scratch your adventure travel itch - whether your adventure is to the other side of the world or the other side of the neighborhood.
Before we go, special thanks to our founding sponsor, Evans Notch Lodge, and our new partner, FindingGranite.com - if you’re a small business owner or solopreneur or side-hustler with an online presence, you should absolutely check out the Finding Granite digital marketing blog for practical advice (without the BS jargon) that will get you the results you need. Head to FindingGranite.com, sign up, and start getting smarter about your digital presence today!
Live a 'No Drop' Life: Cail Casserly, Brewer, Rider and Poet
01:08:59
Today we’re heading back over to the Green Mountain State to talk to my new multi-passionate friend, Cail Casserly.
Cail was one of the women who acted as ‘caboose’ at the Vertical mountain biking event my friend Trish and I went to back in September. So needless to say, we had some great interactions with Cail, since Trish and I were proudly bringing up the rear on our hardtails all day.
She's a pretty quiet sort in person, very lovely and eloquent and unceasingly supportive, but not exactly spreading all her cards on the table. I was already interested in talking to her – and then come to find out, a lot of the cool things I saw on her social media after I met her were actually brand spanking new – as in, she started a lot of these initiatives the weekend we met her!
You’re not going to believe it either when you hear how fast she's been ramping up on all fronts. Cail is the personification of what I aspire to – taking one little step, then another, letting her curiosity and the universe take her where they would. Just six months later, she’s got a job she loves, with people she loves, supporting communities she loves… what’s not to love?!?
Cail is studying to be able to teach at university, but she doesn’t need a masters degree to start teaching us some lessons about trusting our gut and creating space and community.
And a final note about Finding Granite, my new digital partner - if you’re a small business owner or solopreneur or side-hustler with an online presence, you should absolutely check out the Finding Granite digital marketing blog for practical advice that will get you the results you need. Sign up, and start getting smarter about your digital presence today!
Fuel Your Fun: Hillary Pride, Eats with Pride... and a big announcement!
00:45:14
Today my guest is Hillary Pride, RDN, LD, NASM-CPT... we’ll get into what the alphabet soup is all about, but what’s important to know up front is that Hillary is a surfer, runner, knitter, weaver, recipe creator, wooden spoon drummer - just an overall cool person with a refreshing perspective on food, fitness, and the integral role that just plain fun should play in all of it.
Hillary drops some amazing tips for fueling yourself for a big day on the water or the trail, shares some great recipes, and just generally got me excited for a summer filled with fresh fruit and produce, and maybe a surf lesson (or ten).
Hillary downplays it, but her blog has so many great recipes and tips, I hope you’ll check it out. And make sure to follow her over on Instagram @eatswithpride AND @craftsea. Hillary weaves beautiful fabrics, has been knitting a wardrobe of adorable sweaters this past winter, and is awesome about tagging where she gets her patterns from, so if you are the crafty sort, make sure you've got @CraftSea on your feed!
Now for my big announcement - as of this week I’m going to take the Guides Gone Wild Podcast to biweekly for a little bit.
But don’t freak out, this isn’t the end, or even a pause! The Guides Gone Wild Podcast hit 100 episodes a few weeks back (WOOT!), so we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and checking out the survey responses we got last month. Some of the feedback indicated that there was SOOO MUCH content now that it was hard to keep up with it all. And newer listeners hadn't had time to go back and get inspired by all the amazing women who talked to me early on - whose inspiration and messages are just as important now as they were in 2020 or 2021!
Plus, I’ve got to be honest, between work commitments and the podcast, I’ve been spending a lot less time adventuring myself lately, and have been having a hard time carving out the space I need to build out some of the cool stuff I want to do with Guides Gone Wild. I want to get some more in-person fun going with all of you, so I’m going to slow the pod roll a little, stop talking about it and actually make it happen!
Ditch the Excuses and Do Yourself a (Rock) Solid: Anyssa Lucena, Genuine Climbing
00:52:38
My guest today, Anyssa Lucena of Genuine Climbing, is a FIRE BALL!
Anyssa’s story starts out as a familiar one - high achiever spends decades checking off all the boxes of what she’s been taught is a ‘good life’, just to wake up one day wondering who she’s become and how the heck she got there.
But unlike a lot of folks who then spend decades more using life as an excuse not to have one, Anyssa started taking small actions, and tried to flame up a little flicker of interest she’d had in climbing, way back when.
I am so thrilled to introduce Anyssa to you today, because it doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in climbing or not, you’ll definitely get fired up just listening to her. Whether you’ve been stalled by mom guilt, mindset, or needing to meet an adventure partner, Anyssa’s story will tweak your narrative and give you some new ideas for small but meaningful actions you can take today.
I freaking love Anyssa, and I’m craving more of her energy and encouragement already - so even though I’ve probably climbed all of five times in my entire life, I’ll definitely be joining her Confident Climber’s Challenge. I am always in need of a kick in the pants to motivate me, I’m woefully in need of some mindset work, and -- bonus --maybe I’ll even get inspired enough to join one of the ladies’ nights at my local climbing gym, and really build some skills.
It’s not too late for you to join me for the Confident Climber’s Challenge -- $21 for 21 days, what have you got to lose?!?
AND -- if you’re local enough to the Gunks, you can sign up for guiding and coaching with Anyssa through the Genuine Climbing website. But if you aren’t driveable to upstate New York, I’d still recommend you take a look, she’s got tons of online options for learning and coaching, and free resources for budding and experienced climbers alike. And while you’re online, come visit me here, here or here and drop me a line, let me know what’s been inspiring you lately!
Create (and Celebrate) the 'Aha!' Moments: Alice Bean Andrenyak, Alice's Awesome Adventures
00:57:47
As someone who prides herself on being a try-er of all things (and mistress of none), I’m fired up to bring you today’s guest, Alice Bean Andrenyak of Alice’s Awesome Adventures. Because Alice not only tries it all, she masters it all, and then finds 10 people to teach it to!
There’s really not much that falls outside the guardrails of Alice’s power alley. She’s a Maine Master Guide, which means she is a registered guide in all areas that Inland Fish and Wildlife oversees (sea kayaking, hunting, fishing, and general recreation). She served on the board of examiners for Maine Guide licensing. She’s a firearms instructor. She’s got some serious chef skills.
Basically, if it’s possible to do it in Maine, Alice can teach you how, bring you to a great place to do it, and give you a history lesson on the drive over.
Alice and I talk about the challenges of solopreneurship, how Maine tourism continues to evolve, what makes turkey vultures cool, and why she just can’t say NO when faced with a new opportunity or new activity to master.
Check out all of Alice’s tour and guiding offerings and all the wonderful links and resources she’s curated for curious travelers at AMaineGuide.com, and follow her awesome adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
And if you want to check out Malaga Island this summer with Alice, let me know on Instagram or Facebook, or come over to the Guides Gone Wild website and drop me a line - I'd love to pull together a trip with whoever is interested!
Connect With Your Mind, Body, and Spirit (and Get Your Goat!): Ashley Flowers of Ashley Flowers Yoga
01:02:43
Today I have the distinct pleasure to bring you my new friend Ashley Waters of Ashley Waters Yoga.
I was introduced to Ashley through another new friend, Shay Bellas of Navitour -- which is awesome enough for someone who loves the whole women-supporting-women thing. And then when I started talking to Ashley and she copped to failing out of Jazzercise, I knew she was my people!
Ashley’s based in South Portland, but she was doing fully-remote yoga long before COVID made that everyone’s business model. Ashley Flowers Yoga fuses Ashley’s passions for nature and movement, taking her practice onto the water, as well as out into parks and fields (once in a while even sharing space with some four-legged friends!)
Ashley’s training and experience as an educator shines through in this conversation, as she gives me a much needed primer on yoga styles, and provides a somewhat plausible explanation for the charms of goat yoga.
If you’re like me and are in desperate need of some flexibility, but get intimidated by all the Sanskrit and woo-infused class descriptions and just decide to stay on the couch, this conversation is definitely for you. And who knows, somewhere in her explanation of Vinyasa vs. Shivananda, maybe you’ll pick up some tips to help you cure your awkwardly placed poison ivy...
You can check out all of Ashley’s goodness through her website, or 'Om Demand' on her YouTube channel (yup, she did that!), or if you really just want to see lots of pictures of cute goat frolic, find her on Facebook, or @youcancallmeflowers on Instagram.
And of course, she’s one of the guides profiled over at Navitour.com - Shay’s startup travel company has hit the ground running this spring, and has lots of fantastic trip and tour leaders featuring their fun offerings on the Navitour platform, so I hope you’ll check it out as you’re making your summer-in-Maine plans!
A few more links from this hilarious conversation:
The struggle can be oh-so-real when you’re trying to get little kids outside with you (and simultaneously trying to salvage some sliver of fun for yourself). Even the most experienced outdoorswoman can find herself struggling on a new-to-her trail when it’s buggier or harder or wetter or longer than expected, and her little wing-people start coming off the rails.
Despite years of experience leading older kids on outdoor trips, Lindsey hit this wall of frustration herself when she had her second child and tried to keep up her hiking habit with two kids < 3. Not only did Lindsey manage to bust through that wall, but she’s taking us all with her with Seacoast Hikes and Nature Walks, Volume 1 (and hopefully soon Volume 2!) which I’m excited to be talking about with her today.
You'll also want to checkout Lindsey's blog and follow her on the socials, @SeacoastHikes and @FreelanceAdventurer, for helpful videos of recommended hikes and tons of tips and inspiration. Whether you’re hitting the woods with your kids, your friends, or just your dog, you’ll find something to learn or love.
Copious links from our convo (head on over to GuidesGoneWild.com for even more!):
Share Your Passions, Hold Your Breath, and Watch Them Go: Charlotte & Georgia Clews, Arizona Trail Thru-Hikers
01:08:02
Today I’m joined by one of the most fun and inspiring mother/daughter teams around, Charlotte and Georgia Clews.
Charlotte is a Registered Maine Guide, Wilderness First Responder, ultrarunner, twin, grad student, thru hiker, business owner, all.the.things. Oh, and the mom of two teen girls, so at least we have one thing in common….
Charlotte has done a lot of adventuring with her daughters, but raised the bar particularly high with her last thru-hike. When she and her younger daughter Georgia got bored with the isolation of quarantine, instead of just finding something new on Hulu to binge, they opted for Plan B and decided to attempt the Arizona Trail, which had never been thru hiked by someone as young as Georgia before.
It’s not often I get FOMO from a middle-schooler, I’ve been quite happy watching that part of my life disappear in the rear view mirror, but Georgia Clews has got me wanting to vlog from the desert. Until I see my first tarantula, then who am I kidding, I’d be out.
I thought this conversation would be a great follow on from my last episode with Lindsey Lapointe of Seacoast Hikes - because we know Lindsey and her kids will be doing something like this in another decade.
It's Always a Good Time to Take Some Action: Summits in Solidarity 2022
00:39:38
This week has been a mentally tough one for many of us who saw the anticipated roll-back of Roe v. Wade become the new reality. We’re pissed off that this handful of people can make decisions that strip us of civil liberties. We can’t believe that the government can turn on us this way, that one group of people can be singled out and systematically denied agency and autonomy and the ability to make decisions and take actions that are in their own self-interest...
Oh, right, this is basically the way every Black person, Indigenous person, and other person of color feels. Every. damn. day.
And this is the way our country has worked, or should I say worked against them, for generations.
Fighting for justice and equity is not an either-or exercise. The same systems that knee-capped reproductive rights this week are the ones responsible for the history of oppression our country was built on.
We can sit back and be silently depressed and hopeless about the direction our country seems to be going in. Or we can decide to take action.
I want to keep reminding myself about this action part, so today I’ve brought back Serena Ryan, owner of the Notch Hostel in New Hampshire, but more importantly for today’s discussion, one of the founders of Summits in Solidarity, which is a non-profit founded back in 2020 to foster justice and equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
This year, Summits in Solidarity has an aggressive goal to raise $30,000 by today, June 30, 2022 - but don’t worry if you’re tuning in and it’s July or next winter or whenever. The need for this work, and this organization’s amazing efforts, aren’t going away. And if you are so inclined, maybe take a pause and make a pledge before you dive in!:
(Land) Trust Yourself: Abby Bennett, Ultra Runner, Researcher, Van Lifer, Land Steward
00:59:26
This week I’m back to in-real-life interviewing (woohoo!), and taking you with me to the ultra cool and vintage headquarters of the Mahoosuc Land Trust at Valentine Farm in Bethel, Maine, where we'll be chatting with Abby Bennett - aspiring ultra runner and conservationist in training.
As you’ll hear, I first started trying to get Abby on the pod because she had a little online business selling fun-looking compression socks for hiking and trail running, and I thought that was cool. I got some socks, but never did manage to connect with her enough to chat at the time. So while we both languished through most of COVID, I followed her Instagram account and got even more interested in her progress as an van-life-ing ultra runner, and her professional transformation, all of which we’ll dig into here.
Abby is as big a fan of western Maine as I am, so of course we have some fun.
I hope you'll follow my new friend Abby (@abby.j.bennett), where you can watch her grit it out through all kinds of vertical, and take on her new schwanky van conversion!
Because I know next to nothing about land trusts and trail/ultra running, I had to look a LOT of stuff up from this episode - I've dropped a few of these links below, but you'll also want to head on over to Guides Gone Wild, because there's a lot more where these came from!:
Rescue Yourself First: Ari Leach, Blackbird Guide Services
00:51:28
Ari Leach is THE guide you’re going to want to call to help you survive the zombie apocalypse, let’s just start with that.
Today we are getting back to the roots of this very podcast by talking to brand spankin' new Registered Maine Guide, Ari Leach of Blackbird Guide Services.
I discovered Ari when lovely friend of the pod, Nancy Zane, posted a congratulatory note on her North Star Adventures Instagram page, because Ari had taken a guide course through North Star and had just passed her exam.
I always love seeing new women guides, so I was already excited about her, but then in pretty short order I realized Ari was blasting out of the start gate and setting up her own company and guide service, too - Blackbird Guide Services - which doubled my excitement.
And then the kicker came when Ari posted about her grandmother, but I’m going to let Ari tell you all about that.
I feel so privileged to have met Ari and heard her story, and I know you’ll enjoy this one too.
Make sure you’ve got Ari on the digital equivalent of speed dial before the next zombie apocalypse, follow her @blackbirdguideservices on Instagram, find her on Facebook, or head over to her website, and get psyched for a little forest bathing or stick carving or whatever else tickles your fancy!
This episode definitely has a call to action, people - if you want to be one of the first to know when I'm going to bring Ari’s Iron Chef skills and her mom’s 'witchie-poo cabinet' up to Evans Notch Lodge for a weekend of fun and learning, make sure you subscribe to our email list - it’s right there at the bottom of the home page, super easy, just do it!
Say 'Yes', Google It, Then Get Ready to Impress Yourself: Alexandra Roberts, Alexandra Roberts Photography
01:00:56
Today we are traveling to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to chat with another one of my new favorite people, Alexandra Roberts of Alexandra Roberts Photography.
If you love the outdoors and participate in basically any visual digital media, the Big Brother algorithms have no doubt fed you tons of gorgeous images of well-dressed couples posed in dramatic backdrops - in the middle of giant boulder fields, by a waterfall, on a cliff overlooking peak foliage, or in some kind of magical hobbit-land of moss and lichen.
You might stop to wonder how the heck they got to that place without getting all sweaty and gross. Or maybe your mind goes immediately to the giant packing list that couple must’ve had. But I’m guessing in all cases, if you think at all about who is behind the camera, you’re assuming she or he is like a Jimmy-Chin type - a hardcore outdoorsperson who hikes and climbs 24/7, is wearing Patagonia head-to-toe, and has an ice ax next to the zoom lens on their utility belt, ready to self arrest and save everyone’s day.
And if that’s where your mind went, you are going to love this conversation as much as I did.
Alexandra's photos started popping up all over my feed many moons ago, and I loved to see all the beautiful and rugged places she went with her couples. So imagine my surprise when I find out that Alex was mostly a prosecco-sipping, urban patio sitter until a few years ago.
If elopement or marriage is in your future, or if just feeling like a glamorous, paparazzi-stalked superstar in the White Mountains is your jam, you absolutely must check out Alex’s website, @alexandraroberts on Instagram , or her Facebook page.
And please be the person who gets photographed at Table Rock, I am very impatiently waiting for someone to take her up on that!
TONS of links in this one, here's a few but come on over to the Guides Gone Wild website for the full list!:
Do the Thing, and Go Overthink Something Else: Rooted Weekend Recap with Trish and Jen
00:55:07
I've got another two-parter for you this week, because every time I go to a women's outdoor event I get SO STOKED.
In today's first installment, Trish and Jen are back together on the road, and you know what that means - we did something awesome and we feel the need to tell everyone about it!
Back in July, we trekked all the way across Mass and New York to the lovely hamlet of Bemus Point to attend the Rooted Mountain Bike Festival, put on by friend of the pod Heather Kinal. Back when I’d interviewed Heather, I got all in a fan girl lather and committed to going to the Festival before I even looked at a map. But then I did, and instead of bailing I decided to take the 9+ hour ride as an extra challenge, and try to get Trishy to come with me. Ta da!!
Anyway, there are many, many takeaways from this conversation - Trish was ON HER GAME! So I hope you’ll get all the way to the end (despite the sometimes crappy audio), but in case you don’t, here are my top 3:
Even when you have the best intentions, it’s normal to not live up to them - Trish and I thought we’d bike a ton after our awesome Vertical experience last fall, and we didn’t, so we went into this weekend basically cold. And you know what, it didn’t freaking matter.
Life is always, and will always be, busy. You can’t always put yourself a distant second (or worse) to everyone and everything else in your life. If you need it, you need to make time for it.
Do the thing, and go overthink something else. You’ll have to listen in to see where that precious nugget came from.
Come back tomorrow for part two - you’ll actually get to hear from some other fabulous women from Rooted, who brought completely different perspectives to the event (and in one case, even brought her 60 something year old mom to the event! Yes, you read that right!)
And if you’re already convinced that a women-centered outdoor event is something you (and maybe your mom) have to be part of RIGHT.THIS.SECOND, come on over to Guidesgonewild.com/Camp to learn more about our first ever End of Summer Camp Weekend we will be hosting September 23-25, at Evans Notch Lodge in Gilead, Maine.
I'll be joined by yet another fabulous friend of the pod, 'Tall' Ashley Leedberg of Two Loons Guide Service, who will school us on all things paddle, take us on an excursion at a nearby lake so we can peep on the critters and colors, and later on, even lead us in some arts and crafts - because by the way, she’s an amazingly talented artist and crafter. Why should the kids have all the fun, amiright?!? Hope to see you there!
A few links (more tomorrow - and of course on the GGW site!):
I hope you’ll check this one out even if you’re not really into biking, because these conversations I had with other attendees of Rooted are more about what it means to be part of a women-centered event than anything else.
Sure, we talk bikes, but we also celebrate how awesome it is when you get together with people who have a lot of the same struggles and concerns and body types that you do.
Huge thanks to Jess D. for being part of planning this spectacular event, and to Rae F. as well for being so open and vulnerable - I honestly didn’t expect to get so deep in these recap conversations, but I think it’s really awesome to hear perspectives like this, to realize how much we all struggle sometimes, and how important being active, whatever that looks like, is to reconnecting with yourself and your value.
And of course, the hugest thanks of all go to Heather Kinal, who continues to hone her next- level connection skills and set the highest bar ever for festival rest-roomery! She's created a fantastic weekend that was well worth 20 hours of driving! (Maybe even better than Niagara Falls......) Save the dates for the next Rooted MTB Festival - July 21-23, 2023!
If you’re drinking my koolaid on this and can’t wait to hang with multiple generations of awesome, I hope you’ll consider joining us for our first-ever Guides Gone Wild End-of-Summer Camp Weekend that we’re hosting September 23-25 at Evans Notch Lodge in Gilead Maine. We’ll be doing a lot of paddling and crafting, but we’ll ALSO have a very cool add-on option for any of my TryAthlete team out there who might want to kick up their adrenaline a few notches and do some downhill mountain biking at nearby Mt. Abram on that Sunday the 25th - I’m totally stoked to go, mostly because I hate climbing and guess what, they put your bike on the ski lift for you, even the inappropriate 26” hard tails of doom!
But seriously, it’s wicked wicked WICKED fun, so come on over and get all the details on the weekend, and make sure you opt-in to our Sunday downhill adventure too!
Put Your Community First: Kristina Cannon, Main Street Skowhegan
00:40:17
Hey, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there are SO MANY awesome outdoor resources available to us here in New England. Have you ever stopped to wonder how those amazingly mapped and maintained trail networks or hut systems or water access points come to be?
Probably no surprise, there are a LOT of people and organizations hustling in the background, because big projects like those usually require a LOT of cooperation and alignment on a lot of fronts. For every great trail system you enjoy, there are probably 100 that never left the drafting table.
It’s not too difficult to recognize the beauty and potential when you’re looking out from a mountain top or over a pristine lake or dramatic oceanfront cliff. But what about the turn of the century mill towns scattered across the state that used to harness Maine’s countless rivers for manufacturing power?
When buildings and dams and ugly fences and parking lots are crowding your urban center’s waterfront, do you have any options?
Today’s guest says Heck YES! I’m stoked to welcome Kristina Cannon, Executive Director of Main Street Skowheganto the pod today.
I found Main Street Skowhegan after I saw some kind of social media post about a whitewater park that was going to be built on the Kennebec River in Maine and went down a Google rabbit hole (as one does). I had a mental picture of kayak racks and PFDs piled up in a dirt parking lot in some rural location along the river, but heck no - it’s going to be right smack dab in the middle of downtown Skowhegan!
The Skowhegan Riverpark Project is just one of about a zillion cool things that Main Street Skowhegan is working on, with Kristina at the helm, so I’m going to let her tell you all about it and get you stoked for your own Skowhegan Staycation.
We just missed the craft brew fest, but there are plenty more reasons to visit Skowhegan coming up, head over to VisitSkowhegan.com or check out @visitskowhegan on Instagram and Facebook for all the details on upcoming festivals and events.
Better yet, when you decide that Skowhegan sounds like a pretty cool place to take your remote work - where you can run some rapids in the morning, run your financials an hour later and be running out for locally sourced wood-fired pizza at lunch - go to Main Street Skowhegan or Skowhegan Entrepreneurship to find out how easy it will be to make those dreams your reality!
Serene’s hero’s journey kind of started like many others we talk about on the pod - she started looking around while she was doing her favorite outdoor activities, and realized that no one looked like her, and decided she could do something about it, or at least try to show up more visibly as a self-defined fat person who loved to fly fish.
Cue the pandemic, and Serene was stuck at home on furlough thinking all the things on repeat. But instead of getting bummed out and discouraged, she let her mind wander (wade?!?) into all kinds of new ideas about building community around the water. And for trying to hold a very exclusive-not-in-a-good-way industry accountable for its lack of efforts to welcome more and different anglers into the ‘club’.
Please note, I felt like I had to mark this one as explicit because we get a little bit salty when we start talking about internet trolls, but in all honesty, Serene’s message can and should be heard by all but the youngest kids. So I hope you’ll let this one keep on playing, even if you and the tweeners are listening in traffic on the way to the 97th soccer game of the week...
I also hope you’ll go feed off Serene's boundless energy by following her @Fattyonthefly on Instagram and Facebook, and if you have any interest whatsoever in learning to fly fish - actually ON the water, not just a big lawn - keep an eye on ConfluenceCollective.org for more information about the 2023 Outcast Campout dates. Or better yet, connect with Serene and Bri directly if you want to help plan your own campout at your own awesome, local, 100% fish-guaranteed river! Let’s all take a page out of Serene’s book and make a point of building the communities we want to be part of!
Speaking of community, I hope you'll join Guides Gone Wild for our next live event - Iron Chef Weekend - November 4th through 6th! Sign up here for more information, and to be notified when registration is live.
Max Your Inspiration, Not Your Impact: Meg Carney, The Outdoor Minimalist
00:53:04
Today I am fan-girling hard on an emerging rock star of the outdoor industry sustainability movement, Meg Carney, the author of Outdoor Minimalist (the book), and the host of The Outdoor Minimalist Podcast.
You’ve probably heard of Leave No Trace, and the words Reduce-Reuse-Recycle have probably crossed your lips more than once, but how often do you stop to really consider the meaning of those phrases, how they might apply to the situation you find yourself in in the moment, or how they might not be the full picture of what it would mean to live in a sustainable partnership with the environment?
Meg’s been thinking like this since she was a kid playing outside on her family’s farm in Minnesota. While she’s the first to admit her minimalism might have grown roots because money was a little tight, she also observed her family’s commitment to living off the land and getting the most use out of anything they bought or owned.
Meg eventually went off to college with kids who were more accustomed to buying new than reusing or repurposing, but all the consumption never quite made sense to her, and staying the minimalist course served her well when she later spent some time living a nomadic life out of her car.
Today we’re talking about creativity, supply chain, pets, vanlife, perfection - or lack thereof…. I know it sounds like we’re all over the place, but stay with us - there’s a framework for thinking about all of this stuff, and spoiler alert, there are a lot of Rs involved.
Get your hands on a copy of the Outdoor Minimalist book, it's such a great primer and process manual for anyone striving to lessen their detrimental impact on the outdoors and their environment.
And even if you get the book, I strongly encourage you to check out The Outdoor Minimalist Podcast - Meg definitely expands on her content through some interesting interviews with thought leaders and people doing very cool things in the sustainability space.
Finally, I’d also recommend you follow Meg on Instagram for all the useful snippets of inspiration and information she shares to enhance our knowledge and provoke our thinking about the impact we are having on the spaces we move through.
'Challenge by Choice': End-of-Summer Camp Weekend Recap [BONUS!]
00:18:09
Be part of the next Guides Gone Wild experience - register for the (Cast) Iron Chef Weekend here! -- Back at the end of September, we hosted the very first Guides Gone Wild live event at Evans Notch Lodge in Gilead, Maine.
Despite crazy weather and unexpectedly chilly temperatures, we had a fantastic time! Thanks to our unflappable guide 'Tall' Ashley Leedberg of Two Loons Guide Service, we managed to get some stand-up paddleboarding in, did a gorgeous hike up Albany Mountain, and did a bunch of arts and crafts while we enjoyed the cozy wood stove back at the lodge.
Before the ladies left on Sunday, I asked a few to chat with me on mic about their experience of the weekend and what it meant to them, so today you’re going to hear a little bit from Lisa (one of our New York-based campers), and her friend Meg (from Maine). Lisa and Meg were friends from high school who were having a mini-reunion week hanging out, so it was fun to listen in on their exchange.
Quick apologies before you dive in, the three of us were basically sharing one mic we had to tweak the audio in a few places so you could hear what was being said, but I don’t think it takes away from the awesomely positive messages and encouragement these two share, so we ran with it…it’s a fun conversation, so I hope you’ll hang out until the end to hear about the next Guides Gone Wild experience coming up!
If you’ve been dropping in on this pod from time to time, you might remember my first conversation with this through hiker turned shuttle driver turned snowmaker, back in March. At the time, Jackie had just launched her dream company, which she aptly named The Girls Trip Adventure Co. (because she’s a girl, she wanted to go on more adventure trips, and she wanted to bring more girls with her... so she figured she’d start a company to do it all!)
And did she send it? Hell yeah she did!
So today we're hearing all about her inaugural trips to Catalina and the Channel Islands and Big Bend, and we'll get a preview of all the cool spots she’s got on the itinerary for 2023.
We also talk about the challenges - the ones she expected, as well as the ones that came out of left field and could’ve kicked her butt.
This is an inspiring check in with a young woman who made up her mind to meet her challenges head on and create a life for herself that meets no one's expectations but her own.
So if you're finally ready to start emptying out that bucket list, head on over to The Girls Trip Adventure Co. website or Instagram page and sign up for a trip of a lifetime!
Other cool links and places from our conversation:
P.S. - It’s not too late to join host Jen, Ari Leach of Blackbird Guide Service, and our Guides Gone Wild community friends at Evans Notch Lodge for our (Cast) Iron Chef Weekend, November 4-6, 2022. Don’t worry, this is not a competition at all, just a great excuse to make fires and stir up some deliciousness that we can all enjoy at the end of a day spent outside. Come on over to the Guides Gone Wild site for all the details, we hope to see you in a few weeks by the fire!
Learn from a Local: Jaimie Crawford, Mt. Washington Chamber of Commerce & PRESSED
00:57:31
Today we are both getting the benefit of some amazing connections I made at the recent Maine Outdoor Economy Summit hosted by the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation and Maine Outdoor Brands. It was a fantastic event, and I finally got the opportunity to meet (in person!) several of the women I’ve talked to for this pod in the past, which was so, so awesome! I also got connected to some new friends, thanks to the event, including today’s guest, Jaimie Crawford.
Jaimie has her own freelance marketing agency called PRESSED, through which she is doing a ton of great branding and promotional work for the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. One of her pet projects this year has been the Hire a Guide initiative, which profiles local outdoor guides on the chamber website and encourages visitors to maximize their engagement with the local expertise and economy.
We’re going to dive into all of this today, and along the way, Jaimie drops a ton of great tips that anyone who’s building a business or brand, or trying to engage with new people or a new audience, will find extremely valuable.
Talking with people like Jaimie gets me all fired up and excited for the future of the outdoor economy in northern New England! I hope you’ll head over to the Visit the Mt. Washington Valley website to check out the Hire a Guide profiles and tons of insider tips and recommendations on the Learn from a Local, Live like a Local pages.
Get Trail-Ready With (Wo)Man's Best Friend: Traci Bisson, Golden Dog Adventure Co.
00:47:42
Today we turn our focus to everyone’s favorite four-legged adventure partners! My guest is Traci Bisson, the founder of Golden Dog Adventure Companybased in Barrington, New Hampshire.
I think we all know someone (or LOTS of someones!) who got a new puppy during lockdown….. Traci Bisson noticed that trend as well, even while the pet care business she ran was wilting on the vine while everyone was forced to stay home and take care of their own sh*t (literally, in the case of dog owners), far away from other people.
So as the world started opening back up, and all these pandemic puppy owners started trying to take their pooches out into the big, scary 'social' world again, Traci saw a unique opportunity. She started a dog walking meet-up, which quickly morphed into Golden Dog Adventure Company, a multi-faceted, fast-growing startup that provides all the information and incentives dog owners need to get out and have safe and social fun with other dogs AND their people, in nature!
Traci and Golden Dog have some fun and fur-tastic events on tap for the holiday season, so I hope you’ll head on over to Golden Dog Adventure Company to check out their adventure schedule, or hook up with the Golden Dog Community on Facebook for tips, tricks and suggestions for new places to explore.
When you're done looking at all the fun pooch pix, we've got some more links for you!:
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!?!?!! You’ve probably noticed something different - different day, short little pod, weird title, yada yada yada.
Long time listeners might remember the Guide's Gift Guide lists I’ve done in the past around the holidays... well, as is my usual approach, I’ve waited until the last minute, so that ain't happening - but I think the solution I’ve come up with is more fun than ever!
Watch this space - or should I say listen in - I’ll be spending the next few weeks virtually visiting lots of my previous guests - the Guides Gone Wild OGs!! - and letting THEM tell YOU about all of the cool things they’ve been up to this year, and what they’re planning for 2023 that YOU are definitely going to want to know about now!
Don’t let yourself fall entirely down the dark rabbit hole of conspicuous consumption this holiday season - let these ladies feed your stoke instead!
Get your calendar out and start planning some wild and wonderful things for yourself and your adventure besties! End the year with a bang, or start 2023 with amazing new things to do on the horizon!
Today we’re kicking off with Jes Carter from Carter’s XC Ski Center in Bethel, Maine. Jes was one of my first 20 episodes, way back in October 2020! She and Carter’s XC Ski Center have been going strong all through the pandemic nuttiness, and today she’s got some great deals to share for Black Friday and the month of December - and don't forget to join her for Wooden Ski Day on Sunday, January 22nd!
STOKE SHORT!: Reconsider That Impulse Buy with Meg Carney, The Outdoor Minimalist
00:06:32
Step away from that cash register, Wild Ones! Just kidding (kind of)....
It’s Black Friday, which means Cyber Monday is right around the corner, so I’m back with another Stoke Short, this one from my recent guest Meg Carney, The Outdoor Minimalist.
Tune in for a quick update on her book, her newly nomadic life plan, and a few tips to help us keep our heads on straight even as we dive head-first into this season of crazy commercialism!
To help yourself stay focused on the goal (and not all that fun-looking-but-unnecessary gear candy on the way to the checkout), listen to Meg's podcast while on the go, and be sure to check her Instagram for more tips and tricks to embracing a 'less-is-OK' philosophy in the new year!
Hope you all managed to get out there and support a few small businesses over this past weekend, like East Mountain Designs, the micro-business my friend Mischa Ostberg has created, selling beautiful pieces of art that she crafts from recycled climbing rope and gear.
Mischa’s first time on the pod was back in August of 2021, when she was a fairly new transplant to Maine and just getting her art business off the ground. It was so awesome to catch back up with her and see her so settled and successful. Mischa is still cranking out unbelievably beautiful and creative pieces, and letting her talent be the conduit for learning more about the Indigenous peoples whose homelands we occupy, with the goal of supporting these cultures with her work.
Hey there Wild Ones, today is Giving Tuesday - what better day to take it way, WAY back to the literal first interview I ever did for this podcast - yes, that’s right, today we are checking in with Alicia Heyburn, the Executive Director of Teens to Trails.
If you haven’t listened to episode 2, you should definitely go back and do so, although it’s a little rough listening to my barely coherent self trying to interview the ever eloquent and interesting Alicia.
Fast forward two and a half years, and Alicia and the team at Teens to Trails are still doing fantastic work getting more Maine teens - and now pre-teens - not only outside through school or community based outdoor clubs, but as you’ll hear, up at the crack of crack dawn to see the sunrise once in a while - go figure!
Whether you’re listening to this on Giving Tuesday or some random Friday, I’m going to hope a few of you will resonate with the mission of Teens to Trails and head on over to Teens to Trails.org to make a donation or sign your school up for outdoor club support - or both!
And remember, there’s ALWAYS an upside, to down time, outside!
Go Small, Don't Stay Home: Meg Pierce, Inclusive Ski Touring
00:42:52
We're back with a full-on convo with one of my new favorite people, Meg Pierce!
Meg was one of the leaders of the Inclusive Ski Touring Women’s Program I did with some friends last March, and we all came away from that morning feeling so fortunate that we’d had Meg, and her co-leader Torey Brooks, on our team for the session.
Meg and Torey were tireless cheerleaders - and more importantly, tech support for our equipment challenges! - and Meg got so fired up from helping groups like ours that she signed on to the Board of Directors for Inclusive Ski Touring this fall.
But even more meaningful to me is the fact that Meg champions what she calls ‘micro-adventures’, and embraces sucking at things with both arms. Never mind 'go big or go home'; Meg's enthusiasm for beginners (and beginning!) is apparent in everything she does and gets involved in.
This conversation is just the tonic we need to fuel us through the dark days of December.
Today Shay Bellas of NaviTour crushes the concept of the STOKE SHORT! with the shortest stoke we’ve brought you so far!
I caught up with Shay as she was on the run (literally hours before Thanksgiving) to hear about all the fun stuff NaviTour is rolling out for 2023, as well as a few of the many VERY cool adventures and experiences people are booking through NaviTour for the upcoming winter season.
If you’re a New Englander looking for a fun and unique way to experience our area, you need to check out NaviTour.com. And if you’re a guide offering tours or experiences, let Navitour help you get the word out and do some of the heavy-lifting for you!
OK, this one is more a mini-sode than a STOKE SHORT, because Sydney is my squirrel-brained-fast-talking match, and I just love to get into it all with her.
For those who missed our episodes last winter, a quick intro is in order - Sydney Williams is the author of Hiking My Feelings and the creator of the Blaze Your Own Trail to Self-Love programs, Hike to Heal Wilderness Wellness Retreats, podcaster, YouTuber, now an internet radio sensation. I definitely recommend you head back and listen to her origin story, so I’ve linked those episodes in the show notes - today, we’re previewing 2023 events and talking meadow metaphors, boundary building, and what all inquiring minds want to know - why we think Brené swims and AOC went hiking.
I did my girl wrong by not getting this episode up before her debut on Voice America, but you’ve got plenty of time to make a date with yourself to listen in from here on out - catch her show on Tuesdays at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern. And be on the lookout over at HikingMyFeelings.org, big things are coming, as you’ll hear today!
Sydney is hilarious, and a fireball who delivers her wisdom and truth bombs at, like, 200 words per minute, so take your pod player off 1.5 speed, take a deep, cleansing breath, and hold on tight.
Hey, it’s Jen coming back at you with another week filled with stoke!
Today we catch up with Serena Ryan, owner extraordinaire of the Notch Hostel in North Woodstock, NH, as well as the founder of Summits in Solidarity. Serena has been a frequent flyer on the Guides Gone Wild pod, because I love supporting her racial justice hiking initiative each summer - and this year I’m looking forward to kicking my involvement up a notch or two (no pun intended) by joining the Me and White Supremacy 28 Day Challenge in February!
Lots of awesome stuff on the calendar over at NotchHostel.com, including the phenomenal Fireside Chat series kicking off this weekend, so let’s hear all about it from Serena!
Today we get a double dose of stoke from dynamic duo Bri Dostie and Serene Cusack of Confluence Collective. If you’ve been toying with the idea of picking up fly-fishing next spring, these ladies have got you covered. And if you just can’t wait, and want to find your new fishy people over the winter, they can help you with that, too!
Bri and Serene have created a couple of online community-building events coming up this December. If you’re a guide looking to connect with other like-minded fishing guides, you should join Bri and Serene Wednesday Dec 7th for a Zoom meet-up to talk about ways to create safe, supportive and inclusive spaces on the water. Confluence Collective is also hosting a storytelling-focused event for the entire fishing community on Wednesday, December 14th. Sign-up links above!
Bri and Serene coming together for this one makes my Guides Gone Wild self very happy - Bri is a member of the Guides Gone Wild OG club, she was interview #7 I published WAAAY back in the summer of 2020, when she mentioned working with Serene on her Fatty on the Fly initiative. From that point, Serene had been squarely in my internet stalking crosshairs, but I didn’t manage to interview her until just a few months ago, after I met her in person at the Outcast Campout that Confluence Collective hosted in Maine.
Lucky you, you all don’t have to wait any longer - tune in now to hear about all the cool things Confluence Collective has cooking in 2023!
I love myself a good post-pandemic redemption story, and Alissa Wetherbee of Axe Women Loggers of Maine is delivering an epic one today!
(And yes, in case you’re left wondering, I DID order my shirt, along with some axe-kickin’ surprise gifts for my adventure homies - I'll be spreading some spicy cheer AND looking good this holiday season!)
All joking aside, but still on the axe-throwing vein, Alissa and I are cooking up something SUPER DUPER fun for this June, so all aspiring Lumber Jills are encouraged to head on over to GuidesGoneWild.com right this second to sign up for our VERY sporadic newsletter, so you will be in the know when the dates and deets are released in the new year!
Another pandemic rebound stoke story today, hooray!!
Nancy Wind is the owner of Peaks and Poses based in Massachusetts. Nancy originally founded Peaks and Poses to combine her loves of yoga and hiking into something she could share with the world, and over time, even more of her curiosity and love of travel have been folded into the company, to the point that it’s now hosting retreats and getaways all over the country!
Whether adventure to you means backpacking in Glacier National Park, car camping locally or simply sampling from a huge plate of delicious vegetarian Middle-Eastern food, Nancy and Peaks and Poses has something to scratch that itch.
Today we’re catching up with Nicolle Littrell of DoryWoman Rowing, who has had an absolutely action packed first year in business for herself, which I was so so thrilled to hear about!
Listen in and check out all the links for the special offerings she has on deck - get it, on deck?!? - for the holiday season and new year!
Today we’re getting our great mountain stoke on with Jes Lucarelli, the founder of Great Mountain Guide Service in Millinocket.
If a Katahdin ascent is on your 2023 to do list, Great Mountain Guide Service might be the partner you need to ensure a safe and successful day, whether you manage to summit or not!
Jes also fills us in on the epic double-dip Guides Gone Wild experience coming up in February, when Great Mountain Guide Service hosts their annual women’s weekend at Carters XC Ski Center in Bethel, Maine.
As we’ll hear today, just before Covid struck and messed up everyone’s everything, Nancy was working with her friend Adriana Bellerose to develop a week-long retreat program in Costa Rica of all places, to combine outdoor movement and adventure with the internal focus and nurturing of their authentic selves that many women crave.
Today they take us behind the scenes of what it was like to try to build up a retreat business during the uncertainty and chaos of a global pandemic, and fill us in on all the good stuff they have on tap for 2023!
Help Ebb and Flow fill Willard Beach with 381 cold water bathing beauties in honor of International Women’s Day - Saturday, March 4th!
We are exactly one week away from the shortest, darkest day of the year, also known as Winter Solstice, so what better time to check in with our favorite double dippers, Kelsy Hartley and Caitlin Hopkins of Two Maine Mermaids.... because don’t you know it, they’ll be hosting TWO dips in honor of the Solstice on December 21st, at 7am and again at 4pm, sunrise and sunset - who will be brave enough to join them?!?
Like a lot of other Stoke Squadders we’ve talked to so far this month, the Two Maine Mermaids have seen a lot of changes in the year or so since we last spoke - their cold water community continues to grow like crazy, and both Kelsy and Caitlin have dipped their toes into exciting new endeavors in and around the water as well.
Check out some amazing drone footage of last year’s International Women’s Day dip on the Two Maine Mermaids website, where you can sign up for their newsletter updates, and stay abreast (stroke) of @twomainemermaids goings-on to jump the gun on any of the new, fun events they post in the new year.
Polly and her partner Kevin guide single and multi-day dog sledding trips in the winter, and canoe trips in the summer. Many of their paddling adventures are co-led by Penobscot guides, they make their own wood canvas canoes and paddles, they practice and teach canoe poling, they are really second to none when it comes to crafting memorable outdoor experiences.
And they haven’t even built a guided adventure around their motorless ATV pre-season dog training (you’ll know what I’m talking about soon enough), just imagine how bonkers THAT would be!
Not only has Polly come back to fill us in on her upcoming offerings, she’s also on the lookout for an additional intern for the winter season - if you love the outdoors and love dogs, this is THE most amazing opportunity you will ever have to get some incredible hands-on experience with the best in the Maine guide business. So get over to Mahoosuc.com and hit Polly up for more information about a tour, or a tour of duty!
It’s the Jen Team - Guides Gone Wild Jen and Jen Deraspe of Spirals of Wellbeing, née Nurture Through Nature - dropping into your ear buds at the end of a long work week to give you something to smile and dream about: your very own vision quest.
(And don’t worry, no danger of a Madonna cameo in this one. Except I might be the only one old enough to get that reference…)
Since our last podcast meetup, Jen has been a busy, bicoastal woman - selling a business, taking care of business, and now getting back to business again here in Maine with Spirals of Wellbeing.
If 2023 is going to be the year you connect with your whole self, figure out what’s really important and bring new perspective to your life’s next chapter, you’re going to want to head to SpiralsOfWellbeing.com and connect with Jen D. for more info - but let’s have her fill you in right now!
Shorty short for you today, I caught up with Danielle Dorrie and her partner Chris Francis when they were out of town sipping bloody marys before heading out on a hike - girl knows how to live!
Danielle's was one of our first ten episodes way back in 2020, and at the time, she was hiking and posting like crazy to YouTube and the ‘gram, but hadn’t yet passed her Maine guide test.
As of today, Danielle is rocking the registered guide patch, is still the queen of social, and is putting the finishing touches on her and Chris’ new venture - or should I say, Adventure. Specifically, Skyline Maine Adventures - renting kayaks and canoes, and offering guided paddling and hiking excursions along the Penobscot and in the greater Bangor/Acadia area (although they’ll happily head to Baxter, Moosehead, or basically anywhere else there’s fun to be had in the outdoors).
Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and by that definition Holly Twining of Maine Yoga Adventures has been LIV-ING.
Based on her update, I’m thinking she needs to change her business name to 'International Yoga Adventures' - wait until you hear about all the amazing places she’s been lately, and what she’s got planned heading to in 2023!
But she hasn’t forgotten her home base in Maine, and has plenty of winter fun on tap that will be made that much more awesome now that we got a good solid dumping of snow, hooray! Head on over to Maine Yoga Adventures to find out all about it…
Just because these episodes are short, doesn’t mean the guests aren’t bringing the FIRE!
Anyssa Lucena of Genuine Climbing has had one hell of a year, which she’s going to come back and talk to us more about soon (if I have anything to do with it). But in the meantime, we’ve got our dreams to live! And dreams take an action plan, which is exactly what Anyssa is ready to help us build in one of her upcoming Goal-Setting Workshops.
This wise woman speaks the truth when she says that "things like this, unless you schedule, and make a date, and be accountable to it, will always get pushed back". Well, guess what - by January, all the wrapping and baking will be done, there won’t be any Festivus pole to decorate, so lose the excuses and take a little action!
Head over to Genuine Climbing to make that date to join Anyssa and your soon-to-be-friends at a workshop, catch some psych, and watch those dreams of yours come into focus.
We are back on the ropes again today with Laurie Watt, the Women’s Program Director at Mooney Mountain Guides in New Hampshire.
Laurie was a full-time PT and a part-time climber when we first chatted back in April of 2021, but she has totally flipped the script since then and gone all in on her dream, moving to the White Mountains full-time and continuing to rack up pitches and professional certifications in her new career as a full-time mountain guide.
When it comes to inspiration for the new year, Laurie is bringing it (just when we need it), so listen in, and then give her a call to talk about your goals for 2023!
Today we’re getting a quickie update from the doyenne of drops and double-track herself, Rooted MTB Festival director and Cosmic Dirt co-founder Heather Kinal.
This sister in single track has had a LOT going on this year - Rooted was a smashing success in its 3rd year, and Cosmic Dirt is finally ready to release its flagship product, the Zodiac Pant.
Can I just tell you how amazing the last few weeks have been?
I’m sorry if my ceaseless STOKE SHORT! releases have been annoying you, but I have found them to be just the fuel I need right now to keep myself going with this pod. Every time I have a quick catch-up call with one of these amazing women, I thank my lucky stars that I ever had the idea to do this in the first place, because hearing these women’s stories and watching their businesses grow brings me so much damn joy!!
OK, enough of me being sappy, but you’ll understand why in a minute - today’s check in is with Amanda Hatley, the founder of She Summits Co., an adventure camp and now travel company built around helping women and girls learn bravery in the outdoors.
Amanda’s understatement of the year comes right up front - “Wow, have we changed since [the last time we spoke]!”
Backpacking and pack-rafting? Ice climbing? The Amalfi-freaking-Coast?!?!
You’re going to want to listen in all the way to the end, visit Shesummitsco.com, AND, perish the thought, follow She Summits Co. over on TikTok, so you’re the first to know about all the cool stuff on tap for 2023!
One last shorty for you today, and it’s a good one, because my lovely podcast friend Acadia Gantz, aka the Trail Running Baby Catcher, has started her OWN podcast - yay!
Acadia is a midwife, ultra runner, and running coach, and has managed to combine all of these passions into a great new podcast called Adventuring for Two.
I’m going to let Acadia tell us more about it all so you’ll have some great new audio for the marathon wrapping session or holiday travel you might have coming up - I hope you'll check it out!
Welcome to the very last episode of Guides Gone Wild for 2022!
I’m still recovering for the crazy pace of stoke we had going on here a few weeks back, but rather than take a week off, I decided to squeeze in one more inspiring guide - today I’m talking with Lisa Holcomb of Wander the Whites.
If you plan to listen to this in the car on your way to the North Conway area for a long New Year's weekend celebration, you are IN LUCK! Lisa is an outdoor guide who works with a ton of hotels and resorts in the White Mountains, taking folks out to immerse themselves in nature, whether they’re looking for a gentle meditative walk or a cardio blasting snowshoe-to-summit.
My favorite part of this conversation is the wonder you still hear in Lisa’s voice as she describes the first time she drove into Crawford Notch. Needless to say, the White Mountains grabbed her heart right then and never let go, and today she revels in sharing that wonder and joy with all of the guests she guides.
I’ve dropped a few links below, but you will DEFINITELY want to come on over to the episode page on the Guides Gone Wild website, you could plan six vacations with all the helpful info Lisa shared with us!
Get in the (Long) Game: Anne Parmenter, Coach, Climbing Guide and Everest Mountaineer
00:55:46
I purposely picked this conversation with Anne Parmenter to kick off the year, because I need to hear so much of this right now. For someone who was told by a middle school teacher that she wasn’t going to amount to much, Anne has done pretty ok for herself. She will blow you right off your feet. Literally!
Anne is a Hall of Fame field hockey coach that took her team to the NCAA tournament multiple times. She’s done multiple marathons, is an AMGA rock climbing instructor and ice climbing instructor, and oh, did I mention she’s also a mountaineer who’s climbed a bunch of 8000 meter peaks around the world - including summiting Mt. Everest in 2006?
BUT - this isn’t a story of some extreme, unrelatable, genetically superior athlete ticking things off a bucket list. (Although Anne's 90 year old mum is still working out every day and went snow tubing over the holidays, so maybe there is a teeny bit of genetic superiority at play here after all....)
The day I spoke with her, Anne was on the brink of retiring from an almost 40-year career as a coach and educator to embark on her next act - as a full-time climbing guide with EMS in North Conway, New Hampshire. Never mind 'bucket list'; Anne is more of an opportunist who doesn't shy away from epic adventure potential that drops into her lap.
Rather than using her age or job or busy life as (justifiable) reasons to put things off indefinitely, Anne cranked up her mountaineering in her 40s, summited Everest in her late 40s, and decided to lean in to more technical ice climbing in her 50s. She is truly the inspiration I thought we all could use to start the year off in the right frame of mind!
Learn more about Anne, her Everest expeditions, and lots more good stuff here (and even more over at GuidesGoneWild.com!):
(Gear) Sharing is Caring: Emily Mackeown, Maine GearShare
00:46:20
Today we are catching up with another new friend I made at the Maine Outdoor Economy Summit last fall, Emily Mackeown, who is the outreach coordinator for Maine GearShare, a Brunswick-based gear library that completed its pilot year in 2022 and supported tons of youth groups and non-profits successfully in their quest to get more people outside safely and comfortably.
It’s clear from our conversation that Emily’s truly unique upbringing informed her love of the outdoors, which eventually led to her becoming a registered guide. As she puts it, she’s always interested in talking to strangers, hearing their life stories, taking them somewhere outside their comfort zone, and being in that moment with them. So it’s no surprise that she got involved with an organization like Maine GearShare, which strives to bring more and more people into those moments.
As Emily sees it, Maine GearShare is trying to fire up the spark of a societal shift in thinking - maybe we don’t all have to own everything. And maybe, just maybe, access to the outdoors is a fundamental human right that shouldn’t be limited only to those who can afford the “right” gear, clothing and equipment.
I love this business model, I love geeking out listening to people with a passion talk about bringing their visions to life, I love that organizations like Maine GearShare are acting to expand access to the fun and adventure that can be had outdoors. All.The.Love.
You can get more information about Maine GearShare at mainegearshare.org - check out the kinds of equipment they have in inventory, find out about membership, maybe even make a donation to support their work right there on the website!
(And if you happen to find yourself on Route 1 heading into Brunswick any time soon, maybe hit the Aroma Joe’s first and bring Jackson a treat, he is definitely earning it with all the stanky middle school camping gear that man has to manage!)
Catch Some Air (at the U.S. Toboggan Championships) with A Flying Flock
00:39:53
Welcome to the latest Guides Gone Wild special release! Today we're hyping A Flying Flock, the intrepid all women team who’ll be layering up in their bright pink and yellow snowsuits this weekend (February 4-5, 2023) to compete in the U.S. National Toboggan Championship taking place at the Camden Snow Bowl in Camden, Maine.
The flamingos and ducks that make up this fabulous flock include five Mainers - Maile Buker, a marketing junkie from Portland; Tricia Tobey, an interior designer from Kittery Point; Marianne Naess, an aquaculturist from Cape Elizabeth; Helene Dicesare, a nurse from Arundel; and Deanna Smith, a lobster woman from Tenants Harbor - and a lone New Hampshire-ite, Lisa Teague, an interior designer from Portsmouth.
Maile, Lisa, and eventually Deanna joined me for an impromptu chat to talk about the history of the toboggan championship; their fundraising recipients, Trekkers; and why a handful of women 'of a certain age' would decide to impersonate a pink puff pastry with yellow cream filling and take their lives into their hands hurtling down a 400’ long ice chute onto a partially frozen, rockpile strewn lake.
It’s freaking nuts, and I absolutely love it.
Whether you’re on Team Flamingo or Team Duck, you’re going to enjoy these ladies’ meteoric flight pattern. So layer up, grab a balaclava and those cowbells, and head over to Camden Snow Bowl this weekend - the teams will be running all day on Saturday and Sunday morning in the hopes of making the finals.
Check out the schedule and get information about parking, shuttles, the bands, the fun, all the things over at camdensnowbowl.com. And I hope you’ll consider supporting Trekkers in honor of these brave ladies, you can go to @a_flying_flock on Instagram and use the link in bio to donate.
Equestrian skijoring is a big hit out west, but it was a novelty on the east coast when bright eyed and bushy tailed Mary Haley proposed proposed it to Main Street Skowhegan in 2018. Her proposal was initially met with blank stares, but they wound up going for it, even though none of them had heard of it before, and 2019 marked the start of what’s now the annual Skijor Skowhegan race--the first one to ever happen in Maine!
Skijor Skowhegan is an action-packed event, with tons of spectators jammed into the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds cheering on over 50 teams - each made up of one person on a horse, and the other on skis or snowboard being towed behind, as they fly at speeds up to 35 mph along a 1000-foot course, navigating gates, jumps, and collecting ring points. Yes, it’s as bonkers as it sounds.
This wild ride is coming up on February 25, 2023, but you don’t have to wait until then to sample the fun, we are talking about it today, along with all of the other super-fun offerings that make up Somerset SnowFest, which runs from February 17th - 26th. Get more details by visiting SomersetSnowfest.org, or Skijorskowhegan.org, or best of all, just listen in now!
Some more quickie links to skijoring (and skijoring-adjacent) fun!:
Calendula, Chamois Cream, and Cancer Candor from Susan Shashok, Caroline's Dream Handcrafted Skincare
01:00:15
Today’s guest, Susan Shashok of Caroline’s Dream Handcrafted Skincare, based in Middlebury Vermont, has three big goals for 2023 - and she is already well on her way to nailing them all.
Never mind that she spent the last few months of 2022, as she puts it, in "a game show where the prizes behind doors 1, 2, and 3 all suck."
Trigger warning for this one - our conversation starts out all rainbows and flowers (or should I say herbs), talking about Susan’s fabulous natural skincare company, Caroline’s Dream. But we do take a sharp turn into some serious talk about what it’s like to be diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.
I hope you, personally, have not had to navigate this yourself or with a loved one. But if you have, I know you will relate. And if you haven’t, yet (because, let's be honest, this disease is likely to touch all of us, in some way, at some point in our lives), this is required listening.
You probably know a handful of people who should hear this conversation, so I hope you’ll share it with them. Susan and I talk about this in our conversation - the power of shared stories can not be overstated. It’s so valuable to be able to identify with others who are living the struggles that you are getting lost in. Any sliver of shared experience brings people together, and fast-tracks the ability of a community of support to coalesce around you. Sharing is caring, people!
But first things first - head over to CarolinesDream.com to load up on all the lotions and salves and creams and good vibes you need to chase winter’s dry darkness away... and if you want in on next fall’s ginkgo gambling, make sure to follow @carolinesdreamvt. (And don't forget Skijor Skowhegan - this weekend!)
Choose What Works Best for YOU (for Two!): Michelle Boyer, Arctic Lynx Maternity Activewear
00:41:44
If there's one thing I love almost as much as getting active outside, it’s sitting inside with a giant coffee, watching it snow and geeking out about start-uppy stuff with an outdoor industry entrepreneur (who also happens to be a woman)!
Like many of us who become pregnant and retain some hope of getting outside once in a while in the Northeast, when Michelle transplanted to Maine from the south and found herself pregnant, she needed some appropriate clothing to keep her warm, dry and comfortable while she tried to stay active.
When the best she could find on offer were her husband’s old, ratty long undies, she did what any self-respecting woman would do - decided to take matters into her own hands and solve the problem!
Michelle’s scrappy journey from a law firm to the Outdoor Retailer show is what we’re talking about today - and how she’s evolving personally and professionally as she goes. Whether you’ve been pregnant, are thinking of it, or even just care one iota about your pelvic floor - and spoiler alert, you’d better care! - you’re going to want to listen all the way to the end of this one.
Build the Race (and Community) You Want to Be Part Of: Heidi Myers, Rasputitsa Dirt
01:00:30
Huge thanks for joining me today! I’ve been noticing a lot of new ears around these parts lately (plus I’m on the road and a bit time starved this week, to be honest), so I decided it was a good time to hop into the Wayback Machine and encore a conversation with one of my favorite people and one of the best connector friends this pod has ever had, Heidi Myers.
If you’ve been listening for a little bit, you’ve probably heard Heidi’s name plenty of times, because she’s connected me with a ton of fantastic women who’ve been great pod guests. Heck, just a few weeks back we had Susan Shashok of Caroline’s Dream Skincare on the pod and guess how I knew about her? Yup, that’s right, I met her at an amazing women’s bike and fly fishing event organized by none other than Heidi Myers!
Heidi is one of the founders of Rasputitsa, a spring gravel bike "race" and sufferfest for the rest of us hosted in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. This year, 2023, the event will be on Saturday, April 29th, and while the race itself has been sold out for months, it’s one of the best spectator takes and party weekends around, so don’t put those Kinco gloves away yet, you might want them for the tailgate!
Heidi also serves as the Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications for Vermont’s Sterling College, and is one of the most inspiring people - and Instagram feeds - I’ve ever encountered. She shows up like no one else, and I’m so grateful to know her.
Don't Just Toss, Grab the Floss!: Anna Dye, Goddess of Gear Repair
00:36:05
One of the things I love most about doing this podcast is the way that almost every guest seems to spiderweb into more cool connections that I get to make, and today’s another great example of that.
Last time I hit the podwaves, I encored a conversation with Heidi Myers of Rasputitsa, who also works at Sterling College, where she met the wonderful young woman I’m talking to today, Anna Dye.
Anna grew up in the outdoor industry, working at her family’s outdoor gear and apparel store in Red Lodge, Montana. But it was here in the east that she found herself in a cohort of college students hitting the road to apply their newly acquired gear repair skills to real life problems at races and festivals around northern New England.
Anna is a breath of fresh air in an often cynical world, and she shares a few tips and hacks that might just help you out in a pinch when your gear gets…..well…pinched (and damaged) in the backcountry.
Guide for Guides: Social Media Marketing (Part 1/3) with Jaimie Crawford
00:41:39
Today we are kicking off a special series called 'Guides for Guides'.
This idea boinked into my brain back last year when I talked with Jaimie Crawford, one of the marketing and social media brains behind the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce’s fantastic “Hire a Guide” campaign and profiles.
Jaimie, as luck would have it, is super knowledgeable about social media marketing, and how it can be effectively applied to launch and build small businesses - and she also happens to have an affinity for working with guides and small businesses in the outdoor space.
So Jaimie’s back, and we dorked out for a VERY LONG TIME about marketing and social media - so long that I broke this into three parts to keep it manageable for you.
(But you are DEFINITELY going to want to listen to them all, because whether you’re a budding guide, building a personal brand or startup, or have been running your business for years, there will be more than a few nuggets of pure gold for you in these episodes, I promise!)
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
In Part 1, we’re going to set up the foundation of basic marketing knowledge and terminology that will lay our groundwork for the next two episodes - all about brand, storytelling, target markets, funnels, etc.
In Part 2, we’ll be diving into social media specifically, and the role it can and should (and should not?) play in your overall marketing strategy
Finally, Part 3 will round us out with a discussion of community building and strategic action taking
Here are some links to helpful resources you'll hear about:
Guide for Guides: Social Media Marketing (Part 2/3) with Jaimie Crawford
00:39:10
And we are back - welcome to the second installment of our three part Social Media Marketing Guide for Guides, featuring Jaimie Crawford.
In Part 1, we started at the beginning, going over some foundational concepts of marketing and brand building, so if you missed that episode, you might want to go back and listen to that one first.
Today, we’ll be diving into more details, especially around that bane of many of our existences, social media. Can’t live with her sometimes, but these days it also seems like you can’t live without her, especially if you're trying to build your business presence and attract new clients online.
But how much of her do you really have to put up with? What makes a good post? What matters more, reach or engagement? What do those terms even mean? What's the point of it all? Pull on those waders, we're going in deep today!
Here are some links to helpful resources you'll hear about throughout this series:
Guide for Guides: Social Media Marketing (Part 3/3) with Jaimie Crawford
00:36:17
We are back with Part 3 of our Social Media Marketing Guide for Guides series - Jaimie Crawford and I are picking right up where we left off last time, and discussing how showing up on social media is basically the same lift as being a decent human and friend.
We’re also getting into community connections, collaborations, and the most important thing of all - action taking!
If you’re an aspiring, new or seasoned guide, I’d love to hear how this series landed with you, and if more topics related to growing a guide business would be of interest to you (actually, who am I kidding, I welcome feedback from anyone at any time!)
And finally, if you’d like Jaimie to be YOUR guide for storytelling, developing a tactical road map to achieve your specific marketing goals, or even figuring out how to be scrappy and get lots of bang for very few marketing bucks, you can connect with Jaimie on LinkedIn.
Here are some additional links to some of the resources we've mentioned throughout this series:
Forget Pedal to the Metal, Put Your Mettle to the Paddle: Karrie Thomas, Northern Forest Canoe Trail
00:53:14
Whether your affinity for water involves multi-day backcountry paddling or just grabbing a cold beverage and a tube for some floating (while you watch the bald eagles and kingfishers fly by), the Northern Forest Canoe Trail has a spot for you to put in and play!
Karrie Thomas joined NFCT in 2014 and serves as the organization’s Executive Director - but that doesn’t mean she spends all of her days holed up in her corner office talking strategy and grant-writing. If you’re planning your paddle and decide to call NCFT, Karrie might just be the person who picks up the phone and gives you the inside scoop you’re looking for to help you plan a fantastic weekend or longer distance trip.
And beyond the amazing trip-planning resources they provide, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail hosts events and unique opportunities for stewardship that get paddlers of all ages out enjoying and caring for 740 miles of pristine waterways that cross the highest reaches of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Guide for Guides: Liability Insurance (Part 1/2) with Miriam Ball, Alternative Balance
00:52:12
It's the topic most of us love to hate or avoid... insurance.
But for anyone who's thinking of taking folks outside, out of their comfort zones and into the wild (even if the wild is a nicely manicured campground just off a main road), you NEED to protect yourself from the random things that might happen!
My guests for the next two episodes are here to help you find your path through all the regulations and jargon, so you can be confident you're covered - so you're able to spend your limited time and resources on things that you love (and are also important to your business!) like creating memorable and amazing experiences for your clients.
Today's guest is Miriam Ball from Alternative Balance, a NH-based membership group that provides guides and practitioners with access to professional and general liability coverage in health, beauty and wellness spaces that fall outside traditional business liability models.
If you're an outdoor guide or trip leader who offers (or wants to start offering) outdoor fitness or yoga instruction, nutrition or wellness coaching, massage therapy, reiki, forest bathing, energy work, etc., Alternative Balance can be a great option, and Miriam has LOTS of insight to share today.
(Or if your guide offerings include fishing, hunting, boating, that kind of thing, you're going to want to tune in to Part 2 next week, because those service lines are right in the crosshairs for Cross Current Insurance - yes, pun absolutely intended - and next week's guest Angela Ziogas has tons of great tips and perspective to offer as both an advisor and sportswoman herself.)
Guide for Guides: Liability Insurance (Part 2/2) with Angela Ziogas, Cross Current Insurance
00:41:46
We're back with Part 2 of the latest Guide for Guides, all about insurance!
Today we're talking to Angela Ziogas of Cross Current Insurance, which at its very core came out of a woman guide's need for insurance for her fly fishing business. Cross Current now offers all kinds of options for fishing and hunting guides, outfitters, lodges and even outdoor equipment manufacturers.
Angela's going to fill us in on what kind of coverage to look for, questions to ask, information to gather, and things that you can do proactively to protect yourself, your business, and most importantly, your clients.
If your guiding business features more forest bathing than field dressing, make sure you go back and listen to the first part of this Guide for Guides, when we talked to Miriam Ball of Alternative Balance, a member-based insurance group that will help you find the right coverage for activities such as yoga, Pilates, nutrition coaching, forest bathing, reiki, and more.
I hope you'll let me know if you find these 'Guides for Guides' useful - shoot me an email (guidesgonewildpodcast@gmail.com), share your feedback, and let me know if there are other topics you'd like to hear about that would help you and your guiding business!
And speaking of helping your guiding business, if you're guiding or leading trips in Maine, the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization (a great professional organization that gave me the idea for this mini-series) can provide you with a supportive community, pro deals, and other resources that will set you up for success in the field (or on the water, or in the woods....)
Final call out goes to Evans Notch Lodge, our sponsor for the Guide for Guides series - and not a bad place for you to base the next fly-fishing (or forest bathing) group you lead!
'Tall' Ashley's Guide Service - Ashley Leedberg, Registered Maine Guide https://www.guidedbytall.com/ for more details on Women's Adventure Weekends, retreats and more!
Kennebec River Whitewater Rafting Day with The Girls Trip Adventure Co. - Saturday, August 5, 2023 https://thegirlstripadventureco.com/pages/upcoming-trips for more details, or call North Country Rivers at 1-800-348-8871 and ask to join “The Girls Trip” on August 5th.
Embrace Nature's Rhythm and Heed the Call: Tori Gray, The Wilderness Guru
00:58:50
Ever wondered how to blend your passions into a successful business? Today, we're getting one approach - allow me to introduce you to Tori Gray, a registered Maine Guide for the past few years who is going into her second full season of business as The Wilderness Guru.
In creating The Wilderness Guru, Tori has taken advantage of the rising tide of demand for recreational guiding, and created a fabulous business that melds together all of the things she loves.
Lots of Tori’s offerings center around Baxter State Park, which holds a very special place in her heart, because of its unique management philosophy, that prioritizes wilderness preservation over recreation. It’s also where she first started considering a nature-based career, when she served as a wildlife educator and ridge runner during summers away from her pursuit of dance in college.
Today, The Wilderness Guru offers guided group and private hiking and backpacking trips, yoga retreats, foraging workshops, forest therapy walks, and integrative health and wellness coaching. The Wilderness Guru Katahdin trips are pulled together with the utmost respect for the mountain and its sacredness - and Tori even looks for ways to integrate Citizen Science efforts into these adventures, to contribute further to our knowledge of the special flora and fauna that she loves so much.
Head to TheWildernessGuru.com for more information about upcoming trips and events, click a trip link below, or get the expanded list of coolness over on the episode page at GuidesGoneWild.com.
Put Community (y Cultura) First: Cyntya Uriegas of Latino Outdoors
00:38:35
Welcome to a special in-between-isode of Guides Gone Wild - I'm going to get right to the chase with this one for a change!
This Saturday, June 24th, is Summits in Solidarity's annual Solidarity Day fundraiser, which is designed to get everyone outside to celebrate and support BIPOC in outdoor spaces.
One of the recipients of this year's Summits in Solidarity fundraiser is the Boston chapter of Latino Outdoors, an organization dedicated to fostering connection with nature that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. And today I've got the pleasure of speaking with Cyntya Uriegas, one of the volunteer leaders for Boston chapter - she's going to tell us a bit about herself, Latino Outdoors, and why this partnership with Summits in Solidarity is an exciting opportunity to build on the momentum this great group has generated in just a few short years in the Boston area.
It's not too late to adopt a peak of your own, or tag on to one of the hikes and peaks that have already been claimed by another ally (or learn more and plan to do a fundraising hike of your own another day, just because it's not officially Solidarity Day doesn't mean you can't still stand in solidarity, right??)
Let's help Summits in Solidarity reach the top of all of the 4000 footers in New Hampshire, AND their $35K fundraising goal!
Two for Tuesday: Outdoor Women Lead at Fogtown Brewing & Diversify Whitewater Community River Float
00:02:42
Outdoor Women Lead (OWL) fundraiser at Fogtown Brewing Company, Ellsworth, Maine - Thursday, June 29, 2023
Enjoy a special spritzer release made from locally foraged and harvested deliciousness, all to benefit OWL programming and OWLette summer camp for girls!
Diversify Whitewater Community River Float at Veazie Salmon Club, Veazie, Maine - Saturday, July 8, 2023
All BIPOC, Queer, and allied paddlers (and wanna-be's!) are encouraged to join in this FREE event, to encourage and celebrate more diversity on Maine’s waterways!
Register for the Diversify Whitewater Community River Float here: Bit.ly/DWMaine
Or email acstrong @ packraft.me for more information.
Spend the Most Time Where the Representation Is: Saige Purser, Diversify Whitewater Community River Float
00:30:42
Last week I mentioned the Diversify Whitewater Community River Float happening up in Veazie, Maine this Saturday, July 8th - and today, we’re hearing more from a true force of nature behind this event, Saige Purser.
Saige is a citizen of the Yakama Nation, a whitewater guide and the Director of Future Generations program for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, a community-driven, culturally centered public health and social services agency supporting all Wabanaki communities and people while honoring Wabanaki cultural knowledge, cultivating innovation, and fostering collaboration.
Saige is a tireless advocate for indigenous representation in outdoor spaces - literally tireless, she’s been on the road non-stop for the past two months, which we’re going to talk about today. Her summer itinerary so far sounds exhausting, but so, so amazing!
Saige has landed back in Maine for now, and she’ll be one of the leaders for this weekend’s Diversify Whitewater event - and guess what, it might actually be nice out for a change! So I hope a bunch of you are planning to attend! And it’s not too late to volunteer to help out at the event, link here to sign up.
Quick warning, the audio is a little rough here and there, because Saige was sitting in the middle of a gallery at the Smithsonian when we were recording this - literally! I resurrected it the best I could given my minimum viable editing skills.. don’t worry, you will still come away with plenty to think about and be inspired by.
Follow Saige on Instagram @saigelinsay and prepare to get a face-full!
All the links: Get more information about the Diversify Whitewater Community River Float here: Bit.ly/DWMaine
Or email acstrong@packraft.me or saige.purser@maine.edu for more information.
Brave Your Way Out of That Box: Paige Emerson of Chubby Hiker Reviews
00:24:25
Long time listeners, first time callers might remember a conversation I had with Paige Emerson of Chubby Hiker Reviews, back in June 2021.
At the time, Paige seemed to be on the cusp of absolutely blowing up on social media with her inspiring and relatable posts about hiking, and her trail reviews that highlighted things most of us care about, like bathroom access, parking, whether our butts would get totally kicked or just partially kicked.
But with social media, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for - all the attention Paige was getting kind of brought her down for a bit, and she fell off the radar.
Never fear! As of summer 2023, Paige is back with a VENGEANCE, with all kinds of activities on offer AND the beginnings of a structure that will (hopefully!) allow Chubby Hikers to blow up without taking her down again.
You can be part of Chubby Hiker's growth and get to know Paige and her team in a bunch of ways -
From Side Hustle to Hot Business: Jackie Stratton, Cedar Grove Sauna
00:47:41
The last few weeks I’ve enjoyed checking in with some of my guests from WAY BACK - like, 2020-2021 - to find out what they’re up to now, and I've been reveling in all the growth and expansion (and sometimes pivoting!) that’s occurred since our initial conversations.
Today is no exception - I’m checking back in with Jackie Stratton, a registered Maine guide who featured prominently in the early days of the podcast. Jackie first shared her guiding origin story in January 2021, and she was one of the awesome panelists for our "Maine Guide Q&A" in May of 2021.
But fast forward 2+ years. While Jackie's interest in the outdoors hasn’t waned, her business interests have completely refocused as a result of the overwhelming success of what started out as a side hustle, to keep some cash coming in during the off season.
Cedar Grove Sauna is now actually THREE saunas: two anchored in beautiful spots on Jackie and her partner Nate’s sprawling homestead property in Montville, Maine; and a third that’s a modified horse trailer, that Jackie tows around mid-coast Maine and plants for days at a time in spectacular waterfront spots.
Jackie and I talk about the explosion of her sauna business, how it’s impacted her guiding, and why she spent six weeks in Europe this summer in various states of undress. How’s that for a teaser?!? Listen in for all the steamy stuff!
You're going to want to take advantage of one of Cedar Grove Sauna’s Summer Tuesdays, or be among the first to know about the where/when of Jackie’s mobile sauna season coming up, so you absolutely MUST sign up for the Cedar Grove Sauna email list over at CedarGroveSauna.com.
And of course, a few more hot links from our convo:
Less Existential Crisis, More Climate Crisis: Torey Brooks on the Catamount Trail
00:56:35
Summer is winding down, school and fall sports and work obligations are winding back up, and that has me thinking about winter! Or should I say, what passes for winter these days in New England (which at least last winter, was three months of rain and chilly gray skies, followed by 87 snowstorms in like 2 weeks...)
So what better time to bring on my guest today, Torey Brooks, who is one of my original backcountry ski inspirations, a former ski racer and coach, a climber, an engineer, a climate warrior, and a basic bad*ss who decided she wanted to ski the entire length of Vermont earlier this year.
We are talking about the Catamount Trail - 300+ miles of nordic ski trails that were strung together in the early 80s by a few guys who were stuck in their tent on a rainy camping weekend, probably had had a few too many beers, and decided it would be an awesome idea to ski from Massachusetts to Quebec.
I may have made up that part about too many beers, but not about this trail system being awesome - the Catamount Trail really is an amazing network of public and private lands, laced together by ski trails that are conveniently broken down into 31 manageable segments, which is how most people experience the Catamount Trail.
But not today’s superstar guest! As you’ll hear, Torey decided to go for a thru ski - yes, that means all 300+ miles in a single go - this past winter - yes, the winter that basically didn’t decide to happen until the end of February.
So how did she do? You’ll have to tune in to find out!
If you’re not already, you should absolutely be following Torey’s latest adventures over @tleeski on Instagram, and while you’re at the whole online thing, make sure to check out (and maybe even donate to!) Torey’s purposeful pursuits over on Summit4Something.com
>> Make sure to follow Torey for all the up-to-date deets on the premiere of 300 Miles Melting - Friday, September 16th, 5:00-8:00pm at Hula, Burlington VT! <<
The Toughest Terrain Might be in Your Mind: Rebecca Sperry, Socked In (encore)
01:14:57
I’ve got a special encore for you this week. Back in June of 2021, I talked to Rebecca Sperry, aka SockedInHikes on Instagram, as a result of the powerful story she was sharing on social media at the time about her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and desire to continue to hike (mostly solo) despite, and kind of because of, the mental and physical challenges she was facing as she fought for her life. Literally.
Pulling that two-parter back together into a single episode gave me a very justifiable reason to spend time reading through all of Rebecca’s blog posts from the past many months of her tracing.
For those who don’t know, a White Mountain Trace is an attempt to walk every mile of every trail in the White Mountain trail guide. A daunting lifetime goal, for sure, because with all the backtracking and spur trails, a Trace amounts to over 2000 miles of hiking.
And Rebecca is currently trying to complete the trace in just 15 months, which would make her the fastest female on record ever to do so.
It has been NUTS to follow her progress, even if you didn’t know that this is Rebecca’s third attempt at this fastest known time, because the first two attempts were stymied by COVID, and then a life threatening battle with breast cancer. Let that sink in for a minute.
Her amazing blog, Rebecca Sperry.com, has a meticulously documented recounting of her White Mountain Trace efforts. It’s hugely inspiring, but also often very raw, and so truthful, and a remarkable window into the soul of someone who spends many, many hours alone with themselves in nature.
Despite the powerfully difficult circumstances of Rebecca’s last few years, she has continued to persevere, putting one foot in front of the other (and a bazillion miles on her car), and sharing a peek into her internal landscape that wanders from inspirational to devastating to relatable, probably an unintended metaphor for some of the trails she’s been bushwhacking through over the past year.
Rebecca is just a few weeks away from either finishing and achieving her goal, or not. But regardless of the outcome, her words, whether here or in writing, will completely rock your soul. This conversation is from June, 2021, but I think it’s an even more powerful listen today, knowing all that Rebecca has undertaken and achieved since then. I know it’s a long one, but I promise, take a nice long walk or two and listen end to end, you won’t regret it.
When she writes a book about this experience - and she better freaking turn this into a book! - I’ll be first in the pre-order line, I can tell you that much. And I’m hoping to have Rebecca back on the pod very soon to talk about some of her last 15 months - but only if she wants to, because one thing is very clear by now, she is writing her own damn story, and none of us have any right to it unless she decides to share it.
Dip Down to Rise Up (Together): Amy Hopkins, Saltwater Mountain Co.
00:57:07
Coming in HOT this week! Amy Hopkins is the founder of Saltwater Mountain Co., a cold-water dipping and wellness outfitter based in York, Maine, so I was stoked to talk to her, hoping that a tiny bit of thinking about all the cold water would translate into cooling me down in the crazy humid September summer we're experiencing!
We do indeed talk a lot about cold water dipping today - and so much more. Amy brings a unique compendium of skills and life experiences to her latest entrepreneurial endeavor, which should serve as great inspiration for all of us - basically a reminder that it’s really never too late to change your mind and try some new and different things.
This is a timely message for all those high school seniors/college freshmen out there - I hope they listen to this one and realize they doesn’t have to have their whole life figured out at 17! There will be plenty of opportunities to expand, grow and pivot to come - and bottom line, trying something new and challenging yourself with a little discomfort can have some hugely positive effects on your mental health!
Make sure to follow Amy’s Instagram page @dipdowntoriseup for her schedule of community dips, and be sure to check out the SaltwaterMountainCo.com website for more information on retreat offerings and all of the other fun ways Amy is blending her loves of cold water, yoga, bodywork, and more into uplifting experiences for her growing community.
Talk to Cool People (Then Say Yes!): Alicia Heyburn Encore (with PackRaft Maine)
00:51:33
I’ve got another special encore for you this week to remind all of us of the absolute power and beauty that can come from making connections, staying curious and just saying YES! (despite your nagging doubts...)
Picture yourself in April 2020, flailing around in and out of lockdown, wondering if the world was legit ending. That’s about the time I decided to use some of MY newly found free time to start reaching out to Maine guides to eventually recommend to visitors of our Lodge property, refusing to believe that we’d never be able to travel again.
And the very very first person to whom I reached out - who eventually took an even bigger leap and agreed to be interviewed by me, for purposes that weren’t even 100% clear to me at the time - was Alicia Heyburn.
I’ve stopped counting the number of guests I’ve had on Guides Gone Wild that were direct or indirect referrals from Alicia. And guess who reached out a month or so ago to let me know that a space had opened up on a trip she was going on with PackRaft Maine?!?
My kneejerk reaction was "I don’t think so, that sounds kinda hard and complicated, plus it’s a far drive, blah blah blah no blah...."
And then I was like, "Jen, you have spent the last four years talking a big game about getting outside, being a beginner, trying new things with new people, moving into the life you want to live - so shut the **** up, figure it out and make it happen!"
So last weekend I drove 4 ½ hours and shared a tent and two days of end to end outdoor amazingness with someone who was a complete stranger less than five years ago, whom I randomly connected with on LinkedIn.
Alicia is one of a kind, as was this trip: Alejandro Strong, the founder of PackRaft Maine, shepherded our group of complete newbies through the process of packing all our gear and led us as we biked the Penobscot River Trails, into Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, where we camped at Lunksoos Campground, then paddled the East Branch of the Penobscot back to our starting point on Sunday.
It was a weekend of sparkling water, the darkest skies and epic stargazing, making new friends and trying lots of new things.
And all because I talked to someone cool many moons ago. And said yes.
Enjoy this encore! And come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com to see all the links from Alicia's debut episode!
From Midlife Malaise to Machu Picchu (!!) with Bethany Cass
00:41:42
Today I’m talking to Bethany Cass, an awesome new friend I met around this time last year when she and her daughter Maddie attended the Guides Gone Wild Iron Chef weekend that I hosted with Ari Leach of Blackbird Guide Service.
At the time, as you’ll hear, Bethany was kind of treading water in a sea of discontent, but getting ready to take some bold strokes in new directions - and less than one year later, things are poppin' off for her, as the kids would say!
But the point I want you to come away from this conversation with is NOT that you have to go big or stay home. There is more than one right way to seek - and hopefully find - fun, inspiration, and fulfillment.
Bethany’s soul was called toward meditation, yoga, and spending quiet time in the wilderness - yours might be finding a dozen friends for a whitewater or ski trip, or dangling from ropes on a rock face or splashing in a waterfall, or maybe hanging out with your favorite four-legged friend at your local land trust trail. It's all good! If it's outside in nature and it makes you feel good, it's worth doing!
Some of the cool stuff we talk about - come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com to see the full list!:
Climb for a Cause (and Show Yourself Some Compassion for a Change): Anyssa Lucena
00:37:25
On Guides Gone Wild, we talk to lots of women who do extremely brave things - but I have to say, being vulnerable and open about a life-changing diagnosis and treatment (and the mental *ss-kicking you are still going through as a result), is the bravest kind of bravery in my book.
Anyssa Lucena first graced the Guides Gone Wild airwaves in April 2022, when she was in the early days of building her business, Genuine Climbing, through which she provides guiding, instruction, coaching and community around her passion for rock climbing.
Literally a month after we first spoke, Anyssa’s life and business got turned completely upside down when she found a lump in one of her breasts.
So a few trigger warnings for today: very salty language; cancer; survivor guilt; trauma. If those kinds of things cut a little too close right now, skip this and come back next time.
But whether you’re in for this week’s audio ride or not, please do check out Climb for a Cause, an event that Anyssa is hosting Thursday, October 26, 2023, at the GOAT Climbing Gym in Hackensack, NJ from 7-9pm.
If you’re able to attend in person, you’ll have a fantastic time learning and climbing and learning some more, and will be welcomed with open arms by the amazing community that Anyssa has around her.
If you can’t be there in person, I hope you’ll consider donating to the same causes that Anyssa will be supporting with her proceeds from the event: For the Breast of Us, the first online community dedicated to women of color affected by breast cancer; and The Ellie Fund, which provides essential support services like transportation to appointments, housekeeping, grocery assistance, childcare reimbursement, that kind of thing for breast cancer patients, to ease the stresses of everyday life, so that they can focus on recovery, healing, and spending time with family.
And a final reminder that early detection can make a HUGE difference - get the mammogram, check yourself out once in a while, and if anything seems to be changing or is concerning you - ANYTHING! - waste no time, make sure to talk to your doctor.
Fight Flavor Fatigue and Fuel Yourself for the Long Haul: Aaron Owens Mayhew, Backcountry Foodie
00:40:45
Today we're embarking on a culinary thru-hike with registered dietitian and logistical powerhouse Aaron Owens Mayhew, the founder of Backcountry Foodieand the trail mom we all wish we had!
I’m not even a long distance hiker (yet?!?), and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve backpacked for consecutive days sleeping outside, honestly - but I’ve been OBSESSED by the Backcountry Foodie business for years, since Aaron was doing Facebook Lives sitting outside in her vanlife days... and as COVID was lingering on, I listened to countless podcasts featuring Aaron telling her hiking back story, and the origin story of Backcountry Foodie. (Link below to one of the many good ones from friend of the pod, Meg Carney of The Outdoor Minimalist Podcast!)
So we’re not going to talk much Backcountry Foodie history today - I’m much more stoked about the brilliant power move Aaron started leaning into this year, when she began experimenting with ways to more directly support backpackers in their thru-hiking attempts.
We'll also hear about the trials and triumphs Aaron experienced on her recent Tour du Mont Blanc - SOOOO MANY good takeaways for traveling backpackers, so make sure you listen to the end!
AND THEN - head on over to BackcountryFoodie.com to check out all of the amazing free resources and recipes available to get you fired up and fueled up.
OR BETTER YET - level up into one of the Backcountry Foodie membership programs, which will get you access to the entire library of recipes and nutrition guidance, as well as a discount in the Backcountry Foodie online shop!
BUT WAIT, THERE'S EVEN MORE! Take advantage of a special discount Aaron is extending to all friends of Guides Gone Wild - use code WILD at checkout to get 20% off any Backcountry Foodie membership - woot!!
Get a little WILD, use code WILD, and start eating right on the trail, river, campground, wherever and whenever you find yourself fueling up far from your kitchen home base!
Pause, Pivot, but Keep Pedaling Forward: Lindsay Currier, Bikepack Maine (and so much more!)
00:44:53
Today I’ve got an awesome conversation with just the kind of everywoman superhero I love to talk to on the pod - Lindsay Currier, a registered Maine guide, mountain bike coach, enduro racer, trail builder, ski patroller, total mom goals and the force behind Bikepack Maine.
Lindsay’s lived on both coasts and a few places in between, and has spent a bunch of years doing a bunch of stuff to lift up women in biking, whether as her full-time gig or as a side-hustle-on-steroids.
We don’t talk a ton about how Lindsay got into biking in the first place, or what brought her into racing and coaching initially, but I’ve linked up a fantastic blog post here (https://www.josiebikelife.com/2015/11/women-involved-series-lindsay-currier.html) that will give you a window into her life and back story as of 2015, when it was written.
There’s still lots of ground to be covered today, though, and while a lot of things have changed for Lindsay in the past decade (mostly driven by the fact she now has a daughter, Saffron, and lives in Maine instead of out West), there are still a few golden threads that are woven all the way through - among them her commitment to promoting women on and around bikes; her innate drive to foster community; and her desire to help others avoid all the costly and borderline critical mistakes and slipups she made as she learned how to ride big.
And as an added bonus for any of you who dream of riding big with your little rippers, Lindsay shares some mindset tricks and gear tips that will help set you up for success!
A hint of the single track miles we cover can be found in our extensive link list (come on over to the episode page on GuidesGoneWild.com for even more)!:
Break Toxic Patterns and Rediscover Your Strength: Kat Ripley, Juniper Moss Guide Services
01:01:03
Today we get back to my wild fan-girling business with Renaissance woman and Registered Maine Guide, Kat Ripley.
Kat and I recently worked together on an amazing event hosted by Anna Heath and We Built This, where eight wanna-be carpenters were brought together for a weekend of learning, building, mending, yoga and outdoor mindfulness - that last part was where Kat came in for this event.
One of Kat’s most potent talents involves bringing people into nature in a meaningful way, which she’s now doing through her Juniper Moss Guide Services. Kat walked us all through an amazing exercise at the end of our weekend, which she is generous enough to share again today.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of value and inspiration this exceptional woman brings - Kat’s many interests and multiple resets and restarts might just get you fired up to try something new yourself in the new year, or at the very least, start putting yourself first in ways that truly matter!
As a gift for yourself this holiday season, make for darn sure that you follow Kat Ripley everywhere: check out her website, JuniperMossGuideServices.com, where she’s already got some very fun-sounding stuff brewing for 2024; then head over to Instagram and give her a follow @junipermossguideservices and @kat_rip so you can bask in her thoughtful longer-form captions and the fun pix of her adventures and yurt life!
**IMPORTANT NOTE: Content warning for this episode - we don’t get into a ton of detail, but we do discuss domestic abuse and child abuse. If those topics will be hard for you, maybe take this week off - but let me also say that your home should be a safe place, and if you ever feel even remotely like that is not the case, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Help is available, please keep yourself and your family safe this holiday season and always.
2023 Year in Review: Gift Ideas, Goings-On, and Gritty Inspiration for Solstice and Beyond!
00:16:23
Hopping into the Wild One Wayback Wagon this week to take a quick look back at 2023 - and while we're at it, grab some last minute gift ideas, giving thoughts and gritty inspiration to take us through this darkest day and into the light of the new year!
If you or someone you know wants to learn more about the GearME business sale, please contact Michael Hall, Commercial Real Estate Broker with The Jordie Lee Company: 207-773-1111 (office) or email mhall@jordielee.com
**
Way back in March 2021, I talked to Emily Kirkton, the owner of GearME, a fabulous outdoor consignment gear and apparel store in Freeport, Maine.
As of this month, after 5+ years of running this awesome business, Emily has made the difficult decision to move on to new challenges (and honestly, more family time), so she is looking for a buyer and starting to plan for a transition toward the end of February.
I would love to help Emily in any way I can - so I’m replaying this conversation in the hopes that I can make one of the following options manifest:
Someone listening will know someone who would be STOKED to take over this amazing business;
Someone listening will be STOKED to take over this amazing business themselves; and/or
EVERYONE listening makes a point of getting to GearME in the next month to stock up on their outdoor needs, support the circular economy, and give Emily the most financially rewarding send-off possible!
Plus, this conversation is tons of fun to listen to - whether you’re a newbie adventurer, a small business owner, or a grown-up trying to get a kid outdoors, Emily shares great tips and tricks that are as applicable today as they were back in March 2021.
** Timestamps for the impatient :-)
0:02 -- GearMe Outdoor Consignment Store Transition 10:15 -- Overcoming Challenges in Becoming a Guide 14:32 -- Starting an Outdoor Retail Store 27:29 -- Outdoor Adventure With Kids 33:30 -- Changing Perspectives and Parenting Outdoors 38:09 -- Gear Recommendations for Outdoor Activities 42:01 -- Consignment and Gear Buying Tips
Fireside Chat with Trish & Bethany - and Announcing Last Tuesday Meetups!
00:11:48
What you need to know RIGHT THIS SECOND is that we are kicking off the Last Tuesday of the Month Virtual Meetup - for any and all Guides Gone Wild peeps - starting NEXT TUESDAY, January 30th, at 7pm.
At this first meetup, we will be talking about visions and goals and hopes for 2024 - and the rest of the year, we’ll be inviting in the guides and conversations and accountability we need to actually get all the fun stuff done!
So where did this idea come from, you might ask?
Well, grab a cup of hot tea, close your eyes, and picture yourself cozied up by a lovely woodstove in the Maine woods.... That’s where I was a few weeks back with my trusty sidekick Trish and Guides Gone Wild all star listener and guest Bethany Cass, on a spontaneous adventure at the Flagstaff Hut (Maine Huts & Trails).
I just happened to bring my little recorder with me so I could pick their brains about what they find valuable about these little adventures.
Apologies for the janky audio, but I hope you enjoy a little eavesdropping into why little spontaneous spurts of nature are so AMAZINGLY amazing!
And in case you want to hear more of us talking all the feels!:
Build a Community of Support OUTdoors: Rae-a Moughty, Campfire Institute
00:44:11
Today we head OUTside with another fabulous wild guide, Rae-a Moughty, Founder and Director of Campfire Institute, an amazing organization that offers wilderness enrichment adventures for girls and LGBTQIA+ youth.
I connected with Rae-a right after she’d wrapped up the Institute’s OUT on the Snow program held at Evans Notch Lodge over MLK weekend. We were both so fired up by the great time had by the teens, and we wanted to harness that energy to try to spread the word about Campfire Institute and all of its programs still on tap for 2024.
Rae-a is an educator, registered Maine Guide, and all around ray of sunshine, as you’ll hear. Her passion for her work literally pours out of her, and she can’t grow her programs fast enough to keep up with the demand from all corners of Maine.
After you're done tuning in today, make sure to click on the link below to watch the beautiful video Jenny Woodward created with Rae-a (aka "Cricket"), featuring some of the teens that have found their voice and powerful connections through Campfire Institute programs. These kids are amazing and totally, authentically themselves, right down to the classic teen eyerolls!
It is NOT too late to sign up for Campfire Institute’s fabulous 2024 programming, so head over to CampfireInstitute.org - and even if you aren’t actively looking to register YOUR child or young adult for a program, you might just think of smashing that DONATE button and helping to sponsor another.
Please also follow @campfireinstitute on Facebook and Instagram - and there’s even a @campfireinstitute TikTok for the youth in your life to get their stoke on without having to stoop to joining you on the old folks’ socials!
And finally - if you are a retreat leader or guide looking for a low-key, affordable and comfy place to basecamp YOUR next group adventure, I hope you’ll check out Evans Notch Lodge - it's a sweet spot for groups like Campfire Institute, and we will work with you to achieve your vision for your event, retreat, bootcamp, whatever. Contact @evansnotchlodge on Instagram or Facebook, or come on over to EvansNotchLodge.com for more info.
Make sure to check OUT these links from our conversation!:
There's No Such Thing As Too Little Movement: Val Hopkins, 365 Mile Challenge
00:39:07
Today I bring you another dose of practical, relatable, do-able inspiration with my special guest Val Hopkins from 365 Mile Challenge.
Val’s business is all about meeting people wherever they are, bringing them into a supportive community, and providing them with tools, resources and motivation to build a movement habit that works within the limitations of their life, time and physicality - whatever those look like.
That would be inspiring enough, but wait until you hear about how Val, the tech-challenged nurse forced to retire early because of an injury, decided that she and her biologist daughter-in-law were JUST the people who should swoop in and save an internet-based movement community on the brink of shutdown… literally weeks before COVID locked us all inside, by ourselves.
The same drive that gets Val and her community moving "a mile a day, their way", served the 365 Mile Challenge business well, and Val and Kayla recently started their fifth year as stewards of the company and its app, offshoot communities, ambassadorships, and virtual races.
I hope you’ll check out Val’s website, 365milechallenge.org, as well as #365MileChallenge and @365MileChallenge on Instagram - and maybe even get involved in the challenge, or a virtual race, or just take advantage of all the useful resources and tips she’s curated on her fabulous website!
When you’re stuck in a rut, or life is going sideways for whatever reason, sometimes it only takes a teeny little prod to get a teeny little dose of movement to get you redirected to a brighter place. So why wait for the rut?? You can start building a movement habit now, in community with Val, Kayla and 365MileChallenge.org!
If You Build It, They Will Bike (and Walk, and Ski...): Marianne Borowski, Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail
01:12:44
Today we take a scenic ride through the intricacies of trail development, where the rubber meets the road in terms of community building, advocacy, grant writing, marketing... and bike riding!
For those of you who haven’t yet heard of it, the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is an 83 mile long multi-purpose trail that spans northern New Hampshire, from Woodsville on the Vermont border to Bethel, Maine.
The Adventure Trail patches together pre-existing rail trails, bike paths, dirt roads and a few short pavement segments to create a fluid tour of the north country great for biking, hiking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, you name it - if it’s non-motorized, you’re probably good to go on this fantastic trail. AND you can get amazing support along the way, thanks to the countless resources available on the xNHAT.org website.
Such well-documented, well-thought-out trail networks don’t just magically appear out of the ether - there is always at least one extremely passionate advocate working behind the curtains to make their vision a reality for the rest of us to enjoy.
Marianne is just such a passionate, action-oriented visionary, and she was kind enough to invite me up to her hill-top perch in Bartlett to talk all things trail. I loved every minute of our conversation, so I’m sharing them all!
Head on over to xNHAT.org to get all the details about the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, including links to the Story Map, the GPS links, even how to get your very own copy of the OG waterproof paper map, so you can start planning your own Cross New Hampshire Adventure! And if anyone is interested in joining Trish and me on the ride later this summer/fall, shoot me an email - guidesgonewildpodcast@gmail.com - who knows, maybe we can do a whole group thing! That would be SO FUN!
In the meantime, more great links from our conversation:
Wrestling Your 'Dream Life' Demons: Tarin O'Donnell, Tarin It Up Podcast and TKO Yoga & Fitness
01:12:07
Sliding in better late than never this week (DAMN POWER OUTAGE!!) with my fabulous new friend, Tarin O’Donnell of the Tarin It Up Podcast.
Tarin and I met through a women’s podcasting group, and even before I listened to her podcast, I realized I had to have her on because she’s been living a life that a lot of us glamorize and feel a little bit envious of…. Picture snowy woodlands, gorgeous mountains and lakes, skiing, snowmobiles, yoga, avy training at a craft brewery... It’s Lake Tahoe for crying out loud. You know the jam.
But - the reason I wanted to invite her on was NOT to give us an even worse case of FOMO - it’s because Tarin also keeps it totally real when it comes to talking about the hard and challenging things that can be part and parcel of “living the dream”.
There’s so much good stuff here - Tarin has spent almost her entire life tearing up the list of traditional expectations that society tries to guardrail girls and women with (spoiler alert: yes, she's a wrestler!!). She’s also been super creative in the way she’s crafted a life she can live on her own terms - up to and including recognizing and problem-solving for the burnout and financial challenges that pop up like annoying whack-a-moles as a result of her seasonal, outdoor-oriented lifestyle.
So listen up! And if you agree that Tarin would be the coolest online fitness coach and trainer ever, you can check out her offerings on her business site, TKOYogaFit.com, or connect directly with her on Instagram @tarin.k.o , she’s TKOYogaFit on Facebook, or TarinODonnell on LinkedIn.
And you most definitely should click on over to the Tarin It Up Podcast right now and subscribe or follow, maybe even queue a few up for this weekend’s drive up to whatever adventure you’ll be getting at once this stupid weather blows through. You’re welcome for introducing you to a new adventure bestie in your earbuds!
Take Your Advocacy to New Heights: Cindy Hession, 48 Peaks for Alzheimer's
00:47:59
In honor of it being National Volunteers Week, today we're talking to Cindy Hession - scientist by day, hiker and volunteer chair for the 48 Peaks Hike to End Alzheimer's every other waking moment she can manage!
Cindy and I talk about her love affair with the White Mountains and hiking, her personal connection with Alzheimer's, and how the 48 Peaks fundraiser grew out of one man’s devotion to his wife. Her enthusiasm and dedication to this event will pour through your earbuds and make it obvious why Cindy was recognized with a national award earlier this year for her volunteerism.
To lend my support to Cindy AND the 48 Peaks initiative, I have started a fundraising team called Guides Gone Wildcats, and we are going to hike Wildcat A (and D on the way there, for all you peak-baggers!) If you want to join me on this epic hike, or support our team’s fundraising efforts with a donation of literally any amount, you can do both over on our Guides Gone Wildcats Team Page: http://act.alz.org/goto/guidesgonewildcats. Let’s DO THIS!
I hope you’ll hang with us until the end on this episode, because I’ve got a special offer for the Longest Day 48 Peakers out there, too!
Getting Dirty for a Decade: Heidi Myers of Rasputitsa Teaches a Master Class in Intentionality
00:31:42
Today we celebrate the decade anniversary of one of the most storied and epic bike races in the east, the Rasputitsa, with race co-founder and co-director Heidi Myers.
So what exactly is Rasputitsa, you might be asking? Short answer is, it depends.
This year it was a whole weekend of events built around a 50-ish mile gravel bike ride/race that based itself at Jay Peak in Vermont, and included 4,500 feet of climbing.
For the long answer, PLEASE go back and listen to my earlier episode with Heidi, and follow @rasputitsadirt on Instagram to let the energy and ethos of this amazing person (and the event she helped to create) wash over you.
Content warning - audio is admittedly not great. Heidi lives in a rural spot in northern Vermont, and her service left a lot to be desired... so I ask you to bring the same level of intentionality to listening to this podcast that Heidi and the Rasputitsa team bring to every little, tiny detail of their race planning. Find a quiet place where you can focus on her words, you won’t regret it.
And one final note - spoiler for those who haven’t yet listened to Heidi’s first appearance on this podcast - she’s been battling early onset Parkinson’s for years. She is the last person to expect (or desire) any kind of sympathy or extra attention for what she’s going through, but I do think it’s important to consider when you look at how intentional she is, particularly regarding this race and community. She really does blow me away.
Maine River Runners came to town the summer of 2023, and jumped right in to the local business community with their fleet of kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards, and accessories for rent, as well as a lesson program and shuttle service that brings paddlers up and down the Androscoggin from their riverfront home base in Bethel.
But this is no ‘Julie-come-lately’ story - even though her business just celebrated its first birthday, Julie Sloan has more than 20 years of experience teaching (both in classrooms and on the water), and holds certifications in swift water, coastal kayaking, SUP yoga teaching, and as an ACA Paddle Sports Safety Facilitator.
Julie’s story is one that fills me with joy because she has managed to meld her many interests and curiosities into a life she loves, that’s also creating so much good in the world and in her community as a result.
So get that river adventure on your calendar ASAP!:
Everything's Better on Bikes: Nicole Freedman, New England Mountain Bike Association and Former Olympian
01:03:01
The Summer Olympics in Paris kick off in mere hours, so how appropriate that today I’m going deep with the first Guides Gone Wild former Olympian, Nicole Freedman, now the Executive Director of NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike Association.
As you'll hear, Nicole’s Team USA experience is impressive, but even more amazing to me are the decades of devotion she’s applied to making bikes, and bike transportation, a bigger part of our everyday lives.
Nicole was the city of Boston’s first-ever 'Bike Czar'; during her tenure, she helped transform Boston from the three-times designated 'worst cycling city in the country' (according Bicycling Magazine), into a national leader in cycling accessibility and safety.
After some additional stints leading both urban and rural active transportation initiatives, in 2022, Nicole took the helm of NEMBA - only the third Executive Director in that organization’s 35 year history. NEMBA is a community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space, and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England through its 35 chapters across all six New England states.
It’s almost like we’re e-biking our way through this conversation, we cover so much ground! From metro-west to Stanford to Sydney to Seattle, with multiple boomerangs back to the Boston area, all with the goal of making bikes the new normal for commuters, conservationists, and casual riders alike (no hot dog costume required!!)
Links from our conversation (not chain, the other kind!):
Reset the Compass for Adventure as You Age: Lia Lucine & Nicki Ripple, Filmmakers, "Beyond the Compass"
00:45:58
Today I am so ridiculously excited to be talking to Lia Lucine and Nicki Ripple, two of the three women behind a film project that is unfolding right now, somewhere off the coast of Maine - it's called Beyond the Compass, and is documenting a group of women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who are on a four-day Outward Bound sailing expedition.
According to Nicki and Lia, ”this short film will chronicle the journey of an all-women crew on Outward Bound Hurricane Island’s Women over 65 sailing course - emphasizing their resilience through challenge and adventure, as well as the practice of enjoying life at any age. While mainstream media often underscores the importance of enjoying youth, these women serve as a reminder that while advancing in age presents its own difficulties, it does not preclude a fulfilling life.”
PREACH! Obviously as someone knocking on the door of 60 (albeit as gently as possible at this point), I am over the moon at the idea of these every-women’s stories being highlighted as they navigate the physical, mental and emotional challenges of this multi-day adventure.
So let's get this documentary onto the big screen already! You can support the production of Beyond the Compass at https://gofund.me/587bfc42 - make a donation, then tell your inspiring-story-loving-friends to do the same.
And bonus points, if you work for a brand or organization that plays in outdoor spaces, let your colleagues know about this awesome film, and maybe YOU will be the reason Beyond the Compass gets the huge corporate underwriter it needs to tear up the outdoor film festival circuit in 2025!
Just Start Showing Up: Paula Burton, NEMBA's Trail Blazing Trail Builder
00:37:11
Back in July, I posted my episode with Nicole Freedman, the executive Director of NEMBA, and she was the one who introduced me to Paula Burton, a long-time mountain biker, NEMBA CT chapter founder, and instructor for NEMBA Trail School.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet Paula in person at the trail school I attended back in June, but we did connect over Zoom for an article I was writing for the NEMBA Single Tracks newsletter.
We hadn’t been talking for long before I realized that Paula was just the kind of guest I love, love, LOVE to have on this podcast - a real person doing really integral work that is constantly improving the outdoor experience for newbies and weekend warriors like me!
Paula’s been riding since before mountain biking was really a “thing”, and she’s got tons of stories to share that serve to highlight how far we’ve come in outdoor representation in the last 30+ years…. but also how not everything has changed quite so much.
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