“Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.”

This quote is often attributed to Goethe but it appears to be really credited to Basil King, a Canadian clergyman. As I chatted with today’s guest, Mary Kerrigan, this quote came to mind. To make a big change, you have to be bold. You have to start somewhere and when you start, “mighty forces” will come to your aid. In Mary’s case, she starts with a conversation. 

And today we’re going to learn from Mary how conversation leads to transformation. 

Mary Kerrigan is a Conversation Architect. Based in Ireland, she helps leaders, and their teams, in communities, organizations, and industry design and structure powerful conversations that change people, places, and public spaces.

Mary has a background in conservation and architecture. As an advisor to Northern Ireland’s Ministerial Advisory Group for 10 years, for architecture and the built environment, she gained a great deal of insight into the impact of planning when it comes to climate change and reducing carbon footprints. This was something she observed as a young girl driving around beautiful coastal Ireland, and though she didn’t know it at the time, she shares the story with us today as it set in play much of her future. 

She received a Getty Scholarship in 2018 in support of her research project: A Place Well Mended – Generating Communities Full of Life and Love.

She was a key driver in a project called Heritage Streets Alive, where she designed and led a public input process that transformed three historic but declining streets in Ireland.

She also helped create an empowering new context that made possible the creation of Derry’s Peace Bridge – shifting the context from resistance to possibility. The consequent emergent spatial transformation there connects one war-torn community with another, also transforming mindsets. By its third birthday, 3 million people had crossed a footbridge that many said would never happen – against all odds.

We talk about: 

• Doing big things and rewriting the self-doubt story
• A process for public input that involves conversation leading to transformation
• Built heritage – what it means to progress and preserve

So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Mary and other links:

• LinkedIn
• Email
• Website
• Heritage Streets Alive! Project

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

In his book Ecological Literacy, David Orr said we need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. He said we need people who live well in their places. People of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. 

These are the people who are redefining success in today’s terms and this podcast is for the peacemakers, healers, restorers and lovers of every kind.

Every other week, we talk to someone who is living well in their place and doing something to contribute to the world rather than take from it. We are breaking trail. 

Today I am excited to introduce you to Katie Harris, who has dedicated her life’s work to connecting this country through bicycle transportation.

Katie Harris (she/her) is the Director of Community Impact at Adventure Cycling Association. She is passionate about creating a future where bike travel is safe and inclusive, and sees bike advocacy at the nexus of climate change, transportation justice, and healthy communities. She provides leadership for Adventure Cycling’s advocacy work, including the U.S. Bicycle Route System, ACA’s safety program, and the organization’s newest initiative, Bike Overnights, which is focused on supporting anyone who wants to experience the joy of bicycle travel, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and transgender, women, intersex and gender nonconforming cyclists. A collaborator by nature, she loves building partnerships with mission-aligned organizations and individuals to further their collective missions. Katie lives in Bellingham, WA, where she spends her free time hiking, mountain biking, skiing, fly-fishing, and poring over maps, planning the next adventure.

We talk about: 

• Safety on the roads
• Equity in biking
• Community Collaboration to get things done
• Stepping into our leadership, something I work to do every day

So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Katie and other links:

• LinkedIn
• adventurecycling.org
• National Corridor Plan
• Nonprofits Unite to Create Equitable Access for Cycling
• Coast to Coast by Bike: Rails-to-Trails Magazine Green Issue

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Things rarely go as planned and that is very much the case for Robin Hall who had a big fat wrench thrown into her and her family’s life plan. The outdoor brand she was working for relocated and she had to make some decisions.  This is a story about finding purpose and adapting. It’s a story about sitting at home and deciding to take matters into your own hands. And why not, while we’re at it, launch a sustainable outdoor kids apparel brand? 

Some people get kicked off the ledge and are forced to change. Others aren’t that “lucky” and therefore hang out in their status quo which means they are doing work they don’t care about.

Today, you’re going to learn how Robin sorted out the mess and came out living life on her own terms. 

• We talk about the three questions she posed to make her plan.
• How she made a big idea a reality
• Taking the sustainable route and why that matters

Robin Hall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Town Hall, a new sustainable kids outdoor apparel company with community and the planet at its core. With over 15 years in the outdoor industry, Robin is a seasoned and enthusiastic leader, strategist and project manager. Robin has built a career out of diving deeply into all functions of an outdoor brand and she passionately brings diverse groups together to solve problems, with her values as her guide. Robin’s #1 and #2 StrengthFinders strengths are Positivity and Achiever, which means she gets it done with a genuine smile on her face and for the love of the process. Town Hall is the epicenter of her passions, bringing together community, environmental stewardship, kids and the outdoors. Robin loves outside daily with her husband, two sons and Bernese Mountain Dog, Yeti, in the amazing community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Robin and other links:

• townhallco.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• evo.com

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Before joining the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy team in 2016 as a trail planner, Kevin Belanger spent many years in the active-transportation world. He received master’s degrees in both Environmental Studies and Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon, where he wrote his thesis on walking and biking habits in suburban multifamily housing. After completing his formal education, Kevin spent time in the consulting world and then as the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for a suburb in Maryland.

Lately, Kevin is focused on an exciting project I’m so excited to share with you all – it’s the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to connect the country via a 3,700-mile-long mult-iuse trail between Washington, DC and Washington State. His favorite part of the job is seeing the light bulb go off in people’s heads when they see what this trail can do for them and their communities.

Today we’ll talk about yet another human being who left a job that looked great on paper but wasn’t filling up his cup – and how he turned that around into work and a life he is passionate about.

We talked about:

• The importance of active transportation
• The impact of trails and bike and pedestrian access on individuals and communities
• Launching a massive initiative with many partners and private landowners

So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Kevin and other links:

• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Great American Rail-Trail
• Instagram
• traillink.com
• Support the Great American Rail-Trail

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Alexis Biddle is the Great Communities Program Director for 1000 Friends of Oregon who’s mission is to work with Oregonians to enhance our quality of life by building livable urban and rural communities, protecting family farms and forests, and conserving natural areas.

Alexis works on issues like housing, transportation, infrastructure, and more, in towns and cities outside of the Portland Metro region. Based in Eugene, he travels the state to work with residents, city planners, and local decision-makers to ensure that Oregon's urban and rural communities are not just livable, but thriving. Alexis holds a master's degree in Community and Regional Planning as well as a law degree from the University of Oregon. 

You’re going to learn today how he discovered his interest in land use  - when he witnessed great social inequity while he was putting himself through law school as a taxi driver. Since then, he has worked with transit districts, city and state planning departments, and as a transportation consultant. His position with 1000 Friends has allowed him to complete his passion and work on both land use and transportation to serve all residents of communities across the state. 

We talked about the risk of loss of farmland, and how he and the team at 1000 Friends of Oregon use policy and litigation to manage growth. We’ll learn about middle housing to control climate change and encourage economic mobility. Alexis also speaks to what makes the public input process more engaging. Great stuff whether you're in conservation or a concerned citizen. So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Alexis and other links:

• Website
• Twitter
• Smartgrowth.org
• Middle Housing is the Solution
• Healthy Democracy
• Proud Ground

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today, I have a beautiful story for you about fatherhood, endurance, and sustainability. 

Josh Lasky is a father, husband, son, amateur endurance athlete, social impact professional, and author. He serves as Director of the Office of Sustainability at The George Washington University, leading the institution’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and fulfill other ambitious commitments. Lasky holds a Master’s in public administration and a Bachelor’s in political science from GW, and he serves as a board member of Climate Ride, a non-profit that organizes life-changing charitable outdoor adventures.

Lasky has completed more than 6,000 miles of bicycle touring and more than 85 road and trail running races, including 50-mile, 100-kilometer, and 100-mile ultramarathons. We talk about how becoming a caretaker to his father at a relatively young age changed the trajectory of his life, how endurance sports and writing helped him through and what a year he’s having with a new job and a new baby girl, and how his experience informs both his work and his parenting. 

We finally got to some discussion around sustainability and I wish we had had more time, so I guess I’ll just have to invite Josh back.

With that, I hope you’ll listen in and gear up for what’s next:

Where to find Josh and other links:

• Website
• Every Step is a Gift
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

I asked Jeremy Grimm to join the conversation about conservation because he has a great deal of experience from the public and private side, leading planning and development initiatives in small towns across the Intermountain West. For nearly a decade, he served as the planning and community development director for the City of Sandpoint, where he worked to spur economic development and job growth by securing public grants and working on capital improvement programs. 

Throughout his career, Jeremy has held appointed positions on the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Board, Panhandle Area Council, Wyoming Water Association, Big  Horn Mountain Coalition (EDD), Governor Butch Otter’s  2017 Workforce Development Taskforce, and currently serves on the Idaho Economic Advisory Council as Region 1 representative.

Since 2007, Jeremy has raised his two children in Sandpoint, Idaho with his wife, Nichole, an independent Family Nurse Practitioner.

Now – Jeremy owns Whiskey Rock Planning, a land-use planning and economic development consulting firm specializing in place-based economic development strategies, comprehensive and strategic planning, site permitting, entitlements, and code compliance. He works with municipalities, highway districts, and both commercial and residential developers.  

The Great Paradox of the West is everyone wants their piece of the American Dream – four walls and four lot lines. In the desire for our own space, we eat up the open space and destroy the very landscapes we have come here to love. 

So what can a person do? We talked about possible solutions, organizations working on our behalf to make these solutions possible, and the mindset required to achieve this shift. 

With that, I hope you’ll listen in and gear up for what’s next:

Where to find Jeremy and other links:

• Whiskey Rock Planning
• Project 7B 
• Keep Bonner County Rural
• LinkedIn

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today’s story comes from Elizabeta Jevtic-Somlai. Originally from Serbia, now living in Phoenix, Arizona. Liz knows what it’s like to flee a country she loved and to find new roots, a new way in a strange and unwelcoming country.

I have the privilege of working with her at Their Story is Our Story, where we are working to tell the stories of refugees to change the perception, reception, and legislation in a way that supports people fleeing violence and persecution.

Liz lost a great deal when she escaped her beautiful country. But she says, she will not lose who she is or where she came from. 

Here is a bit more about Liz before we jump into her full story. 

Even in her youth, Liz understood that education can better lives, and she loves to learn. She holds a BA in International Relations, a BA, a MA in German/Holocaust Studies, and a Ph.D. in International Conflict Analysis. She is a passionate advocate for human rights, more specifically minority, refugee, women, and children’s rights, and has presented, researched, and published much on the topic of long-term (re-)integration.

She comes to TSOS with extensive professional experience in operations and policy planning at the U.N. level and curriculum and course development in higher education. As a refugee herself, Liz knows that trials are part of the journey and that life is precious. She is always ready for a good laugh, loves engaging young minds in meaningful discussions, spending time with her family, and embracing new cultures, people, and food.

Liz said we can educate people with personal stories - we connect to them and change our perception of that label (refugee). With that, people change their actions. Over time, we see an increase in people wanting to help with food, clothing, integration into communities.

Today: 

• Get a first-hand experience of what it’s like to sneak out of your country at the young age of 14
• The trials in starting over
• How Liz broke the cycle
• Why sharing the stories of refugees matters
• How to get involved and help

She wants you to know her story is not meant to be a sad story. It is a story of a survivor.

With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Liz and other links:

• TSOS website
• Instagram 
• Facebook
• Interview on BYU Radio: Refugee Stories, Civilians in Space, Arachnophobia

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking, or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Converting Caring to Action

I invited Scot to be a guest when I saw he was working to save farmland in Whitefish, Montana. In fact, he founded a nonprofit of that name. But first, some critical background about Scott. He is the cofounder of Classy, a San Diego-based social enterprise and software company that creates fundraising tools for nonprofit organizations. They grew the company to 330 employees and have raised more than $4 billion for nonprofits. 

Early this year, they announced a merger with GoFundme which is exciting news in the giving space. Scot now lives in Whitefish, Montana and is the founder of Haskill Creek Farms, an herbal wellness company and Save Farmland, a nonprofit protecting & promoting small farms.

I hope that piques your curiosity because it did mine, and I had many questions for Scot, with the focus on Save Farmland because I”m very interested in what is happening in the west and how lack of thoughtful planning and development is threatening our open spaces.

In today’s conversation, we fill in the gaps of Scot’s story like why he started Classy and how he ended up in Whitefish. We talked:

• Health and burnout and self awareness
• Plant-based medicine
• Regenerative farming
• Types of conservation
• The paradox of our housing shortage and desire to keep space open

With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Hope you enjoy!

Where to find Scot and other links:

• Haskill Creek Farms / Instagram
• Save Farmland / Instagram

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today I have a lovely conversation with Pam Bond whose story I just love. (Actually, stories are kind of like cheese. There are very few stories I don’t like. Just the stinky ones.) Anyway, Pam’s story is a classic full circle one. She was a very shy young adult who now empowers young women through women-only trail work weekends.

Pam Bond is a GIS Analyst in Boise, Idaho but found her confidence and passion on the trail. Starting as a volunteer and now as a board member for the Idaho Trails Association (ITA), Pam has developed a love for trail maintenance. She has been actively involved with ITA since 2015, starting with no trail maintenance experience. Since then, she has played an integral role in developing and growing the Women-Only Weekend program which aims to empower women by teaching them traditional trail maintenance skills. Now as a crew leader, she hopes to help other women build their own confidence.

Pam has paired her expertise with something she cares about. And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love that.

We talked about:

• Overcoming lack of confidence
• The beauty of serendipity (especially in finding your path)
• The joy in volunteerism
• What it’s like to work on trails

With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Pam and other links:

• Idaho Trails Association
• Trail Reporter
• Donate to ITA
• WOW 2021 StoryMap
• Instagram

BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.