Breaking Trail

Today, Joe Johnson - Salomon's outdoor marketing manager in the Americas joins us to share his long and winding journey to a very cool job, and even cooler lifestyle. It's a story of survival on free breakfast burritos, taking risks, and dedicating oneself to good work and good relationships.

Also discussed:

How to keep work you love from keeping you from doing other things you love.

Listen up, then go out, do what you want to do, make connections and be memorable.

Where to find Joe:

@johnsonjoe at Twitter and Instagram

Global social media for Salomon freeski (Twitter and Instagram)

Salomon TV Youtube

Learn more at The Gear Show

Today's episode will change the way you think about thinking big and what success really is. Dan Abrams had an idea. He didn't know how it would happen or what would come of it. He took calculated risks, he made backup plans in case of worst case scenarios, he overcame "down-on-his-luck moments," and didn't think too much about where it was headed.

Dan is the founder of Flylow Gear, backcountry ski apparel. And today he we talk about:

How do you take an idea as a college kid and make it happen?

Solve a problem in the backcountry ski marketplace and compete with the big brands?

I had been a huge fan of FlyLow gear and of Dan Abrams for at least 10 years when I had the pleasure of skiing with him and his now wife Megan Michelson at Schweitzer Mountain when I did the PR for the ski resort. Megan is a freelance writer and rad freeskier.

Some things we discuss:

• The problem Flylow Gear solves.
• Taking a big gamble to make an idea happen.
• Taking a big leap and the unacceptable alternative: when you are driven to be an entrepreneur and taking smart risks.
• How to make a business partnership work.

Dan's Role models

• Steve Sullivan – Sully – founder of Cloudveil
• Brian Cousins
• Yvon Chouinard
• Let my People Go Surfing – Shrink for an entrepreneur in the outdoor apparel world.

Where to find Dan:

• Flylow Website – dealer locator

Jill Damman had a biking accident that would change her life forever. She could let the incident define her, or she could decide how she would let it define her. Jill shares with us a very difficult time in her life and how she made it into something better than she was before. There are so many silver linings in this story, I hope it changes what a "bad day" means to you.

We discuss:

• Losing your face/your identity
• Finding purpose when things go entirely wrong.
• Resilience and turning adversity into a net positive.

Links:

• EMDR (eye movement therapy) - emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
• Center for Healthy Minds
• Mindful

Find Jill online at www.jilldamman.weebly.com

The Gear Show will return October 5th with all new episodes!

"Encouragement doesn't have a price"

We each have "our own Ironman." It might be a 5k. It might be climbing Everest. Doesn't matter.

today, my friend, Tom Garrity, owner of The Garrity Group, the leading PR Firm in New Mexico, joins us to share how he trained for and competed in the Ironman 70.3 Boulder, crossed the finish line with his arm in a sling, and still achieved a personal record.

Tom's story of getting active didn't even start until his late forties. From couch to marathon training, to ultras to Ironman 70.3 - that's a Type A character if I've ever met one, all while running his PR agency.

There is no shortage of laughter in our conversation as well as ideas for keeping motivated for those mornings you just don't want to get out of bed.

• What is the key to motivation?
• Why you don't have to be a top finisher to be achieving big goals.
• Finding the balance between pushing yourself but knowing your boundaries, your strengths. In other words, how to keep it real
• Training and juggling running a business. Don't expect a three-step framework here. There is no answer.
• The awesome story of working through adversity to finish his second half ironman not only finish, but best performance.

Links mentioned

Team in Training

WorldVision

Black Dog Triathlon

Where to Find Tom

TomGarrity.com

www.garritygroup.com

Instagram - @tomgarrity

Twitter - @tom_garrity

garritypr.com

OneMedal

Counselors Academy PRSA

Research by Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School, found that immersing yourself in a country outside your own can prompt mental change, including increased creativity.

Creativity is related to neural pathways and influenced by daily life, including your habits or surroundings, The Atlantic reports. Experiencing new things can create new connections in the mind." - Thrive Global, How Travel Can Get You Out of a Creative Rut

It turns out the travel bug is good for you in so many ways and today I have no guest - it's just me, talking about travel, specifically, international and what I'd call "immersion" travel - the kind where you get off the beaten path, beyond the quote unquote manicured for tourist experience and really get to know a place and it's people.

Patrick and I took a month to live in SW France. We were able to work from there on our businesses and explore the area and truly experience the region. We've had a lot of questions about the trip and I wanted to share some big lessons of our own, and outcomes of this kind of travel. Now, we were lucky enough to be able to take a month to do this. I'm not suggesting it has to be a long time. You could do this for a week if you wanted!

Some of the things discussed:

• It's kind of a financial commitment. so how did we do it?
• How did we pull it off and make this trip happen?
• How it came together - how we spent a month in France
• Planning vs serendipity - We discussed this idea of how stressed I was at not being able to find trails before we left on the trip:
• Technology and apps - What types of apps and resources did we use for our trip planning - but first:
• Being an american in a foreign country

Links and resources

• Thrive Global- How Travel Can Get You Out of a Creative Rut

Locations mentioned

• Tarn River Gorge
• Town of Le Rozier
• Kayaking in Les Vignes

Apps used

• Gaia GPS
• IGN topo maps - France topo maps
• Fooding
• Google Maps

Today's episode is going to give you gear barn envy and if you are the type to love type A organization, you are going to love the way Jeff Thompson plans his summer camping trips.

Jeff is director at Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, a husband and a dad to a five year old girl. We'll talk about packing lists, and lists of lists, and refining those lists. He'll share with us what he carries in his backpack and we even talk about how to get kids stoked to love the outdoors.

Learn more at www.thegearshow.com

Links, Resources, Further Reading:

Nalgene Drink Tube and Bite Valve

Where to find Jeff:

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center

Today's episode might change the way you think about hydrating.

I like to overthink things. I often wonder if I need to be more methodical about how I'm hydrating when I go out for whatever it is I'm doing for longer than an hour. Do I need to calculate my height/weight, distance, number of calories needed and then figure out the formula for my water and/or sport drink?

There are a few schools of thought when it comes to hydration while adventuring in the outdoors. Some say drink before your thirsty. Others say it's better to dehydrate than over-hydrate. You'll die from the latter, not the former.

Brian Harder is back, my friends - regular guest, good friend, former Exum Mountain Guide, and a generally pretty gnarly dude is going to break it down for us.

We had a fun discussion sharing stories of (de)hydration, what packs we use, how we fuel during and after our long workouts. He tackles such topics as to how and if it will affect performance and how to figure out what works for you. We talk about the idea of drinking before your thirsty and sloshy stomachs. Sugar drinks! Why types of sugar are OK?

And as usual, we get a little philosophical balancing preparedness with the risk of adventure. Hint: Brian likes to offer search and rescue guys job security.

Learn more at www.thegearshow.com

Links, Resources, Further Reading:

Tim Noakes - The Lore of Running

waterlogged

Where to find Brian:

Brians' blog

Brian on Instagram

Today's episode is going to help you summon the mental strength to not crumble under pressure.

Do you ever wonder how the professional athletes do it? Make the foul shot when the stadium is thumping? Drive the golf ball on the cutthroat round of the Masters Tournament? I do. Because my version of that foul shot is hopping into a new business client meeting, or the moments before a webinar starts, or I take the stage to give a speech. We all have our "foul shot" moments that could take us down if we let them.

Today, Cara Bradley, author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine, is going to give us some amazingly practical tips for calming our sorry selves down so we can not only do well, but kick ass.

Cara, a former professional skater, is a mental strength coach in bodymind training. She is the founder of the BodyMind Center in suburban Philadelphia, co-founder of the non-profit Mindfulness Through Movement, hosts practices and strategies on her On The Verge podcast series and free app and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, and Mindful Magazine. She also leads unique bodymind programs for CEO's, corporations, conferences, universities, and sports teams.

It's not as hard as it sounds - our thoughts really do become our reality so it's up to us to not let that impostor syndrome take over and win. We're going to learn how to train our mind much like we train our bodies, and even the big time professional athletes are doing this stuff. So let's take some lessons from them and do better than just OK.

Links, Resources, Further Reading:

George Mumford - The Mindful Athlete

Richie Davidson

Muse App

Where to find Cara:

Cara's website

Today is part 2 in our mini series on longevity, aging and wisdom. It's the continuation of my conversation with Dave Leffmann, physical therapist, soon to be published author, and good friend and mountain playmate - today - we talk about our mind - the fastest and most adaptable tissue in the body - our nervous system and how our thoughts and outlook on life, scientifically translate to our physical abilities.

We have the power to use our mind to do better not just mentally, but physically and it's interesting because for many, the mind is likely the most overlooked piece of gear we own.

I don't want to get morbid on you, but often we fail to appreciate the important things in our lives until after they are gone. Dave and I have this conversation through the lens of a loved one(s) with terminal illnesses living out their last days to the fullest, and the positive outcomes from that, the work that it has led him to do. Hopefully we all walk away from this promising ourselves to focus more on our nervous system and to live our own lives more optimistically and fully.

Links and Resources

Joan Borysenko - psychoneuroimmunology

Where to find Dave:

Dave isn't really an online kind of guy. He's an outside, offline one. Having said that, here his YouTube channel and information about his upcoming book:

Caregiving 101 YouTube Channel

Book will be coming out this fall via Summertime Publications and called: Caregiving 101: A Practical Guide to Caring for a Loved One

The best piece of gear we each have is our bodies. And I want mine to last. Every single time I find myself out running, skiing, mountain biking - having a blast - I take a moment to thank the universe that my body lets me do this. Much like when your internet fails you, you don't appreciate something until it doesn't work. Consider me grateful.

Today I talk to Dave Leffmann, physical therapist, soon to be published author, and good friend and mountain playmate about his philosophy on longevity and how to be the dude who's still downhill skiing at 80.

In this part 1 of 2, we focus on the physical: training, fitness and wisdom. We have to be smart about training. We can't be the foolish young 20 somethings we used to be, and he'll share with us some fundamentals like specificity and periodization.

What is your willingness to accept risk vs spending the season on the couch in a cast or a sling? As we get older we have less time to lose but become wiser to consequences. When we're younger, we are more resilient but as we age we get more brittle and everything slows down. It's time to adapt. Learn how, listen on.

Links:

Born To Run

Where to Find Dave

Caregiving 101 YouTube Channel

You can always find more at www.thegearshow.com.