Breaking Trail

Brett Kruse recently joined Outdoor Research as their VP of People and Culture. This position is a perfect marriage of his outdoor pursuits and his people leadership skills. You know I'm always fascinated how we all can find meaning and purpose in life through a seemingly meandering path that, in hindsight looks like a neat and tidy story but when we're all in it, who knows what's happening?

In this week's conversation, you will learn that Brett grew up internationally. Born in Costa Rica, he mainly grew up in Tokyo. And a move from Tokyo as a teenager to Billings, Montana was somewhat pivotal and impactful but this whole exposure to many people, many cultures and countries has had an impact on his life and contributes to his success now as a leader, particularly in HR. He has also competed in 13 Ironman competitions, including the World Championships in Kona with a broken foot, which we talk about. Lots of great experiences and stories in this week's conversation. As a husband and father of two, he passes this experience on to the next generation and at the end, gives advice for those who are still in the seemingly wandering path. :)

So with that, Let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

Where to find Brett and other links:

• LinkedIn
• Outdoor Research

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.

Katie Cox brings her background in architecture and design to the world of land conservation and I love talking to people who find purpose through two disparate passions. As the executive director of the Kaniksu Land Trust, she brings a new approach to conservation and we talk about the impact it has on the community. It will give you thought on how it can change yours.

If you are running in Sandpoint on trails early in the morning, you are likely to pass Katie Cox during her morning run. Katie's love of nature was cultivated during her youth, growing up in the wilds of Idaho. Summers were spent swimming in lakes, backpacking into the Frank Church Wilderness and taking long drives around the Palouse wheat fields. Born and raised in Moscow and Elk City, Idaho, Katie has always believed that spending time in nature is integral to one's growth. She and her husband, Brian, believe in cultivating these same values and traditions in their three young girls.

Katie has spent her lifetime intersecting various realms of education. Her mother taught junior high in Moscow and then was a teacher and principal at the small school in Elk City. Because of this modeling, Katie highly values the role education has played in her life, grateful for the opportunities it provides for everyone. Katie received her B.S. in Education from the University of Idaho and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Washington. Thus far, Katie has focused her professional life in the fields of Education and Architecture, with a particular interest in building community. Her career started at the University of Idaho where she worked directly in support of education, focusing on organizing and supporting large capital projects and a variety of programs for the university. For the last decade she has had her own architecture practice while also wearing many hats in volunteer roles, most notably her work as co-chair of the Pine Street Woods capital campaign.

The threads of Katie's life have woven together her deepest passions — a love of the Idaho landscape, teaching and learning, bringing people together, and spending time outdoors. This makes her the ideal advocate for Kaniksu Land Trust. Katie looks forward to sharing the good work of KLT with its regional community, focusing on growing the conservation, education, and recreation programs.

In her spare time, you will typically find Katie with her family running, biking, swimming, or skiing.

We had a great conversation about the projects that they are working on, and how small grassroots nonprofits can work together to make really big projects happen. I am going to stop and turn it over to our conversation so we can jump right into it.

So let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

Where to find Katie and other links:

• www.kaniksu.org
• [email protected]
• 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 on our 100th episode, I'm doing something a little bit different. I normally don't bring my work projects into the podcast, but the day that this podcast publishes, January 25 2021 is an exciting day. We are launching the new name and brand for Panhandle Animal Shelter here in Sandpoint Idaho and so I have Executive Director, Mandy Evans, joining me. We're actually interviewing each other because this episode will also run on her podcast, which you should check out. It's called People are Animals too, Darn it.

We covered a variety of things, mostly surrounding the chain of events that led to the need to rename and rebrand Panhandle Animal Shelter. Mainly, how things are changing in the world of animal welfare and I think you'll find that very interesting if you didn't know it already. We'll also talk about the creative process that went into the rebrand. Really, it's a project that I am most proud of and excited to finally get it out in public, after we've been working together, about a year and a half on this. Panhandle Animal Shelter is now called Better Together Animal Alliance.

We talk not only about that whole process around it, but how Mandy and her team have managed criticisms and pushback to change along the way. We also had some interesting sidebar conversations about how assumptions that we make, how they either can or won't challenge our thinking which make us blaze new trails and think things in a different way than we had before. Which I think is a really good higher lesson to all of this.

So, with that, let's listen in to my conversation with Mandy Evans, Executive Director of Better Together Animal Alliance.

Where to find Mandy and other links:

• bettertogetheranimalalliance.org
• 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.

Jason Welker, executive director of Pend Oreille Pedalers, was an aspiring basketball player growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis. At the age of 16, his life was pretty much up-ended when his father took a position overseas and moved his family to Malaysia. As you can imagine, this caused some angst in a teenarge but quickly turned around to change the trajectory and path of Jason's life in a very positive way.

I think you'll find Jason's life story quite interesting. We talked about how life decisions both small and large can have a huge impact. And then, from a parent's perspective how exposure to a variety of experiences is just so beneficial for your children. We also got behind the scenes of a small community nonprofit and talked about his work at Pend Oreille Pedalers. We dig into the specifics of some of these projects and even if you don't live in our community, you'll find it useful to see how a small community with limited resources can come together to make great things happen.

Also, be sure and check their website for upcoming events and races which will be fun and help raise money for POP.

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

Where to find Jason: http://pendoreillepedalers.org/

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 guest is a return guest, my friend Brian Harder. If you're a regular listener, you know that Brian has been on the podcast many times. And today, we talk about the price of admission to the wilderness. We are not talking about permits and park fees. I should preface this by saying that we don't proclaim to be experts and most of this is simply opinion. We don't really have any solutions, but we hope that we provoke some thought and conversation the next time you're sitting around a table having a glass of wine with some friends.

Brian is a former Exum Mountain Guide and is currently an orthopedic physician assistant. This is an important context to give you an idea of where his background is and where he's coming from. So we talked about ebikes as sort of a microcosm to this bigger concept of the price of admission to the wilderness, meaning that if you are willing to pay a lot of money, but maybe not put in a lot of sweat equity, you can still access some of the most remote areas of wilderness, without the effort, but with the money, but maybe you get less return less reward. And how does that make everybody else feel and how does that change the experience for everyone as a whole.

We started off with the ebike situation as an example and then we launched into guided mountain climbing as well as guided backcountry skiing and what that means for the broader experience and access to the wilderness.

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know." ― Rene Daumal

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

Where to find Brian: Instagram: brian.skimolife

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'm always fascinated by the paths we take, and how a decision here or there leads to the next thing and then on to the next thing. Of course, extra bonus points for marrying two separate passions into one successful career, and a path of happiness. Zoë Routh is UK-born, Canadian-raised and Australian resident who is a highly successful leadership expert specializing in the people stuff. She shows leaders and teams struggling with office politics and silos, how to work better together. She's worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987 from the wild rivers of Northern Ontario to the remote regions of Australia. Zoë has spent the last 30 years, showing teams how to navigate the wilderness of people stuff. Her past leadership roles include Training Director at Outward Bound Australia, Chair of the Outdoor Council of Australia, President of the Chamber of Women in Business, and Program Manager at the Australian World Leadership Foundation.

This month, her fourth book, The People Stuff – beyond personalities and advanced handbook for leadership won the 2020 Australian Business Book of the Year from Smart WFM Australian Book Awards. She also has a podcast called The Leadership Podcast. She's outdoor adventurous, Telemark skier, has run six marathons, survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. Today, we talked about how she escaped Pluto. Kidding. Only sort of, and made it to where she is today. We talked about how she translates lessons from the wilderness into being the best leader you can be.

And with that, here is our conversation.

Where to find Zoë and other links:

• www.zoerouth.com
• The Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast
• 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.

What does it mean to be a man or a woman? I bet many of you have never considered that thought. I know I haven't, I'm a female that's the end of the conversation but what if all of that came into question. What if you simply don't identify as a male or a female and what does that feel like? The stories we have been told our whole lives shape our world and what we do. What becomes so ingrained in us doesn't even prompt us to question it, we simply don't even think about it. Well, that's not the case for everyone and I spoke with Jessica Johnson, who doesn't identify one way or the other. We didn't solve any real problems today and we don't have any answers but I'm thankful to Jessica, for coming on and sharing their experience. I thought I'd put this conversation out there to question our own thinking. We talked about things like fitting in and not fitting in, finding the need for it, fitting in, and then being okay with not fitting in. We also talked about little things, many people don't think about, like ticking the M, or the F box on your race application and how that small thing actually impacts people like Jessica and keeps them from doing things they love. Hopefully, this conversation opens your eyes to gender inclusivity in sports, and maybe even to questioning things you simply take for granted.

So with that, here's our conversation.

Where to find Jessica and other links:

• Instagram: @glittergravel
• Email: [email protected]

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.

Courtney Condy was a recent college grad who felt disillusioned with the corporate grind while living and working in San Francisco. A last-minute trip to Nepal in 2015 changed her life forever when her trekking group got caught in the middle of an 8.1 magnitude earthquake two days away from Everest Basecamp. Upon returning to the US she quit her job and became an Adventure Travel Guide and began leading trips all around the US and the world. In 2018, She founded Occupation Wild, a job board for the outdoor, adventure, and travel industry, based on the belief that if it's just for a season or a lifetime, there is nothing more rewarding than working in the outdoors.

How fitting is that? I love Courtney's story - I love when people bring their idea to life. We talk about that - it's incredible, we are a generation apart, and both had similar experiences where we weren't exposed to all that is possible when growing up, so she pursued what she thought she was supposed to. I love it when people reconcile what they want to do with what they are supposed to do. With that, let's listen in to our conversation.

Where to find Courtney and other links:

• www.occupationwild.com
• Instagram: occupation_wild courtneymcondy

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.

There is a ski area in Japan called Asahidake that is essentially a summer tram they open for winter to allow for tram-served backcountry skiing. It's not patrolled or groomed (although there are two groomed roads that serve as sort of a thoroughfare to the bottom.

We couldn't wait to check it out. pass this up.

On our first tram ride to the top and exited onto a stunning mountain side. Looking above, you could see the volcano. Below and to the sides many options but hard to tell where one would end up. Skiers immediately clicked in and dispersed, some climbing higher and others descending. We hung out for a moment discussing our options since we were completely unfamiliar with the terrain.

For our first descent, we made the conservative decision to follow the majority of ski tracks down and we enjoyed a good run but it wasn't anything mind-blowing.

We knew we would need to venture out. We just needed to get our bearings.

Next run, we saw a tiny ski track heading off to something inviting. We took it. It dead-ended. So we backtracked. Third run, we saw an opening in the trees that looked like it might drop off into something worth exploring so we headed off the ski track altogether and enjoyed a dozen memorable, breathtaking turns in hip-deep fluffy powder before we bottomed out at a river and put our skins on to climb back up. Exhilarated and ready for more.

We spend a lot of time studying people we admire and trying to follow their path. That makes sense when you are first starting out but at some point, you have to venture off the track and break your own trail.

Success isn't replicable. We each find on our own path and it can be hit or miss along the way. There are no guarantees. No signs telling you to go "this way." And if there were, everyone would be going there and it wouldn't be mind-blowing. Sometimes we have to backtrack with lessons learned.

We find our reward when we pursue the narrow opening in the trees and break our own trail to find the goodness we've been working so hard for!

In honor of each of us who struggles with that restlessness: The restlessness to make change for the better, I am excited to finally relaunch my podcast, formerly the Gear Show, as Breaking Trail and bring to you stories of individuals saving the planet, working for change, creating our own definition of success and breaking trail to get there. I hope it inspires you to do the same. But not in the same way.

I can't wait to hear what you think and you have a guest idea, I'm all ears.

DEFEATING THE STATUS QUO

Today, on Breaking Trail, Rich Hohne director of marketing at Oboz Footwear based in Bozeman, joins me today - to talk about unexpected changes, being side blinded by divorce and moving on from it. Finding lack of joy at work and moving on from it. It's easier to just stay with the status quo, isn't it? But at what cost? So with that, let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

Where to find Rich and other links:

• obozfootwear.com
• Instagram: @rhohne

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.

Anastasia Allison was an unusual kid. She was into things you and I probably were not such as volunteering at a national park as an interpretive guide wearing period costumes performing hymns and folk songs with her violin. Sounds like a super cool kid to me in many ways but sadly, Allison suffered a great deal of bullying as a child. It might be for that reason she spent a lot of her life trying to conform to this "what should we be and do with our lives." She finally realized after a near-death experience, that she can actually do whatever she wants to and today, she owns a gear company that sells pee cloths - it's called Kula Cloth - check it out a t kulacloth.com , she climbs mountains with her violin and performs music in the wilderness with the Musical Mountaineeers and she basically has defined what success means to her and is living it, a major prerequisite for being on this podcast.

We talk about:

• A childhood of bullying - and turning it into a positive experience

• Overcoming limiting beliefs

• The role the woods plays in all this.

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

Where to find Anastasia and other links:

• kulacloth.com

• @kulacloth on Instagram

• @themusicalmountaineers

• Musical Mountaineers on Youtube

• Her personal website

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.