Breaking Trail

Bob Legasa is the owner of Freeride Media. He's a TV Host-producer in the snowsports industry, a snowsport event coordinator and a custom home builder and last fall, he was mauled by a grizzly bear on a hunting trip in the Gallatin Mountains in Montana. Fortunately, he survived to tell us about it and by the way, so did the sow grizzly who was protecting her cub.

I was glad Bob was wiling to come on the show and share what happened to him. Most of us might not be out hunting but we're certainly out playing in the wilderness and there are a lot of lessons to be learned - its one of those things - odds are it's not going to happen to me, kind of thing but what if it does? Maybe you'll have heard this and have a bit more bear aware knowledge.

We'll talk about what exactly happened, the lessons learned, about bear and their habitat, bear spray, over guns and more.

Where to Find Bob:

• Freeride Media on Youtube
• On Facebook

Resources mentioned:

• Montana Guide Service Bear Spray Video

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.

Laurenne Ross races the World Cup alpine circuit and is ranked one of the top-ten best speed skiers in the world. She's been to four World Championships and raced in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea. She has two World Cup podiums and many top-ten results.

But man, racing is hard. In 2017, after a top ten year, she injured her knee - seriously enough that she almost missed the Olympics. She rushed recovery to compete in 2018 but it just didn't feel right. Laurenne took time off from ski racing last year and has just returned this season. I

Needless to say, it's a roller coaster ride and Laurenne gives some straight talk on what it's like to be in the world cup circuit.

To balance the intensity Laurenne also has a love for art. Today we talk about staying focused. Being really really good at one thing, being present, the downside of goal setting and we wrap it up with some inspirational talk on favorite ski destinations in the world.

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

Resources mentioned:

• Her website
• Laurenne on Instagram
• Sella Ronda

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 first learned about Winter Wildlands Alliance when I attended the backcountry film festival this past fall. Turns out, that's how today's guest, Hilary Eisen also learned of the organization about five years prior to that. She is the policy director for Winter Wildlands Alliance, which is dedicated to preserving winter wildlands and quality human-powered snowsports experiences on public lands. Hilary is an avid backcountry skier and climber with a passion for wild landscapes. She works on National Forest winter travel management and other policy issues that affect backcountry skiers. Previously, she worked on public lands conservation in Wyoming and Montana for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Wilderness Society. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and a B.A. degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Middlebury College.

We talk today about circuitous life paths and serendipity and how to save the playground we all enjoy. I'm always fascinated to hear how people land where they do and today we spend a fair amount of time exploring Hilary's path. There are a few reasons for this. I have begun to discover a pattern with the guests on this podcast. They say yes to adventure, they end up taking many routes in life that might seem undirected at the time but end up being totally with purpose in hindsight as a combination of diverse experiences come together to create the perfect job/lifestyle

Anyway, if you love playing in the outdoors in the winter in a non-motorized way, we can thank people like Hilary for looking out for our interests while we're at work. Because that's HER work. She reads through plans and proposals and legislation and translates for the layman so we can understand how it impacts us. She then recommends and or takes action on what she learns.

You'll learn about the Winter Wildlands' smart approach to outdoor advocacy. - collaborating with numerous groups to create a power in numbers. "Things work better when you work together and don't rely on your little bubble." - Hilary Eisen

Of course, you might be wondering if her job sucks more with the current administration. And of course, I asked her.

Resources mentioned:

• Winter Wildlands Alliance Website - donate, subscribe, stay informed
• Contact Hilary

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.

Imagine a world where adventure and outdoor recreation is accessible and affordable for everyone with a disability. That's the vision behind the Live it Love Foundation, led by executive director Jeff Scott who is joining us today. Jeff had an accident in late 2010 that left him a quadriplegic.

Thanks to Jeff and the programs offered through the Live it Love it foundation, they are working hard to empower through adventure and outdoor recreation for people with disabilities. Allow them to reconnect with sports and outdoor communities after a disabling injury or illness.

Life with a disability has many layers of challenges. Jeff has no feeling below his collarbone, no triceps, no grip strength. He shares with us his accident and how he adapted to his new life, not only physically, but also mentally. If you can believe it, gratitude played a big role.

Almost two years after his accident, Jeff began to sit ski. But skiing inbounds and on groomers just doesn't have the same feel. That's when he and his team developed the lunchbox - a trailer designed to be pulled behind a snow cat, to give four sit-skiiers access to the back country.

It's truly a sight to see: Lunch Box Video

Where to find Jeff:

• Live It Love It Foundation
• Jeff's TedX talk - Dealing with the Aftermath
• Shawn Achor's TED Talk - The Happiness Advantage

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.

An Olympic ski racer on the art of being deliberate in choices and living without regret.

Oh, do I have a fun conversation to start off your new year today. Kaylin Richardson is a ten-year U.S. Ski Team veteran, 2-time Olympian (Torino 06' and Vancouver 10'), and four-time National Alpine Champion. After retiring from the World Cup in 2010, Kaylin fell even deeper in love with the sport when she discovered backcountry skiing. As a reincarnated big-mountain skier, in addition to winning the Freeskiing World Tour's North American Championship in 2012, Kaylin has been featured in seven Warren Miller films, including this year's Face of Winter. Kaylin has also expanded her expertise as a writer, speaker, commentator, and television personality on VH1, NBC Sports, and as the Olympic Special Correspondent for The Weather Channel.

She is an all-around badass at skiing and at life. She was a blast to talk to and I specifically saved this as a perfect thing to listen to as we all set new goals and new benchmarks for the new year.

Once we establish our mutual joy in skiing, we talked a lot about her racing career and the difference it takes to race in the top tier - what the mental edge really looks like. And it's interesting because she did race in the top tier but, as an example, she didn't medal in the Olympics. Did she fall short of her potential or was she meant to go on and do other things? Kaylin's ability to be deliberate in her choices, and not dwell on regrets has led her into a variety of endeavors before she landed herself in the Warren Miller ski films and as she said, she had no idea life could get better after her US Ski team career.

My takeaways on this one - be kinder to yourself as you set goals, and have faith the most exciting stuff is yet to come.

Where to find Kaylin:

• 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.

Are you setting yourself up for success and preparing for worst-case scenarios? We like to think the stuff we read about in the news won't happen to us. BUT! Not to sound like an alarmist or anything - one bad turn of events and the game has changed.

Today, we re-run episode 4 of The Gear Show and talk to Jeff Thompson, director of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, ski patroller, and recreational backcountry skier. He shares with us what he carries in his backpack - a cumulative knowledge base of shit shows that have perfected this perfect balance of not too much and not too little in the backpack.

We will see you after the New Year, on January 3rd with brand new episodes!

Where to Find Jeff:

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.

A former professional ski racer and Olympian realized her destructive self talk was practically ruining her life. If we stop clinging to things that are not permanent, learn to take control of our thoughts and adapt to change, it's pretty amazing how much happier we can be.

Libby Ludlow retired from the U.S. Ski team 10 years ago. She was in the 2006 Olympics, is the 2004 U.S. giant slalom champion, raced around the world with 45 top-30 World Cup results, three of which were finishes within the top 10. Libby was a member of the 2007 and 2003 World Championships teams. At the 2007 Alpine World Championships in Sweden, she finished ninth in super G and was ranked 10th in the world in the discipline heading into the 2007 season.

As a professional racer, Libby was hard on herself. Harder than perhaps she should be.

After earning her degree at Dartmouth in philosophy modified with Eastern religion, she learned about the impermanence of things and that understanding was key to unlocking potential and opportunity. This eventually led to her co-founding ZGirls, a non-profit organization that empowers teenagers to change their own self talk and boost their self confidence.

She eventually carries these principles forward to her own child and we talk about how she worked very hard to maintain her identity as she transitioned to motherhood. We had some real talk about becoming a mom - not the kinds of unicorns and rainbows you see on Instagram - If you are considering having children (or have young babies) and you love the outdoor active lifestyle, you'll want to hear this. Too often, you don't get the real picture and we think it's important you do.

Today, she is a full-time paralegal for Backcountry.com and is also a mom, and soon to be author of a children's book called A-B-SKIS.

Like so many guests on this show, she had a roundabout way of getting to where she is today and each one of those experiences has informed who she is today in a fascinating way. Hope you love this conversation as much as I do and with that, let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

Where to find Libby:

• Her website
• Instagram
• Pre-order A-B-Skis!

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.

Kim Vinet is a skier, an earth scientist and a public speaker. As we enter the crazy holidays here in the U.S., I hope this episode will serve as a reminder to value what matters.

Kim lives in Revelstoke, BC with her husband and two dogs. She is a sponsored athlete and competitive freerider on the Freeride World Tour Qualifying series (formerly the Freeskiing World Tour). This love of skiing and the outdoors has driven her on an exploration of the hypocrisy of loving the outdoors, possibly to death and it has driven her into a lifelong career in sustainability. She hold a B.Sc. Hons. degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Western Ontario. Following graduation, her specialization in Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy led her to Calgary, AB to apply her skills to petroleum exploration. (We'll talk about this)

Never feeling especially comfortable with the environmental impact of petroleum production, she turned to regulatory compliance work and project management. This experience created a solid foundation for understanding energy markets and government policy.

Kim, like many guests on this podcast, rejected social conventions and the traditional way of making a living when she left her high paying job (and it's resulting lifestyle) to lead a more conscious existence in Revelstoke

So, we have a lot to explore and tease out of that story - things like:

• How to follow your heart and take that big leap.
• Overcoming uncertainty along the way.
• How to cut your carbon footprint and as we enter the holiday season, to be more conscious about the things we buy.
• The joy in living a simpler life with fewer things.

She had quite the circuitous path to get to where she is now and for those of us who are in the middle of our own crazy, seemingly directionless path, maybe you'll find some inspiration in the fact that it somehow all comes together and works out in the end.

Enough of that - let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

Where to find Kim:

• Her website
• 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.

"Letting go of the tendency we have to want things to be different, allowing things to be as they are and allowing yourself to be as you are…" Jon Kabat Zinn on the mindfulness.

Janet Curry is the founder of Stillpoint Counseling and Mindfulness Training in Durango Colorado. She is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and licensed professional counselor. She has not one, but two masters degrees.: One in Mental Health Counseling from Seattle University and the second in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University. Janet is one of the first 130 (MBSR) teachers around the world who has been certified by the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness (CFM) in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. In 2017, she was one of 30 Certified MBSR teachers around the globe to complete the CFM's year-long inaugural 'Train the Trainer' program. The CFM is where MBSR began, and is the oldest, largest, continually running MBSR clinic and teacher training organization in the world. Also - she is a fully trained EMDR provider and has completed the Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies with the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute. Trauma treatment is an area of personal passion and expertise.

In other words, Janet knows her stuff! And I'm so excited to have her on the show. We cover so much in this conversation.

• How does a meditation practice help us with our day to day anxieties?
• Why is it so powerful? Discuss the science)
• We take it further and look at it through trauma and depression.
• For those wondering what a practice looks like, she does a brief guided practice.
• Other ways to practice mindfulness if meditation just isn't for you.

I started a meditation practice almost two years ago. It's helped me so much. I found a pattern where I waste my time thinking about the future and then look back on my life and think "Hey, have I been properly enjoying my life?" Every day I think and plan to the future - you know? What if I were able to actually enjoy this ordinary Tuesday for once and not start the day with a list of things longer than I can actually accomplish? and when I asked you guys what questions you had about meditation and mindfulness, the number one question I got was where to start so that's where I started with Janet.

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

Where to find Janet:

• Stillpoint Mindfulness- to learn more about one on one counseling, group courses and CDs to purchase

Resources and Links:

• Full Catastrophe Living - by Jon Kabat Zinn
• Happiness is an Inside Job - By Sylvia Boorstein
• Kristin Neff - TedX Talk - The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion
• Meditation Studio - where you can find Janet's guided meditations

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 pproblem-solving.

To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

I wanted to have Janette on the show because she has come up in conversation about three previous episodes, all by guests mentioning Janette as a huge influence on them. For example, that's Ash Bocast of Roam Events in the teaser quote at the top of the episode. Before even talking to her, it was clear she subscribes to the idea of women supporting each other and lifting each other up. Although we look at this through the lens of the mountain bike industry, it's a great metaphor for life in general.

Janette is the marketing manager for Yeti Cycles, a high-end boutique mt bike brand. She has served as a mentor in the industry and is what a self-proclaimed semi-nerd, kind of in the vein of our recent show with Brendan Leonard of Semi-Rad, we will only slightly nerd out on bikes. Last year, we did a whole episode exploring if a better bike will make you a better rider and you better bet your ass it will. Janette is going to tell us how bike geometry and technology has evolved to make us better riders. I'd equate it to the advent of shape skis.

We talk about:

• The culture and positioning at Yeti Cycles.
• Janette's own career path - and how she, like so many other Gear Show guests, has made choices based on fulfillment and happiness rather than money.
• Bike geometry and technology - the evolution in the past decade.
• Bikes and how to choose the one for you.

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

Where to find Janette:

• Yeti Cycles
• Facebook
• on 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 pproblem-solving.

To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.