The Intrepid Entrepreneur

Mark Ontiveros, retail guru and co-founder of West End Bikes in Portland, OR, talks with Kristin today about what really creates the retail experience, what his passion does for his business, and how owning a shop in a 100-year old building does for his customers.

For more information about this show, please visit www.livinguber.com. (Also, make sure to listen to the end of the show for our giveaway!)

Very few entrepreneurs in the world can say that they started their first business when they were a wee young lad – for Matt Hunckler, founder of Verge, he started his first business in high school!

First, a bit about Vergehq.com. It’s basically Silicon Valley’s neighbor to the East, er – Midwest. More specifically, Verge is the largest platform in the Midwest for software entrepreneurs, developers and business investors. It’s growing like wildfire! There are over 3,000 active members in many cities and Matt has his sites set on more than doubling the cities that are still “unlocked” in terms of having Verge presences.

Okay, back to Matt. So that high-school business? It gave Matt the Fever BIG TIME – the fever to be an entrepreneur that is. Not bad for a guy who started his post-college career selling vacuums door-to-door. Verge is actually Matt’s third start up, and he’s still quite young (you’d never guess he has three start ups under his belt, look at his picture!). Listen in today to learn about what motivates Matt and how he's building an amazing tribe in Verge.

Don't forget to subscribe and rate The Intrepid Entrepreneur on iTunes! Also, make sure to visit www.livinguber.com to learn more about the show and Kristin herself.

Interested in meeting someone who is literally living The Life traveling the world as a content provider for hire and making up amazing stories to present to audiences worldwide? That's Mark Anders. It hasn't been a cake walk - he's had to morph and be nimble - but, over the past 20+ years, he's made it work and he's entertained and inspired so many people through his gifts. Give this one a listen - you'll be inspired and glad you did!

If you’re a fan of the show, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review - and join the LivingUber community of entrepreneurs over at www.livinguber.com.

Chris Carmichael of CTS Training talks about the driving force behind creating a national (and now international) training business for people of all skill levels and sports. Chris is - quite possibly - our most intrepid entrepreneur yet! All you outdoorsy entrepreneurs, listen up for a podcast that is full of inspiration.

Don't forget to visit www.livinguber.com for the complete show notes with all of the links discussed in today's episode.

Listen in to learn how ex-professional snowboarder and TV commentator Keir Dillon co-founded Frends Headphones – the world’s first electronics company focused on giving women what they want in terms of technology! Finding this niche was no small feat and Frends took an interesting path before it coudl find itself. It’s a great interview full of moments of inspiration, doubt, triumph and heaps of vision. You’ll leave this one highly motivated! Don’t forget to like, rate, review and subscribe! Come join our community and sign up for our newsletter with other like-minded entrepreneurs over at livinguber.com.

Wes Allen is the President of The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance and owner of two specialty retail stores: Sunlight Sports and SportsHQ in Cody, Wyo. Wes is not only a mountain-town based entrepreneur himself, he also serves as the leader for a group of over 50 successful, independent outdoor specialty store owner/entrepreneurs in the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. Listen in as he describes how outdoor specialty is evolving its role in the consumer decision journey and why Grassroots launched “Connect.”

For more on The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, visit http://grassrootsoutdoors.com/.

Remember to visit www.livinguber.com and rate the show on iTunes!

Today, Kristin speaks with Gina Bégin, the founder of Outdoor Women’s Alliance (OWA) - the world’s first non-profit media organization that encourages, educates, and engages females in adventure sports.

Gina is chock full of authentic, hair-on-fire-level passion. She’s a connector. She’s a master of building community and getting others completely STOKED to join movements. Part of this comes from the fact that Gina was raised by a tribe of entrepreneurs – literally every single person who had a career in her family has been an entrepreneur. So, her skills must come from some magic concoction of genes and simple tenacity.

Show notes can be found at www.livinguber.com.

Also, remember, if you like this episode, share it with a friend who needs inspiration and give it a five-star rating in iTunes!

Mike is a legendary leader in the outdoor active lifestyle markets. In this podcast, he talks about what it was like for him to leave a multi-decade career with leadership roles at Sierra Designs, Mountain Hardwear, and Timbuk2 to start his own business, Outdoor Pursuits Consulting.

This move was very intentional; meaning, he didn't just hang out a shingle to bridge himself from one post to the next within the safety (and confines) of corporate. He took this next step specifically to bring his passions back into 20-20 focus, to cross-train his experience in new markets and to spend more time outdoors in Northern California's beaches and mountains.

Ready to be inspired? Listen to Mike Wallenfels today on The Intrepid Entrepreneur podcast. And if you like this episode, share it with a friend who needs inspiration and give it a thumbs-up rating in iTunes! Thanks everyone!

Kristin speaks with Scott McGuire, President of The Mountain Lab, about his 20 years in the outdoor industry. Before being at The Mountain Lab, Scott served numerous roles ranging from working in retail, to being a sales rep, to being an in-house product line manager at many, many leading companies, to being a ski patroller and a participant on international expeditions. Scott's insights into the industry are sure to get entrepreneurs thinking - so, make sure you listen now so you can be ahead of the curve!

Learn more about Scott at www.themountainlab.com.

Get full show notes, including links discussed in the show, at www.livinguber.com.

Kristin speaks with Jen Judge, the owner of Jen Judge Photography, about her journey from a desk job to being one of the best photographers in the outdoor arena. Sometimes it's just about being at the right place at the right time, but most of the time it's about following your passions - often both.

To learn more about Jen Judge visit www.jenjudge.com.

To learn more about Kristin, visit www.livinguber.com.