There’s nothing business leaders love more than a good mountain metaphor. They’ll tell you that the life of any company involves “peaks and valleys.” They’ll tell you the rest of the year is going to be a real “uphill climb.” They’ll find a way to work “summit” into the name of their annual conference. 

But today, rather than hearing some stuffy exec tell us about the “mountaintop experience” he had at a Tony Robbins seminar last fall, we thought we’d talk to someone who actually climbs mountains for a living. Jess Matthews, Lead Guide for RMI Expeditions and the veteran of 100s of summits in Washington, Alaska, and around the world, joins The Dream Job to talk about how she’s 10x more badass than you in every possible way. Our words, not hers. (But if you're really being honest with herself...probably your words too.) 

She talks about working up the courage to leave her “old life” and pursue a crazy career in climbing. She talks about the centrality of things like sacrifice and service in her work. And she shares tips on what to do when you find yourself on a mountain with microwave-sized chunks of ice flying down the hill in your direction. Hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

• Jess on Instagram
• RMI Expeditions