Trails Less Traveled

In this episode I talk to Jenny Hagemann, Co-Founder, and Co-Owner of Thousand Acre Cider House. Jenny was introduced to the quest for finding and tasting great ciders back in 2015, and as cider continued to resurge in popularity, a lingering idea to open a cider focused tasting room became hard-pressed. Jenny was no stranger to the startup business world, she led a decade long career in startup sales strategy and brand development. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Seattle for the subdued untapped cider scene in Bellingham, she puts her own skills and knowledge to the test to build a business and a brand from the ground up. Now, less than a year into launching their startup, she and her husband and business partner, James, face the impacts of COVID-19 head-on. In this episode we discuss how to adapt in the midst of a crisis and how to handle unexpected turns on the trails less traveled.

Plugs:
Learn more about Thousand Acre Cider House at thousandacreciderhouse.com
Follow @thousandacreciderhouse

Learn more about this podcast at thetrailslesstraveled.com
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Music by Adam Blythe (@adamblythe)

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I get to talk to Jesse Nelson, Co-Founder & Owner of Overflow Taps. Their founding principle was to create a social good business that inspires their vision that everyone deserves access to clean drinking water. Through a variety of partnerships and programs, a portion of every pint you buy at Overflow is donated to charities that provide access to clean drinking water in developing countries. I loved learning more about the people behind this social good business and how this idea came to be. Jesse and his business partner Adam were introduced as strangers, but they would soon realize they shared a dream of starting a business and began crafting the concept of Overflow Taps. In this podcast we learn a little about the trail that got Jesse to this point, serving our country in the U.S. Navy, then working many years as a corrections officer, he began to wonder what it would be like not to work for someone else. His wife encouraged him to explore what was important to him and before long, he runs into Adam, and Overflow Taps is born. Now over 4 years in, and facing the existential threat of the global COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses everywhere are being severely impacted, Jesse and Adam’s included. Jesse talks about what it takes to lead in times of crisis, how to pivot and make efficient executive decisions, and how to adapt to turns on the trails less traveled.

Plugs:
Learn more about Overflow Taps at overflowtaps.com
Follow @overflowtaps

Learn more about this podcast at thetrailslesstraveled.com
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Music by Adam Blythe (@adamblythe)

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Basabe, Founder and Executive Director of Vamos Outdoors Project. Vamos is a non-profit organization based here in Bellingham with a mission of "building community through access to environmental education". They work to eliminate barriers to access that make it harder for Latinx and English Language Learner families to participate in outdoor, recreational, and environmental education activities. They provide supervision, transportation, food, and all necessary equipment for the activities provided by partner organizations. All of the programming is free through scholarships provided by partner organizations or by Vamos Outdoors Project covering the fees. The participants discover new passions, make friends, and connect with the greater Whatcom County community and environment. So how does a guy go from a couch-surfing snowboarder living in his truck to launching a non-profit organization for underserved kids? Well, he travels, he learns, he serves, and he finds his purpose, on this trail a little less traveled. 

Plugs:
Learn more about Vamos Outdoors Project at vamousoutdoorsproject.com.
Follow @vamosoutdoorsproject

Learn more about this podcast at thetrailslesstraveled.com
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I get the chance to sit down with one of the founders and owners of Mela water and Traveler Imports, Spenser Bednarik. Spenser’s story is an adventurous one, which you’ll soon find out inspires the statement on their Mela Water cans, that “The search for the best watermelons on the planet was far, wide, and adventurous.” Spenser, a Bellingham native, finished high school and joined the workforce as a commercial fisherman. The work was extraneous and tough, but the money was good and it allowed him to travel in the offseason. He eventually takes a trip to Australia where he lived and worked for almost a year and it’s here where an idea began to circulate in his mind. It all started with a sip of coconut water. Coconut water he thought was so good, that someone needed to bring it to the United States… and that’s exactly what he did. He returned to Bellingham with a few cans of the coconut water, and out of thin air, emailed the company from his bedroom that he wanted to distribute the product in the U.S. Spenser had no prior business expertise, no license, no large amount of money, and no idea how to get a shipping container into the U.S. But step by step, Spenser researched, learned, teamed up with a few business partners, and built a distribution company called Northwest Imports. But the story doesn’t stop there, in fact, that’s kinda where it all starts. After growing the distribution channel for the imported coconut water, Spenser and his business partners set out to launch their own product, watermelon water. He discusses the ups and downs of the adventurous search for the best watermelons on the planet, and because I am drinking one today, you can bet… he found them... on this trail, a little less traveled.

Plugs:
Learn more about Mela Watermelon Water at melawatermelon.com
Follow @melawatermelon

Learn more about this podcast at thetrailslesstraveled.com
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Coleman. Kevin is an artist, the host of Bellingham Tonight, and he’s the Director of Community Outreach with Veritas Media Group. Amongst all the other hats he wears he is a parent, a husband, and involved in our community in many other ways. I was inspired by Kevin the moment I met him. He’s full of energy, positivity and just a hunger to live an authentic life. But it hasn't always been this way for Kevin and I wanted to find out more about the experiences that developed this electrifying energy in front of me. Kevin grew up in a religious, conservative community in Florida where he often felt isolated and ostracized for being gay. But that didn’t stop him from working hard and building a life for himself. Nonetheless, some things were out of his control. Like being diagnosed with a severe colon disease known as Diverticulosis in which he later underwent major surgery. In his early twenties, things seemed to be an okay place for Kevin as he worked on his career, bought a house, and settled into a long term relationship. But that trail came to an abrupt end and Kevin was forced to find himself through a dark period and rebuild from the ground up. With that, he found a new trail in life, one filled with purpose, love, empathy, and service. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, because, well, life never is. But he teaches me that your mindset and perspective is everything, and he chooses to keep an optimistic one on this trail, a little less traveled.

Plugs:
Learn more and see Kevin's art at kevinfcoleman.com.
Follow @kevincoleman
Learn more and find tickets for Bellingham Tonight at bellinghamtonightshow.com
Follow @bellinghamtonight | @veritasmediapro

Special thanks to Thousand Acre Cider House
Follow @thousandacreciderhouse

Learn more about this podcast at thetrailslesstraveled.com
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I sit down with Karl Shilhanek, Founder and Owner of Kebab Casual - a Bellingham food truck serving middle-eastern inspired kebabs. Specialties include house-made flatbread sandwiches, loaded Kebab Bowls, and a wide array of pickles and sauces. Karl was born and raised in Bellingham. He left for college to Arizona where he began his first entrepreneurial venture with a food cart. They served food on nights and weekends and Karl quickly realized they were on to something. However, after college, he parted ways with his business partner and moved back to the northwest, where he settled into a comfortable 9-5 job. Though his work was still connected to the food industry, and the more he cooked and experimented, the more he loved it, and the more restless he grew to get back to the entrepreneurship hustle. It wasn’t too much longer until Karl dropped his 9-5, the security and comfort, to invest in his idea and build Kebab Casual. Since then, Karl has learned a lot about what it takes to be a good leader, to run a successful business, and the delicate cultural space his menu occupies. Karl opens up about what kind of challenges he’s faced along this trail, a little less traveled. 

Plugs:
Learn more about Kebab Casual and order some delicious food at https://www.kebabcasual.com/
Follow @kebabcasual

Special thanks to our episode sponsor Menace Brewing!
Follow @menacebrewing

Learn more about this podcast at www.thetrailslesstraveled.com/
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I sit down with Brad Wilske, one of the founders and owners of Lost Giants Cider Company. Brad and his two business partners Chris Noskoff and Abe Ebert established Lost Giants Cider in 2017 and opened their taproom in Bellingham,  WA in 2018. Among the many hats that Brad wears in the company, his focus is on the taproom and brand management. Brad has always loved and admired art which landed him in a graphic arts program in college. Finishing college on the cusp of the digital boom, he jumped into his career working in graphic design and marketing and leveraging technology in the new era of design. Finally settling into a comfortable long term role at a great company, Brad was introduced to the emerging craft beer industry in Bellingham. He picked up a bartending job on the weekends, and all of the sudden, something started to change. Over time, his connections grew in the craft beer community and so did his passion. So, he left his stable job, his comfortable paycheck, and jumped on an opportunity to join a rapidly growing brewery in its early years - Kulshan brewery. It’s here that Brad’s love for the craft beer community really took hold. It’s where he met his future business partners, Chris and Abe, and an idea began to brew at the brewery. Eventually, they joined forces to create Lost Giants Cider Company. They built their idea from the ground up, followed their passion, and went into business for themselves, taking a trail a little less traveled. 

Plugs:
Learn more about Lost Giants Cider Company at https://lostgiantscider.com/
Follow @lostgiantsciderco

Learn more about this podcast at www.thetrailslesstraveled.com/
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

In this episode, I have a conversation with Leo Cohen, Owner of Cohen Group Northwest real estate team and founder & host of the Building Bellingham Podcast. I’ve been looking forward to bringing Leo onto the podcast since I met him a few months back. He’s full of positive energy, humble insights, and a contagious entrepreneurial spirit. Leo spent the early part of his real estate career learning the ropes, grinding out long days of cold calling and door knocking before he finally made an investment in himself and started his own real estate team. But it didn’t happen overnight... Leo reflects on the uncertainty and insecurity he felt as he began working for himself from a small spare room, newly married, and surviving on his savings. The stakes are raised when he on-boards his first team-member, a business partner who truly believes in him, which ignites belief in himself. Two years later and now a team of 10, his business is not only thriving, but he is changing the way companies approach real estate. Leo is a team player by nature. He watched his parents struggle through a divorce early in his childhood and navigate co-parenting. He learned first hand the importance of building relationships on honesty, authenticity, and what it takes to push beyond hardship for the greater good of the team. Above all else, on this trail he’s creating, he stays focused on serving others, creating platforms not spotlights.

Plugs:
Learn more about Cohen Group NW at www.livebellinghamnow.com/
Follow @cohengroupnw & @building.bellingham

Special thanks to Lost Giants Cider Co.
Follow @lostgiantsciderco

Learn more about this podcast at www.thetrailslesstraveled.com/
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

Lisa Aamot is a business owner and professional photographer, an author, a mother, and a wife. As a professional photographer, Lisa has awesome style and unique taste and she knows how to make people feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. She is the owner of Meraki Photography and does photography and videography for weddings, engagement and anniversaries, families, newborns and lifestyle photos. When she’s not running her photography business, she is co-authoring the new book You've Got This, Mama, Too: A Mother's Guide To Embracing Change And Living An Authentic Life which came out this fall and is available now on Amazon. When Lisa’s not writing, she’s raising her two rambunctious kiddos with her husband and documenting life as a mother, sharing stories, advice, encouragement, and discussing the realness of motherhood. You can check that content out on her Instagram called Motherhood Before Noon @lisaaamot. In this conversation, Lisa opens up about life as a busy mom and business owner and how she has learned to balance her crazy schedule. She discusses what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. But it’s not all business, she also reflects on finding out when her daughter was born with congenital CMV and the roller coaster of emotions and experiences that followed. And so, when Lisa isn’t doing all of that, she's joining me on this episode of Trails Less Traveled to talk about how life on her trail is sometimes... just beautiful chaos.

Plugs:
Learn more about Meraki Photography at https://www.merakiphotographynw.com/
Follow @lisaaamot & @merakiphotographynw

Special thanks to Kulshan Brewery.
Follow @kulshanbrewery

Learn more about this podcast at www.thetrailslesstraveled.com/
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.

I am introducing a new segment of this podcast called TLT Takeaways. The last Friday of every month, you’ll hear me reflect and recap some of the key takeaways from the amazing conversations I have had during the month. Every guest I have had on this podcast has been full of insight, and though you get to hear me ask questions each week, I want you to know what some of my thoughts are on the episodes and what I’ve been inspired by. Enjoy this recap of the conversations I had In September - October 2019.

Learn more about this podcast at www.thetrailslesstraveled.com/
Follow @tltpodcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jacob Bassett

Recorded, Mixed, and Produced by Jacob Bassett

Logo by Jessica Mucha

Intro Music by MusicalSmile

Transition Music by Phil Larson

Recorded in Bellingham, WA.