The Occupation Wild Podcast

Not many people would leave a cushy job at Telsa to follow their dreams and live a truly wilder life, BUT that’s exactly what Ryan Lynch of Timber Surf Co did!  From road tripping down to South America to starting a more sustainable performance wooden surfboard company, he is truly living his version of life beyond 9 to 5!  In this episode, Ryan tells us all about how he made the leap from corporate life to business owner, how Timber Surf is creating a more sustainable surfboard, why sometimes the hardest part is remembering to pay your taxes, and so much more!   Follow Ryan on IG @timbersurfco Check out Ryan’s website https://www.timbersurfco.com/

Krista Coole is a Manager and Community Lead with Arc’teryx working with store and regional ambassadors for the brand. When not working she is passionate about adventure sports and constantly pushing her limits as an athlete.  In this episode Courtney and Dalton sit down with Krista to chat all things climbing, what big outdoor brands look for when bringing on ambassadors, working in the outdoor industry, confronting fears, and more! Follow Krista www.instagram.com/kristacoole/

Courtney and Dalton are kicking off Season 3 with a listener Q&A and go over questions on seasonal work, travel, working in the outdoor industry, and more!  

We all know action and adventure sports can be dangerous, but we don’t often talk about how we collectively make some of our favorite activities safer for everyone, the surf industry is no different. After witnessing a close friend lose his life in a tragic surfing accident Yehuda Ben-Hamo created The CORE Project to equip surfers and ocean enthusiasts with ocean safety knowledge and emergency response training.  Listen to Episode 80 of The Occupation Wild Podcast on Apple or Spotify to hear how Yehuda is advancing ocean safety through research, public outreach, and education!  Connect with The CORE Project  https://www.keepitcore.org/ IG @thecore_projectt Connect with Yehuda  IG @yehudabenhamo 

What to do when you fall in love with someone who lives permanently on the road? Do you find a way to balance your life with theirs? Or do you jump headfirst into nomadic life?  On this Valentine’s Day  Dalton Johnson  (van lifer and photographer) and Kristin Riegel  (health coach) both sit down to tell their love story and how they make their adventurous relationship work! Follow Kristin: IG: @euphorically_wanderful Health Coaching IG: @cultivationwithkristin https://euphoricultivation.com/   Follow Dalton IG @daltonjohnsonmedia www.daltonjohnsonmedia.com/ newsletter sign up: www.daltonjohnsonmedia.com/eye-candy   Check out who’s hiring on OccupationWild.com

After a quick summer break, The Occupation Wild Podcast is back with Desert Song founders Caro Kellough and Charlie Becker! After both working in wilderness therapy and witnessing the healing power of nature in both their personal and professional lives, Caro and Charlie created the Desert Song!  A company that sees the adventure inwards as just as important and offers small group therapeutic expeditions and workshops while increasing accessibility and visibility in the outdoors. With affordable trips ranging from Introduction to Backpacking to Body Positive Backpacking, they are committed to providing outdoor therapy for all!   Desert Song: https://thedesertsong.com/ Follow the Desert Song on Instagram @the_desertsong Check out who's hiring at www.occupationwild.com

Alex Sanson is a Southern California-based climber and surfer who truly lives #lifebeyond9to5!  From climbing throughout the Western United States and surfing Hawaii, Nicaragua, and beyond his passion for the outdoors had led him on some wild adventures! An ode to the early The Occupation Wild Podcast days this episode is a chill conversation about the outdoor places we love and why we keep coming back! Follow Alex: https://www.instagram.com/sir_cazador/ Thank you to our show sponsor: The Outdoor Recreation Economy Program at CU Boulder - The only completely online program like it in the country and they are now accepting applicants for Fall 2021!

Jo-Anne Henderson is the creator behind Surf Coo.  The Scottish surfer spent the past 5 years traveling around the world chasing warm waves, making art, and working odd jobs to support her travels!  Now back in her homeland of Scotland and deeply inspired by the surf culture and cold water Surf Coo was born!  As a second-generation fleece maker, her apparel and brand reflects her inspiration from the Scottish coastline! In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Courtney sits down with Jo-Anne to talk travel stories, surfing, starting a small business, and more! Thank you to our Show Sponsor! The Outdoor Recreation Economy Program at CU Boulder - Only completely online program like it in the country and they are now accepting applicants for Fall 2021! Follow Surf Coo Instagram: @surfcoo https://www.surfcoo.com/ Check out who’s hiring on OccupationWild.com

Lhakpa Sherpa is a Nepalese Sherpa mountain climber who holds the Women’s World Record for 9 summits of Mount Everest. She is also the first Nepalese woman to have successfully summited Everest!   A self-proclaimed “wild woman” who broke gender barriers in her own country of Nepal, she currently lives in Connecticut with her daughters and with no climbing sponsors works odd jobs like cleaning dishes to support her mountaineering dreams of climbing Everest for the 10th time and climbing the world’s second tallest mountain K2!  We are linking Lhakpa’s GoFundMe in the show notes below to hopefully help her reach her goal!  Thank you to our Show Sponsor! The Outdoor Recreation Economy Program at CU Boulder - The only completely online program like it in the country and they are now accepting applicants for Fall 2021! Follow Lhakpa Sherpa GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/everest-and-k2-2021?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1 Instagram: @lhakpa_sherpa9 https://cloudscapeclimbing.com/ Buy a sticker to support Lhakpa!  https://www.occupationwild.com/store

Emmeline Wang is a LGBTQIA + Asian American Climber who’s passion for the sport has taken her on some incredible adventures!  Emmeline sits down on The Occupation Wild Podcast to talk about discovering climbing post-college, leaving behind a high paying job in San Francisco, and moving to Utah with her partner to spend more time in the outdoor places they love, diversity in the climbing community, and the work that still has to be done, working with top brands in the industry, and her journey of cultivating her most authentic and adventurous life!  Thank you to our Show Sponsor: The Outdoor Recreation Economy Program at CU Boulder - The only completely online program like it in the country and they are now accepting applicants for Fall 2021! Follow Emmeline Wang IG: @emmelinewang https://www.instagram.com/emmelinewang/ https://emmelinewang.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/emmelinew422 Gear Mentioned in the Episode: https://www.unparallelsports.com/ https://floydsofleadville.com/ https://www.wildcountry.com/

Ashley Manning is a whitewater guide, plus-sized explorer, and body-positive/ fat positive outdoor influencer who is normalizing all body-types in the outdoors!  In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Ashley and Courtney sit down to talk about Ashley’s career as a whitewater guide, why representation matters, gear, overcoming discrimination in the outdoor industry, and her upcoming Body Positive Backpacking Trip! Body Positive Backpacking Trip: https://thedesertsong.com/expeditions Follow Ashley: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ashleysadventure/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleysadventure_? Gear Discussed in the episode: Granite Gear https://www.granitegear.com/ Klymit https://klymit.com/ Merrell: https://www.merrell.com/ Thermarest: https://www.thermarest.com/ MamaP Get 10% off with the code: wild10 https://mamap.life/ Find your dream job on OccupationWild.com

Ever wonder why conversations about money seem so taboo in the outdoor industry especially?  Or why no one seems to talk about if it’s possible to have financial freedom while working an outdoor or seasonal job?  Well, Outdoor Industry Financial Coach, Rebecca Brooks is changing that narrative with her company R&D Financial Coaching!  A seasoned outdoor professional herself, Rebecca joins us on the podcast to chat all things money and destigmatizes a topic so many of us are scared to jump into!  Follow Rebecca https://www.instagram.com/radcoaches/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-l-brooks/ https://www.radcoaches.com/ Check out who’s hiring on OccupationWild.com MamaP Get 10% off with the code: wild10 https://mamap.life/

Adventure photographer, Dalton Johnson, returns to The Occupation Wild Podcast for a second time after his original episode (Episode 41 - Rewriting the American Dream) has easily become one of our most written and listened-to podcasts!  Almost a year later we dive back into Dalton’s life and successful career, hear tales of living on the road, his personal philosophies on creating purpose and meaning, why losing his identity allowed him to discover himself, and how he went from a college student who would schedule planned time to be spontaneous to turning adventure into his full-time job!     Dalton https://www.daltonjohnsonmedia.com/ https://www.instagram.com/daltonjohnsonmedia/ https://www.daltonjohnsonmedia.com/eye-candy Occupation Wild Check out who’s hiring: https://www.occupationwild.com/ MamaP https://mamap.life/ Get 10% off with the code: wild10

Reposting one of our most popular episodes ever with adventure photographer Dalton Johnson! Dalton Johnson went to college to become a doctor and ended up as a vanlife dwelling adventure photographer!  Spending 200+ nights a year sleeping under the stars, he might just be the poster child for living life beyond 9 to 5!  Working with some of the biggest brands in the outdoor industry, his camera has taken him from remote peaks in the Eastern Sierras to 15-foot swells photographing surfers in the Pacific. It’s more than just photography and adventure for Dalton, his ultimate goal is to rewrite the American Dream by “inspiring others to design their lifestyles through rigorous introspection to consciously consume experiences instead of things.” In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Courtney and Nick sit down with Dalton to talk about how Conrad Anker’s advice changed his life, finding community while always on the go, turning a passion into a paycheck, Dalton’s favorite places to road trip, and how we can always design a life we want!  Link in bio for ways to listen! Dalton: www.daltonjohnsonmedia.com https://www.instagram.com/daltonjohnsonmedia/ Check out who's hiring: https://www.occupationwild.com/all-jobs Get $50 off your first Outdoorsy rental with the code: occupationwild https://www.outdoorsy.com/rv-search?discount_code=occupationwild&hotid=102af1e316ada22b760f55725f9bb9&offer_id=3&cam=751&subcam=1251&aff_sub=podcast&utm_source=Occupation+Wild&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=hasoffers

Kate “Switch” Hill (she/her) is a queer thru-hiker having completed the Colorado Trail (CT) in 2020, The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2019, and  Nüümü Poyo aka the John Muir Trail (JMT) in 2017!  Her love for running outside lead her to discovering backpacking and after hiking the JMT one summer during college she was hooked!  She spent her final years in school planning and saving so she could set off on the PCT in 2019! In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Courtney and Kate sat down to talk about all things thru-hiking the PCT!  From navigating the trail as a queer womxn, hiker trash culture, how one gets their trail name, and an in-depth look into completing a 2,653-mile journey by foot!  🌈 🥾 🏔 🌲 🎒  Kate Hill: https://www.instagram.com/kate_erpillar/ Gear mentioned in the episode: Superior Wilderness Designs https://www.swdbackpacks.com/ Enlightened Equipment https://enlightenedequipment.com/ Thermarest https://www.thermarest.com/ Kula Cloth https://kulacloth.com/ Special Thank you to this week’s sponsor!  Xanterra’s Grand Canyon Recruitment team!  Are you enthusiastic about hospitality, people, and beautiful places? By working at Grand Canyon National Park, you will get all three! No matter what your jobs is, you will be a proud steward of the park and play an essential role in providing warm and friendly hospitality to their guests! They hope to see you all Living, Working, and Exploring with us soon! https://www.xanterrajobs.com/grand-canyon-explore/jobs 

A 2021 Outdoor / Seasonal Jobs Q&A where Courtney answers the most common questions we’ve had written in! Can I bring my dog/ are dogs allowed in employee housing? What’s the deal with employee housing? Is it free or do I need to pay? Can couples apply to jobs together? What’s the day in the life like? Why aren’t I getting hired? and many more!  Thank you to our show sponsor Mama P!  Listeners get 10% off with the code: wild10 https://mamap.life/ Check out who’s hiring at: https://www.occupationwild.com/

Zandi Ndhlovu didn’t grow up with a relationship to the ocean, but a trip to Bali when she was 28 changed all of that!  Now known as The Black Mermaid and the first Black African freediving instructor based out of Johannesburg South Africa!  Zandi is a water woman and creative who is changing the narrative about black women and water in a sport that has traditionally not seen much diversity. Her passion and enthusiasm for both inner and outer exploration is transforming lives all around the world! In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Courtney and Zandi sit down to talk about the magical world just below the surface, free diving, the difference between diversity and inclusion, and why representation matters both in and out of the water! Listen on Apple or Spotify! Follow Zandi https://www.instagram.com/zan_ruffy/ https://www.instagram.com/freedivingza/ Get new jobs sent right to your inbox!  https://www.occupationwild.com/sign-up Get 10% your order with MamaP with the code: wild10  

Mark Tjaden was 21 and passionate about mountain biking and climbing when he took a job as an Outdoor Adventure Specialist at Camp IHC.  23 years later he hasn’t looked back and is now the Assistant Director of Outdoor Leadership and the Facilities Director turning his love for the outdoors into a life-long career!  Currently, hiring Adventure Guides, Ropes Course Facilitators, Mountain Biking Instructors, and Boating Instructors could Camp IHC be your new home for Summer 2021? In this episode of The Occupation Wild Podcast Courtney and Mark sit down to chat about how whether it’s for a summer or a lifetime working at camp will change you for the better, Mark’s journey from outdoor enthusiast to outdoor professional, working at camp, what his team looks for when hiring, and all things Camp IHC! "Located in the magnificent endless mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, an IHC summer is a premier sleepaway co-ed summer camp that provides a balanced o ering of instruction and participation in outdoor adventure for campers aged 6-16 years old." Work at Camp IHC https://www.occupationwild.com/camp-ihc Check out Camp IHC on Instagram https://instagram.com/thebestsummerjob?igshid=18i9glk8ee7q9 https://instagram.com/camp_ihc?igshid=1ul3tf4sobxhl  Check out Camp IHC!  https://www.campihc.com/  

To kick off the New Year and celebrate a new season of The Occupation Wild Podcast we’re recapping the most popular episodes of 2020!  Love what you’re hearing?  Listen or re-listen to the full episodes to get stoked and inspired! ✈️ Elton Anderson: Episode 37 - The Adventure of Getting There 🚐 Dalton Johnson: Episode 41 - Rewriting the American Dream 🌲 Olivia Deihs: Episode 43 - How to Land Your Dream Jobs in the Outdoors 🌊 Elizabeth Sneed: Episode 55 - Child of The Ocean 🗺 Chris Burkard: Episode 38 - Dirt Roads that Lead to Nowhere Thank you to our show sponsor Mama P!  Listeners get 10% off with the code: wild10 https://mamap.life/ Check out who’s hiring at: https://www.occupationwild.com/

Jack of all trades adventure man, Chris Whittaker, returns to the Occupation Wild podcast to give an exclusive insight on how he gets paid to travel the world!  If Chris’s name sounds familiar it’s because he was one of The Occupation Wild Podcast’s first guests and you can hear his full-origin story on episode 7!  Coming to us from Tanzania fresh-off an expedition climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro he details his life of adventure and his new course he just launched that teaches you the tips and tricks he’s cultivated after 8 years of getting paid to travel and live a life of adventure!  If 2020 has left you dreaming of travel then this episode is for you!  How to Travel the World and Get Paid Course: https://global-shenanigans.com/digital-courses/ Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/global_shenanigans/ Get 10% off at Mama P with the code: wild10 https://mamap.life/ Occupation Wild: Check out who’s hiring: https://www.occupationwild.com/ Get new jobs sent right to your inbox!: https://www.occupationwild.com/sign-up