Inside The Adventure

Vivian James Rigney is an accomplished mountaineer who’s climbed all 7 summits as well as the President and CEO of Inside Us LLC, an executive coaching consultancy, where he’s helped implement leadership development initiatives for some of the world’s leading companies and their executive teams. Vivian is a renowned speaker and expert on mindset and behavior, whose talks and presentations have inspired audiences across the world. Men's Journal favorably compares Rigney’s new book to Into Thin Air, where his book Naked at the Knife-Edge: What Everest Taught Me About Leadership and the Power of Vulnerability, uniquely combines Rigney’s hands-on and reflective approach with extreme adventure and a raw, revealing personal story.

Based in Boulder, CO, Mike Lewis has worked in the outdoor and action sports industries for more than 20 years. He currently oversees Zeal Optics' brand globally, focusing on driving demand for their sunglasses and goggles, as well as helping his retail partners sell through engaging, creative marketing strategies, content, and storytelling.

Have you ever ​​dreamed you could go to class while sailing the sea, watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean, or stare up at the Mediterranean stars? Well, with Semester at Sea you can! Whether in class, studying, or engaging in shipboard activities, students are always a few steps away from friends, the ocean, and a global perspective in learning and life.   In Scott's role as the President and CEO, he’s responsible for the overall strategic direction and financial well-being of the Institute for Shipboard Education and the Semester at Sea program.  Scott earned his Ph.D. in International Business from the University of Oregon, a Master of International Affairs from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from Willamette University.

Adrian Ballinger is a world class mountaineer, skier, business leader, and professional speaker. As founder and head guide of the internationally acclaimed Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian envisioned a more holistic climbing experience for his clients than the status quo. This vision, with a focus on small groups and client education, continues to change the way big mountains are climbed. What started in 2004 with three trips on one continent with one lead guide has grown into a thriving company running 30 trips annually on 5 continents with six lead guides. In 10 years, Alpenglow has helped more than 100 clients successfully summit Everest, Lhotse (the 4th tallest mountain in the world), Manaslu (8th tallest), and Cho Oyu (6th tallest). How was Alpenglow able to expand to 10 times its size in 10 years all while setting new industry standards and expectations? Adrian believes running a business is a lot like climbing a mountain and attributes his extensive mountaineering experiences to his company’s success. In his forthcoming book, “Why Everest Matters – Lessons Learned from the Roof of the World,” Adrian explains essential business concepts such as leadership, teamwork, and risk management from a climber’s perspective. Adrian’s inspiring stories from the amazing places he’s traveled embolden audiences to integrate these important concepts into their own lives and businesses. As a professional athlete first and foremost, Adrian is the only American who has skied two 8,000 meter peaks, was the first person to ski Manaslu, the 8th tallest mountain in the world, and in 2011 became the first person to summit three 8,000 meter peaks in only 3 weeks (Everest twice and Lhotse once). He is the only American guide to have both AMGA/IFMGA guide’s certifications and has achieved more than 10 summits of 8,000 meter peaks (including 6 summits of Mt. Everest). Adrian is a sponsored athlete for Eddie Bauer, La Sportiva, Kaenon, Goal Zero, Hypoxico and Alpenglow Sports and welcomes new sponsors who are committed to aligning with high altitude achievement.

Quin Schrock is an adventure and lifestyle photographer based out of Southern California. As a kid, Quin spent his free time outside surfing, skating, and pushing the limit on acceptable backflip locations. That sense of wonder and freedom that Quin got from nature as a child never went away, and there is still nothing he would rather do than play outside. Although now you’ll find him with his camera in tow!   Quin is always one to forge his own path and his distinct photographic style captures the intrepid human spirit engaging with diverse, remote, and off-the-beaten-path landscapes. Quin genuinely enjoys living on the edge, and the excitement and anticipation that he experiences for each new destination and adventure comes through in his unique and creative compositions. 

We're back! Season 3 will launch a new episode every other Wednesday, starting July 28th. We hope you enjoy these amazing new interviews! 

Will Gadd is one of the top outdoor sports athletes of his generation. He has done first ascents on ice and rock globally, kayaked first descents of wild rivers, and flown his paraglider over the Andes, Rockies, and Alps while setting the world distance record twice. He’s also won national and international titles in multiple mountain sports. His writing appears regularly in some of the top publications in the world, and his book on ice climbing has been translated into five languages and is the top seller in its field. He has produced or presented more than 100 television programs ranging from the Discovery Channel to the BBC, and his films have won multiple awards. He is a guide and frequent speaker on risk management to groups ranging from at-risk youth to some of the largest companies in the world. His most recent expeditions have focused on helping scientists do cutting-edge research in remote locations from Greenland to the top of Kilimanjaro, and he recently co-authored a paper on Greenland’s melt cycle. He is most proud of leading his family up his local peaks and sharing the amazing natural world through his work. 

It all started when Matthew purchased a van as he was winding down 5 years spent working in Tech, first at Airbnb and then Robinhood. He wasn’t exactly sure of his plan; if it would be his home, weekend adventure vehicle, or something totally different – but he knew it was the right next step. After a trip to Joshua Tree he realized he needed an awning and started a search for one that was both rugged and packable. As you’ve likely already guessed, he didn’t find one.  He started working on a design and called his friend Henry who had made a career of producing things (brands, marketing campaigns, films, etc.) for young companies – a handful of them in the Outdoor Retail & Overland space. From that, Moon Fabrications was born. 

Connect with Immersed and Renji on Instagram and Twitter.    Renji Bijoy founded Immersed with the belief that a future where humanity is able to live wherever/however they want without the constraints of the physical office is fundamentally more freeing than one bound to an office.   Today, Immersed is actively developing the technology to remove the barriers of remote work in order to empower productivity, with the ultimate goal of restructuring civilization to be more efficient, and thus, more enjoyable.

Connect with Kate Schade and Kate’s Real Food on Instagram. Try some  Kate’s Real Food at their website here.   Kate Schade moved to Jackson Hole in the early 90s, never dreaming that her pursuit for adventure would give rise to Kate’s real food. Kate created a tasty, portable, organic, whole foods energy bar with the premise that the taste and quality of her food must match the amazing experiences of her adventures.    After years of sharing, she finally brought her recipes to customers, with the aspiration of inspiring more people to eat healthier, eat organic, and get outside to adventure.

Connect with Viktor and 57hours on Instagram!   Viktor Marohnic was born in Croatia where he grew up and graduated from the computing science college. Today, Viktor is a serial entrepreneur running a product design agency called Five out of Brooklyn, New York as well as a passionate skier, climber, runner and kitesurfer.    As a combination of his passion for business and adventure, an idea for a new product was born. 57Hours is a platform that connects individuals with certified guides for outdoor adventures all over the world. Viktor founded this new company with his wife and Perica Levatic, also an accomplished climber and a math science graduate in 2019, based on the belief that every weekend should involve time spent in the outdoors, enjoying it to the fullest — which means taking advantage of the full 57 hours from 3pm on Friday to midnight on Sunday. Their mobile app makes it easy to find and book adventures worth tackling and guides worth booking, all gathered from locals and first-hand experiences. The platform also enables a passionate community of independent mountain guides to share their amazing itineraries, fill up their trips quickly, build up their client base faster and make guiding a successful and sustainable career. 57hours aspires to benefit everyone involved — guides, clients, local communities, and our environment — and promote safe, accessible outdoor recreation for all.  

Connect with Kieren and the Lady Alliance on Instagram here and check out their upcoming event on Nov 13th, the Winter Adventure + Safety Workshop Tour with Mammut!   After being told too many times that she was "brave for a girl,” Kieren Britton, Founder of The Lady Alliance, had enough. Bravery is in all of us, regardless of your gender, race, or background, and Kieren is determined to bring this to light.   The Lady Alliance started as an online social community where women had the chance to share their stories. Whether it was a photo or adventure article, ladies could submit their adventures and speak through The Lady Alliance.   As the community grew, so did the demand for a chance to meet everyone in person. The Lady Alliance's first all-women meet up was held in September 2017 in Glacier National Park.   This meetup was titled the "First Annual Long Weekend Meet-Up" as there was no original intention of this becoming an adventure traveling community.    The meet up reached capacity in only a matter of weeks and was full of inspiring women from all over the globe.   Since that first trip, The Lady Alliance has grown to include other adventures, retreats, and courses. Through the Lady Alliance, she’s empowered thousands of women to embrace adventure through inspiration, action, and awareness. They’ve yoga'd in Bali, surfed in Tofino, learnt avalanche safety, and so much more, including partnering with brands such as the Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) to help extend their reach to empower women of all ages and backgrounds to embrace a new level of courage through an empowered sense of adventure and community.   How to join:   The Lady Alliance is a community of women dedicated to encouraging and empowering other women to be the best versions of themselves. Easy peasy. You can join the community through our Facebook Groups, Instagram, or by purchasing a membership. We want to encourage involvement and you can do this in many ways: local or global events, applying to be a Chapter Coordinator, submitting photos for our Instagram page, or writing posts for our stories, and more!

Tom Fabbri has not only dared to dream, but he’s mastered the art as an author and lifestyle coach, inspirational speaker, top trainer, award-winning athlete, corporate helicopter & jet pilot, and culinary arts graduate, just to name a few. Tom has learned to harness fear to achieve his dreams, and he now uses this unique insight to inspire and motivate others through his books, blogs, and personal coaching. He is constantly challenging himself while acquiring valuable life lessons of inner strength, passion, and motivation. Tom is a world-class adventurer in every sense of the word and is currently on a journey to complete the Adventure Grand Slam, summiting the tallest peak on each of the seven continents and skiing to the North and South Poles. In one year, he climbed four of these peaks in his quest to fulfill his dream, (Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina) and Mt. McKinley, Alaska in 2013. His most recent climb took him to Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica where he faced a storm with hurricane-force winds and extreme temperatures to summit on December 7th, 2017. With the mountain of all mountains left, Mt. Everest, and skiing to the North Pole and back to Antarctica to ski to the South Pole, Tom is well on his way to becoming part of an elite group of Adventurers. Tom’s equation is simple. Once he decides to do something, he does it! Whether it’s becoming a corporate helicopter pilot, captain of a major airline, landing the title of Mr. Natural Universe at the age of 52, graduating from culinary school, becoming a certified personal trainer, or publishing books.

Daniel Robinson is an F-22 Fighter Pilot & CEO of Red6 a new tech company that’s revolutionizing augmented reality (AR) for military training applications, bringing the Virtual and Constructive assets into the real-world by allowing pilots and ground operators to see synthetic threats in real-time, outdoors and, critically, in high-speed environments. By blending augmented reality and artificial intelligence and using both the indoor AND outdoor space around us as a medium, Red 6 has redefined the limits of how the world will experience, share, and interact with its information. 

Rob Rast, the founder of FLX Electric Bike and Miles Board Electric skateboards, is a college dropout that left it all to move to China. Between becoming a Chinese TV star and taking the leap into product-focused entrepreneurship, Rob’s story eventually lands him in the same AirBnB with Pete Leaviss in Beijing five years ago, and the story of the Babymaker was born, the worlds’ sexiest electric bike! Within a year, Rob and Pete got to work sourcing motors, frames, components and drawing up unique e-bike designs. They launched their first design, the FLX mountain bike, a year later on Indiegogo, raising $2 million and shipping nearly 3,000 units. The success of the FLX motivated Rob and Pete to go even further with the inception of the Babymaker, the world’s first single-speed “stealth electric” road bike, which incorporates the best of both worlds — the sleek styling of modern road bikes and the pedal assistance of electric bikes. The result is a bike that lets the rider go fifty miles on a two-hour charge without sacrificing style. The Babymaker is redefining what it means to be an e-bike. In a world of clunky, heavy pedal-assist bikes, the Babymaker offers a sleek, lightweight alternative at a price point similar to traditional entry-level bicycles -- proving that with good design and a strong following, you can shatter records. And that’s exactly what they did. In just a few months, the Babymaker’s unique combination of performance and style launched it into the record books by raising over $13 million on Indiegogo, putting it among the top Indiegogo campaigns of all time.  

So many of us are going down the path that we think we want, only to realize that something is missing. The same was true for Chelsea Yamase (@chelseakauai) who found herself heading into a potential career that wasn’t fulfilling her in the way she had hoped. Through a winding path of architecture, graphic design, journalism, and a myriad of side hustles, she found herself faced with the big question: pursue the unconventional life of your dreams or stick to a “real job”. So, she took the leap. Today, Chelsea is a sought after freediver, model, photographer, influencer, creative, and movement enthusiast from Hawaii with a focus on mindful living. She’s been featured in Travel and Leisure & Cosmopolitan to name a few, and has worked with numerous brands such as Canon USA, Adidas, Google, Athleta, GoPro, DJI Global, and The National Parks Foundation.... and this is her story.

"What makes the difference between the ones who succeed and those who fail? Why do some choose to quit while others come back even stronger when facing adversity? Today’s story with Karina Hollekim answers these questions in an incredible way.  Karina Hollekim is an international keynote speaker, author, computer programmer, and professional athlete where she competed for Red Bull as a big mountain skier and Base jumper. Karina is a truly inspirational female pioneer, being the first woman in the world to perform a ski BASE jump. Karina shares her story about those moments that change our lives forever, about raw willpower and passion.  She inspires us to be targeted as living proof of the importance of little changes and how they make a difference in the long run. By raising awareness of our choices, she challenges our willingness to change. She shows the importance of stretching your comfort zone to achieve your goals. Karina’s incredible journey, her gripping story about struggle and resilience together with her indomitable spirit makes a story to remember.   In 2006, Karina’s life was turned upside down when she had a freak, near-fatal skydiving accident, leaving her in a wheelchair with the low odds of ever walking again. After 20 surgeries and years of relearning how to walk, she’s returned to skiing and is living life to the fullest today.  Her autobiography ‘The Wonderful Feeling of Fear’ is internationally published and her speech is part of the exclusive group of TedX talks.  Karina’s coaching skills comes from a background in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Active Commitment Therapy, and working as a performance consultant since 2012, with clients ranging from professional athletes to top business executives.  Her ability to push boundaries, stay focused, and re-mobilize through hardship are core qualities she transmits through her coaching & speaking and serves as key themes all throughout her life story.       

Aaron Fitzgerald, known as ‘Fitz’ to his friends and colleagues, grew up in Wenatchee, Washington. Wenatchee is home to a USFS Tanker base and Aaron grew up watching airplanes and helicopters overhead as they fought fires in the surrounding mountains. Seeing these aircraft in the skies all summer instilled in him a strong desire to fly. After serving in the US Army as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, Aaron began formal flight training in Long Beach, CA in 1994 and quickly earned his commercial rating. He went right to work flying news helicopters in Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Aaron has primarily focused on flying for the film and television industry. He is a member of the prestigious Motion Picture Pilots Association, and the Screen Actor’s Guild. He has performed and filmed for over 100 films and television shows. He has also flown in various other capacities such as utility flying in mountainous terrain and offshore support. He has flown in flight test programs for NASA and Lockheed/Martin. He was the aerial coordinator for several projects that broke world records and he continues to work as an aerial coordinator and stunt pilot for the movie industry. His company, Airborne Images, provides aircraft, pilots, and support services for aerial production worldwide. Aaron has two Emmy nominations and a BAFTA award for his work in aerial production. Aaron was introduced to Helicopter Aerobatics in 2017 when he was trained by Rainer Wilke and Blacky Schwarz, the masters of Helicopter Aerobatics. He joined The Flying Bulls that same year, becoming the only American pilot on the team. He has performed aerobatic helicopter displays for millions of spectators throughout North America. In March of 2000, Aaron was awarded the Medal of Valor for rescuing two people from a burning helicopter. When not flying or performing, Aaron lives with his family in Los Angeles. He spends most of his spare time on the ocean; fishing.

Dane Jackson knows whitewater. The freestyle kayaker grew up traveling the USA in an RV with his family, getting homeschooled by his mother and chasing kayaking competitions with his father, Eric Jackson, an Olympic paddler and founder of the popular paddling company Jackson Kayaks. Dane dominated nearly every junior world title early on in his career and by 2011 he'd started winning pro-level contests, including the Whitewater Grand Prix and the IFC Freestyle World Championships. Dane has been featured in Kayak Session and Rapid Magazine, launched first descents of waterfalls in Mexico, has bagged seven 100+ waterfall descents, and has racked up over 80 first-place finishes in freestyle kayaking competitions. Dane travels eight months out of the year, attending events, clinics, and living his passion from an RV by the river. As an avid videographer, photographer, and content creator, Dane documents these amazing pursuits on his Instagram and TikTok and describes in today’s episode the inside story of his amazing journey to becoming one of the most elite paddlers in the world.

Nick Norris (@nick_norris1981) is a graduate of both the United States Naval Academy and Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) Class 247. Upon completion of SEAL training in 2004, Nick assumed progressively higher positions of leadership within Naval Special Warfare. His deployed roles included combat advisor to Iraqi and Afghan military units, Cross-Functional Team Leader, and Ground Force Commander during combat operation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.   Nick was most recently assigned to Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command — SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) as Officer in Charge prior to transitioning off Active Duty. Originally from Chicago, Nick received his Bachelor in Science from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 and his Masters of Science in Real Estate from The University of San Diego in 2013. He is the Executive Director of the C4 Foundation, which provides support and resources through science-based programs to active duty Navy SEALs and their families. Nick is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Protekt Products, a wellness company that is committed to positively impacting customer health via both personal care products and nutritional supplements. Both Protekt and the C4 Foundation value the power of time spent in the outdoors and the positive impact it has on overall well-being.