For The Love Of: Trade-offs we make in pursuit of our passions

We want your stories! (Yes, you.) We're collecting emails and voice memos about your own tradeoffs that you’ve made around your career. Go to fortheloveofpod.com/submit to share your written or spoken story about the pivots you've made in your career, work, gigs, or jobby jobs.   Emily Holland is a podcast consultant and strategist in Boulder, CO. In a previous life, Emily was a corporate girlie, working with Fortune 500 companies as an account manager. In 2021, she left the corporate world and set out on the path of self employment, working primarily with podcasters to help build, grow, and monetize their shows.  Outside of working with creatives in the outdoor industry, she loves being outside, climbing or trail running, preferably with a great female crew and some pups.   We talk about…   - The identity crisis of leaving a full time job - Knowing that the conventional path wasn’t for her or her partner after trying to follow it - Moving from the northeast to Colorado to be closer to outdoor passions - How your income doesn’t equate to your worth (but that’s hard to not feel!) - Openness with a partner about money and financial goals, including having money dates (cute!) - Sobriety and the decision to stop drinking - The “So you’re not fun anymore?” reaction from loved ones when you stop drinking - How you can support people in your life who are considering sobriety - How self-employment is a constant experiment with ups and downs - Being your own boss through the wins and challenges   How to connect with Emily: Emily on LinkedIn Wild Poppy Creative Consulting 👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: Jeni on Instagram Angie on Instagram Angie’s website Angie on LinkedIn FTLO on Instagram    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

What if the day you faced a life-threatening sports injury was one of the best days of your life? And what does that mean for your loved ones?   Married couple Sensi Graves and Brandon Scheid are professional wind sport athletes. Sensi is a pro kiter, retreat host, founder of Sensi Graves Swim, and speaker. Brandon is a pro athlete and kite designer, as well as a survivor of a recent traumatic brain injury who’s been coming to terms with his injuries.     We talk about…   - Brandon’s November 2023 speed flying accident that could’ve killed him - Falling at 60mph, crashing into a cliff, fracturing his pelvis and back, and experiencing two brain injuries on impact - The lasting effects of one of the TBIs: judgment, criticism, anger, and lack of compassion, often towards Sensi - Sensi's experience of hearing the news that her husband might not make it - The early days of traumatic brain injury recovery: experiencing mania, frustration, and having no filter - Flying FPV drones as a direct replacement for speed flying: getting adrenaline rushes and feeling like he’s flying - Discovering 2 weeks after the accident that Sensi is pregnant - What Brandon and Sensi would tell people who are afraid of experiencing a life-changing injury or illness - How to support loved ones going through a life-changing injury or illness - Learning to let yourself be held and supported by other people - Trusting that despite all the challenges and hard work, everything is going to be okay - The more you experience the hard parts of life, the more you can experience the great parts   PSST! If you like this episode, you’ll love these two: How a Mountaineering Accident Taught Doug Beardsley to Live Life to the Fullest How Pro Kitesurfer Jason Slezak Stopped Chasing Highs to Avoid His Past Trauma and Changed His Approach to Sports and Mental Health.   How to connect with Sensi and Brandon: Sensi Graves Swim Sensi on Instagram Brandon on Instagram Brandon’s FPV drone footage Sensi’s website   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: Jeni on Instagram Angie on Instagram Angie’s website Angie on LinkedIn FTLO on Instagram    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

Sports mirror life. So how can we use sports to live our happiest, healthiest, bravest lives?   Bekah Rottenberg is the founder of Brave Endeavors, a professional mountain bike instructor, a NASM certified personal trainer, a Patagonia mountain bike Ambassador, and a former professional enduro racer. She retired from pro racing to focus on coaching and strength training through Brave Endeavors.      We talk about…   - Discovering confidence in all aspects of life through mountain biking - Finding self-confidence through what her body could do, even when academics were challenging - Breaking into pro mountain biking while balancing that with being a teacher - Not wanting to go all-in on racing since it’d sacrifice other important parts of life - Building confidence in youth girls as media poses unrealistic expectations - Sexism and microaggressions in women’s sports, on a small scale and as an industry - Changing her mind about transgender women in sports; it’s not just about testosterone - Building a multifaceted business around a passion for the bike - “The gap between expectations and reality is happiness” - Building muscle is investing in your body’s retirement bank account; you don’t have forever to build strong bones - Our minds can limit or push us, like with breaking the four minute mile - There are many elements to identity, not just being a mountain biker     How to connect with Bekah: Brave Endeavors Bekah on Instagram   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: Jeni on Instagram Angie on Instagram Angie’s website Angie on LinkedIn FTLO on Instagram    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

What do you get when you mix a business idea with an out-of-the-box lifestyle? Wildpreneurship.   Tamara Jacobi is the author of “Wildpreneurs” and founder of the Tailwind Jungle Lodge in San Pancho, Mexico. She's lived in the jungle on the Mexican Pacific for nearly 20 years.     We talk about…   - Blending personal and professional dreams to build an unconventional business that involves moving internationally twice a year - Living and operating a business in a touristed area and leaving an impact on the community - Writing a business plan in college in Vermont, then moving to the jungle at 21 to build it - Being mindful of a "Then what?" lifestyle trap, being satisfied with "enough," and learning to say no - Choosing a small scale business model with no desire to expand - Following passion first; taking a financially nonviable idea and making it work over time - Raising children and working with a partner while moving seasonally - Hosting many visitors, but making sure they leave inspired to protect the natural world - The process to bring her book to life (through a manuscript, baby, and pandemic to now) - Creating space and flexibility through shifting roles in business with her husband     How to connect with Tamara: Wildpreneurs book Tailwind Jungle Lodge Thermal   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: Jeni on Instagram Angie on Instagram Angie’s website Angie on LinkedIn FTLO on Instagram    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

Raising tiny humans is, for many people, the ultimate life trade-off. What happens when you’re a professional athlete, traveling the world and pushing your body, who then finds out you’re pregnant– with twins?!   Majka Burhardt (she/her) is a professional climber, social entrepreneur, author, filmmaker, mother of twins and the Founder and Executive Director of Legado, an international organization that supports indigenous communities to build healthy communities and landscapes. Majka wrote the book “More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood,” a collection of notes, letters, and messages to her twins from pregnancy through toddlerhood.     We talk about…   - The parallels of being an athlete and pregnancy: seeing what our bodies can do, seeking new skills, embracing challenges - How motherhood affected Majka’s ice climbing skills: more gratitude and efficiency, less extreme overhanging moves - Wanting to be a high level athlete AND there for her kids, and how she juggles that duality - Body image as a mom and athlete, like gaining 70 lbs. in pregnancy after having a six pack - Communicating with your co-parent when things really suck (and not "I'll just handle it myself") - Creating a family culture of loving time outdoors - Teaching kids to be resilient, rather than just safe, since they'll encounter risks every day - Life is messier than anyone wants to admit - The urge to do it all and do it all well - Becoming passionate about parenting is badass     How to connect with Majka: Majka’s website: https://www.majkaburhardt.com/ Majka on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majkaburhardt/ Read “More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood”: https://www.majkaburhardt.com/more/   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

Having produced and released 12 podcast episodes into the wild feels like a reason to celebrate.   Listen as Angie and Jeni revisit some of the thought nuggets that guests shared that they haven’t stopped thinking about.   So far on For The Love Of, we’ve spoken with…   A BFF who threw her life upside down to go to Antarctica A Mt. Everest guide who made a first ski descent on K2 A dancer who used movement to climb out of depression A kayaker who completed the "Everest of kayaking" A kitesurfer who stopped numbing out and faced his trauma A rock climber who lost a partner in an avalanche then married his friend A climate activist who teaches us to be imperfect advocates A kayaking coach who teaches women mental agility A snowboarder who fights sexism in the freeride world A teacher who lost a toe on Mt. Rainier, relearned how to walk, and pursued a life of adventure A mountaineer who left her corporate career to explore high mountains, got cancer, then climbed even higher A professor who got a PhD at the sacrifice of mental health and is in love with lichens   On this episode, Jeni and Angie listen back to some memorable moments and go a bit deeper into some of their favorite guest soundbites.   You’ll get some great dinner table discussion starters, including:   Have you ever had to release an identity around your previous badassery? What is something you don’t find risky but most people do? Would you rather have three ski trips with friends when you’re 65, or one ski trip when you’re 25? Could a 100 mile race ever feel boring after doing enough of them? Is midnight too late for an end to board game night? Or is Angie lame and old now? Why do we become more fearful as adults compared to childhood? Is the way you do one thing the way you do everything? What would you do if you were training for the Olympics and tore your ACL? Would you hide the fact that you’re peeing if you were a woman stuck in a tent with a bunch of men? Do rules make people more creative? Are you willing to do your passion for money, or would that take away from it? How can you get people who disagree with your opinions to consider your view? Can you name five plant species that live in your neighborhood?   Calling all listeners! Yes, you!   Want a chance to win a bribe-I-mean-gift in exchange for your opinions on this show?   Go to this form and submit your thoughts by 3/13 for a chance to win and have eternal FTLO gratitude! It’s a short survey about what you think of the show, room for improvement, favorite parts, etc. 👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify    Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕

Most people see lichens as the weird stuff that grows on rock. But did you know their more glamorous role as “innovations arising from collaboration”?!   Dr. Hannah Prather (she/her) is a NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology whose research has focused on the intricate relationship among lichens, bryophytes, and host trees. Her work’s taken place around the globe– even Antarctica, where she co-led a project examining warming effects on polar bryophyte communities.     We talk about…   - Starting grad school at 30 and taking almost 7 years to get her PhD - Traveling for science, including spending months in Antarctica for grad school - Using slingshots and modified crossbows to get into tree canopies for research - Sexism from peers once you have a leadership role - Identity as a scientist, especially when you have skills people deem "soft skills" (boooo) - Working with imposter syndrome, the pressure for academic excellence and struggling with perfectionism - Feeling like you’ll have kids, then when it doesn’t line up - Moving from a student role to a peer role, and starting professorship - Scientists need empathy and relationship building skills, too - What are lichens anyway?! Prepare to be mind-blown.     How to connect with Hannah: Hannah’s postdoctoral research (video included): https://www.pdx.edu/digital-city/discovery-trees     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

Being a woman isn’t easy, period. But being a woman who climbed the high points of all seven continents fresh after a cancer diagnosis? We’ve got a lot to learn from Lisa.   Lisa Thompson ventured into mountaineering after overhearing others’ adventures in her corporate office. She was climbing globally and had eyes on some of the world’s highest mountains when breast cancer entered the scene, shifting her priorities and mindset as she continued to climb.   Lisa empowers women in mountain exploration through philanthropic climbs and through her coaching at Alpine Athletics. Her fantastic memoir, Finding Elevation: Fear and Courage on the World’s Most Deadly Mountain illustrates how she became the woman she is.     We talk about…   - Starting mountaineering in her late 30’s after not having an athletic background and wanting to prove to others that she was capable - The journey of a breast cancer diagnosis at 42 years old, which she now views as a positive impact on her life - Shaking up her life quickly: diagnosis, a divorce, pets’ deaths, and selling almost everything she owned to focus on climbing - How mountains and cancer taught her boundaries, values and how to listen to her body - A double mastectomy and going to climb Manaslu in Nepal months later, then deciding to climb Everest, and eventually all Seven Summits - Becoming the second American woman to stand atop K2 (and what it means to be second) - Currently focusing on all-women’s expeditions all over the world, and hiring Nepalese women who have lost their partners while raising money for girls’ education in Nepal - Being a woman on a male-dominated team on Everest: inconveniences, expectations, and standing up for herself turning into no longer hiding her femininity or putting up with sexist jokes - Problematic words society uses: “conquering” mountains, “battling” cancer - Lisa’s process for studying and preparing for a new climb and how different mountains have different personalities     How to connect with Lisa: Lisa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/lisaclimbs Lisa’s website: https://lisaclimbs.com Lisa’s memoir, Finding Elevation: https://findingelevation.com/ Train with Lisa: https://alpineathletics.net     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

After losing a toe in a mountaineering incident, Doug vowed to never let that stop him from living the adventures and seeking the awe he craved.   Doug Beardsley has a background in pediatric neuroscience and as a public school science teacher. He’s filled his life with adventure, from velodrome racing to alpine guiding and from the first known solo completion of the High Sierra Route to crossing the USA and Canada by motorbike.    Many of his experiences were alone and in places where mistakes had real consequences. Doug’s taken the lessons from loss and success and has interweaved them into the parallel parts of his life like fatherhood, teaching, and being a good husband.     We talk about…   - Losing his big toe to frostbite on a Rainier climb where one client perished - Having to relearn how to walk after amputation and healing his feet - Promising his dad to never use his injury as an excuse not to do something - Being a competitive velodrome cyclist, when training was all-encompassing - Completing the High Sierra Route (a technical, remote route with climbing and scrambling) and being the first person to do it solo - Doug’s wet towel theory: every drip of water wrung out of the towel is a life experience, and he welcomes them all and intentionally wrings drips out - The thirst to experience everything in life so that when he dies, his towel will be bone dry - Finding a zone of disequilibrium in order to grow: the knife edge of pushing yourself without danger - Being vs. doing and the confusion of it all - Getting an RV for his family: his 20 year old self would scoff, but now his family gets out often - Experiencing a school shooting where two of his students died     How to connect with Doug: Doug’s feature length documentary about the solo Sierra High Route project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpwLFh6Vhkg&t=11s https://www.instagram.com/ninelittlepiggies      👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

Women have made huge strides in sports to work towards equality, but there’s still far to go.   As one of the most accomplished competitive snowboarders in the world, Erika “The Viking” Vikander has spent the better part of her life chasing snow and podiums all over the globe.    Over the years, she became disappointed to see the lack of gender equality and care for athletes on one of the most prestigious freeride tours.   Erika took it upon herself to take a stand for women everywhere by calling out some big players and asking for systemic change.   We talk about…   - At age 12, deciding to become a pro snowboarder and vowing to do anything to make it happen - Training with the Sochi Olympics in mind, then tearing her ACL at a qualifying event - Shifting “being the best” from winning medals to feeling fulfilled and like she gives her all - Deciding to pivot her snowboarding discipline from slopestyle to freeride - Spending 6 years competing on the Freeride World Tour  - Experiencing discrimination, unsafe conditions, and inequality as a female athlete - Sharing her experiences publicly then dealing with the repercussions of speaking up - The concept of being “camera-ready” as a female athlete - Going beyond “pink it and shrink it” in women’s gear - A call for systemic change in all parts of athletics, from offering equal spots to social media exposure and from big companies to small schools - Erika’s upcoming film, “Be Happy,” focusing on the struggles underrepresented athletes face and exploring steps toward equality         How to connect with Erika: Website: https://www.erikathevikingvikander.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikathevikingvikander      👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

After over 30 years of devotion to whitewater kayaking, what can one learn about life from the river?   Anna Levesque is a mental agility and white water kayak coach who is passionate about empowering her clients with courage and confidence through her company, Mind Body Paddle.   Anna is the author of the book Yoga for Paddling, was named one of the most inspirational paddlers alive by Canoe and Kayak magazine, and is a World Freestyle Kayak Champion medalist.    We talk about…   - Aging when you’ve loved a sport for 30 years, and feeling healthier at almost 50 than she did in her 20s - Misogyny in her first paddle sports job and being nicknamed “Kitchen Wench” - Pushback after putting out the first instructional DVD for women in kayaking in 2004 - The need for both rivers and humans to have discipline and boundaries in order to experience full flow - Developing strategies to combat negative internal dialogue - Being self-aware of when your ego is making decisions for you - Celebrating all small steps as a win, even swimming while kayaking - Working towards making kayaking more inclusive - The changing language around adventure sports and how language can become more inclusive - Being willing to put what you have at stake in order to make the sport more inclusive - When people assume that since work is “fun,” you don’t need to make much money - Being unapologetic around your prices as a business owner because you know the value         How to connect with Anna: Website: https://annalevesque.com/ IG: https://instagram.com/annaclevesque FB: https://www.facebook.com/anna.levesque2 Mind Body Paddle FB: https://www.facebook.com/mindbodypaddle1 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lXljm9C8cJmUbLDo-Jaow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-levesque-86149216/  TikTok: @annamindbodypaddle     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

When talking about huge, scary topics like climate, it's easy to get all doom 'n' gloom. But nothing is ever black and white. Graham Zimmerman is an award-winning professional alpinist who's climbed across Alaska, Patagonia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and all over the lower 48 and Canada. He holds leadership roles in a range of nonprofits and outdoor companies, including the American Alpine Club and Protect Our Winters and uses climbing as a medium for bigger conversations. In his 2023 book, "A Fine Line: Searching for Balance Among Mountains", Graham grapples with how to reconcile the love of outdoor adventure with the cost of such endeavors, both human and environmental.  Having faced grief and personal loss in the mountains, as well as witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change on these beloved places, Graham joins us to share about the balance of pursuing alpinism with social responsibility above all.   We talk about…   - The trade-offs of alpinism: losing people you love, loneliness, marriage pressures - Seeing dramatic changes in the alpine that affect not only the environment, but the communities who live there. - Behind the scenes of writing his book, “A Fine Line: Searching for Balance Among Mountains” - Becoming an “imperfect advocate” in the face of the climate crisis: You don’t have to give up travel or your needs. - Systemic change as a top priority to fight the climate crisis - Using stories instead of straight-up facts to drive action - How outdoor athletes are already primed to take climate action and how we can all make positive change in what we’re already doing - A dual love story of climbing and Graham’s wife, Shannon: How to balance a strong relationship when he feels like a “shitty husband” while on expeditions - Realizing that being a whole person who is present in relationships makes him a better climber, when the message he got when young was that you can only focus on climbing and climbing alone - Juggling being an athlete, advocate, filmmaker, volunteer, husband, and more (the multi-hyphenate life) - Being intentional with limited time: glass balls vs. rubber balls           How to connect with Graham: Book, A Fine Line: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/a-fine-line-searching-for-balance-among-mountains https://www.instagram.com/grahamzimmerman/ https://www.grahamzimmerman.com/      👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕    

When your sport is closely linked to your relationships, how can you find your own path and feel fulfilled on your own? We chat with a rock climber, writer, and mother who’s been through decades of ups and downs, from losing a partner in an avalanche to ending an unhealthy marriage and from putting herself in death-defying outdoor situations to building a new relationship with risk. Jan Redford is the author of “End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage & Motherhood.” She lives in Squamish, B.C. with her husband and their 95 lb. pandemic pup, Juno, not far from her two adult kids. Jan now spends her time mountain biking, trail running, skiing, hiking, and occasionally climbing and is working on her next book, “Who Shall I Be Today?”, a prequel to her first memoir.   We talk about… - Getting messages as a girl to “contain yourself” and “be more ladylike,” but that felt impossible - Diving into a 3.5 month NOLS course as a crash course in mountain life, including skiing with little experience while carrying a pack over half her weight - When Jan’s boyfriend Dan and roommate Ian died in an avalanche on Mt. Foraker - “Death is an aphrodisiac”: Turning to another man after the loss, then one year later being pregnant and married - Relationships in sport, unhealthy marriage, and the Cinderella Complex - Latching onto the dream of university to get her through her current life - Seeing friends push themselves and take off in their climbing careers while she didn’t have time herself - Finding new ways to face fear and push self to keep adventuring through her 80’s and beyond - Death wishes vs. life wishes     How to connect with Jan: https://www.janredford.com https://www.instagram.com/janredford61/  https://www.facebook.com/EndoftheRopeMemoir/     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕  

A passion can add so much happiness to your life, but it can also be a way to run from trauma. We get to hear what that looks like from a pro athlete who’s experienced the highs in lows on the water, in relationships, and in his own mind. Jason Slezak is a professional kitesurfer and Patagonia Kitesurf Ambassador who has a 25 year (and counting) career and passion in kitesurfing.  He finds his sport to be an outlet for personal discovery, a unique way to explore the world, and a tool to work through trauma and hardships throughout his life. Outside of board sports, Jason loves developing and testing products for Patagonia while guiding groups and coaching individual kitesurfers in remote and unique locations around the globe including Fiji, Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, both coasts of the United States, and Mexico.   We talk about… - Jason’s evolution of kiting: from hobby to passion to pro - Dopamine cycles: spending all day finding fulfillment on kiting trips, then having to come home to “normal” life and feel the adventure blues, then filling the void with more stimulation right away - Kiting hangovers: flooding your brain with stimulation and sensation on the water, just to have it disappear when you get home - Using sports to run from trauma and not taking breaks to avoid processing hard feelings - Trauma that Jason experienced, then his turning point: the 2020 pandemic forcing him to not go anywhere, and the trauma catching up to him one day - Discovering healthier coping mechanisms: sitting with hard feelings, EMDR, and simple tools to move through the hard stuff - Dating as a pro athlete and the recurring cycle of breakups, then consciously breaking the toxic cycle - Supporting a healthy marriage when both partners travel separately for work - Ever-evolving roles an athlete can take in their career, even with aging and pain - Bettering your skill set through mind-body tools and to stay healthier, happier, and safer for longer periods of life - The hidden mental side of action sports: hiding struggles, fear of losing sponsorship, and over-curated media that shows only the positive aspects         Thank you to Stu Gibson (@stugibson on IG) for providing photos and videos around this episode!   How to connect with Jason: https://www.instagram.com/jasonslezak/ https://www.facebook.com/jasonslezak/ Patagonia Ambassador: https://www.patagonia.com/ambassadors/surfing/jason-slezak.html       👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕  

Home to rapids with names like “The Hole that Ate Chicago”, the Stikine River Canyon in British Columbia is a Class V boater’s paradise. It’s packed with three days of big volume, remote whitewater, with no ways to leave until you make it through the staggering canyon. We get to dive into the mind of someone who recently paddled it all. Julian Stocker is a Swiss whitewater kayaker with 22 years of experience who calls Norway home. He’s paddled through many of the world’s most exhilarating whitewater rivers, including in Nepal, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Chile, Ecuador, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and countless countries across Europe. In Julian’s eyes, kayaking isn't just a sport; it's a way of embracing life to the fullest and finding solace and inspiration in the untamed beauty of rivers.   We talk about... - How paddling helped Julian cope with childhood struggles - Paddling in places where wildlife can drown and eat you - The Stikine River Canyon: the Everest of kayaking - Selecting a solid paddling partner - Mourning loss in the kayaking community - How paddling helps Julian deal with everyday stress in life - Opting to feel and vocalize fear and its positive aspects - Accessing the flow zone and kayaking as meditation - Considering mortality and getting stuck in fun vs. scary holes - Trading off relationships with others when getting caught up in paddling - Building a toolbox to become a well-rounded athlete - Competing and not comparing yourself to medal winners, only to yourself - Forgoing sponsorship opportunities and why - Work that becomes your life vs. work that isn’t your passion (but which fuels it) - Giving back in legacy sports     How to connect with Julian: The River Guide to Voss: https://vosselveklubb.no/voss-guide/ (free eBook for anyone interested in paddling rivers around Voss, Norway)     👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/      ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify     Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕

From booty-shaking to crying in the dish pit, we’re welcoming the breadth of human emotions with Nika Kermani of NK STUDIOS! Nika is an artist, dance and yoga instructor, and the creative visionary behind NK STUDIOS, a repurposed autobody shop turned dance studio catering to movement, dance, art & community in Bingen, WA. Nika lights up any room she walks into as she stunningly fuses music, movement and community. But you can’t have the ups without the downs, as Nika eloquently shares today. We talk about… Growing up with Persian culture and Bahá'í faith Moving to Israel, meeting a man and getting engaged soon after Infidelity, a cancer diagnosis and a death all occurring in one week The first time dancing after years sparking the start of recovery Body image as a dancer Entrepreneurship in a small town Your work doesn’t have to be your passion Programs at NK STUDIOS: dance, yoga, community classes like pole dancing, online classes   How to connect with Nika: IG: https://www.instagram.com/nika.kermani  BIZ: https://www.instagram.com/nkstudiosbingen TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@nika.kermani?lang=en WEB: https://www.nkstudiosbingen.com/   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angvswild https://www.instagram.com/jenistembridge https://www.itsangiemarie.com/ https://linkedin.com/in/angie-marie/    ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify  Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.   Follow FTLO on IG: https://www.instagram.com/for.the.love.of.podcast/ For full show notes and more: https://fortheloveofpod.com 💕

There are some stellar photos of the alpine facets of Dave’s life: a handful of Everest summits, two decades of ski patrol, the first ski descent of the Bottleneck Couloir on K2… But, more than anything else, Dave is a rad dad. After growing up in Connecticut and learning to ski at age 9, Dave found himself drawn to the mysterious call of the Himalaya. Since his scrappier start, he’s built a career in the mountains and forged deep relationships that fuel him to share extraordinary places with others. Of course, a high-altitude life can come with high trade-offs.   We talk about… Knowing your current work isn’t sustainable for a whole life Going to the Himalaya for the first time with 2 months' notice Ways that Everest tourism may change in the near future The physical demands of seasonal mountain work Talking about risk and sport with kids When your work is difficult for your loved ones and not seeing them for months at a time Getting caught in an avalanche on Mt. Hood and what he thought about when sliding in the avalanche Death: it’s coming for everyone, and it’s easiest for the person going How to connect with Dave: https://www.instagram.com/luckydavewatson/ Dave’s avalanche courses: https://mountainsavvy.com/ Dave’s guiding work: https://www.furtenbachadventures.com/en/   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: instagram.com/jenistembridge instagram.com/angvswild itsangiemarie.com linkedin.com/in/angie-marie  ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify  Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show. www.fortheloveofpod.com 💕   

At age 29, Katie pulled a classic career move: throw your desk upside down, leave your stable 6-figure recruiting job, and go work in Antarctica. You know… as we do. 🤷‍♀️ What started as a bartending gig in Antarctica quickly grew into a multi-year career as a Polar Expedition Guide: lecturing aboard the National Geographic ships in Antarctica, leading 10-day wilderness trips in East Greenland, and educating guests about polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. 🐻‍❄️ Five years later, she rebooted back in Oregon, capping off that chapter with an epic kite skiing feat across Greenland – a swan song to an incredible life era. We talk about... Being in her 20's and wanting to commit to a lifetime of adventure, and later exploring how to balance adventure and stability The feeling that "there's something bigger for me" and when to know it's time for a life pivot Deciding to kite ski across Greenland without knowing how to kite ski(!) Missing her Grammie's funeral to continue her Greenland expedition The ego around having a badass life vs. being "just me" Being a very fearful person who embraces adventure and challenge Risk management frameworks to use not just in the outdoors, but in everyday life decisions Instagram-photo travel vs. experiencing your own home deeply Living a life based around the seasons and finding the beauty in every season of nature and life How to connect with Katie: instagram.com/katiecrafts instagram.com/careertransformationlab linkedin.com/in/katiecrafts thekcapproach.com   👋How to connect with Jeni and Angie: instagram.com/jenistembridge instagram.com/angvswild itsangiemarie.com linkedin.com/in/angie-marie   ⭐Please rate and review For The Love Of: On Apple Podcasts On Spotify   Shout-Outs: Music: The Kind of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show. www.fortheloveofpod.com 💕