Ep.5 - Ken Wylie. Why did you go onto that avalanche-prone slope?

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Ken Wylie, an incredible adventure educator and risk management expert from Vancouver Island. Ken’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and learning from the toughest experiences life can throw at us.

Ken shares his journey from a young adventurer passionate about the mountains to his work in human hazard management. We dive into one pivotal event—a tragic backcountry skiing accident—that shaped his perspective on risk, decision-making, and the social and psychological factors that influence our choices. Ken doesn’t just tell a first story, the surface-level narrative most of us default to—he unpacks the deeper, second story, challenging us to reflect on how we navigate uncertainty and growth in our own lives.

We explore some big ideas, including the Hero’s Journey and how archetypes shape how we show up in challenging situations. Ken’s perspective on balancing logic (Logos) with intuition and emotion (Eros) is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the greatest adventure is understanding ourselves. Plus, we dig into the emotional and social pressures that influence risk-taking and why it’s so important to turn adversity into a learning opportunity.

This episode is full of thought-provoking insights, personal reflections, and some actionable takeaways for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of human systems—whether that’s in high-stakes environments or just everyday life.

Find Ken here:

Archetypal (Human Hazard Management)

Book Recommendation

Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell 

Find me here:

Human in the System 

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

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