Climbing Business Journal Podcasts

On this episode of the Climbing Business Journal podcast, host Holly Chen sits down with Carly Snidow. Carly is a routesetter at Vital’s Lower East Side location in Manhattan, New York. She has been climbing for almost a decade, and her setting career started like many others—setting college climbing walls and bugging local routesetters. Now, Carly is a USAC Level 1 routesetter with a dozen competitions under her belt up to the divisionals level. She has set for several citizens' comps as well, including Siege the Southeast. Carly is also a coach and personal trainer. Prior to setting, Carly studied philosophy, neuroscience and psychology. She has extensive lab experience spanning multiple disciplines, from microbiology to behavioral neuroscience and developmental psychology. Carly brings that scientific lens to the show today, challenging how we think about goal setting and success in the routesetting field. General Topics Covered How the scientific method can inform routesetting  The most common success indicator for setters in climbing competitions: separation Breaking away from separation as the only success indicator What is inductive reasoning, and how does it relate to routesetting Process versus outcome-oriented goal setting How do process and outcome-oriented goal setting influence our perception in climbing and routesetting Show Notes Find Carly Snidow on Instagram Vital, Lower East Side Inductive Logic Hippocampal and amygdala volumes vary with residential proximity to toxicants at Birmingham, Alabama's 35th Avenue Superfund site Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle, or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out.  The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Butora and Essential Climbing. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

On this episode of the Climbing Business Journal Podcast, host Scott Rennak meets with Mark Grossman and Will Jorgensen of the Monument Sports Group. They manage the US Group Insurance Plan for our industry in partnership with the CWA, and they cover hundreds of climbing walls. Mark and Will have deep experience in facility operations. You'll hear on today’s show about their backgrounds, how they approach their insurance work, and the headwinds the indoor climbing industry is facing. General Topics Covered Monument Sports Group Company Background and Experience Industry-Specific Insurance Challenges Risk Management & Documentation Requirements Post-Pandemic Legal Environment Changes Routesetting Certification Evolution Auto Belay Safety & Technology Current Market & Political Factors Business Operations Support Show Notes CWA Insurance Program Monument Sports Group DOXA Thank you OnSite and Rock Gym Pro for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

Obe Carrion is the guest of this episode of the Climbing Business Journal podcast, hosted by John Burgman. Obe has long been one of the biggest names in the game as a pro climber. Over the years, he has worked with multiple brands, and he's been in multiple climbing films, including the 1998’s Free Hueco! and 1999’s Rampage. He has been a coach, a mentor, and through all of the evolutions he has remained a force of nature in the climbing industry. John and Obe talk about Obe’s career and psych in climbing: how psych is never a constant, but how there can be value in it as an unknown, and in the way that motivation comes and goes and then comes back again eventually. Obe also reflects on climbing in the 1990s, the filming of that famous Rampage documentary—in which Chris Sharma stole the show at an X Games in San Francisco on this day, 26 years ago—hanging with Sharma, coaching the next generation, and evolving with the times. General Topics Covered Introduction and Obe's Background Career Decisions and Early Development Competition Scene and Mentorship Sponsorship and Professional Development Bouldering Boom, The Video Era Rampage Film Production Transition to Coaching Coaching Philosophy and Modern Climbing Industry Evolution Show Notes Find Obe Carrion on Instagram: @obe_carrion Rampage on YouTube Thank you Approach and Kilter for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

Joey is the co-founder and owner of his own hold company, called Ocelot Grips, out of Oregon. But Ocelot Grips is the end product, or at least the current end, of many, many years of Joey working in the industry as a hold shaper. He has designed and shaped holds for a lot of different brands over the years. He gets into his story in more detail in this episode, but he also offers some fascinating insights on his artistic philosophy for shapes and how that works in conjunction with his philosophy for functionality in shapes. Because hold shaping is like routesetting in that sense; it’s partially an artistic craft as well as a utilitarian or commercial craft. Art, commerce, functionality—it's all wrapped up in the life of a hold shaper. And, as a longtime shaper and setter, Joey is a great guest for riffing on all of those finer points of the craft. General Topics Covered Introduction and Industry Status Joey's Background and Entry into Climbing Oregon's Significance to Hold Shaping Hold Design Philosophy and Learning Experiences Aesthetics vs. Function in Hold Design Founding Ocelot Grips Current Work and Future Plans Show Notes Ocelot Grips Ocelot Grips Instagram: @ocelotgrips Thank you EP Climbing and Rock Gym Pro for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

Today’s episode brings Ruth Jang to the show. Ruth is a routesetter at Central Rock Gym in Atlanta, Georgia. She first picked up setting as a bucket list challenge and because she saw a gap in the gym: not enough entry-level, competition-style boulders for people to learn from. Her thought? “Why not infiltrate from the inside and learn from the best?” Before she knew it, she was pulled into the gravity of the setting world. Today, Ruth is a USAC Level 3 routesetter with her first national event on the horizon this June. She’s also set for citizen comps like Method Underground. Before setting, Ruth came from a background in academia and biomedical research, where she studied stem cells and the opioid epidemic. General Topics Covered How a negative became a positive: Ruth’s unusual introduction to climbing An Eastern versus Western approach to team dynamics: collective and individual identity What is true collaboration in routesetting? The similarities between team sports and routesetting Communication and how it can change team dynamics Poetry and routesetting Handling arrogance in the setting industry Show Notes Find Ruth Jang on Instagram Find Ruth’s poems, Logic of the Woods, all proceeds go towards the Southeastern Climbing Coalition (SCC) and Training Indonesians for Transition to Institutional Programs (TITIP). Central Rock Gym What is Futsal? The difference between Eastern and Western (collective versus individualistic). Further readings:  How East and West think in profoundly different ways, David Robson, BBC Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West, Matt Hudson, Psyche “I think, therefore I am.” Resources and further reading on Eating Disorders:  National Eating Disorder Association National Institute of Mental Health - Eating Disorders Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a guest next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle, or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out.  The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Essential Climbing and Trango. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney. 

Brian Doscher, General Manager and Co-Owner of Bluestem Boulders, shares insights on reaching college students with climbing gyms. His gym, located near Iowa State University, fills a unique niche. They discuss effective marketing strategies tailored for budget-conscious students, the importance of community events, and innovative programming like game nights. Brian emphasizes how fostering emotional connections through climbing routes can enhance the gym experience and make it appealing to the college demographic.

Today’s episode brings routesetter Iza Nowak to the podcast. Nowak is a team climber turned routesetting powerhouse. She started climbing as a kid and has almost two decades of time on rocks and plastic. Her setting career has spanned multiple states. Now, Nowak is a lead setter at Sport Rock in Washington, D.C. She is a USAC Level 3 routesetter with competition experience at all levels, from climbing leagues to Qualifying Events to high-level citizens’ comps, like Method Underground and national-level bouldering and sport competitions. Nowak has also traveled internationally to set, having recently returned from the Norwegian Youth Championships. Nowak brings all that knowledge to the show, diving into fundamentals for both competition and commercial routesetting, skills for leading a setting crew, and much more. General Topics Covered Iza's First Impressions of Routesetting as a Team Kid True or False Game of Routesetting What it Takes to Be a Commercial Routesetter The Qualities of a Good Headsetter Movement Understanding vs. Raw Strength What it Takes to be a Competition Routesetter USA Climbing Standards and Pathways Career Growth and Development Show Notes Find Iza Nowak on Instagram Sportrock Climbing Centers USA Climbing Routesetter Pathway Chart The book where the 60/100 statistic between genders on job applications can be found is Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. This statistic was widely attributed to an internal report at Hewlett-Packard, although this claim has been shown to lack solid evidence and is likely based on a subjective observation rather than a rigorous study. Other, more robust studies like this one in the European Journal of Social Psychology, have disputed this statistic. Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a guest next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle, or have questions–we’d love for you to reach out here. The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by by Strati and Kilter. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

On this episode of the CBJ podcast, host John Burgman and Jonathan Landis, the CEO of Greater Heights, talk about the winding path from an idea to the construction and, finally, the grand opening of a new climbing gym. Greater Heights opened in early December 2024 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin—which is right around Madison—and has ropes, boulders and auto belays. The climbing walls at the gym are from Rockwerx, the flooring is from Asana, and Rock Gym Pro is the management software. John and Jonathan chat all about the origin of Greater Heights and the origin of Jonathan's involvement with the gym. They discuss Jonathan's outlook on how climbing gyms are like a subscription service, in a way. They also focus on the Midwest as a good region for a climbing gym, and Jonathan, as a lifelong Midwesterner, offers some keen insights on getting one started. General Topics Covered Greater Heights' Origin and Background Jonathan's Climbing Journey and Business Development Finding the Right Space and Facility Considerations Convincing Investors and Securing Financing Risk Assessment and Business Threats Midwest Market Analysis and Gym Appeal Show Notes Greater Heights Find Greater Heights on Instagram: @gh.climbing More background on the opening of Greater Heights: New Full-Service Gym Is Coming to Wisconsin’s Capital This Winter Thank you Approach and EP Climbing for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

Today’s episode brings routesetter Ethan Paris to the recording studio. Paris comes from a film and creative background, giving him a unique perspective on how routesetters operate in a space that can be defined half by art and half by design. Hailing from the Northeast, he moved to Colorado in 2024 to set at the Climbing Collective gyms in Longmont, Loveland and Greeley. Paris is a USAC Level 2 routesetter and has set for over 20 local and USAC competitions nationwide. He’s also participated in the Setter Showdown in Hawaii, taken setting clinics in London, and hopes to one day set for national-level events. Host Holly Chen talks to Paris about the prevalence of imposter syndrome in the routesetting industry. They explore the origins and characteristics of the phenomenon, from the term’s conception in 1978 to how imposter syndrome impacts today’s modern routesetting community. They talk about how it manifests across the gender spectrum, and how difficult it can be to overcome. Finally, they discuss how community is often the ticket out. General Topics Covered Ethan Paris' Background Defining Imposter Syndrome Imposter Syndrome Manifestation Community & Gender Factors Gender and Imposter Syndrome Combating Imposter Syndrome Supporting Others Creating Change [the_ad_group id="625"] Show Notes Find Ethan Paris on Instagram Climbing Collective Psychotherapy Theory, Research and Practice Volume 15, #3, Fall 1978 – The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention by Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes New Yorker – Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It by Leslie Jamison Kaizen (Ky'zen), The Key to Japan's Competitive Success Other CBJ interviews and podcast guests who have talked about imposter syndrome:  Inclusion Takes Intention: Behind the Desk With Gabby Zonneveld at MetroRock Vans on the Wall – CBJ Podcast with Ally Cruz Keep Them Sketched Out – CBJ Podcast with Claire Kawainui Miller The Top CBJ Podcast Episode of 2024 for Routesetters Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle, or have questions–we’d love for you to reach out here. The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Bold Climbing and Rock Gym Pro sponsor today's episode. It was edited and produced by Holly Chen, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

On this episode of the Climbing Business Journal podcast, host John Burgman is joined by Megan Cheek. Megan is the Digital Marketing Manager and Content Strategist for Climbing Collective, which includes the Inner Peaks gyms in North Carolina, Philadelphia Rock Gyms in Pennsylvania, and Hudson Boulders in New York. They talk about what the Climbing Collective is and how several different gyms and gym brands operate within it. From there, they chat about Megan's role as a content strategist and what it means to create content for gyms these days. John and Megan pinpoint the new Inner Peaks location, which is in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte. They discuss the NoDa gym's layout and the focus at the gym on the first-time climber’s journey. To that point, Megan provides some insights on how a gym's layout can help foster the development of a climber, from beginners to longtime members. General Topics Covered What is the Climbing Collective? Megan’s Role in Marketing Storytelling in Climbing Adapting to Changing Marketing Trends Inner Peaks Noda Design Neurodiversity in Climbing Staff Training on Failure Is the Art of Projecting Lost Indoors? Positive Experiences and Member Retention Show Notes @InnerPeaksClimbing @PhilaRockGym @HudsonBoulders Thank you Butora and Rock Gym Pro for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!