Wild Ideas Worth Living

Mario Stanley started rock climbing in his early twenties and quickly fell in love with the sport. He became a climbing coach and an outdoor guide, and now runs his own company, Highpoint Expeditions. Climbing gave Mario’s life a sense of direction at a time when he was feeling lost. He’s learned over the years that it’s about more than scaling to the top of a wall. Climbing is an exercise in freedom, trust, and pushing through fear.Connect with Mario:Website InstagramYouTubeResources:Sends and Suffers Podcast Highpoint ExpeditionsSummit Climbing GymsEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcast

Laurie Watt is an ice climber and mountaineer who became a professional adventure guide at age 55. She spent most of her adult life indoors- parenting and working as a physical therapist. In her forties, she found her way into the mountains. Now, Laurie  is teaching us all that getting older doesn’t mean that we have to forgo our wild ideas. Some of us might even get better and wilder with age.Connect with Laurie:WebsiteInstagramEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcast

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado summited Mt. Everest in 2016, and was the first Peruvian woman to do so. Her trip up the world’s tallest mountain was part of an incredible journey toward healing - from sexual abuse when she was a child and from alcoholism as an adult. Her book, In the Shadow of the Mountain, tells the story of her childhood in Peru, her immigration to America, and her climb up Mt. Everest. Connect with Silvia Vasquez-Lavado: WebsiteInstagramFacebookTwitterCourageous GirlsEpisode sponsor: SonosListen to: Tooth and Claw podcastArtwork photo credit: Emily Assiran

Group runs changed Iman Wilkerson’s life and contributed to the confidence she needed to go after her wildest ideas. Now, she is channeling her inspiration into supporting others to connect with their local community through running. In 2020, Iman created The Run Down, a web-based app that brings together local runners and shares different routes to explore in their community. The service started in San Diego, and it’s quickly spread to LA and beyond. Connect with Iman:InstagramJoin The Run Down community: WebsiteInstagramFacebook Episode sponsor: SonosArtwork photo credit: John Onelio

Getting outside can be intimidating — it feels like there’s a lot that can go wrong. Luckily, Miranda Webster, host of the REI YouTube series Miranda in the Wild, is here to show you that it doesn’t have to be hard or scary. Miranda is like your best friend from middle school, and she’s been working at REI since she was 18 years old! It took her some time to find the right role, but hosting a video series was a perfect fit. In Miranda in the Wild, Miranda and her production team create educational and endearing videos to help encourage others to get outside.Connect with guests:YouTube ChannelFacebookInstagramMiranda in the Wild episodes to watch:My Friend's FIRST TIME Planning a BACKPACKING TRIP!How to Backpack During Your Period!Episode sponsors:SonosTevaArtwork photo credit:  Chelsea Newton 

Mylo Fowler is a landscape photographer who takes pictures of his homeland, the Navajo Nation. The images he captures are stunning - they feature the rock formations, plants, and skies of the southwestern United States. His photography holds layers of meaning that celebrate and preserve Navajo culture, and he’s also figured out how to use his photography to bring electricity to people who live on Navajoland. Connect with Mylo:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramResources:Learn more about Mylo’s work with Goal ZeroEpisode sponsors:SonosTeva

Noami Grevemberg is an activist, podcaster and entrepreneur. In 2016, she and her husband Dustin left their home in New Orleans and moved into a 1985 Volkswagen Van. The pair has figured out how to make van life sustainable for them. They make a living as digital nomads. They do their best to practice a zero-waste lifestyle. And Noami has created a platform and community of BIPOC and LGBTQ van lifers with her platform Diversify Vanlife. Connect with guests:WebsiteFacebookInstagramResources:Diversify VanlifeDiversify Vanlife Instagram

When we get out in nature, we can come up with ideas that change the course of our lives. For David Sacher, a 19,000 mile bike ride from the top of North America to the bottom of South America gave him the time and space to dream up his next wild idea. As he pedaled through the Andes mountains, he came up with a business idea: VITAL, a unique 24-hour climbing gym that runs on trust and community. Now, David’s business has grown significantly, and VITAL has several locations across the country.Connect with David:WebsiteInstagramYouTubeTikTok

In 2019, Brittany Washington was burnt out. She was ready to pursue something a little more wild, and she was thirsty for knowledge. In January of 2020, Brittany left New York City for a trip around the world. She was in Bali, Indonesia in March of 2020, when the world stood still with the COVID-19 pandemic. She was stuck. During the year that Brittany spent in Bali, she continued to seek out adventure, and even made a video series titled Ms. Communication.Connect with  Brittany:WebsiteTikTok TwitterInstagramYouTube

For Chris Burkard, photography has always been more than just taking spectacular pictures. He’s used his craft as a way to tell stories, inspire people to adventure outside, and most of all, to push himself to the edge of his comfort zone. He’s caught freezing cold-water waves with professional surfer Pete Devries. He’s biked with champion mountain biker Rebecca Rusch. He’s hung off cliffs in Moab, surfed in Iceland, and skied near the Arctic circle. After spending much of his career documenting other people’s lives and adventures, Chris recently decided to turn the camera on himself and share stories from his own travels in his memoir called Wayward.Other episodes to listen to:Chris Burkard 2017 episodeConnect with Chris Burkard:WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramResources:The book that Chris mentioned, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown