She Explores

Latest Episodes:

What We Have to Give Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

What we have (and want) to give to ourselves and to others is often clarified through time outside. At Lodged Out in the Adirondacks of New York, four women share how they spent the weekend through a giving lens.

And as a bonus, we start off the episode by talking with Cassie Abel about "Women-Led Wednesday" - a new initiative to support female-led businesses this holiday season and beyond.

Women featured in this episode: Bobbilee Hartman, Nic Annette Miller, Abby Pond, and Adriana Aldana

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear:

About the origin story of Lodged Out
How Bobbilee is energized by connecting with people and connecting people with others
How even though your job isn't always the right fit, it doesn't mean you have the wrong profession
Why Bobbilee decided to make Lodged Out retreats tech free and centered around the outdoors
How it can be hard to find balance between motherhood, work, entrepreneurship, and giving yourself time
Why choosing to do something for yourself can be a gift
Why sharing and teaching art is giving, both towards yourself and others
How we can learn from a photograph
Why bias is perpetuated by not listening to other people's stories
About Women-Led Wednesday and why it's important to vote with our dollars

Sponsored by Benchmark Maps, Robinhood and Bombas

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Resources

Lodged Out
Women Led Wednesday: Website, Instagram, and Twitter
Queen of Cups Lingerie
Nic Annette Miller: Instagram
She-Explores.com landing page

Sponsor Websites and Codes

Benchmark Maps: Take 20% with code SHEEXPLORES at checkout
Robinhood: Head to Explores.robinhood.com for a free stock with signup
Bombas: Use code 'explores' at checkout for 20% off your first order

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Jason Shaw and Kai Engel using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Lost & Found Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

Lost in the mountains is a vulnerable place to be. Lydia Sturgis shares her experience losing the trail for a night in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, and heli nurse Krista Elkins gives advice for both how to prevent getting lost and what to do if it happens.

Women featured in this episode: Lydia Sturgis and Krista Elkins

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear:

Lydia's hike and climb up Granite Peak, the highest mountain in Montana
Why it's important to trust your climbing partner
What Lydia and her climbing partner Artie did when they got lost on the way down
Advice from heli nurse and paramedic Krista Elkins for ways to prevent getting lost
Gear to bring on an overnight
What to do if you do get lost for one night and more than one night
Recommended courses for outdoor enthusiasts
Why it's worth getting out there, even with the risks
What Lydia learned while she was out there

Sponsored by Benchmark Maps, Outdoor Voices and Sustain Natural

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Resources

Sponsor Websites and Codes

Benchmark Maps: Take 20% with code SHEEXPLORES at checkout
Outdoor Voices: Take 20% off order of $100 or more with code EXPLORES at checkout
Sustain Natural: Take 20% off first one-time order with code EXPLORES at checkout

Alone with Her Thoughts on the Welsh Coastal Path: Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe set out to be the first BAME woman in the United Kingdom to thru hike the Welsh Coastal Trail. She didn't achieve her goal, but after 570 miles on foot, she could hear herself loud and clear.

Women featured in this episode: Hiranya de Alwis Jayasinghe

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear:

What the ~870 mile Welsh Coastal Path is
Why Wales is so important to Hiranya
Why she chose to hike solo
"On your own? You're very brave." What Hiranya heard most often about being on her own and why she thinks that is
Why what is deemed a "good adventure" feels like a hierarchy
How trails in the US are different than the Welsh Coastal Path
How hiking solo gave Hiranya a new appreciation for her body
Balancing comfort and challenge on a long hike
How Brexit brought out a resurgence of racism in the UK and how Hiranya experienced this as a South Asian woman on the path
Whether or not people are talking about DEI and the outdoors in the UK
Gender norms Hiranya observed on the path
How she felt when she got off the trail after 48 days

Sponsored by Ritual and Sustain Natural

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Resources

Hiranya's blog: Life Moves in Cycles

Sponsor Websites and Codes

Ritual.com/explore
Sustain Natural: Use code EXPLORES for 20% off your first one-time order!

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Josh Woodward, Jason Shaw, Lee Rosevere, and Kai Engel using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Sun Shapes

Down with Adventure: Melody Forsyth Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Pregnant with her daughter Ruby, Melody Forsyth thought hiking would be her "last hurrah" when she found out Ruby has Down Syndrome (DS). Turns out, it was just the beginning. We talk about what having a child with special needs has added to Melody's hiking and personal life, and how she uses social media to break stereotypes about her little girl and DS.

Women featured in this episode: Melody Forsyth

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear:

How Melody balances the roles of mother, nurse, hiker, and wife
The ways in which a backpacking experience in her teens has carried with her into her 40's
Getting started hiking again a little later in life
Why fear of not getting to explore after having a child with Down Syndrome got Melody's family outside
How seeing a kid with special needs at a National Park assuaged Melody's fears
How Ruby connects with the outdoors
Melody's family's quest to visit all the National Parks in the US
The ways Melody uses her Instagram @downwithadventure to correct misconceptions about Down Syndrome and hiking with a child with special needs
What Ruby has taught Melody (and can teach us!)

Sponsored by Away and Bombas

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Camp with us In Taos at the Women on the Road Gathering

Resources

Melody's instagram: @downwithadventure
Learn about their family on the Goal Zero Blog

Sponsor Websites and Codes

Bombas: Get 20% off your first purchase by using code
'explores' at checkout!
Away: Get $20 off your first purchase of a suitcase by using
code 'explores' at checkout!
Get 20% off an Escape Campervan rental by using code 'WOMEN20'
at checkout

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Jason Shaw using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Bouquet and Liam McNally

Nature as a Disruptive Force for Queer Youth: Elyse Rylander Oct 17, 2018

Show notes

Elyse Rylander is the founder and executive director of OUT There Adventures, a nonprofit dedicated to empower queer young people through their connection with the natural world. Elyse believes nature is a disruptive force for queer youth and hopes to foster their identities and love of the outdoors.

Women featured in this episode: Elyse Rylander

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

What Elyse is working on right now
How partnering with other established nonprofits like Outward Bound is helping spread the mission of OUT There Adventures
Why it can be uniquely hard for a small nonprofit to do outreach for queer kids for outdoor programs
Why role models are so important for queer youth in the outdoors
How working at an outdoor store and getting into guiding positively impacted Elyse as a teenager
Why Elyse believes nature is a disruptive force
How nature mirrors queer identities
How OUT There fosters inclusiveness on trips
What Elyse hopes the youth take with them when they leave
Hurdles to growth for OUT There
Elyse's vision for the future
About the second annual LGBTQ Outdoor Summit
What Elyse is looking forward to

Sponsored by BetterHelp and Bombas

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Camp with us In Taos at the Women on the Road Gathering

Resources

Sponsor Websites and Codes

Betterhelp: Get the first week free by heading here and using offer code 'explores'!
Bombas: Get 20% off your first purchase by using code 'explores' at checkout!
Get 20% off an Escape Campervan rental by using code 'WOMEN20' at checkout

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Lee Rosevere, Jason Shaw, Josh Woodward using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Kay Orange

Leading with Humility: Tsedo Sherpa-Ednalino Oct 10, 2018

Show notes

Tsedo Sherpa-Ednalino is the COO of Sherpa Adventure Gear. Leading with humility is part of her Sherpa heritage and it's a tenet of her life as an executive and a mother.

Women featured in this episode: Tsedo Sherpa-Ednalino

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

Tsedo talk about why working moms shouldn't be the only parents to
get the question 'how do you do it all?'
About why Tsedo loves international travel and wants to share that with her 3 year old daughter
Origin story of Sherpa Adventure Gear
Sherpa cultural attributes (welcoming, warm, friendly, humble, adaptable ) and how Tsedo identifies with them
How Sherpa Adventure Gear elevates Sherpa culture by employing women and funding education for children in Nepal
Advice for women looking to work in the outdoor industry and rise through the ranks
Who Tsedo's role models are
The unique challenges and benefits to working for a family business
How motherhood has improved Tsedo's time management

Sponsored by BetterHelp and Ritual

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Camp with us In Taos at the Women on the Road Gathering

Learn more at She-Explores.com/podcast

Resources:

Sponsor Websites & Codes

Betterhelp: Get the first week FREE by heading here
Ritual: Try Ritual guaranteed, if you don't like it after the first month get your money back

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, Josh Woodward using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Great Lands

Lightening Trauma's Invisible Weight on the Trail: Sydney Williams Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

Sydney Williams is more than a weight loss story, or an outdoors person with Type II diabetes, or a trauma survivor. But hiking the Trans-Catalina trail the second time helped her put it all together.

Women featured in this episode: Sydney Williams

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

How Sydney hiked the Trans-Catalina Trail in Southern California two times: the first time it was the hardest thing physically, the second it was the hardest emotionally
Why a diagnosis of Type II diabetes was the best thing that ever happened to Sydney
The four things Sydney learned to manage when monitoring her blood sugar
Why stress can be so hard to regulate
How Sydney started hiking her feelings rather than eating and drinking her feelings
What was revealed to her about her past trauma on the trail
How hiking has helped her own her story
Why Sydney is going on a speaking tour in southern California to share her experience and where you can hear her talk
The lost potential of women due to sexual violence
How the outdoors helped Sydney coax healing from the trauma she carried

Sponsored by BetterHelp, uBiome, Outdoor Voices, and Robinhood

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Camp with us In Taos at the Women on the Road Gathering

Learn more at She-Explores.com/podcast

Resources:

Sydney Williams: Hiking My Feelings Website & Instagram
Sydney Williams: Personal Instagram
RAIIN.org: 1-800-656-HOPE

Sponsor Websites & Codes

BetterHelp: Get the first week free by heading here!
uBiome
Outdoor Voices: Get 20% off your first order of $100 or more by heading to Outdoorvoices.com/sheexplores and using the code 'SHEEXPLORES' at checkout
Robinhood: Get a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help build your portfolio! Sign up at explores.robinhood.com

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, Josh Woodward using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Great Lands

Bike Touring is About More Than Just Bikes: Mary Ann Thomas Sep 19, 2018

Show notes

Mary Ann Thomas loves bike touring because it's accessible, it helps her care for her body, it connects her with people she might not otherwise meet, and it has helped her express the truest parts of herself. She's bicycled across the United States and Canada, as well as India, and is currently on a speaking tour to share her love of bike touring and her work as a queer brown travel writer with the WTF (Women Trans Femme) community.

Women featured in this episode: Mary Ann Thomas

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

How bike touring helps Mary Ann feel in sync with her body
Why bike touring is an accessible form of adventure
About Mary Ann's first transcontinental bike tour
What Mary Ann learned about herself on that first long solo bike tour
How the middle of the US was more welcoming than she expected
The ways in which travel nursing can help facilitate an adventurous lifestyle
Why Mary Ann wanted to bike across India
How India surprised Mary Ann
How Mary Ann uses social media when she's bike touring to set up a network of safe spaces on the road
Why women and women of color should bike tour, especially in countries with familial ties
How Mary Ann believes you're only as safe as you believe you are
About the WTF Bikexplorers Summit
About Mary Ann's F*** Impossible Road Trip

Sponsored by BetterHelp, uBiome, and One Eleven Watches

Join us in our She Explores Podcast Facebook Group

Camp with us In Taos at the Women on the Road Gathering

Learn more at She-Explores.com/podcast

Resources:

Mary Ann Thomas: Website & Instagram
WTF Bikexplorers Summit
Warm Showers
Mary Ann's Chapbook: Asking For Elephants

Sponsor Websites & Codes

BetterHelp: Get the first week free by heading here!
UBiome
One Eleven Watches: First 20 get an Ursa Major gift with your purchase. Head here!

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, Jason Shaw using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Music is also by Great Basin

Nature Up Close: Science Illustrator Kristin Link Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

Kristin Link is a science illustrator and an artist living off the grid in McCarthy, Alaska. She shares about her life there, why she loves helping people see the natural world up close through science illustration, and her tips for applying to artist-in-residencies at National Parks.

Women featured in this episode: Kristin Link, science illustrator, with a special intro segment with Chevon Powell, founder of Refuge Outdoor Festival.

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

Chevon Powell share her vision for the Refuge Outdoor Festival coming to Tolt-MacDonald Park September 28 - 30, 2018
About Kristin's life off the grid near McCarthy, Alaska
What brought Kristin to Alaska and how it lead her to a career in science illustration
What science illustration is and the different ways you can pursue it as a career
Why Kristin focuses on the environmental aspects of science illustration
About artist-in-residencies programs through the National Park Service
What the application process is like for artist-in-residency programs
The goal of Kristin's work, whether it's science illustration or fine art
How it's difficult to live sustainably, even when you're living off the grid
How Kristin's relationship with the land and its history has evolved in her time living in Alaska
Why science illustration will never go away as a profession and why she recommends it for others interested in art and the environment

Sponsored by RxBar, Otterbox, uBiome, and Victorious

Resources:

Kristin Link: Portfolio Site and Instagram
Refuge Outdoor Festival

Artist-Residencies info from Kristin:

Call For Entry is a website that
lists calls for visual artists. There are several residencies in
national parks that post there, including Gates of the Arctic
The Wrangell Mountains Center, the nonprofit where I used to work, also has a residency application there and hosts a two-week residency in McCarthy and the Wrangell-St. Elias. Their application is also on CaFE.
Voices of the Wilderness is a
collection of artist residencies on public lands and wilderness areas
in Alaska. It is one application where people can apply to many
opportunities. In 2017 I did a residency in the Nellie Juan – College
Fiord Wilderness Study Area with the Forest Service in Prince William
Sound. There is no fee to apply which I appreciate.
The Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency has it’s own application hosted on the Yukon Arts Center’s website. Also no fee.
Some artist residencies are just listed on NPS websites or organizations that work with them, so it can be worth searching around. A surprising number of places have artist residencies, and it seems like there are more becoming available. Here is the Joshua Tree one, which I did in 2016.

Sponsor Websites & Codes

UBiome
Victorious
RxBar: Use code "SHEEXPLORES" for 25% off your first order!
Otterbox

Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us.

Music is also by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, Jason Shaw, Doctor Turtle, and Steve Combs using a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Venturing in the Mountains and in Business: Georgina Miranda Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

Georgina Miranda lives mindfully in business and while pursuing the Explorer Grand Slam: standing on the highest summits in each continent as well as the North and South Pole. The founder of She Ventures and Altitude 7 shares how years spent summiting the highest mountains in the world drove home her devotion to creating businesses and taking adventures that have a positive social impact on the world. While Georgina's accomplishments are impressive, we're most struck by her ability to learn and adapt with each one.

Women featured in this episode: Georgina Miranda, founder of She Ventures

Hosted by Gale Straub

In this episode, you'll hear

What factors in Georgina’s upbringing lead her to pursue an impact-driven career focused around women’s rights
How what you’re passionate about can find you vs. the other way around
How Georgina started “choosing adventure” in her life in the form of indoor rock climbing and hiking
Why she believes 30 minutes of activity and/or mindfulness each day has a positive impact on your life, and how She Ventures launched the Move 30 Collective to help people achieve that goal
How goals like summiting Mount Everest are more achievable when you break them down into smaller steps
How Georgina came up with the idea to hike the 7 summits to raise money for gender-based violence awareness and treatment
The ways in which listening to her gut have helped her in mountaineering and running her companies
How she's become more comfortable with failure (on and off the mountain)
Why it's key to make your decisions at "base camp"
The mission behind She Ventures and the special in-person events they put on