Advertise on podcast: Breaking Trail

In his book Ecological Literacy, David Orr said we need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. He said we need people who live well in their places. People of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane.  These are the people who are redefining success in today’s terms and this podcast is for the peacemakers, healers, restorers and lovers of every kind. Every other week, we talk to someone who is living well in their place and doing something to contribute to the world rather than take from it. We are breaking trail.  Today I am excited to introduce you to Katie Harris, who has dedicated her life’s work to connecting this country through bicycle transportation. Katie Harris (she/her) is the Director of Community Impact at Adventure Cycling Association. She is passionate about creating a future where bike travel is safe and inclusive, and sees bike advocacy at the nexus of climate change, transportation justice, and healthy communities. She provides leadership for Adventure Cycling’s advocacy work, including the U.S. Bicycle Route System, ACA’s safety program, and the organization’s newest initiative, Bike Overnights, which is focused on supporting anyone who wants to experience the joy of bicycle travel, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and transgender, women, intersex and gender nonconforming cyclists. A collaborator by nature, she loves building partnerships with mission-aligned organizations and individuals to further their collective missions. Katie lives in Bellingham, WA, where she spends her free time hiking, mountain biking, skiing, fly-fishing, and poring over maps, planning the next adventure. We talk about:  Safety on the roads Equity in biking Community Collaboration to get things done Stepping into our leadership, something I work to do every day So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Katie and other links: LinkedIn adventurecycling.org National Corridor Plan Nonprofits Unite to Create Equitable Access for Cycling Coast to Coast by Bike: Rails-to-Trails Magazine Green Issue BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Things rarely go as planned and that is very much the case for Robin Hall who had a big fat wrench thrown into her and her family’s life plan. The outdoor brand she was working for relocated and she had to make some decisions.  This is a story about finding purpose and adapting. It’s a story about sitting at home and deciding to take matters into your own hands. And why not, while we’re at it, launch a sustainable outdoor kids apparel brand?  Some people get kicked off the ledge and are forced to change. Others aren’t that “lucky” and therefore hang out in their status quo which means they are doing work they don’t care about. Today, you’re going to learn how Robin sorted out the mess and came out living life on her own terms.  We talk about the three questions she posed to make her plan. How she made a big idea a reality Taking the sustainable route and why that matters Robin Hall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Town Hall, a new sustainable kids outdoor apparel company with community and the planet at its core. With over 15 years in the outdoor industry, Robin is a seasoned and enthusiastic leader, strategist and project manager. Robin has built a career out of diving deeply into all functions of an outdoor brand and she passionately brings diverse groups together to solve problems, with her values as her guide. Robin’s #1 and #2 StrengthFinders strengths are Positivity and Achiever, which means she gets it done with a genuine smile on her face and for the love of the process. Town Hall is the epicenter of her passions, bringing together community, environmental stewardship, kids and the outdoors. Robin loves outside daily with her husband, two sons and Bernese Mountain Dog, Yeti, in the amazing community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Robin and other links: townhallco.com Instagram Facebook evo.com BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Before joining the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy team in 2016 as a trail planner, Kevin Belanger spent many years in the active-transportation world. He received master’s degrees in both Environmental Studies and Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon, where he wrote his thesis on walking and biking habits in suburban multifamily housing. After completing his formal education, Kevin spent time in the consulting world and then as the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for a suburb in Maryland. Lately, Kevin is focused on an exciting project I’m so excited to share with you all – it’s the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to connect the country via a 3,700-mile-long mult-iuse trail between Washington, DC and Washington State. His favorite part of the job is seeing the light bulb go off in people’s heads when they see what this trail can do for them and their communities. Today we’ll talk about yet another human being who left a job that looked great on paper but wasn’t filling up his cup – and how he turned that around into work and a life he is passionate about. We talked about: The importance of active transportation The impact of trails and bike and pedestrian access on individuals and communities Launching a massive initiative with many partners and private landowners So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Kevin and other links: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Great American Rail-Trail Instagram traillink.com Support the Great American Rail-Trail BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Alexis Biddle is the Great Communities Program Director for 1000 Friends of Oregon who’s mission is to work with Oregonians to enhance our quality of life by building livable urban and rural communities, protecting family farms and forests, and conserving natural areas. Alexis works on issues like housing, transportation, infrastructure, and more, in towns and cities outside of the Portland Metro region. Based in Eugene, he travels the state to work with residents, city planners, and local decision-makers to ensure that Oregon's urban and rural communities are not just livable, but thriving. Alexis holds a master's degree in Community and Regional Planning as well as a law degree from the University of Oregon.  You’re going to learn today how he discovered his interest in land use  - when he witnessed great social inequity while he was putting himself through law school as a taxi driver. Since then, he has worked with transit districts, city and state planning departments, and as a transportation consultant. His position with 1000 Friends has allowed him to complete his passion and work on both land use and transportation to serve all residents of communities across the state.  We talked about the risk of loss of farmland, and how he and the team at 1000 Friends of Oregon use policy and litigation to manage growth. We’ll learn about middle housing to control climate change and encourage economic mobility. Alexis also speaks to what makes the public input process more engaging. Great stuff whether you're in conservation or a concerned citizen. So with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Alexis and other links: Website Twitter Smartgrowth.org Middle Housing is the Solution Healthy Democracy Proud Ground BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today, I have a beautiful story for you about fatherhood, endurance, and sustainability.  Josh Lasky is a father, husband, son, amateur endurance athlete, social impact professional, and author. He serves as Director of the Office of Sustainability at The George Washington University, leading the institution’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and fulfill other ambitious commitments. Lasky holds a Master’s in public administration and a Bachelor’s in political science from GW, and he serves as a board member of Climate Ride, a non-profit that organizes life-changing charitable outdoor adventures. Lasky has completed more than 6,000 miles of bicycle touring and more than 85 road and trail running races, including 50-mile, 100-kilometer, and 100-mile ultramarathons. We talk about how becoming a caretaker to his father at a relatively young age changed the trajectory of his life, how endurance sports and writing helped him through and what a year he’s having with a new job and a new baby girl, and how his experience informs both his work and his parenting.  We finally got to some discussion around sustainability and I wish we had had more time, so I guess I’ll just have to invite Josh back. With that, I hope you’ll listen in and gear up for what’s next: Where to find Josh and other links: Website Every Step is a Gift Instagram LinkedIn BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

I asked Jeremy Grimm to join the conversation about conservation because he has a great deal of experience from the public and private side, leading planning and development initiatives in small towns across the Intermountain West. For nearly a decade, he served as the planning and community development director for the City of Sandpoint, where he worked to spur economic development and job growth by securing public grants and working on capital improvement programs.  Throughout his career, Jeremy has held appointed positions on the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Board, Panhandle Area Council, Wyoming Water Association, Big  Horn Mountain Coalition (EDD), Governor Butch Otter’s  2017 Workforce Development Taskforce, and currently serves on the Idaho Economic Advisory Council as Region 1 representative. Since 2007, Jeremy has raised his two children in Sandpoint, Idaho with his wife, Nichole, an independent Family Nurse Practitioner. Now – Jeremy owns Whiskey Rock Planning, a land-use planning and economic development consulting firm specializing in place-based economic development strategies, comprehensive and strategic planning, site permitting, entitlements, and code compliance. He works with municipalities, highway districts, and both commercial and residential developers.   The Great Paradox of the West is everyone wants their piece of the American Dream – four walls and four lot lines. In the desire for our own space, we eat up the open space and destroy the very landscapes we have come here to love.  So what can a person do? We talked about possible solutions, organizations working on our behalf to make these solutions possible, and the mindset required to achieve this shift.  With that, I hope you’ll listen in and gear up for what’s next: Where to find Jeremy and other links: Whiskey Rock Planning Project 7B  Keep Bonner County Rural LinkedIn BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today’s story comes from Elizabeta Jevtic-Somlai. Originally from Serbia, now living in Phoenix, Arizona. Liz knows what it’s like to flee a country she loved and to find new roots, a new way in a strange and unwelcoming country. I have the privilege of working with her at Their Story is Our Story, where we are working to tell the stories of refugees to change the perception, reception, and legislation in a way that supports people fleeing violence and persecution. Liz lost a great deal when she escaped her beautiful country. But she says, she will not lose who she is or where she came from.  Here is a bit more about Liz before we jump into her full story.  Even in her youth, Liz understood that education can better lives, and she loves to learn. She holds a BA in International Relations, a BA, a MA in German/Holocaust Studies, and a Ph.D. in International Conflict Analysis. She is a passionate advocate for human rights, more specifically minority, refugee, women, and children’s rights, and has presented, researched, and published much on the topic of long-term (re-)integration. She comes to TSOS with extensive professional experience in operations and policy planning at the U.N. level and curriculum and course development in higher education. As a refugee herself, Liz knows that trials are part of the journey and that life is precious. She is always ready for a good laugh, loves engaging young minds in meaningful discussions, spending time with her family, and embracing new cultures, people, and food. Liz said we can educate people with personal stories - we connect to them and change our perception of that label (refugee). With that, people change their actions. Over time, we see an increase in people wanting to help with food, clothing, integration into communities. Today:  Get a first-hand experience of what it’s like to sneak out of your country at the young age of 14 The trials in starting over How Liz broke the cycle Why sharing the stories of refugees matters How to get involved and help She wants you to know her story is not meant to be a sad story. It is a story of a survivor. With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Liz and other links: TSOS website Instagram  Facebook Interview on BYU Radio: Refugee Stories, Civilians in Space, Arachnophobia BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking, or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Converting Caring to Action I invited Scot to be a guest when I saw he was working to save farmland in Whitefish, Montana. In fact, he founded a nonprofit of that name. But first, some critical background about Scott. He is the cofounder of Classy, a San Diego-based social enterprise and software company that creates fundraising tools for nonprofit organizations. They grew the company to 330 employees and have raised more than $4 billion for nonprofits.  Early this year, they announced a merger with GoFundme which is exciting news in the giving space. Scot now lives in Whitefish, Montana and is the founder of Haskill Creek Farms, an herbal wellness company and Save Farmland, a nonprofit protecting & promoting small farms. I hope that piques your curiosity because it did mine, and I had many questions for Scot, with the focus on Save Farmland because I”m very interested in what is happening in the west and how lack of thoughtful planning and development is threatening our open spaces. In today’s conversation, we fill in the gaps of Scot’s story like why he started Classy and how he ended up in Whitefish. We talked: Health and burnout and self awareness Plant-based medicine Regenerative farming Types of conservation The paradox of our housing shortage and desire to keep space open With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Hope you enjoy! Where to find Scot and other links: Haskill Creek Farms / Instagram Save Farmland / Instagram BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

Today I have a lovely conversation with Pam Bond whose story I just love. (Actually, stories are kind of like cheese. There are very few stories I don’t like. Just the stinky ones.) Anyway, Pam’s story is a classic full circle one. She was a very shy young adult who now empowers young women through women-only trail work weekends. Pam Bond is a GIS Analyst in Boise, Idaho but found her confidence and passion on the trail. Starting as a volunteer and now as a board member for the Idaho Trails Association (ITA), Pam has developed a love for trail maintenance. She has been actively involved with ITA since 2015, starting with no trail maintenance experience. Since then, she has played an integral role in developing and growing the Women-Only Weekend program which aims to empower women by teaching them traditional trail maintenance skills. Now as a crew leader, she hopes to help other women build their own confidence. Pam has paired her expertise with something she cares about. And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love that. We talked about: Overcoming lack of confidence The beauty of serendipity (especially in finding your path) The joy in volunteerism What it’s like to work on trails With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Pam and other links: Idaho Trails Association Trail Reporter Donate to ITA WOW 2021 StoryMap Instagram BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review, and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

I am happy to introduce you to Sarah Panus because I feel like in a way we are kindred spirits which is coincidental because her business is named Kindred Speak, LLC. She, like me, had a dream to go into fashion. She pursued that dream farther than I ever did. Life took her in another direction (like it did for me) and after a series of jobs, she left her corporate position to launch her business. Sarah Panus has nearly 20 years of experience helping billion-dollar brands drive leading ROI through brand storytelling. She is a Minnesota mama, content strategist, podcast host of Marketing With Empathy, and owner of Kindred Speak LLC. She’s on a mission to humanize brands; help content marketers reduce overwhelm/confusion; and raise money to fund child trafficking rescue missions. She spends her days working one-to-one with brand clients and is newly getting into the online course space where she’ll teach you how to think like an Editorial Director and build winning brand storytelling strategies. Before starting her own consulting biz, Sarah spent the majority of her career leading content strategy on the corporate side and understands the pressure in those roles. She comes from a world managing up to $10M budgets but knows how to get scrappy too. Along the way, she figured out how to feel empowered, creative, and less overwhelmed in her roles (while driving amazing results), and wants to help others feel the same. www.kindredspeak.com What do we talk about today? Taking her own big leaps like moving to NYC sight unseen Leaving her corporate position and starting her own business What empathic branding is Our communications pet peeves Lessons learned With that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Sarah and other links: Website Instagram LinkedIn Pivot book by Jenny Blake Deluxe Corporation’s Small Business Revolution branded video show (Emmy nomination) Brand Storytelling Academy by Sarah Panus Rescue Kids BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

This is a story about not letting our circumstances define who we are. If today’s guest can do that, we can do it. She is not paying it forward. She came from a place of extreme poverty to start this global nonprofit Days for Girls International. Celeste Mergens is the founder and CEO of Days for Girls. She has led the organization since its beginning in 2008, driven by twenty years of nonprofit and business management experience. She holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and Literature and audited a second in Global Sustainable Development. Days for Girls is a two-time Girl Effect Champion, won the SEED award for gender equity and entrepreneurship, and was named by the Huffington Post as a ‘Next Ten’ Organization poised to change the world in the next decade, and won the 2020 ORG of the year award. Celeste has been featured in Oprah’s O Magazine, Forbes, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. She was awarded the 2017 AARP Purpose Prize Award, named Conscious Company Global Impact Entrepreneur Top Ten Women in 2018, 2019 Global Washington Global Hero, and Women’s Economic Forum’s Woman of the Decade. She is married to her best friend Don and has six children and 15 grandchildren and was named 2015 American Mother of the Year for Washington State. Also, today is International Day of the Girl – Donate with matching funds with a goal to reach 50,000 girls. Go there now and support a girl – $10 How an idea in the middle of the night gave her profound purpose. Why washable feminine hygiene is so important. 2015 – Nepal – one of the five things they asked for urgently was washable menstrual solutions How to get an idea off the ground. We are not our circumstances. It’s our response that matters. So, with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Celeste and other links: ​​daysforgirls.org Instagram BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.

What happens when you think you have eight years left to live and then you find out it’s actually probably going to be ok? I learned so much from Leigh Bercaw of Blue Fingers Farm for the season finale of Breaking Trail podcast. First of all, Leigh was super career-focused when a health prognosis meant she more than likely had only 8 years at the most to live. You’re going to learn how this changed her outlook on life and therefore, her life. How something so seemingly terrible turned out to be really kind of awesome maybe in the end. (I’m not sure - …..) Today, you’re going to learn more about where your food comes from and I hope it makes you think about the decisions you make next time you’re at the grocery store vs the farmers market. We’re going to talk about the farce that is organic farming and what we really want to see- regenerative and small-scale farming. You’ll learn about carbon sequestering and why the U.S. has a super productive, yet highly unsustainable food system right now. We need to make a change. And it starts by eating and buying local. We wrap it up by getting philosophical on life using skiing as a metaphor. It doesn’t get any better and this is where I’d like to take the show for next season – so if you have guest ideas, please send them my way. I am always looking for guests who are blazing their own path, breaking trail if you get what I mean, and finding solutions to save the world. So, with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next. Where to find Leigh and other links: bluefingersfarm.com Instagram BEFORE YOU LEAVE - If you are enjoying the shows, I hope you’ll subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends!   About Lisa Gerber: Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.   She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.   When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.   To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.