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6 episodes with outdoor industry association
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2 episodes with outdoor industry association
2 episodes with outdoor industry association
2 episodes with outdoor industry association
2 episodes with outdoor industry association
2 episodes with outdoor industry association
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on how sweeping new tariffs are already hitting the outdoor industry and reshaping the landscape for small, sustainable brands, including those that manufacture right here in the U.S.Small outdoor businesses are being forced to make difficult choices: raise prices, delay product launches, or compromise on the sustainability promises they were founded on.I spoke with four small business owners about how these behind-the-scenes policy changes are impacting their work, and what they wish conscious consumers like you better understood about the true cost of ethical, sustainable gear.Featured Voices:Gilad Nachmani — CNOC Outdoors / Minimal GearRudy Glocker — Burgeon OutdoorDeanne Buck — BRANWYN InnerwearNicole Wilson - Hudson HoundstoothKey Takeaways:The outdoor industry generates $1.2 trillion in consumer spending and supports 5 million U.S. jobs84% of outdoor brands surveyed by the Outdoor Industry Association report being directly impacted by new tariffsSome brands are seeing up to 40% increases in costs on essential materials and componentsThe expiration of the de minimis exemption means higher taxes on small international shipments under $800INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalistGOFUNDME: https://gofund.me/77aac225LISTENER SURVEY: https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976---------------Links & ResourcesCNOC / Minimal Gear: https://minimalgear.com/Burgeon Outdoor: https://www.burgeonoutdoor.com/BRANWYN Innerwear: https://branwyn.com/Hudson Houndstooth: https://hudsonhoundstooth.com/Outdoor Industry Association press release on tariffs (https://outdoorindustry.org/press-release/outdoor-industry-warns-new-tariffs-will-hurt-jobs-raise-costs-and-put-businesses-at-risk/)
On this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett are back to cover the latest shifts shaping outdoor hospitality and travel. We kick things off with a look at the current state of the outdoor retail market and what growth or stability could look like in 2025, as reported by the Outdoor Industry Association. From shifting consumer behavior to strategic bets on product and brand alignment, we break down what it all means for operators and guests alike. Then we head into the world of deals and developments: Highway West Vacations expands its footprint with three new property acquisitions, and KCN acquires the Elizabethtown/Hershey KOA for $5.2 million. In innovation news, Pebble begins production of its flagship all-electric travel trailer—the Pebble Flow—and Azure Printed Homes celebrates three years in business with a successful third funding round, pointing to growing momentum in sustainable prefab design. We wrap with a look at Campspot's biggest booking week of 2025 and what the data reveals about demand, pricing, and traveler behavior heading into peak season. Tune in for insights, headlines, and real talk from the road—this week on Good Morning Outdoors. ---- Good Morning Hospitality is part of the Hospitality.FM Multi-Media Network and is a Hospitality.FM Original The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast brings you the top news and topics from industry experts across different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes: every Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content. Make sure to tune in during our live show on our LinkedIn page or YouTube every week and join the conversation live! Explore everything Good Morning Hospitality has to offer: • Well & Good Morning Coffee: Enjoy our signature roast—order here! • Retreats: Join us at one of our exclusive retreats—learn more and register your interest here! • Episodes & More: Find all episodes and additional info at GoodMorningHospitality.com Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible. If you have any press you want to be covered during the show, email us at goodmorning@hospitality.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett are back to cover the latest shifts shaping outdoor hospitality and travel. We kick things off with a look at the current state of the outdoor retail market and what growth or stability could look like in 2025, as reported by the Outdoor Industry Association. From shifting consumer behavior to strategic bets on product and brand alignment, we break down what it all means for operators and guests alike. Then we head into the world of deals and developments: Highway West Vacations expands its footprint with three new property acquisitions, and KCN acquires the Elizabethtown/Hershey KOA for $5.2 million. In innovation news, Pebble begins production of its flagship all-electric travel trailer—the Pebble Flow—and Azure Printed Homes celebrates three years in business with a successful third funding round, pointing to growing momentum in sustainable prefab design. We wrap with a look at Campspot's biggest booking week of 2025 and what the data reveals about demand, pricing, and traveler behavior heading into peak season. Tune in for insights, headlines, and real talk from the road—this week on Good Morning Outdoors. ---- Good Morning Hospitality is part of the Hospitality.FM Multi-Media Network and is a Hospitality.FM Original The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast brings you the top news and topics from industry experts across different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes: every Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content. Make sure to tune in during our live show on our LinkedIn page or YouTube every week and join the conversation live! Explore everything Good Morning Hospitality has to offer: • Well & Good Morning Coffee: Enjoy our signature roast—order here! • Retreats: Join us at one of our exclusive retreats—learn more and register your interest here! • Episodes & More: Find all episodes and additional info at GoodMorningHospitality.com Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible. If you have any press you want to be covered during the show, email us at goodmorning@hospitality.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) we take a look inside the Outdoor Industry Association's latest participation trends report.Since 2007 the OIA has published the trends of who is going outside. And this year participation hit an all time high while core participants dropped. And it begs the question: how will these numbers impact the industry?In order to make sense of this trend Kelly Davis, Director of Research of the OIA and Wes Allen from Sunlight Sports in Cody, WY join Colin to dig a little deeper into what retailers and brands should take away from this new data.Head to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter!Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating and written review wherever you get your podcasts.Listen to and follow Gear & Beer! The newest show on the Rock Fight Podcast Network.Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to myrockfight@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram or Threads.Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
It's time for a round of outdoor headlines here on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head)! Today Colin & Justin run through stories to come out of the outdoor industry and community including the following:The Outdoor Industry Association trend report shows that outdoor participation is up but hardcore enthusiasts are declining. (09:23)Snowboarder Shaun White announces the formation of a new snowboard league. (19:13)Amazon & Burton make green choices in how they ship their goods (28:53)Head to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter!Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating and written review wherever you get your podcasts.Gear & Beer has it's own podcast feed! Follow and rate G&B on Apple or Spotify.Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to myrockfight@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram or Threads.Subscribe to Adventure Journal to get more Justin Housman in your life.Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
Welcome to episode of The Outdoor Biz Podcast, today I'm talking with Alex Brown from the Texas Outdoor Recreation Alliance. The Alliance was established to assemble an engaged network of outdoor enthusiasts, value aligned businesses, innovators, and workforce leaders; organized and resolved to continuously shape, grow, and elevate the Texas' outdoor recreation ecosystem and natural resources it depends on. Facebook Twitter Instagram Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Sign up for my Newsletter HERE I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com Show Notes 04:34 Alex's says his passion for nature has always kind of been there. he was always the little kid now kind of running off into the woods or into the creek. They grew up around, and were in a pretty rural area, but you know, kind of on the outside of the suburbs, but had access to creeks and farm fields that they would climb fences and go over and, he was just always out there spending as much time as I could. 5:00 His Grandparents got him into nature camps as a kid when he was in elementary age and, learned a lot about it and just learned to appreciate it and learn to spend time in it and just valued it and kind of just stuck throughout the rest of his life 05:22 Alex's venture Geared Up was a startup that I saw as a way to maybe transition out of my career, which at that time was working as a project manager or a laboratory program manager with the DOD doing a lot of biomedical research programs 06:56 The inspiration came from a bit of a bit of situational awareness just keeping an eye on what was happening with the outdoor industry. Geared Up was my sort of inundation into, you know, the Outdoor Industry Association and ORR and all these resources. And I saw These offices of outdoor rec popping up across the different states. And at that time I was looking for any kind of support I could get as a small business startup that was just, you know, burning the candle at all ends. 12:38 Coordinating various groups for networking and idea exchange. 15:25 Challenges in organization growth, prioritizing Texas first. 19:03 Collaborating with nonprofits for mission alignment, soon to be announced. 21:57 Launching platform, tapping into collaborative workspaces, engaging with local chambers of commerce. 24:05 Exciting developments in Texas, momentum building for the future. 26:16 Favorite Books: Into Thin Air and Unbroken Thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe and spread the word! Learn More Learn More The Campaign website, which is: trailblazetx.com IG Linkedin You can follow up with Alex on Linkedin and email: Alex@txora.org Next Steps If you enjoy interviews devoted to the outdoor industry, find us online at ricksaez.com/listen. We love likes and comments, and if you know someone who is also an outdoor enthusiast, go ahead and share our site with them, too. And be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter Keywords #Texas Outdoor Recreation Alliance, #Outdoor Recreation Brands, #outdoor industry, #networking, #fundraising, #Texas, #small businesses, #outdoor gear, #outdoor events, #collaboration, #non-profit organization, #economic impact, #infrastructure development, #outdoor space Podcast produced using Descript, CastMagic Podcast hosted by Libsyn use code 'outdoorbizpod' for 20% OFF Show Notes powered by Castmagic Website powered by Wordpress Note: As an Affiliate of Amazon and others, I earn from qualifying purchases.
In this inspiring episode of the New England Endurance Podcast, we sit down with Scarlet Batchelor, the Chief Growth Officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). Scarlet shares her passion for getting more people into the great outdoors and discusses AMC's mission and cool initiates for the endurance community of New England and beyond. Through partnerships with organizations like the Outdoor Industry Association, LL Bean, and the Gravel Adventure Field Guide, AMC is making significant strides in promoting outdoor activities and conservation as a place where nature finds community. One of the highlights of our conversation is AMC's new initiative in Maine: The Gravel Adventure Field Guide in the Maine Woods. This project, developed in collaboration with local landowners, opens up hundreds of miles of trails for gravel biking and other outdoor adventures. Scarlet also explains the role of AMC's 11 chapters across the Northeast and their efforts to double membership by engaging new outdoor enthusiasts. From hosting exciting events to offering educational experiences like winter hiking and skiing workshops, AMC is dedicated to fostering a love for the outdoors.Throughout the episode, we give honorable mentions to some fantastic organizations and events, including The Ranger, the MA, NH, and ME Offices of Outdoor Recreation, VT Overland, The Outdoor Journey Fund, Community Rowing, Team Keep It Tight, TrailsFest, Raven White Mountain Marathon, Bay Circuit Trail, New England National Scenic Trail, the Dirty Project (Prouty), and Bissel Brothers Beer.Join the Appalachian Mountain Club today and become part of a community that values the beauty and restorative power of nature. Visit Outdoors.org to learn more.Tune in now to get inspired and discover how you can get involved and/or enjoy in the great outdoors of New England!Art & Eric embark on a journey to showcase and celebrate the endurance sports community in New England.
TIMESTAMPS Mackenzie Shirilla final thoughts (7:01) Hiking Murders (10:36) According to a study by the Outdoor Industry Association, 43% of women who hike have experienced some form of violence or harassment while on a trail. This includes everything from unwanted comments or advances to actual physical assault. In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the cases of three different women who were murdered while hiking. Rachel Morin went for a hike in Bel Air, Maryland on August 5, 2023. Her boyfriend raised the alarm later that night when she didn't return. Her body was found on a trail the following day. Rachel's killer is still at large and police believe he may be responsible for an assault in Los Angeles earlier this year. The worry is that the perpetrator is escalating in the severity of his crimes. Meredith Emerson took her dog Ella for a hike on New Year's Day in 2008. She ran across Gary Michael Hilton on the trail. Gary attacked Meredith and he kept her alive for three terrifying days, before brutally murdering and decapitating her. Gary has since been charged with three additional murders. Lauren Heike had recently moved from Washington to Arizona. She told a friend on April 28, 2023 that she was grateful to be able to get a coffee and go for a walk that day. Lauren did not show up for work when she was meant to and her body was found on April 29. She had been stabbed 15 times while out for a walk. Zion William Teasley (22) has been arrested and charged with Lauren's seemingly random murder. Read our blogs for these cases here We are now on Patreon! Thank you for your support This episode is sponsored by Microdose Gummies – to learn more about microdosing THC go to Microdose.com and use code TCS to get free shipping and 30% off your first order!
On this episode of Mastering Rod Building, host Bill Falconer is interviewing Landon Myers representing G Loomis today. Landon joined G Loomis from the Space Dynamics Lab in March of 2020. As a design engineer, he has since been promoted to a design engineer specialist. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Utah State. And he also has a an Outdoor Industry Association sustainable product design and supply chain certificate. Bill and Landon discuss that G Loomis had a big a big win in the Best of Show category at iCast 2023 for a brand new rod using some new proprietary technology. They go in depth about what makes G Loomis rods stand out in the fishing rod industry and why G Loomis uses Fuji components.
Alyssa Ravasio is the founder and CEO of Hipcamp, a global online platform that brings the sharing economy to one of the planet's most plentiful resources—land. Built on the belief that getting outside should be simple, Hipcamp partners with private landowners across the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom to create new spaces for recreation, increasing access to the outdoors while providing sustainable revenue to protect nature. To date, Hipcamp has unlocked access to more than 4 million acres of private land and helped people enjoy more than 7 million nights under the stars.Alyssa has received industry recognition for her achievement. She has served on the Outdoor Industry Association's Recreation Advisory Council and in 2022 she was recognized by Outside Business Journal as one of the 20 most influential people in the outdoor industry.Alyssa earned her bachelor's degree in Digital Democracy and Complexity Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She lives in the wilds of Marin County with her husband and young son, and one of her deepest passions is shaping how the internet impacts our humanity and our planet.Alyssa has graciously provided a discount code for Adventure Sports Podcast listeners! Use ADVENTURESPORTS10 for 10% off first booking with Hipcamp!@Hipcamphttps://www.hipcamp.com/en-USOur Sponsors:* Check out Green Chef and use my code asp250 for a great deal: https://www.greenchef.com/asp250* Check out Oris Watches: https://www.oris.ch* Check out Roark and use my code ASP15 for a great deal: https://roark.com/* Check out Shopify and use my code asp for a great deal: https://www.shopify.com/aspSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Today on episode 375 I'm talking with Conservation Alliance Executive Director Nicole Rom. Nicole came into the world with Conservation in her DNA. She is leading a tireless staff of conservationists working to harness the collective power of business and outdoor communities to fund and advocate for the protection of North America's wild places. Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Sign up for my Newsletter HERE. I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: email: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com or leave me a message on Speakpipe! Presented to by: Show Notes First I want to start with how'd you end up attending Bates College? That's a great question to start off with, I was attracted to a small liberal arts college in Maine. You might not know that Bates has the second oldest outing club. They maintained several miles of the Appalachian Trail and they're a division one Ski team. I was a competitive downhill racer in high school and, was excited with the opportunity to continue that. Then most of all, I was able to be the first class that could study environmental studies as a major. So those were the reasons that drew me to Maine and to Bates in particular. So what was it like to be a Coxswain when on the crew team? I did that my freshman year for something new. I had never had the experience when I was in high school. I primarily skied and I'll just start by saying it's a perfect position for somebody who is short, loud, and enthusiastic, and I fit all of those criteria. You're essentially the captain of the boat that you're on. I was often a coxswain for the women's eight or the men's four and you're responsible for steering, setting the pace for the row. Counting for power motions, when you need to step up the pace when you're in a competition. And obviously one of my highlights was participating in the head of the Charles in Boston, one of the renowned rowing races. So that was a fun experience I did for a year. You're essentially the bow captain. People don't realize you're facing forward. You're the one that can see everything. The rowers are facing you and you're the one that sets the pace, the tone, and make sure that the boat is going straight and, emphasizing when there's time to do power strokes to move you forward in a competition. How were you introduced to the Outdoors? I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up in Park City. So I learned to downhill ski at the age of three. My parents eventually moved to the East coast when I was in elementary school, but I essentially grew up in a family that really valued skiing and camping, and the outdoors. I particularly remember every Sunday was spent during my childhood hiking and doing something as a family outside. But mostly I would say my real connection to the outdoors is because I moved from Utah to Maryland to New York, and of course lived in Maine during college. My family consistently went back to Minnesota where my dad grew up in Ely, Minnesota or the gateway to the boundary waters canoe area wilderness. We'd go there twice a year in the winter and in the summer and it was the boundary waters that really laid the foundation. I had studied abroad my junior year in Tanzania and was really, moved by the experience studying wildlife ecology and conservation and learning Swahili. And I thought I'm going to apply to the Peace Corps. Unbeknownst to me, I thought I'd go back to East Africa since I had spent six months there and they ended up looking at my application and said, you've got really great experience in environmental education, we could use a volunteer like you in Kazakhstan. And so of course, first I had to pull out a map and learn where Kazakhstan was, right? I had never heard of it. And then I, as I learned more, I thought, wow, what an amazing opportunity to live in a former Soviet Republic. I served from 2000, 2002, so it was the eighth group of Americans ever in that country. Wow. Literally eight years after the Soviet Union collapsed, they began sending volunteers every year. And while I was there, there was still a lot of the legacy of the Soviet Union in terms of weekly lines to get your flour and your basic food ingredients. So, while they were moving into a democratic nation, there was still a lot of that legacy. Russian was the dominant language, which I had the opportunity to learn. And I was there for two years teaching ecology to fifth through 11th grade. I, helped manage an after-school ecology club for the high school and executed a few fun summer camps. And what sticks out to this day was my connection with students and, Their passion and love for the mountains. Kazakhstan, just so our listeners understand, you've got the prairie step in the predominant part of the country, and then the Tien Shan Mountain range in the south that are the beginning of the Himalayas. The mountains rise up to 20,000 feet and I was lucky enough to be in the southeastern part of the country in those mountains. So I bought cross-country skis and I took from my kids hiking in the local mountain and we volunteered at the local nature preserve at their naturalist program and interpretive center, it was an incredible experience. Was there a trip or activity or person that inspired the conservation in you? Two things come to mind. The first, was when I did an Outward Bound course in Colorado when I was 15, turning 16. It was the first time I did an experience like that with peers and with my parents. And I quickly realized that the outdoors and adventure is a lot more fun when you're with folks your own age than being dragged along. That was sort of a period in time, I think anyone who's a teenager can remember what it's like. During my high school years, there was a period of time where I would take my, then Walkman, now iPod to listen to music, was dragged along hikes that I didn't want to do. And when I had that experience, I realized I really took it on as something that I loved for my own. And I got into climbing after that. So that was the moment that it became something that I loved and not just something spoon-fed to me by my parents. And the other, person that really sticks out beyond my grandparents was when I was at Bates. I had the amazing opportunity to meet Terry Tempest Williams. Somebody I deeply admire and love and obviously read her books and being born in Utah, understanding Red Rock country and the Great Salt Lake. Meeting her was really, life-changing. We had the opportunity to take a sunrise hike with her while she was visiting and doing a talk. And I remember specifically the talk that she gave at the school, which connected all of the courses that I was taking at the time, and helped me really realize that I could choose environmental studies as a major and as a career path. And it wasn't just something I could enjoy reading or doing on the side, that it actually could go from passion and interest to career. And your work and your experience seemed focused on climate, how did that develop over the years versus other, some other environmental subject? Yeah, so after the Peace Corps, I returned back to the US and pursued graduate school in environmental policy and landed my first job at the National Wildlife Federation, so a large conservation award. I was, really managing their conservation education programming in the Midwest and the Upper Great Lakes. And it was at that time, 2004, 2005 before Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth came out that NWF and a lot of the large conservation and green environmental orgs were starting to realize they needed to, prioritize climate change as an issue and some were wrapping their arms around it quicker than others. And at that point, I had this amazing opportunity. My Aunt Becky, who was heavily involved in the boundary waters, had worked closely with a man named Will Steger. The National Geographic Arctic Explorer, who they had worked collaboratively with on protecting the Arctic Refuge in the nineties. Will was often brought to Congress to testify on issues of the Arctic. He was starting a new nonprofit focused on Climate Change. She called me and said, Nicole, I think you'd be perfect. Will Steger is starting this org focused on climate change, education, and policy, and, you should explore it. So I came to Minnesota in May of 2006 for an interview. I had never met Will Steger before. I remember my interview was on his houseboat on the Mississippi River with ducks floating by, and I thought, this is the weirdest interview I've ever done. And he had small grants for $35,000 and this grand vision to really address climate change and no real plan for how to do it. I was 27, going on 28 and I thought, what an amazing opportunity to be the executive director of a new organization. So I moved to Minnesota from Michigan where I was living at the time, excited to be closer to my grandparents in the boundary waters and literally thought I would be working with Will for one or two years. I'd learn a lot and I'd move on, and I ended up staying in that role for 15 and a half years until I recently left last year and joined the Conservation Alliance. And so the Conservation Alliance recently announced an inaugural summit this May to advance business-led conservation in partnership with the Next 100 Coalition, Outdoor Alliance, and the Outdoor Industry Association. Can you share a little bit about that? Yeah. We're super excited to make this dream a reality in 2023. So all Conservation Alliance members can send one staff member for free. It's going to be held, as you said, in late, may in Colorado. And our goal with the summit is to really celebrate the conservation successes we've had to educate and empower and unite our member businesses and their employees, both old and new, around a shared equitable land and water conservation agenda. And so themes will include climate. , biodiversity, equity, access, recreation, and of course rural economic development. And for us, the summit's not just a conference and a chance to come together after several years living in the pandemic and, missing that opportunity. It's about engagement and [00:20:00] educating our members, but most importantly, providing a platform for our business leaders to be more effective advocates for conservation. So how can brands participate? Well, the first thing I'll say is that any business that cares about conservation can join the Conservation Alliance regardless of industry or size. Obviously, the outdoor industry is core to the organization, to our founding, and to who we are and who will continue to be. But the organization's continuing to see that we need to increase our impact for conservation. We have to diversify and grow our member business. and that there's power in our collective collaboration and that, collective multiplier. And really we want those who value, the protection of wild places and outdoors to join us. So if a company is doing even less than a million in annual revenue, it costs as little as $500 to join the Conservation Alliance. And it's a way for, member companies to align their brand with an organization that's both funding and advocating for wild places and outdoor places. It's just a super exciting time to see the impact the Conservation Alliance has had over the last 30 years, but more specifically the last 15 years where we've invested over, a million dollars into some of these key priority campaigns, and now we're seeing the success of that effort come to fruition in 23. let's talk about what else is new for the Conservation Alliance in 2023. What else have you guys got going on? One of the exciting things that have been shifting is how we, deploy our grant-making dollars. from investing in a few priority campaigns. As I mentioned, some of those we're just seeing successes on the Boundary Waters and Bristol Bay and the Tongass, and Bear's Ears. Seeing the National Monument reinstated under the Biden administration. All of these were long-standing commitments of the Conservation Alliance, but some of the new things that we are deeply passionate about are equity and access. Two years ago, we launched our Confluence grant-making program to invest. Historically racially excluded groups to really fund organizations with budgets under 500,000 led by black, indigenous, and communities of color, to bring, more diversity and representation into the conservation movement. so that's an exciting new addition for us. And of course, the summit is a new effort for us to really bring our member community together under one umbrella to unite around, a shared agenda. As listeners listening to all this, I think it's inspiring to me, what are some things, two or three things that we can do maybe personally or directly in our home hometowns to help mitigate the climate issues? I often think of actions in three ways. Your choices, your voice, and your vote. How you spend your dollars, the companies that are aligned with your values, and choosing to invest with every dollar you spend, how you spend that money matters and sends a signal. What's next on your adventure list? So right before the pandemic, I finished visiting all 50 states, which is a goal of mine. That was really fun. Now I'm always eyeing both domestic and international adventures. I'm keen to visit all the national parks and several monuments for sure, but what's next on my list this year is trekking in the Dolomites in Italy. I'm a big fan of the Hut To Hut system in Europe. And then, I'm also exploring backpacking in the Wind River range in Wyoming, for a more local adventure. Do you have any daily adventures or daily routines to keep your sanity? Oh, I do have a daily yoga practice. Sometimes it's as short as, 15 minutes but it's at least 30. That keeps me sane because my mind is always going a mile a minute, and that just grounds me. Because I live in Minnesota, I am doing a lot of shoveling. What are one or two books that you've read that inspire the conservationists in you and might help us? I'm going to pick some oldies, but goodies. Desert Solitaire by Ed Abbey. It was definitely a game changer for me reading that in the nineties. Anything by Terry Tempest Williams, of course, I love, but I started with Refuge, uh, her book about, breast cancer and generations of women and the Great Salt Lake. She's just a beautiful writer about natural history and, conservation. And then, Bill McKibben, the End of Nature. He published in 1980 about climate change, and he's written several books since then. But, The End of Nature is a great book if you haven't read it already. Do you have a favorite piece of outdoor gear that's under a hundred dollars? I just got back from Costa Rica and the one thing that I took with me that I was so thankful for, and I always have with me, is my, it's super light collapsible REI backpack that compresses down not much bigger than your fist. I just love that I can throw that in and use it whenever I'm traveling, especially if I'm not taking a larger backpack. Do you have any suggestions or advice for folks wanting to get into the outdoor adventure biz or conservation biz? I always say start with your own network. Whether it's through college or school or friends, or family. You'll never know where your network can take you. Base Camp Outdoors is a fabulous job board for those who are looking to get into the outdoor industry and conservation. And then the Futurist Project is a really remarkable outdoor leadership program for those looking for mentorship, post-college. But my biggest piece of advice that I would want to leave listeners with is "remember to follow your passions and interests. There's a way to have them lead you into a career that you love." As we wrap up, is there anything else you'd like to say to our listeners or ask of our listeners? Yeah, I think if you work at a company, check out the Conservation Alliance and become a member. And if you're already an employee at a member company, just want to see you get more engaged with our lobby trips and nominating and voting on our grantees. You can definitely learn more at the Conservation Alliance, website, but, mostly for everyone else listening, I think while individual actions matter, and I always want to encourage people to do things like I mentioned before about your voice, your choice, your vote, remember that collective action is far more powerful. Where can people find you if they'd like to follow up? They can find me on Instagram at @nroutdoors, or nicole@conservationalliance.com and of course, LinkedIn when you think about networking, that's a great place and I'm happy to connect with folks on LinkedIn.
Today's guest is David! Founder of Avid4 Adventure, which engages kids in active outdoor pursuits in a safety-oriented, environmentally responsible manner. David has built his career not only as a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and outdoor industry leader, but also as a parent and an educator. David has served on a number of boards and in a variety of roles over the years, such as the Director of Outdoor Education at CU, Boulder and past President of the Outdoor Industry Association. As you'll hear, David has a wealth of knowledge and an extensive background in both the outdoor space as well as in entrepreneurship. Here's a few more things we talk about: The value of doing market research Engaging kids in active outdoor lifestyles Diversifying the outdoor space at the leadership level Social Media Channels: @Avid4 Adventure Website: www.Avid4.com www.workbright.com ~ Live your dreams, and happy adventuring! YOUR HOST LIZ: Connect with me on Instagram @LizLandeen Find out about my various programs to support entrepreneurs and/or set up a FREE 30-minute clarity call with me at https://www.lizlandeen.com/ LOOKING FOR GUESTS! Are you an Outdoor Entrepreneur? Want to be a guest on the podcast? Fill out the guest submission form to be considered for the show at https://www.lizlandeen.com/podcast The Outdoor Entrepreneur Team: Produced by Vandalpop Media at www.vandalpop.com.
Kelly Davis of Outdoor Industry Association returns! The podcast crew interrupts Kelly's time with her dogs to ask how market researchers can be a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team's best friend.
This week Clint and Dawson sat down with Kelly Davis. Kelly is the Director of Research at the Outdoor Industry Association and the Outdoor Foundation. We talk about the state of the Outdoor market including participation, consumer trends, and economic and social forces that impact the Outdoor industry at large. Outdoor Recreation1 is a large and growing industry that accounts for 1.8% of the total U.S. GDP, produced $689B in economic output in 2020, supports 4.3M jobs, and is enjoyed by 164M Americans over the age of 6, about 54% of the total U.S. population. The Outdoor industry has always been large, but the Covid pandemic drove growth across the industry. Notably, more than 10M new participants enjoyed outdoor recreation since March 2020. Thanks for listening! Find all our episodes at dayfirepodcast.com This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, our state's outdoor recreation economy generates over 72,000 direct jobs, which translates to almost $3 billion in wages and salaries, and contributes close to $6 billion to our state's annual GDP. And these stats gave the idea to our next guest to start a new festival to showcase South Carolina's most popular outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, cycling, paddling, and boating. Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest taking place Nov. 4-6 at Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville.
Camping season is upon us! The crew asks Kelly Davis, Director of Research for the Outdoor Industry Association, how she works with the office of finance and what outdoor trends she's seeing. Then Steve and Catherine sneak in questions about skiing, and it's all downhill from there. Listen in:
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) is a coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations. By bringing together various outdoor recreation stakeholders from recreational fishing to the RV and education communities and beyond, ORR promotes the growth of the whole outdoor recreation economy and outdoor recreation activities. Jessica (Wahl) Turner is ORR's President. After graduating from Georgetown University, Turner started her outdoor recreation career at the Department of Interior where she managed external relations for the Secretary, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Outside and Let's Move! in Indian Country initiatives. Before leading ORR, Turner directed the Outdoor Industry Association's (OIA) outdoor recreation portfolio in Washington D.C. Under Turner's leadership, ORR has successfully brought together the outdoor recreation industry and advocated for the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act and achieved millions of dollars in funding for public lands, waters and rural gateway communities. In conversation with host, Mike Leonard, Turner discusses her career, the importance of bringing together the outdoor recreation industry, and ORR's diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, Together Outdoors. For ways to get involved in sportfishing policy visit https://keepamericafishing.org/ and https://asafishing.org/
During the pandemic, more people went hiking, running and biking than ever, and according to the Outdoor Industry Association, more than 60% of Americans surveyed plan to continue those activities. In Vermont, that's pushed trail industry experts to think more sustainably about how to handle the increase in traffic.
COVID-19 had an interesting impact on outdoor recreation: it led many people to take up outdoor activities for the first time. Outdoor Industry Association released the 2021 Special Report: The New Outdoor Participant diving into the data about these first-time outdoorists. Iris chats about these findings and what they mean for industry marketers for the coming years. If you're curious about engaging these brand new outdoor customers and turning them into lifelong adventurers, listen in! Read The Report Follow us on Instagram: @wheeliecreative View past episodes, transcripts, and more info about the show: wheeliecreative.com/podcast Don't forget to subscribe and if you haven't already, please leave us a review to let us know what you think about the show!
In this episode, I am talking with Lindsay Bourgoine, Director of Policy and Advocacy of Protect Our Winters, an organization that helps passionate outdoor people protect the places and lifestyles they love from climate change. Protect Our Winters is a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations. I will admit that as an avid outdoor enthusiast, it wasn’t until somewhat recently that I truly made the connection between my love of the outdoors and the importance of protecting it with environmental policy. Climate change has not only environmental but also economic impacts on the outdoor industry that are significant and measurable. Lindsay and I are talking about the importance of the 50 million outdoor enthusiasts in this country coming together as a unified voice to speak up on behalf of the places and the activities we love. While things like turning off your lights, riding your bike instead of driving, and being a conscious consumer can help, the only way we will ever truly make an impact is through policy. Resources Mentioned Yale Program on Climate Communication https://climatecommunication.yale.edu Purple Mountains Film https://www.purplemountainsfilm.com/ About Lindsay With a passion for politics and the great outdoors, Lindsay joined Protect Our Winters in 2016 to advance the organization’s advocacy efforts. Prior to her (second) move to Colorado, Lindsay worked on conservation and recreation policy issues for the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Outdoor Industry Association, completed a Masters in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School, and coached skiing at Squaw Valley. When she’s not raising a ruckus on a policy issue or telling stories about her beloved home state of Maine, you can find Lindsay hiking, biking, running, or skiing deep in the mountains, typically wearing a significant amount of neon. Connect with Protect Our Winters Website https://protectourwinters.org Instagram https://www.instagram.com/protectourwinters/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ProtectOurWinters/ Twitter https://twitter.com/ProtectWinters
Rue Mapp is the Founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, a national not-for-profit organization with offices in Oakland, CA, and Washington, D.C. Rue oversees a carefully selected and trained national volunteer leadership team of nearly 90 men and women who represent 30 states around the US, and shares opportunities to build a broader community and leadership in nature. Her important work has generated widespread national recognition and support. Since Outdoor Afro's inception in 2009 as a blog, Rue has captured the attention and support of millions through a multimedia approach that is grounded in personal connections and community organizing. From its grassroots beginning, Outdoor Afro now enjoys national sponsorship and is recognized by major organizations for its role in addressing the ongoing need for greater diversity in the outdoors. In 2010, Mapp was invited to the Obama White House to participate in America's Great Outdoors Conference, and subsequently to take part in a think-tank to inform the launch of the First Lady's “Let's Move” initiative. She was appointed program officer for the Stewardship Council's Foundation for Youth Investment to oversee its grant-making program from 2010-2012. Since that time, Mapp's work and op-eds have been featured in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Backpacker Magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times, Ebony Magazine, Outside Magazine, Sunset Magazine, NPR, and many others. Rue's work has also been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions, including The Root 100 as one of the most influential African Americans in the country (2012 and 2016), Outdoor Industry Inspiration Award, National Wildlife Federation Communication award (received alongside President Bill Clinton) and Family Circle Magazine selected Rue as one of America's 20 Most Influential Moms. Mapp remains in high demand to speak around the country and in Canada about her innovative approach that has successfully connected thousands, especially from the Black American community, to nature and the benefits of spending more time outdoors. She is proud to serve on the Outdoor Industry Association and The Wilderness Society boards. In 2014, Rue was appointed to the California State Parks Commission by Governor Jerry Brown. She was named a National Geographic fellow, and a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated. In 2020, Outdoor Afro was chosen to be highlighted and visited by Oprah on her 2020 Vision Tour. Check out details here. A graduate of UC Berkeley (with a Degree in Art History), Rue's skills and background make her a unique voice via the leadership and programs she has instituted throughout her career, enlightening a diverse community to the wonders and benefits of the outdoors. Rue resides in Vallejo, CA, and is the proud mother of three young adults. What you'll learn about in this episode: How Rue turned her passion into a national leadership program and nonprofit Why it is important to lean into specificity as you build an organization Why Rue decided to split off and pursue her own passion How race affects our perceptions of outdoor experiences How Outdoor Afro is connecting thousands of people to new and engaging outdoor experiences The long term impact of experiences that are rooted in the idea of reconnection Resources: Website: https://outdoorafro.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruemapp/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/outdoor-afro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorAfro/ https://www.facebook.com/RueMapp/ Twitter: @OutdoorAfro @ruemapp
Kristen Freaney and Stewart Lewis join an Outdoor Product Design & Development class to share about the work they do at Outdoor Industry Association and the growth and impact of the outdoor industry!Learn more about OIA at their website.https://outdoorindustry.org/Connect with Kristen and Stewart on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfreaney/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-lewis-271210a5/For more conversations with outdoor movers and shakers, subscribe wherever you get podcasts including on Spotify, iTunes, Podbean, or each Sunday at 4 pm (MT) on Aggie Radio, 92.3 FM in beautiful Cache Valley, Utah.Follow Aggie Radio for more great news, content, and other podcasts at aggieradio.com and make sure to follow Highlander on Instagram and Facebook. The Highlander Podcast is sponsored by the Outdoor Product Design & Development program at Utah State University, a four year, undergraduate degree training the next generation of product creators for the sports and outdoor industries.Learn more at https://opdd.usu.edu/
Jessica Wahl Turner is the Executive Director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), America's leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and organizations. Currently, the ORR is comprised of 31 national association members that serve more than 100,000 outdoor-related businesses, which is an amazing feat considering that the organization is less than three years old. Jessica and her team bring together all sectors of the outdoor economy to harness the industry's collective power and advance issues related to conservation, outdoor access, public lands infrastructure, and much more. Whether she's in the halls of Congress or the wide-open spaces of the American West, Jessica is a devoted, effective advocate for the outdoor industry. - This conversation is part of the Montana Governor's Office of Outdoor Recreation's "Business of Outdoor Recreation Summit"—a gathering of some of the most notable names in the outdoor recreation sector. Because of COVID, this year's summit has gone virtual, but the need for collaboration and idea-sharing among industry experts has never been greater. The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is a case study in focusing on common goals, putting aside petty differences, and overcoming challenges with new and innovative approaches. So I was thrilled to get a chance to learn exactly how Jessica has gone about leading her organization during these changing times. - Jessica and I connected on Zoom and had a fun, educational, and wide-ranging conversation about all aspects of the outdoor economy. We started by chatting about the history of ORR and precisely what the organization does. We also discussed the Great American Outdoors Act and how this landmark legislation will positively affect the outdoor industry. We talked about COVID's effect on the outdoor economy and how ORR is working to support outdoor businesses during these unprecedented times. We also talked about how the outdoor economy contributes to rural and urban areas and how all aspects of the outdoor economy are interconnected. We also spend some time talking about Jessica's educational and professional backgrounds, and what makes her so uniquely qualified for her current role. And as usual, we discuss favorite books, favorite outdoor adventures, and she offers some wise parting words. - This was a wonderful conversation, and I hope you enjoy. Be sure to check out the "Business of Outdoor Recreation Summit" webpage, as there are many resources, films, and other podcasts that you will find enjoyable and educational. Links to everything are in the episode notes. --- Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Montana Governor's Office of Outdoor Recreation 2020 Business of Outdoor Recreation Summit Full Episode Notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/jessica-turner/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:30 - Outdoor Recreation Roundtable explained 8:00 - Focusing on the commonalities in the outdoor industry 12:00 - Impact of the Great American Outdoors Act 17:30 - How the upcoming election could affect the recreation economy 22:00 - The national interconnectedness of the outdoor economy 26:45 - How COVID has affected the outdoor recreation economy 32:00 - Balancing conservation and increased outdoor activities 36:30 - Future goals and measures of success for the roundtable 40:30 - Jessica’s education and early career 44:15 - Lessoned learned from the Outdoor Industry Association 48:45 - Advice to aspiring industry advocates/lobbyists 53:15 - Heroes and mentors 58:00 - Favorite books 1:01:30 - Favorite place in the outdoors 1:03:00 - Jessica’s parting words of wisdom --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie Podcast Mountain & Prairie SHOP Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie
Did you know that if you add up the cats and dogs in the United States, they’d represent the 5th largest population of protein consumption in the world? When it comes to pet supply chains and sustainability, there is typically 1 sector called "pet services and products”. This one sector, encompasses dozens of other industries that have many categories in human supply chains. For example, apparel, food, medicine, and healthy/beauty are considered dramatically different industries in the human world, but we buy good and services for our pets in all those areas and more. The environmental impact of the pet sector is huge. Did you know that 300 million pounds of packaging is sent to land fill each year? Finally, the pet industry has often overlooked and serious social sustainability challenges as well. Pet ownership has been directly linked to home ownership, but with systematic racist policies historically making home ownership out of reach for communities of color, what are the Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion implications of the industry itself? Why aren’t people aware or talking about this? In Episode 40, Sheri Hinish discusses massive opportunities in pet sustainability, in caring differently for our furry friends, with MelissaBauer from the Pet Sustainability Coalition. PSC has a super cool origin story starting with Chris Bentley. A lover of life and an environmentalist at heart, Chris Bentley has spent several decades looking for ways to minimize his environmental footprint. Based in Colorado, Chris was active in the entrepreneurial business community where he saw the Natural Foods movement adopt Organic Certification and the Outdoor Industry collaborate to build innovative sustainability tools. With over 25 years of success in the pet products industry, first with Aspen Pet and then with Only Natural Pet and “I and Love and You,” he knew there was an opportunity to drive impact in an industry he had grown to know and love. Together with fellow sustainable business leader Marty Grosjean at Only Natural Pet, Chris partnered with sustainability icon Hunter Lovins at Natural Capitalism Solutions to develop a suite of sustainability tools that could provide their respective companies the resources they needed to implement sustainable business processes. The outcome of this project was a world class toolkit built by Natural Capitalism Solutions that had far reaching potential. The new vision for these tools was to serve as a transformative catalyst that would enable the entire pet industry to engage more positively with the environment and communities where they do business. When complete, Chris, Natural Capitalism Solutions, the Outdoor Industry Association, and 25 business leaders met at Global Pet Expo 2013 where they formed a new nonprofit collaborative that would share tools and resources to encourage adoption of sustainable business practices. KD Frueh at KONG Company, Tony de Vos at Cardinal Pet Care, Jim Thomas at Petco, Spencer Williams at West Paw, Stephanie Volo at Planet Dog, and Aaron Lambstein at Worldwise joined Only Natural Pet and I and Love and You to become Founding Members of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. These 8 Founding Members continued to make large financial contributions for five consecutive years that served as the Coalition’s primary revenue and lifeblood! To get involved and learn more about Pet Sustainability Coalition, visit https://www.petsustainability.org Find us, connect, and explore at https://www.supplychainrevolution.com/ & Sheri Hinish at https://www.supplychainqueen.com
THE NEW ESCAPISM: ISOLATIONIST TRAVEL: Travel Specialist CATHI BANKS From taking cooking classes in the home of a local to learning traditional crafts from Indigenous people, much of travel — up until March 2020 — was all about connecting with others. Now, in the Covid-19 era, travel is fraught with the demands of social distancing and hygiene. As people start thinking about taking trips, either by themselves, or with close family or friends, travel companies are pivoting with new offerings and ways to offer distance from the crowd. Pre-pandemic, less than 20 percent of Americans spent time outdoors more than once a week, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Since then, adult bike sales have risen 121 percent nationally; in Vermont, sales of fishing licenses have gone up 50 percent. In a recent McKinsey survey on how behaviors are changing because of Covid-19, 18 percent say they are spending more time outdoors, where transmission rates of the virus are believed to be lower.
In this special episode of Outdoor Dream Jobs, Ali Carr and Jenna Celmer, who run the outdoor community Basecamp, talk to three people who transitioned into the outdoor industry mid-career. In these three interviews we learn that transferring in is possible and get some tips and tricks for making it happen — from planning for an unknown amount of unemployment time to how to make your resume speak. You’ll hear from: James Rein, Manager of Consumer Insights & Business Intelligence at the Outdoor Industry Association: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rein-25a86a64/ Mona West, former marketing director at Cascade Designs and founder of Catapult Innovation Labs, helping start-ups in the industry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monawest/ Gina Danza, outdoor creative producer and photographer: https://www.instagram.com/wildginaa/?hl=en -- LAUNCHED THIS WEEK: The Basecamp Weekly newsletter! Subscribe for more opportunities, freelance gigs, industry events and more: http://bit.ly/BasecampSubscribe Join the Basecamp Facebook group (with 13,200+ members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/outdoorindustryjobs/ Interested in being a guest on the show and/or have a question? E-mail us at basecampoutdoorgroup@gmail.com (mailto:basecampoutdoorgroup@gmail.com)
In the crisis, innovation and deep meaning continue to emerge. And I’m honored to be able to facilitate conversations that are fueling collaboration and forward progress in our communities. I led a panel for the Outdoor Industry Association and the Snowsports Industries of America focusing on manufacturers pivoting to Personal Protective Equipment, to meet the insanely huge demand for front-line health-care professionals. We had a huge amount of interest. Here’s the replay of the panel webinar that took place on April 13th. Leaders from brands including Chaco, DPS Skis, Outdoor Research, the Office of Outdoor Recreation for the State of North Carolina, participated. There will be three new Channel Mastery episodes with the panelists. Let’s be honest - it’s impossible to learn all that’s possible from the five all-star panelists in a 45-minute panel or through 15 minutes of questions. The first episode, #131 features Amy Allison, Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation for the State of North Carolina, and Sarah Wood, the founder of The Good Talk business consultancy and of the very dynamic SupplyConnector. In this episode, you’ll learn about growing from local to national, the best way to start collaborating to shift to manufacturing PPE, and how to tap into a long-standing network, while concurrently building in-roads to a much bigger national network. We will be offering two more podcasts in these COVID-19-oriented shows; the second will featuring Chaco and DPS Skis, and the third featuring Outdoor Research. Additional resources have been created by the team at Verde Brand Communications and can be found on the Verde Blog. Sarah Wood is the owner and lead business guide at Good Talk, a business management firm based in Brevard, NC, and Grand Junction, CO. Sarah has 16 years of professional experience working across the country in roles such as VP of Operations at Industry Nine, creative services business owner in Nashville's music industry, executive director of 5Point Adventure Film Festival, and development officer for the American Alpine Club. Sarah brings a varied perspective to her leadership and a philanthropic lean to her work and travel. Sarah is the current Board Chairwoman for the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition, advisor for the Waypoint Accelerator Program and Venture Asheville, and co-founder of Supply Connector. Amy Allison is the Director of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. Amy’s background and passion lies in the Outdoor Industry where she worked as the Director of Marketing for ENO, while also spearheading their initiatives for giving back to the global community, and was a founding member of the Outdoor Gear Builders organization in Western North Carolina. For over 20 years, Amy has dedicated her energy and skills to connecting others to the outdoors. From directing pioneering experiential education programs with youth across the Southeast to living on the road all over the lower 48 as a national Traveling Trainer for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the strategy of integrating sustainability, conservation, education, and business has been the context of her career.
Hey everyone, this is Rudy Fernandez from Creative Outhouse. I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. I’ve been trying to figure out what to compare this pandemic to some other event for context and I can’t find one. this new territory for all of us. And like you I don’t know what’s next or what the other side of this looks like. All I know to do is keep moving forward. Keep doing the things I know how to do and look for ways I can use what I do to make other people’s lives better. No, there’s no blueprint on how to move forward in terms of business. But there are some things you can do to make sure your brand weathers this storm and continues to serve your employees and customers. I’ve written a document entitled "Branding in a Time of Disruption" that you can read for free on our site. I think you’ll find it helpful I Ling Matthews Thompson is herself a force of nature. She's the SVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Trust for Public Land. Her passion for the outdoors and what they mean to communities is evident in our conversation. Here's a clip about getting inner city children access to more parks. See Trust for Public Land's tips for getting outside during this COVID-19 crisis here: https://www.tpl.org/blog/itching-head-outside-read-firstWelcome to Marketing Upheaval. My guest is I Ling Matthews Thompson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at the Trust For Public Land. I Ling has also held leadership positions at the Nature Conservancy and The Outdoor Industry Association. A good part of her career has been in getting more people to have access to parks and recreation, and getting our representatives to support that. We're going to talk about how to get more people to go outside and have more places to enjoy the outdoors.Transcript:Rudy: Let's start with the Trust for Public Land. They create parks and protect land for people. So how do they do that?I Ling: Yeah, the Trust for Public Land has been around for about 47 years and one of the mainstays of our mission has been about connecting people to the outdoors by creating parks or open spaces, trails, protecting large scale forests and areas where people can get outside. Fast forward 47 years, we actually go into communities and create parks and open spaces. We are looking at how we can find open spaces and parks, in urban environments where real estate is at a premium and you can't really shoehorn in a park. So we're getting creative and we're looking at school yards that right now are barren asphalt. And we're working with school districts to transform those school yards into green vibrant areas where kids can play and the surrounding community is able to come out and enjoy those spaces. And we also work on creating access in some iconic national parks. ....So we do some pretty cool stuff. Yeah, I have to say, I'm excited to be here and be part of this mission.Read the full transcript: https://creativeouthouse.com/2020/03/25/how-to-support-nature-and-boost-healthy-communities/Support the show (http://www.creativeouthouse.com/our-work)
Subscribe to Outdoor States Podcast on iTunes.Theme music by Chicky Stoltz"Is it a lack of funding? Or a lack of priorities?”“Is the rise of State (“backpack tax” proposals) compensating for a lack of leadership on outdoor funding at the national level?”“Can the LWCF truly take care of all the funding requests out there for recreation, conservation and stewardship?”This spring, after Washington state legislators rolled out a proposal for a tax increase on outdoor products (HB2122), outdoor industry companies and retailers in the state rallied to oppose the measure. Known as a “backpack tax,” this targeted fundraising tool has emerged at the state level in the past, but in the current climate of proposed tariff increases and other economic challenges, there’s never been a better time to get a little more educated about the issue. Amy Roberts, executive director of Outdoor Industry Association, goes deep on the topic in this interview, providing both background and anticipated outcomes.Helpful links:What is an Excise Tax (LINK)What is a Tariff (LINK)Dingell-Johnson Act (LINK)Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (LINK)OIA: Oppose Washington Excise Tax on Outdoor Gear (LINK)Conservation Northwest: Support Washington HB 2122 (LINK)Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act (LINK)Oregon’s Bicycle Excise Tax (LINK)
Ashley Korenblat went from Arkansas to Dartmouth to Wall Street to being the president of Merlin Metalworks bikes, to the chair of IMBA (the International Mountain Bicycling Association). She currently owns Western Spirit Cycling and Outerbike, she is the founder and managing director of Public Land Solutions, she is on the recreation advisory board for the Outdoor Industry Association, and she is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. We talked to Ashley at Western Colorado University about her trajectory, and about the critical issues surrounding public lands policies and debates that we all need to understand and participate in.TOPICS & TIMES:Ashley’s background in business and mountain biking (4:21)Identifying the various groups in public land conflicts (12:20)The divide between mountain bikers and land owners (15:55)How much conflict is there between bikers and conservationists? (18:20)Ashley’s experience lobbying in Washington, D.C. (24:30)What companies do well and don’t do well for conservation (28:40)What should we all be doing to support public lands? (33:32)Western vs. Proust Q&A (35:15) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On Friday the Trump administration signed legislation to reopen the federal government. For many of us, an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history couldn't have come soon enough. The announcement arrived just in time for the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Snow Show that's starting this week in Denver Colorado. Tens of thousands of federal employees in service of environmental protection can now get back to doing their very important work. And those of us in the business of outdoor recreation can continue our efforts to make our public lands more accessible to a broader cross section of the American public. That kind of reminded me of a story I produced over the summer that explores an ongoing initiative to bring more people of color into the outdoor industry. So with OR coming up this week I thought we might take a look back at “the Pledge”. The Pledge creator Teresa Baker (right) with active lifestyle ambassador Mirna Velario For people in business of adventure sports the Outdoor Retailer Show is a really big deal. There you'll find aisle after aisle of high-tech backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, GPS devices, tasty trail snacks and headlamps. To the outdoor professional it's pretty much kids…meet candy store! But if you take a look around you'll also see a lot rugged men with Nordic features, full beards and plaid shirts. These guys kind of embody what you imagine when you think “outdoorsman”.Through most of it existence, the outdoor industry has been…well…pretty white. Not many companies at OR that deal in outdoor gear have many employees who are Black, Latino, Asian or Native American. Only a few can claim a senior executive, owner or board member who is a person of color. But at the 2018 Summer Market Mario Stanley, a rock climbing instructor from Dallas, Texas said this year he noticed something different. Rock Climbing instructor Mario Stanley (left) Stanley>>Ah…the beautiful wave of brown walking around. I think that's probably the one thing I notice the most. And then I've also noticed that more people are engaging. JEM>>Not only were there more people of color at OR this year, Stanley, who's Black, said there is more conversation around issues of race and what the industry can do to improve its diversity. Stanley>>The dialect has changed and they are allowing us to talk or asking us what are we doing for the greater POC community as a whole. And I think the biggest thing that I noticed this year was people are actually asking, “What are we doing?” JEM>>Research conducted by the Outdoor Industry Association, a trade group, indicates that people of color or POCs participate in outdoor recreation at rates lower than their white counterparts. In order to grow the market as well as the number of people overall who will help to protect the natural environment there is a concerted effort to bring more black and brown folks into the outdoor industry. Teresa Baker, an advocate for environmental justice, was at OR to promote an initiative she calls The Pledge Baker>>The pledge is a commitment that we are asking the owners of outdoor brands and retailers to commit to the work of diversity, racial diversity in the outdoors. JEM>>Through the Pledge, kind of a contract, Baker wants company executives to not only hire more people of color, but to create marketing and outreach strategies that appeal to a broader cross section of the American public. She's not just interested in helping companies sell more products, but rather she hopes to encourage more people to care about the outdoors. Baker>>For me it really is about the environment and we need more people of color right now fighting for the environment. There are so many attacks on the land right now and the people that are missing from the conversation and the work are people of color. JEM>>As the current administration continues to roll back several of the environmental protections enacted over the last century,
On Friday the Trump administration signed legislation to reopen the federal government. For many of us, an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history couldn't have come soon enough. The announcement arrived just in time for the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Snow Show that's starting this week in Denver Colorado. Tens of thousands of federal employees in service of environmental protection can now get back to doing their very important work. And those of us in the business of outdoor recreation can continue our efforts to make our public lands more accessible to a broader cross section of the American public. That kind of reminded me of a story I produced over the summer that explores an ongoing initiative to bring more people of color into the outdoor industry. So with OR coming up this week I thought we might take a look back at “the Pledge”. The Pledge creator Teresa Baker (right) with active lifestyle ambassador Mirna Velario For people in business of adventure sports the Outdoor Retailer Show is a really big deal. There you'll find aisle after aisle of high-tech backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, GPS devices, tasty trail snacks and headlamps. To the outdoor professional it's pretty much kids…meet candy store! But if you take a look around you'll also see a lot rugged men with Nordic features, full beards and plaid shirts. These guys kind of embody what you imagine when you think “outdoorsman”.Through most of it existence, the outdoor industry has been…well…pretty white. Not many companies at OR that deal in outdoor gear have many employees who are Black, Latino, Asian or Native American. Only a few can claim a senior executive, owner or board member who is a person of color. But at the 2018 Summer Market Mario Stanley, a rock climbing instructor from Dallas, Texas said this year he noticed something different. Rock Climbing instructor Mario Stanley (left) Stanley>>Ah…the beautiful wave of brown walking around. I think that's probably the one thing I notice the most. And then I've also noticed that more people are engaging. JEM>>Not only were there more people of color at OR this year, Stanley, who's Black, said there is more conversation around issues of race and what the industry can do to improve its diversity. Stanley>>The dialect has changed and they are allowing us to talk or asking us what are we doing for the greater POC community as a whole. And I think the biggest thing that I noticed this year was people are actually asking, “What are we doing?” JEM>>Research conducted by the Outdoor Industry Association, a trade group, indicates that people of color or POCs participate in outdoor recreation at rates lower than their white counterparts. In order to grow the market as well as the number of people overall who will help to protect the natural environment there is a concerted effort to bring more black and brown folks into the outdoor industry. Teresa Baker, an advocate for environmental justice, was at OR to promote an initiative she calls The Pledge Baker>>The pledge is a commitment that we are asking the owners of outdoor brands and retailers to commit to the work of diversity, racial diversity in the outdoors. JEM>>Through the Pledge, kind of a contract, Baker wants company executives to not only hire more people of color, but to create marketing and outreach strategies that appeal to a broader cross section of the American public. She's not just interested in helping companies sell more products, but rather she hopes to encourage more people to care about the outdoors. Baker>>For me it really is about the environment and we need more people of color right now fighting for the environment. There are so many attacks on the land right now and the people that are missing from the conversation and the work are people of color. JEM>>As the current administration continues to roll back several of the environmental protections enacted over the last century,
Cailin O’Brien-Feeney is Oregon’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation director. Previously, he was an active force in the outdoor recreation movement nationwide, working as the State and Local Policy Manager for Outdoor Industry Association. At the OIA, Cailin worked with governors, legislators, and agencies across the country to improve access to outdoor recreation opportunities, increase economic benefits, and promote establishment of Offices of Outdoor Recreation in other states.
David Secunda is the founder and CEO of WorkBright, an HR tech startup that serves employers with large contingent workforces. The company was founded in 2014 and has over 350 customers. David is also the founder and Visionary of Avid4 Adventure, an outdoor education company that serves kids from age 3 up. The company was founded in 2003, has 600 seasonal and 25 full time employees, served 14,000 campers this summer, and is #25 on Outside’s Best Places to Work in the US. David has lead numerous organizations including the Outdoor Education Program at CU, PlanetOutdoors, and the Outdoor Industry Association. He also worked as an entrepreneur in residence at Mobius Venture Capital and Sequel Venture Partners. He is an active mentor in the business community at Techstars, MergeLane, and the CU Leeds School of Business, and has served on the boards of Entrepreneur’s Organization Colorado, RMC Health, the Department of Human Services Licensing Advisory Committee, the American Camp Association and was a founding board member of Leave No Trace. Links to things we talk about: David Secunda on LinkedIn WorkBright Avid4 Adventure Outside Magazine 2017 IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, PLEASE: Subscribe to our list Connect with us on Twitter Email us and tell us what you think! Colorado TechCast brings you interviews with entrepreneurs, thought leaders and technology pioneers from around the state. We provide a behind the scenes look at who’s doing what, why, and how you can get involved. Join us each episode to hear the exciting stories of technology happenings in our state. I want this show to be relevant to you, so please send me your thoughts and suggestions. My email address is Trapper@ColoradoTechCast.com. You can also hit me up on Twitter @CoTechCast. I read and respond to all messages so drop me a line and tell me what you think. I am always on the lookout for future guests, so if you know anyone with an interesting story to tell, or you yourself would like to come on and talk about what you’re building, then send me an email. Thanks for tuning in, and join us next time when we bring you the story of another digital pioneer from Colorado!
Great conversation with Writer and Photographer Louis Arevalo. You've seen him running around the Outdoor Retailer Show shooting for the Outdoor Industry Association and his work in Backpacker, Alpinist, Nat Geo Adventure and more Louis tells us how he became photographer and great stories about learning the biz of outdoor photography. Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Show Notes First Exposure to the Outdoors My first outdoor recreation experience I think would come through scouts. First with cub scouts and boy scouts. I think like the more lasting impression happened when I was in elementary school. I think I was around 11 years old and a few things kind of happened during that year that really left an impression. First thing that happened is I went alpine skiing or downhill skiing for the first time. I borrowed my mom's leather boots, put on like six pairs of socks and spent the day with my friends just basically rolling down the beginner hills up at Brighton, Utah. That experience, you know, after that day I knew, I was like, oh yeah, I'll be doing this as much as I can. Things we talked about Louis Arevalo Photography Outdoor Retailer Black Diamond Advice, tips You just need to keep shooting. Like just shoot, shoot in all conditions. Shoot, you know, different things. Shoot what you love because that's the easiest thing. So I think shoot the kind of stuff that you care about or interested in, that's definitely evolved for me. Like there's no way you could've gotten me to wander downtown Denver. I would've been out running or climbing if I was in the front range. I would have done something like that. But yeah, just keep shooting, shooting all different situations. I think just knowing, getting competency in what's possible with the camera and what you know and kind of having an idea of what's going to happen that day. If you're thrown into a situation that's often ideal, you feel comfortable enough. I know how I can work through this situation. So you're focused on one product, not like, oh no, I don't know what to do here. So I think just shooting nonstop and just building your network. If you're a student shoot nonstop and make sure you're fair, like letting people know, maybe you're not ready to take on work, but just letting people see your stuff so that they know what's going on. It's really the people around you that will keep you going and encourage you. Other Outdoor Activities Runing Mtn Biking Climbing Favorite Books/Apps Headspace Kurt Vonnegut Cormac McCarthy Ernest Hemingway Edward Abbey- Fools Progress Best Gear Purchase under $100 Headlamp Houdini Jacket from Patagonia Connect with Louis louis@scenicbylines.com www.louisarevalophotography.com Instagram
Check out the full show notes, video, and more at http://www.channelmastery.com/48 GUEST PROFILE: Frank Hugelmeyer is president of the RV Industry Association, co-chairman of Go RVing, and a co-founding board member of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. He has more than 30 years of experience in the sporting goods, fitness equipment and outdoor industry private sectors and an extensive background in retail, manufacturing, brand development, public policy and association management. Prior to RV Industry Association, Hugelmeyer was the longtime president and CEO of Outdoor Industry Association where he delivered sweeping improvements to member value in the fields of consumer trends, business innovation, B2B education and advocacy. While at OIA, Frank inspired and led campaign to identify the value of the outdoor recreation economy.
Dave Willms, Mike McGrady and Nephi Cole chat with the Executive Director of the Outdoor Industry Association, Amy Roberts, from her office in Boulder, Colorado. This episode dives into the reasons behind the >$800 billion outdoor recreation economy, Bear's Ears, Utah's public land bills, public land transfers, supporting the Land and Water Conservation Fund, tariffs on outdoor recreation gear, the backpack tax, the Outdoor Industry Association's efforts to get inner city children in the great outdoors, and Amy's most memorable outdoor experience. Hunting, Fishing, Recreation, Outdoors, Economy, and Public Land Law and Policy Show Notes: http://www.itsyourmountain.com/podcast/
IAmy Roberts is OIA’s executive director. Amy was previously the director of sustainability and a member of the executive leadership team at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) where she guided the Canadian outdoor retailer’s commitment to business and product sustainability and innovation. Amy also serves on the boards of The Conservation Alliance, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.
Layne Rigney, the President of Osprey, speaks about his focus on alignment and core values within the company and his passion for working with transitioning veterans. As a global company, Layne notes the shift he’s seeing in consumer trends and brand loyalty. Listen in to learn from Layne’s decisions in the present day, and when he was the President of CamelBak. Key Takeaways [2:23] In his new role at Osprey, the first thing Layne did was focus on bringing back alignment within the company. He did this by getting clear with his team on the values and vision. [5:02] When Layne came on to the team he led workshops at the facilities located in Utah, Vietnam and Colorado. They turned the business inside out and figured out how to tap into people’s efforts to bring their vision to life. [7:17] Layne touches upon why he finds working with veterans so satisfying. He feels they are an underutilized talent pool, and during his time at CamelBak, he saw the many gifts this group had to offer. Now Osprey sponsors programs that help veterans transition into the workforce. The Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy and the River Leaders Trip are both examples of a commitment to this community. [12:49] Layne cites the challenges of operating a multi-channel distribution in a global market less about the company and more about technology changing at a rapid pace. [14:57] Leaders have to take the best interest of their team and run with it in that direction rather than only abiding by industry trends and what the masses are doing. [18:46] People are now seeking a relationship with their brands, and base a lot of their purchases on what the company culture is like, where they spend their discretionary funds and the company’s creed. [19:35] Layne about recruiting and hiring people smarter than the leader. It was a journey for both the business and himself and was an exercise in letting go and relaxing into his own empowerment. [24:38] Layne likes to set a safe and open environment within Osprey where his employees can feel comfortable to share their own ideas about what has also worked in the past, and what may work in the future. [33:46] The identification, acquisition and nurturing of talent is a challenge Layne takes very seriously. [36:42] Layne is committed to spending more time understanding finance and how it changes businesses. He also is looking forward to engaging with the outdoors and the users of the product. Website: osprey.com Instagram: @ospreypacks Twitter: @OspreyPacks Facebook: Ospreypacks Quotable Quotes “You join a business like this because you believe in the product.” Veterans are a talent reservoir You have to forge your own path more than ever before. “Figuring out how to be patriotic within a global brand can be a challenge.” It takes courage to hire smart people Build the collective IQ and distribute it! “Your job as a leader is to basically get people to run through a wall for you.” “People can smell a fake.” “Don’t ask a question to make a point.” Bio Layne M. Rigney is an effective and strategic executive leader with proven experience in global product, sales and business growth as demonstrated by his success leading teams for world class consumer products brands like Osprey, CamelBak, PowerBar/Nestlé USA, and RockShox Inc. Prior to joining Osprey Packs in 2016, Rigney served as President of CamelBak the $180M global hydration brand. Rigney led the executive team responsible for Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Finance, Operations, and Human Resources. Under his leadership, the sales team successfully increased distribution in highly disparate distribution channels including specialty, online, mass and military outlets. He was instrumental in guiding product and marketing teams to develop differentiated product offerings and marketing strategies to increase revenue world wide. He is a firm believer in organizational alignment and accountability. Before joining CamelBak in 2005, Rigney led Franklin Resource Group as Vice President and General Manager of the retail training, merchandising, and execution consulting firm. During his tenure, he led the restructuring and rebranding of the company, acquired new national accounts and grew average revenue per client over 15%. Recognized for his experience in sales restructuring and growth, Rigney was hired by the founder of PowerBar to reorganize its underperforming Sporting Goods Division. In his first year, Rigney reversed a three-year decline and increased revenues by 22%. Rigney began his career with RockShox in 1992, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility with the creator of modern suspension sys tems for bicycles. An industry thought-leader, Rigney serves on the board of Camber Outdoors and the Outdoor Industry Association. Books Mentioned in this Episode Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Salt Lake City, UT- Steven Rinella talks with House Natural Resource Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, along with Janis Putelis of the MeatEater crew. Subjects discussed: the Land and Water Conservation Fund; Monument designations and who administers them; Chairman Bishop's perception of public lands; the Outdoor Industry Association's decision to pull out of Utah; access as the primary barrier to entry for hunters and anglers; twisting the intent of public access enhancement; what ought to happen with the Endangered Species Act; and more. Check out the show notes here for the ideas, studies, and materials referenced in this episode.
In June of 2017, President Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. In a letter to OIA members, Executive Director Amy Roberts noted that the withdrawal threatens not only the $887 billion outdoor industry and the 7.6 million American jobs it supports but also the very future of our planet. As outdoorists, we see and feel the impacts of climate change when each season becomes harder and harder to predict. As businesses in the outdoor industry, we know we have an important role to play. Our Sustainability Working Group is a global leader in the promotion of responsible and resilient supply chains, and Sustainable Business Innovation is one of our association’s core pillars. Another is advocacy. Following President Trump’s announcement, more than 2,000 mayors, governors and business leaders—including many in this industry—signed the “We’re Still In” letter affirming their commitments to the Paris Agreement’s climate targets. Outdoor Industry Association remains committed to climate advocacy through our work in D.C. and at the state level to work toward fact-based, innovative and bipartisan solutions. A few weeks ago at the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver, our industry heard from keynote speaker Paul Hawken, the author of the book Drawdown, who explained that those solutions are not far-off. Many solutions are, in fact, already in existence, viable and accessible. Following the keynote, OIA’s Sustainable Business Innovation Manager Jessie Curry had an opportunity to sit down with Hawken for an in-depth conversation. Over the next 20 minutes, we’ll dig into the book, its solutions and learn what outdoor industry companies—and even individual outdoorists—can do right now to drawdown carbon from our atmosphere and help ensure a viable planet for us all.
She tells about her travels, how she got into the outdoor indsutry and how the leadership academy came to life. Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Support the show Please give us a rating and review HERE Show Notes Stasia tells about her career, her experience at The Outdoor Industry Association and how The Skip Yowell future leadership academy came to life. First Exposure to the Outdoors I led by tours of Paris and I lived in Australia for a bit. I just did a lot of travelling. I just went to many places as I possibly could. Eagle Creek was really my first job in the outdoor industry. My relevancy to that industry was on the travel side. I was a pretty adventurous traveler throughout my 20s and got into the industry from Frank Whiting, he recruited me into the industry. He told me they were looking for some real travelers to be part of Eagle Creek and do some PR so that was my first official job. Things we talked about Outdoor Industry Association The Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy Deanna Lloyd Big City Moutaineers Advice, tips For me one of the things that I found most valuable is pulling from the resources that we have. We are in such a cool place in our industry where many of the founders are still part of what we're doing even if they've left their companies there's still participating in other ways. Reach out to them and talk to them about their careers, talk to them about how to get into that industry, they're super accessible. The other thing is just to continue the hustle. If you work hard and continue to put forth consistent work that gets recognized in our industry. That will set you apart from others. Other Outdoor Activities Jogging, Cycling, Snowboarding Favorite Books Dove by Robin L. Graham Best Gear Purchase under $100 Healthy Love Seat Chair Connect with Stasia email Instagram
Ep 23: The OIA Is A Marketing Force | Gareth Martins and Alex Lemley In Episode 23, Gareth Martins, Director of Marketing and Alex Lemley, Marketing Manager at the Outdoor Industry Association, discuss their roles at Outdoor Industry Association. Both Gareth and Alex share insight into the OIA and it’s purpose. The pair goes on to discuss Outdoor Retailer's signature event in 2018 and talk about social media strategies that have worked for them. Gareth and Alex start off by sharing what the Outdoor Industry Association is all about and how impactful the organization is in regards to helping preserve public lands and monuments. They speak on the Together We’re a Force campaign and how that has led outdoor retailers and organizations to rally together around the issue of public land preservation. Tyler, Gareth and Alex also discuss the Outdoor Retail Event in 2018 that will be held in Denver for the first time. They talk about the events leading up to moving the OR show from Salt Lake City and how it has gained a lot of interest from those who are attending. Gareth and Alex also speak on the digital marketing and social media strategy that they have implemented this year and how they have seen positive results from it, along with some of the OIA’s marketing goals for 2018. Gareth and Alex end the conversation by giving key advice on always considering what you want to accomplish through marketing efforts, as well as knowing it is important to be relatable with the person you are targeting on the flip side of an email campaign. Join Tyler, Michelle, Gareth, and Alex in this conversation about the OIA and how they're leveraging marketing to enhance their impact on the outdoor industry. 00:00 – Intro 00:54 – What’s in the News | Patagonia suing President Trump 04:56 – Featured Guests Intro | Gareth and Alex 05:40 – Gareth and Alex’s role at the OIA 06:03 – What is the OIA and it’s Purpose 08:43 – Together We Are A Force Campaign 09:45 – Leveraging Cause Marketing 11:46 – Antiquities Act: Protect Public Land and Monuments 12:58 – IRCE 2018 Conference 14:05 - Outdoor Retail Event 2018 15:34 – Challenges in Moving OR Show to Denver 16:55 – Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy 18:07 – Biggest Marketing Challenges 19:19 – OIA Marketing Goals for 2018 24:08 – Key Take Away Featured Guest Gareth Martins | Director of Marketing LinkedIn Twitter Alex Lemley | Marketing Manager LinkedIn Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast Learn More About Tyler & Kyle Music Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes
Jay has been with Mountainsmith for over 8 years with stints at CAMP USA, Timberland and Kelty prior to that. He has an impressive career and we talk about how the Mountainsmith team has delivered consistent success as one of the smaller outdoor gear brands, the current state of outdoor retail and plenty more. Enjoy! Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Please give us a rating and review HERE Show Notes Jay has been with Mountainsmith for over 8 years with stints at CAMP USA, Timberland and Kelty prior to that. He has an impressive career and we talk about how the Mountainsmith team has delivered consistent success as one of the smaller outdoor gear brands, the current state of outdoor retail and plenty more. Enjoy! First Exposure to the Outdoors My first exposure in the outdoors dates back to growing up on the East Coast. I'm from New Jersey and my dad was always a huge proponent of taking my brother and I out for adventures dating back to being little kids. Heading into scouts and stuff like that I'd say my earliest memories of outdoor trips were a split between camping up in the Poconos which was an annual excursion for my dad my brother and I, then also with the scouts they turned us on to an area down in South Jersey a lot of folks refer to as the Pine Barrens. If you're familiar with Jersey at all it's a place where the Jersey Devil lives. The Jersey Devil is a mythical creature that the hockey team is named after. He lives down in the Pine Barrens. The Pine Barrens is this really cool interconnected network of cedar creeks and there's a lot of Outfitters down in the area down there that will put you in with a canoe and pick you up a day later. It's a place where families and scouts and and folks that just want to go out and spend a little bit of River time camping and paddling. Things we talked about Mountainsmith Eastern Mountain Sports Kelty Timberland Camp USA American Alpine Club Big City Mountaineers Continental Divide Trail Coalition Advice, tips I mentioned it earlier the fact that none of the jobs that I've found and grown into over the course of my career were ones that were not necessarily posted on the Outdoor Industry Association website or on snooze or SGP or what have you. They all came via word-of-mouth and networking. I think that's the most important thing that being in a sales and marketing role in the outdoor industry affords you the chance to meet folks at all different levels, whether that be at the brand level at the sales representative level at the vendor level or at the retail level and nationally and even globally. I think having that network especially on the sales rep side means that you've got these folks that have tentacles spread out through all different brands across geographic regions and thereby affords you the chance that once you develop these strong relationships with folks know who you are and know what your skills is. Generally speaking people like to work with people that they like to hang out with. Mountainsmith has a little bit of that. The people we want to work with are the same people that we want to be sitting around the campfire somewhere with drinking a beer at 10 o'clock at night. That's the kind of person that you tend to gravitate towards when you're out after hours at the Outdoor Retailer show and it's those people that, if you build those deep relationships with when an opportunity comes across their table they know that you'd be a good fit for you're gonna get a phone call. I think it's really really important is to be yourself and to make sure that those bonds that you create are lasting ones. I mean some of the friends that I've made 17-18 years ago in the outdoor industry are my best friends now and I know would have my back if an opportunity where to present itself. They could further my career. People tend to want to work together and help each other out and I think that's the great thing about our space, we are very collaborative. There definitely seems to be a bit of a insular nature to us, probably to a fault. I think a lot of folks in the outdoor industry tend to look at people that haven't worked in the outdoor space and say, I think I'm guilty of it too, you see a resume come across your desk like oh my god that guy's never worked in retail, wait a minute that girl never worked retail she can't possibly know what we do. I think the other industry has definitely opened up. 18-20 years ago if you didn't have at least some outdoor industry experience in your resume you immediately went into pile B. I think that as our industry grows up and the interconnectedness of our digital world grows up without a doubt people are starting to realize that a marketing manager from another consumer goods industry can easily segue over to the outdoor space, or a salesperson can easily segue to the outdoor space. I think anotherskillset that is really important is that skill sets are transferable across industries and building a good network of people that you would trust to throw your resume on the top of a pile is certainly an asset to you as you as you try to grow your career. Other Outdoor Activities Backpacking Hiking, Camping Skiing, Trail Running Favorite Books Contagious by Jonah Berger Tribes by Seth Godin Best Gear Purchase under $100 Mountainsmith Lumbar Pack Apps, Tools, Podcasts LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter Connect with Jay Jay jay@mountainsmith.com Instagram Facebook Mountainsmith mountainsmith.com Instagram Facebook Please rate and review us HERE Thank you! [DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_PLUS]
Welcome to episode 50. WOW five oh. Feels like I launched The Outdoor Biz Podcast just the other day. This episode is with Steve Barker founder of Eagle Creek, recent leader of the Outdoor Industry Association and serial conservationist. Steve and I have been friends for a long time and we cover a lot in this wide ranging conversation from Eagle Creek, his non-profit work and much more. Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Please give us a rating and review HERE Show Notes This episode is with Steve Barker founder of Eagle Creek, recent leader of the Outdoor Industry Association and serial conservationist. Steve and I have been friends for a long time and we cover a lot in this wide ranging conversation from Eagle Creek, his non-profit work and much more. First Exposure to the Outdoors I grew up in Oyster Bay New York as a kid of the generation where my parents every morning told me not to come back until dinner. I grew up in a little town and started exploring things in my backyard. My mom was real sick when I young so spent a lot of time in the hospital so I had a lot of time on my own and found the outdoors as place that I could go and just spend endless hours turning over rocks, going fishing, hiking different paths. You know it's interesting I talk about being from New York area people think you're from the city but Oyster Bay was actually pretty rural. We had lots of trails and hiking and eventually I scored a job when I was 11 or 12 mowing the lawn at Sagamore Hill which was Teddy Roosevelt's family home. Boy that was certainly inspiring, I got to go in the house and it was like a museum of exploration, certainly was very inspiring. Things we talked about Fredericks Skiing and Hiking Outward Bound Oregon State University Idyllwild Mountain People Nona Barker 2/10 net 30 Larry Harrison John Fagan Solana Beach Ricky Schlesinger Elfin Forest Escondido Creek Conservancy Conservation Alliance Outdoor Industry Association (ORCA) Sally McCoy Alaska Wilderness League Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy Adventure Travel Trade Association Adventure Travel Conservation Fund Eastern Sierra Avalanche Roots Rated Advice, tips I was involved early with the Future Leaders Academy and and that was certainly one place where the industry said hey we're we're seeing a lot of the boomers are aging out of the industry we've got a lot of young people that are excited about getting in. Since companies are now more medium to large size companies we have siloed up our organizations and we have the what my daughter calls cubicle refugees out working for us that may not be looking at the broader picture because they end up in a marketing silo or a product silo sourcing silo and don't really see what's going on in sales or branding. So it's much harder to get a general education and even harder to figure out what kind of institutions to get involved in outside of work that could support your career. That was the genesis behind the Future Leaders Academy. So I guess it starts out with suggesting that people that are interested invest in yourself. I don't see where companies are spending near enough time developing employees, they're having a hard enough time just competing. So you've got to take that on yourself and have an equity mindset as far as what are you getting out of your job that will give you a long-term payback. What are you learning, are you actually getting equity. I think you can look at it as real equity. If you're not getting anything good, if you're not learning at your job find out where to learn it yourself. There's plenty of resources out there now. Start with an annual planning and goal setting process and figure out where you want to be in a couple years. Be honest about your self-assessment and say here's the things that I need to learn. Ideally that can be done with your supervisor or your boss but it's really on you to develop that plan. Then go get that knowledge, go get that experience. If you can't get it in your work go get it by volunteering. I have learned probably as much, maybe more volunteering with nonprofits, it's really broadened my experience and my knowledge from volunteer fire department to working in local conservation or working with groups that are getting kids outdoors. You have a lot to help them with, you'll always get more back volunteering than you give. So that's a suggestion look at the nonprofit area as a career as well, there's a lot of real and opportunity there, maybe more entrepreneurial opportunity in non-profit than there is in the profit community. If you're interested in product, though I think we probably have enough product, looking at how to add value in the supply chain or figure out how to continue the life of a product or a material. Reuse it, recycle it is a key area that if you're interested in a career in product well then make some product, learn something about the supply chain. Simply being able to draw something pretty in Illustrator, I don't think that brings anything new to the table these days and as I said, we've probably got enough product. So figure out how to either how to make a product and/or understand the supply chain. I also would say find mentors. Once you figure out here's where I want to be figure out who has the knowledge and can help you. It takes a little hutzpah but reach out to those people and ask them if they will talk to you, have a conversation over coffee and find your own mentors don't wait for them to find you. Then take some risks and fail. I think I talked early on about having a huge failure which I thought my life was ending when we failed at mountain people. It was extremely sad but I learned so much from that, Eagle Creek never would have happened if I hadn't failed at mountain people. So really embrace your failures. Then look around the industry be it the OIA, Conservation Alliance, Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, Camber, Sustainable Working Group, Adventure Travel Trade Association, every single one of those organizations has an opportunity for you to learn. Volunteer, get involved and meet your future mentors and understand more about the industry, the area of public land and sustainability. There's just so much more resource today for somebody in the industry than there was when we started and it's shame on you if you're waiting for somebody to come to you. We've laid it out, we've developed all these institutions for you. Everybody in my age group wants our industry to survive and thrive and we know that it's going to take switched-on young people to see this legacy continue so there's a lot of people waiting for you to show up. Favorite Books Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner Endurance by Alfred Lansing Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer White Spider by Heinrich Harrer Carl Hiaasen A Night on the Ground a Day in the Open by Doug Robinson Best Gear Purchase under $100 Tenkara Rod Big Agnes sleeping pad Pack-It Specter™ Cubes Forge Coffee Cup Apps, Tools, Podcasts pulse point iPhone iPad weatherlink iPhone roots rated iPhone iPad duolingo iPhone iPad google translate iPhone iPad seat guru iPhone TripAdvisor iPhone iPad Eastern Sierra Avalanche Roots Rated Connect with Facebook sbarker@oldcreekers.com
The Outdoor Industry Association has announced that after next year, Salt Lake City will no longer host the Outdoor Retailer show, which has called Utah home for 20 years. Some companies, like Patagonia, had said they would not participate in the shows because of the Utah Legislature's opposition to the new Bear's Ears National Monument and desire to shrink the size of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
“Climbing and the American Alpine Club have grown substantially over the last 10 years, and this growth allows us to do more of what we want to do: more good in the world.” --Phil Powers LISTEN: Outdoor Entrepreneurism, Education, and Activism with Phil Powers Famed climber and alpinist Phil Powers has pioneered thirty personal expeditions around the globe, including the first ascent of the Washburn Face of Denali and climbing K2 without supplemental oxygen. His visionary leadership and roles as entrepreneur and educator in the outdoor industry have grown equally influential. Phil currently serves as the CEO of the American Alpine Club, where he has vastly expanded the organization’s membership base and education and conservation efforts. Phil formerly served as the vice president for institutional advancement at Naropa University and worked for seventeen years with the National Outdoor Leadership School as chief mountaineering instructor and development/partnerships director. An entrepreneur and author, Phil also owns Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and wrote NOLS Wilderness Mountaineering. In this episode of the Take Me Outdoors podcast, Verde founder and CEO Kristin Carpenter-Ogden sits down with this mountaineering, climbing and outdoor industry legend to talk about the role of the outdoor industry in conservation and outdoor activism in a rapidly changing political climate. They also discuss how to the AAC works to improve climbing safety and education as the sport continues to diversify and grow, so that everyone can get outside. Phil shares what he learned working for NOLS for 17 years and mountaineering around the world; how he became an author; how business taught him to pause and be mindful; and ultimately, why despite all of his epic adventures, Phil would rather be rock climbing in the sun with his family. Phil is a visionary and inspiration to everyone excited about getting outdoors and preserving the planet, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did! Bulletpoints: Established in 1902 by climbers and conservationists, the American Alpine Club (AAC) is a goods and services organization that supports climbing and climbing landscapes. In addition to providing lodging and rescue services for its members, AAC plays an instrumental role in conservation, advocacy, and encouraging people to get outside through grants and education. After expanding its membership from 4,000 to 18,000 over the past 10 years, AAC is capitalizing on its blossoming base to do more good in the world, especially by deepening its commitment to public policy. AAC advocates for federal policies that protect and preserve public lands to ensure that organizations and individuals can get outside and can learn to do so the right way. AAC partners with organizations like the Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Industry Association, and Access Fund to find and forward state and federal legislation that funds conservation and prevents the transfer of public lands to new ownership that would limit people’s access to them. AAC also mobilizes support through motivating members to participate by writing letters to and calling legislators. AAC continues its legacy of funding climbing, conservation and research projects through its grants program, which is larger than ever before. AAC will give away $60,000 in Live Your Dream grants this year. AAC is committed to expanding its education program, which entails streamlining education across the country and improving educational quality. This consists of working with institutions effectively to make sure climbing curricula are similar and by beginning to certify climbing instructors. Climbing is expanding and diversifying. Passionate about making climbing and exploration accessible to all, Phil and AAC welcome new climbers at the gym to the outside by increasing education. AAC Universal Belay Program strives to standardize belaying across the U.S. so that every American climber is armed with the knowledge and practice to belay in fundamentally sound way. The curriculum promotes three fundamental principles of belaying technique. Phil has written two books, an expedition planning guide (Climbing: Expedition Planning (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert) and the work he is most proud of, the textbook for mountain climbing at NOLS (Wilderness Mountaineering). As the Vice President for institutional advancement at Naropa University, Phil learned the power of pause. Punctuating the beginning of a time you want to spend with friends, family or colleagues enables you to come together collectively and mindfully. A pause is situational, and can entail bowing before dinner, summoning people together with a gong, or honoring partnership-- the most central aspect of climbing-- through formally checking each other before you start. Links: American Alpine Club: https://americanalpineclub.org Jackson Hole Mountain Guides: http://jhmg.com Outdoor Alliance: http://www.outdooralliance.org Outdoor Industry Association: https://outdoorindustry.org/ Access Fund: https://www.accessfund.org/ AAC’s Live Your Dream grant program: http://americanalpineclub.org/live-your-dream-grant/ National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): https://www.nols.edu/ Climbing: Expedition Planning (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert): https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Expedition-Planning-Mountaineers-Outdoor/dp/0898867703 Wilderness Mountaineering: https://www.amazon.com/NOLS-Wilderness-Mountaineering-Library/dp/0811735214 Naropa University: https://www.naropa.edu/
Learn how you can help protect the outdoors you love by using social media. We interview Katie Boué about how you can use the phone in your pocket to enact real-life change in an ever-changing landscape. Katie Boué cares. She's a resource for people - young and old - across the outdoor industry. Over the past year, she has become the megaphone for using social media as an advocacy tool. A proud Miami native with Cuban, Irish, and Venezualian heritage, Katie made a name for herself as the writer behind her blog, The Morning Fresh, writing with vulnerability about her experiences hiking, climbing, and trying new sports like trail running. More recently, she took the social media reigns at the Outdoor Industry Association, or OIA.There she learned what she already knew - social media is a powerful tool. She’s since gone freelance from her full time role with OIA, but she considers herself a full time advocate for the outdoors. A theme for this episode is what Katie said right off the bat - we’re all in this together. We can all be advocates for conservation and public land. Learn more via She-Explores.com/podcast Thanks to our sponsor, Oru Kayak Music is by Music is by Mindseye & Dr. Rinkel, Halogen, Lee Rosevere, Aenon, Josh Woodward via freemusicarchive.org
“It’s an interesting time for outdoor recreation - we were called the sleeping giant just a few years ago. The giant is now awake!” - Jessica Wahl While it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all of the uncertainties in our turbulent political climate, this week’s guest brings some light to all of the positive things that are in motion that affect our lands and industry. I sat down with Jessica Wahl, the Government Affairs Manager at the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) who’s on the front lines in DC making a difference at the policy level. Jessica fell in love with the outdoors when she saw how it changed lives and improved communities through her previous work with the Office of the Secretary on external affairs and youth engagement in the outdoors. Jessica got to work closely with companies like Patagonia, KEEN and The North Face, so joining the ranks at OIA seemed like the perfect next step for her. When Jessica first came to OIA, more of her focus was on conservation but recently that focus has widened to anything and everything that gets people outside. The lines are blurring between the traditional “man powered” outdoor industry and opening up to the whole supply chain including motor powered recreationists, hunters and more. When we all join arms and speak up together, our voices become louder. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do! GIVEAWAY: Verde and OIA partner KEEN are giving one lucky listener a pair of Durand Polar Shell boots! Bulletpoints: OIA was founded in 1989 by visionary outdoor industry leaders who realized that “outdoor” could be much more than a passing consumer trend. Today, OIA is the leading trade association and voice of the outdoor recreation industry. The Recreations Economic Contributions Act (REC Act) has been signed by President Obama, ensuring that the outdoor recreation economy, including outdoor industry jobs and our economic impact, are measured by the federal government and accounted for as part of the national Gross Domestic Product. Using the momentum from the REC Act, OIA is educating new members of congress and other admin on the importance of this Act and how it touches every district and state. It would be a huge benefit to appoint a Director of Outdoor Recreation, like Luis Benitez, in every state’s governor’s office. With these positions in place, each state can have a point person to take charge with land issues and to look out for outdoor business and recreation. In 2017 OIA wants to make sure there aren’t many rollbacks in recreation assets, public lands and climate policy. The much talked about Infrastructure and Transportation package should benefit trails, protected bike lanes, public lands, roads and bridges in parks. The National Park Service Centennial Act (H.R. 4680) addresses the $12 billion in needed repairs to park infrastructure, such as unmaintained trails and deteriorating buildings and structures that are in danger of falling apart. President-elect Trump does see value in the outdoor recreation economy and the jobs it creates. His pick for Interior Secretary, Cathy McMorris Rogers, was one of the original co-sponsor for the REC Act and helped push it through. Land management is critical and important. There are places to develop and places to leave in their natural state. Having those conversations at the local level is essential to overall success. We must work to keep our lands federally managed as it’s the #1 threat to outdoor recreation at this point. How can you help? Support your local specialty retailers! Buy gear and buy local. Get involved in your outdoor community and conservation efforts. Links: Take Me Outdoors KEEN Giveaway: https://verdebrandcomm.leadpages.co/keen-oia-giveaway/ Outdoor Industry Association: www.outdoorindustry.org Take Me Outdoors Interview with Luis Benitez: http://www.verdepr.com/2016/12/big-wins-for-outdoor-industry/ REC Act: https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rec-Act-June-20161.pdf National Park Service Centennial Act: https://www.npca.org/articles/1422-with-unanimous-support-senate-passes-the-national-park-service-centennial#sm.00019i3wfr4zdcyzs0n1rd7k144cl
Jessica Wahl is the Government Affairs Manager at the Outdoor Industry Association. Along with being the Government Affairs Manager, Jessica has fought to improve the state of outdoor recreation in the US since 2009 in the Office of the Secretary in the Department of the Interior. Jessica also serves the Outdoor Industry Association as the Recreation Policy Manager. On this episode we discuss: Washington D.C. and the outdoor opportunities it offers. How Jessica got into the role of combining policy and the outdoors. Jessica’s favorite initiatives she has worked on throughout her career. The impact the outdoors has on the United States and careers throughout the country. Jessica’s prediction of the outdoor industry in the next 10-20 years. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Raising awareness is so 2010. Climate, public lands, and attracting outdoorsy businesses seem to be the three key pillars of the recent surge in outdoor activism aiming to influence the state and national political landscape. Non-profits like Protect Our Winters and the Outdoor Industry Association head to Washington while individual states navigate their own local priorities influenced by their increasingly engaged outdoor industry citizenry. Episode 33 is an evening behind the scenes at a Sue Minter For Governor fundraiser with an outdoor industry focus. Candidate seeks donors and support. Donors seek policies that can help grow their industry. It's not always so scary, and it's happening nationwide on a variety of issues. And yes I tried to get both Vermont campaigns to talk outdoor biz for episodes, but Minter's was only one to respond. Creative Commons photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_king/ Season 3 of Wintry Mix is supported by www.Snowbird.com, www.Worldcupsupply.com and www.Liftopia.com. Subscribe to Wintry Mix on iTunes or follow the show @wintrymixcast.
Grace Anderson is the Inspiring Connections Representative with the Sierra Club. Grace currently coordinates the 52 group nationwide volunteer-led program that connects marginalized communities to the outdoors, especially youth. She has worked as a council member for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and has worked to promote diversity in the outdoors through NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School. Grace was also recently named as one of America’s “30 Under 30” outdoor movers and shakers by the Outdoor Industry Association. On this episode, we learn the story of how Grace fell in love with the outdoors, how she is making the outdoor community a more comfortable place for people of color, and the impact that the outdoors has on the youth in our community. This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.
Peter Metcalf is the CEO of Black Diamond Equipment and a board member of the Outdoor Industry Association. He wasn’t always all business though. He has climbed audacious routes in Alaska, one of which is a first alpine ascent of the Central Rib on Mt. Hunter’s south face. Black Diamond was started when Chouinard Equipment filed for bankruptcy and Peter and some other passionate climbers scrounged up enough money to buy out the assets.
Lots of new laws! Hear all about the final version of fast track and other trade related dingleberries, new measures to combat human trafficking, and new benefits for veterans. In this episode, you'll also learn about the bills that passed at least one branch of Congress in May, which include a poisonous scientific research funding bill, an anti-abortion bill, lots of bills to funnel taxpayer money into private pockets, bills that benefit veterans' families, and more. After the break, get the details for the Chicago and Miami meet-ups, an update on the Congressional Dish Arms Race, and hear a indisputable argument for why train travel is superior to plane travel. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Meet Up Times & Locations Chicago: Wednesday, August 5th 6:30pm: Sweetwater Tavern & Grille 225 Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 698-7111 Co-Hosted by Kevin and Loren, hosts of Political Discontent Radio Miami: Tuesday, August 18th 7pm: Emerge Miami Meeting 6pm: Meet and Greet 7pm: Meeting begins Sweat Records 5505 NE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33137 (786) 693-9309 8:30pm: Elwoods Gastro Pub 188 NE 3rd Avenue Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-5222 Laws H.R. 2146: Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act Became the vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority to become law Allows Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers with 20 years experience to avoid a 10% tax penalty if they withdraw from their retirement plans after age 50, instead of 59.5 years old. The effects of this on the budget will not be counted. Passed 407-5 Sponsored by Rep. David Reichert of Washington 43 pages Did Your Rep & Senators Vote for Fast Track? Check your Senators' Votes on H.R. 1314 Check your Representative's Vote on H.R. 2146 H.R. 1295: Trade Preferences Extension Act Title I: Extension of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Background Original African Growth and Opportunity Act was signed into law by President Clinton in 2000. Allows certain products from some African countries to be imported tax-free. Oil accounted for 68% of these imports in 2014; "despite remaining the top U.S. import under AGOA, U.S. oil imports from the region have fallen by 80% or nearly $40 billion since 2011." Clothes and vehicles from South Africa are the other main products imported tax-free under this law The law was going to expire on September 30, 2015. The assistance is intended to "encourage governments to Liberalize trade policy Harmonize laws and regulations with WTO membership commitments Engage in financial and fiscal restructuring Promote greater agribusiness linkages. Reauthorization Highlights Extends the AGOA until September 30, 2025 Eliminates the President's ability to terminate an African country's eligibility for the program without notifying Congress and the country 60 days before. Creates an annual public comment period regarding whether the African countries are meeting their eligibility requirements. Increases the number of people employed full time to make sure African food exports meet U.S. food safety standards from 20 to 30. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending this program will cost us $2.8 billion in lost tax revenue by 2025 Title II: Extension of Generalized System of Preferences Background A bigger program for allowing products to be imported tax-free into the United States, which was first created in 1974. President Obama terminated Russia's status as a Generalized System of Preferences country in October 2014, after the invasion of Crimea. Extension Highlights Extends the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program until December, 2017. Backdates the effective date to July 31, 2013, when the program expired. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this extension will cost us over $2.5 billion in lost tax revenue. Limits the types of cotton that are eligible for tax-free import Makes some luggage and travel products eligible for tax-free import Title III: Extension of preferential duty treatment program for Haiti Extends tax-free import status for products from Haiti until December 19, 2025. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will cost us $520 million in lost tax revenue Title IV: Extension of trade adjustment assistance Extends trade adjustment assistance until June 30, 2021 Specifically mentions farmers. Brings back a tax credit for health insurance for workers who lose their jobs due to trade agreements or due to failed pension plans until the end of 2019, which are higher than the subsidies we get for health insurance on the ObamaCare exchange websites. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this will cost us $2.8 billion, with the most money needed from 2017 to 2021. Title VI: Tariff classification of recreational performance outerwear Contains a modified version of the Affordable Footwear Act, which reduces tariffs on some athletic footwear. Contains part of the OUTDOORS Act, which was introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Senator Kelly Ayote of New Hampshire, which lowers or eliminates tariffs that average 14% for "recreational performance outerwear" Washington is home to headquarters of REI, Amazon, Nordstrom, Brooks Sports, and Eddie Bauer. New Hampshire is home to the headquarters of Timberland The American Apparel and Footwear Association, the Outdoor Industry Association, Eastern Mountain Sports, Kamik Boots, NEMO Equipment, and New Balance, and the Washington Council on International Trade have all voiced support for this language, with the Washington Council on International Trade saying it's because it "would save consumers money while improving profits for our retailers and apparel companies that do their manufacturing overseas". The Outdoor Industry Association spent a record $360,000 lobbying Congress on the US OUTDOOR ACT and the Affordable Footwear Act in 2014. Title VI: Offsets Extends customs charges for some imports from September 30, 2024 to July 7, 2025 and then increases the fees for two and a half months in the Summer 2025, after the expiration. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will cause the revenue from those fees to spike from a little under a billion in 2024, to $4.6 billion in 2025. This is the biggest single source of money that will pay for this law. Increases taxes on corporations that make more than $1 billion in 2019 by 8% for the months of July, August, or September of 2020. The corporation's next payment will then be reduced by the same amount. On the Congressional Budget Office estimate, this makes it seem as though there is much more revenue for the 2015-2020 period than there actually is. If the numbers weren't cooked like this, the report would show an additional $5.7 billion budget deficit from 2015-2020. Beginning in 2016, the law forbids college education tax credits from students who don't receive an accounting "statement" from their school. CBO estimates this will save almost half a billion dollars. Increases the fines for failing to file tax returns on time or including incorrect information on a return, for example from $100 to $250 and raises the caps on these kinds of fees, effective in fiscal year 2016. CBO estimates this will bring in an additional $136 million by 2025. Disqualifies people who choose to exclude foreign earned income from their tax returns from claiming the child tax credit, effective this year. CBO estimates this will save $293 million by 2025. Somehow changes the way Medicare pays for dialysis services in a way that will cut direct spending by $250 million. Passed the Senate 97-1 and the House of Representatives 286-138 Sponsored by Rep. George Holding of North Carolina 58 pages S. 178: Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act Through September 30, 2019, a person convicted of a human trafficking related offense will have to pay an extra $5,000 fine. The money will go to a "Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund, controlled by the Attorney General. The money will be used for law enforcement, grants to States, tribes, local government and non-profit NGO's, and local children's advocacy centers. Authorizes grant money specifically for victims of child pornography. Expands the property that can been seized by the government from people convicted of human trafficking crimes. Expands the "range of conduct punished as sex trafficking." "Section 108: Reducing demand for sex trafficking" adds "patronized, or solicited" to the list of of things punishable by a fine and at least 10 years in prison. The crime: "Whoever knowingly" in the United States "recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, patronizes, or solicits" anything of value that arises out of forcing someone under 18 to "engage in a commercial sex act", which means "any sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person." Gives crime victims the right to be informed of any plea bargains or deferred prosecution agreements. Mandates that officers in anti-human trafficking programs operated by the Justice Department will have training on methods for investigating and prosecuting human traffickers and for getting proper physical and mental health care for the victims. Mandates that Federal prosecutors request restitution for the victims whether or not the victims request it. Creates an advisory council made up of human trafficking victims to analyze human trafficking laws every year until September 30, 2020. The members will not be paid except for travel reimbursement and per diem allowances. Requires missing children reports to include a recent photo Requires audits of human trafficking grants Prohibits the Attorney General from giving a grant to a nonprofit that has offshore tax havens. Includes the SAVE Act which makes advertising the services of prostitutes who are under 18 or are forced into prostitution punishable by ten years in prison. Creates a website for accessing victims' services Expands the statute of limitations on civil actions by child trafficking survivors to 10 years after they turn 18. Creates a "cyber crimes center" within the Customs and Immigration section of the Department of Homeland Security to "provide investigative assistance, training, and equipment to support United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement's domestic and international investigations of cyber-related crimes." The cyber crimes center will have a "Child Exploitation Investigations Unit" in it. The cyber crimes center will have a "Computer Forensics Unit" which will train and support Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and help "Federal, State, local, tribal, military, and foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged in the investigation of crimes" The cyber crimes center will have a "Cyber Crimes Unit" , which will "enhance" Immigration and Customs ability to "combat criminal enterprises operating on or through the Internet, with specific focus in the areas of cyber economic crime, digital theft of intellectual property, illicit e-e-commerce (including hidden marketplaces), Internet- facilitated proliferation of arms and strategic technology, and cyber enable smuggling and money laundering" and will also help "Federal, State, local, tribal, military, and foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged in the investigation of crimes" The cyber crimes center will be allowed to coordinate with the Defense Department to hire war veterans. Temporarily increases by 10% the amount of money a State can get from Federal grants if the State has a law that allows the mother of a child to eliminate the parental rights of her rapist and authorizes $5 million for the increases (only 10 states currently have such laws). Adds people convicted in the military justice system to the National Sex Offender Registry. Creates a hotline for sex trafficking victims to speak with service providers starting in 2017. Makes sex trafficking victims automatically eligible for the jobs corps. Allows human trafficking survivors to move to vacate any arrest or conviction records for crimes that they committed as a direct result of human trafficking. Passed the Senate 99-0 and the House 420-3 Sponsored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas 41 pages S. 802: Girls Count Act Authorizes the Secretary of State and Administrator of USAID to coordinate with the World Bank, UN nations agencies and "relevant organizations" to "enact, implement, and enforce laws" in other countries to register births of baby girls. Sunsets in June 2020. Passed the House and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida 3 pages H.R. 2252: Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act Clarifies the effective date of a new overtime system for border patrol agents, which will effectively pay them less, as January 1, 2016. Passed the House of Representatives and the Senate by voice votes Sponsored by Rep Will Hurd of Texas 1 page H.R. 2496: Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act Authorizes and additional $900 million for a Department of Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Denver, CO. Passed the House and the Senate by voice votes Sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado 2 pages H.R. 606: Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act Excludes money paid to the families of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty from counting as taxable income. Passed the House of Representatives 413-0 and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota 1 page H.R. 1191: Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act Requires the President to give Congress any agreements with Iran within 5 days of reaching the agreement, along with a report by the Secretary of State on the effectiveness of the agreement. Requires the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to hold hearings on the agreement within 30 days - 60 days if it would interfere with their August vacation. Prohibits the President from altering sanctions on Iran during the Congressional review period. Prohibits the President from altering sanctions on Iran if a joint resolution of disapproval passes both the House and the Senate for 12 days after passage. If the President vetoes the joint resolution of disapproval, the law prohibits him from altering Iran's sanctions within 10 days of the veto. Allows the agreement to go into effect if Congress does nothing Creates an expedited process for Congress to bring back the sanctions if Iran violates the agreement. Passed the Senate 98-1 and the House of Representatives 400-25. Sponsored by Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania 12 pages H.R. 2353: Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 Clean extension of Federal transportation programs until July 31, 2015. Passed the House of Representatives 387-35 and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Bill Schuster of Pennsylvania 9 pages H.R. 91: Veteran's I.D. Card Act Allows veterans who have honorably completed their service but who didn't "retire" or receive a medically-related discharge to request and pay for an ID card proving their veteran status. The fee for the card will be reassessed every five years. The cards would be available 60 days after the bill would be signed into law. Final version passed the Senate by a voice vote and the House of Representatives 411-0 Sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan 3 pages Bills H.R. 1806: America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 Funds the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Institute f Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy - Science, the Department of Energy - Applied Research and Development, and the Department of Energy - Technology Transfer. Contains a program that transfers taxpayer funded research to manufacturers in the U.S. - including the legal rights to the new inventions - as long as the company pays for 50%+ of the upgrades to their systems. Continues to invest tax money in research for coal, oil, and natural gas It would extend the life of current nuclear power plants instead of design new ones Creates a "nuclear energy enabling technologies program" which, in part, develops "small modular reactors". According to the Department of Energy, small modular reactors are factory-made mini-nuclear power plants that can be shipped to places that don't have the infrastructure or money for large nuclear power plants. The idea is to create these for "U.S. companies" to sell around the world. So far, none of these have been designed, licensed, or constructed and DOE wants them deployed within the next decade. Eliminates research into hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and on-site renewable energy generation for buildings. Eliminates research into fish friendly turbines for hydropower Allows "energy efficiency" money to be used for research into renewable power combined with any fossil fuel (currently only wind-coal combo allowed). Makes the Secretary perform extra market analysis for renewable energy projects. Eliminates a program for taxpayer funded installation of solar and other renewable power on State or local government buildings. Eliminates the objective of "Improving United States energy security" from energy research, prohibits research money from being used for Fossil Energy Environmental Restoration, limits the amount of fossil fuel research money that can be used in universities, and prohibits government research into fossil fuels from being used for regulatory assessments by the government. Invests more taxpayer money in coal energy research. Passed the House of Representatives 217-205 President Obama would veto the bill. The veto threat is because the bill funds much less than requested for many areas of research; for example, it provides less than half of what was requested for clean energy research and grid modernizations. Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas 203 pages H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 Passed the House 269-151 and the Senate (with changes) 71-25 Sponsored by Rep. Mac Thorneberry of Texas 994 pages S. 136: Gold Star Fathers Act Extends hiring advantages for Federal jobs to fathers of people killed in military service (currently, it's only available to mothers). Passed the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon 3 pages H.R. 1732: Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 Forces the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA to withdraw a proposed rule that would expand protection of waterways in the United States. Orders a new proposed rule to be crafted using studies - including an economic impact study - hand picked by the bill authors. Forces the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to consult with "public and private stakeholders" that would be effected by the rule Prohibits any additional money for the extra work. Prohibits the Federal government's classification of waterways from voiding State permits for two years. Passed the House of Representatives 261-155 President Obama would veto the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, who has taken almost $400,000 from the Oil and Gas industry, with over half of that for the most recent election. 13 pages H.R. 723: Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2015 An immediate family member of a deceased fire fighter, law enforcement officer, member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who died in the line of duty can request and be sent a Capitol-flown flag free of charge by their Congressional Representative. Caps the amount to be spent on this at $30,000 per year. Passed the House of Representatives by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter King of New York 4 pages H.R. 36: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Makes it illegal for someone to perform an abortion unless: The fetus is 19 weeks or younger The abortion is performed in a way that gives the fetus the best opportunity to survive Exceptions: If the mother's life is in danger due to a physical illness or injury Incest that has been reported to the government The pregnancy is the result of a rape The mother must have gotten rape counseling or medical treatment for the rape, which must be documented in the mother's medical file The rape counseling or report can not be provided by a non-hospital facility that performs abortions. The penalty for performing an abortion illegally can be a fine and 5 years in prison The mother or parents of the mother (if she is a minor) can seek civil damages from the doctor who performed her abortion illegally The mother can not be prosecuted Passed the House of Representatives 242-184 President Obama would veto the bill Sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona 24 pages H.R. 2297: Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 Orders the Secretary of State to report to Congress "the activities of all satellite, broadcast, Internet, or other providers that knowingly provide material support to al-Manar TV and any affiliates" and the status of sanctions against them as ordered by President W. Bush on September 23, 2001. Prohibits financial institutions that process transactions for Hezbollah from opening or maintaining accounts in the United States. Penalties for facilitating Hezbollah transactions will be the greater of $250,000 or twice the transaction amount in addition to a criminal penalty of up to $1 million and up to 20 years in prison. This can be waived in 180 day intervals if the Treasury Secretary says it's in the "national security interests of the United States" These rules will not apply to intelligence activities Passed by 423-0 Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce of California 20 pages H.R. 474: Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act of 2015 Reauthorized a program for homeless veterans for five years. Clarifies that veterans being released from prison are eligible for benefits. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio 3 pages H.R. 1038: Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act Forces the Department of Veterans Affairs to keep a copy of all official reprimands or admonishments in the employee's permanent record as long as they work at the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Ryan Costello 3 pages H.R. 1313: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act Allows the business that was owned by a disabled veteran to keep it's veteran perks if the spouse takes over the business for three years, if the veterans did not die as a result of a service related disability (if the veteran did die of service related injuries, the spouse can keep the benefits for 10 years or until she remarries). Passed the House of Representatives 403-0 Sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney 3 pages H.R. 1382: BRAVE Act Authorizes the Secretary of Veteran's Affairs to give preferential treatment to companies that hire veterans in their choice in awarding procurement contracts. A company that lies about the veteran status of its employees will be prohibited from contracting with the Department of Veteran's Affairs for five years. Passed the House of Representatives 404-0 Sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Rice 3 pages H.R. 1816: Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2015 Excludes monthly pension payments from counting as income for veterans who become permanently or totally disabled from non-service related injuries. Limits the total amount of bonus money allowed to be issued to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada 3 pages H.R. 874: American Super Computing Leadership Act Broadens the definition of "institution of higher learning" to include organizations that exist to benefit institutions of higher education Orders the Department of Energy to partner with universities, National Laboratories, and industry. Eliminates the Department of Energy's High End Software Development Center and replaces it with a partnerships with universities, National Laboratories, and industry to do research. Part of this program will include outreach to domestic industries, including manufacturing so they can use the technology developed. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Randy Hultgren of Illinois 8 pages H.R. 1162: Science Prize Competitions Act Allows private for-profit entities to be given grants and contract so administer government prize competitions. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Donald Beyer of Virginia 6 pages H.R. 1119: Research and Development Efficiency Act Creates a working group to make recommendations on how to streamline Federal regulations and to "minimize the regulatory burden" on universities performing federally funded research. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia 4 pages H.R. 1156: International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 Creates a working group to coordinate international science and technology cooperation, designed in part to "support United States foreign policy goals". Will be co-chaired by officials from the Office of Science and Technology and the Department of State. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois 4 pages H.R. 1561: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2015 Creates a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to improving weather knowledge, understand how the public reacts to warnings, and develop radar and other weather forecasting technologies. At least 30%) of the money for the program will go to universities, private entities, and NGO's to further their research. Creates a tornado warning improvement program with the goal of predicting tornadoes more than an hour in advance. No budget listed. Creates a Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program with the goal of extending hurricane forecasts. No budget listed. Allows the government to pay commercial providers up to $9 million for weather data Creates a pilot contract which makes NOAA contract with a private sector entity for weather data by October 1, 2016. Authorizes (but doesn't appropriate) about $100 million per year through 2017. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma 25 pages H.R. 1158: Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and Technology Transfer Act of 2015 Orders an assessment and report on the Department of Energy's ability to host and oversee "privately funded fusion and non-light water reactor prototypes and related demonstration facilities at Department-owned sites" Orders the Energy Department to carry out a pilot program designed to "commercialize" research at National Laboratories. Projects can not directly compete with the private sector. Extends the pilot program until October 31, 2017. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Randy Hultgren of Illinois 16 pages H.R. 880: American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2015 Makes permanent a corporate tax credit for research and development the expired at the end of 2014 The effects of this on the budget will not be counted The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates this would increase the Federal deficits by $182 billion in the next ten years. President Obama would veto the bill. Passed the House of Representatives 274-145 President Obama would veto the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas 9 pages Hearings Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing: "Border Security: Examining the Implications of S. 1691, the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2013", June 9, 2014. House Committee on Science, Space and Techonology Markup Hearing: "H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015", April 22, 2015 Additional Information Federation of American Scientists: Status of World Nuclear Forces Federaation of American Scientists/Washington and Lee University Study: The Future of Nuclear Power in the United States U.S. Department of Transportation Factsheet: Deficient Bridges by States and Highway System: Current Data Associated Press Article: House votes to provide for highway aid, plug hole in veterans' health care budget by Joan Lowy, July 29, 2015 Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Fast Track by Terry Quiett Band On the Road Again by Willie Nelson
Peter Metcalf is the CEO of Black Diamond Equipment and a board member of the Outdoor Industry Association. He wasn’t always all business though. He has climbed audacious routes in Alaska, one of which is a first alpine ascent of the Central Rib on Mt. Hunter’s south face. Black Diamond was started when Chouinard Equipment filed for bankruptcy and Peter and some other passionate climbers scrounged up enough money to buy out the assets.
It goes without saying. Our world is growing bigger and more complicated everyday. Especially in our urban centers where economic and political fortunes are beginning to shift and reflect the values of a much more culturally diverse population. Despite the devastating effects failing banks and climate change there are rising many new opportunities to tap into the dynamic energy and financial resources of previously under represented members of our society. Leading the way toward positive outcomes in a brighter future is urban revitalization strategist Majora Carter. Urban Revitalization Strategist Majora Carter "An urban revitalization strategist, or me, is a person who identifies in particular low-income communities and in our inner cities in the States, and looks around and sees what the problems are, what the failings are and figures out strategies to improve them both socially and environmentally as well as economically," she said in this interview. "And you have to have all three involved, because it's not just about putting band aids on these communities. It's literally about increasing the quality of life, economically, socially as well as environmentally." Majora Carter was the keynote speaker at the biannual breakfast meeting of the Outdoor Industry Association during the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City Utah. Sharing her thoughts on strategies for urban revitalization she impressed upon those in attendance the importance of reaching out to under served communities, in particular people of color. Now that a majority of the worlds' population lives in cities it is in these urban areas where we must now strive to achieve lasting change for the benefit of humanity. Working in the South Bronx borough of New York City, Carter is putting together solid plans to make this and other communities across the U.S. into vital centers of sustainable economic growth and development while helping to protect the environment. With the creation of both green jobs and green spaces in the heart of our biggest cities Carter hopes to encourage an ethos of conservation that will serve the interests of wilderness as well. JTP: The bulk of your work right now is in the South Bronx (New York), now work internationally but specifically what exactly have you done to revitalize that particular urban setting? Carter: Sure, we literally wanted to sort of flip the script on what was considered development in our community. So much of it was actually around noxious facilities and burdensome things of that nature, power plants, etc., and we wanted to change the landscape by creating more ecologically sound development. So it started with parks and greenways. And then we even went to people and started one of the country's very first green-collar job and placement systems. Now we're moving into real estate development because we understand that you can use real estate development as a platform for social, environmental and economic change, if it's done correctly and strategically. It can be a transformation tool, which it has not been used that way before in poor communities. JTP: So what's the disconnect? How is it that we even need to have someone like you tell us that the spaces that we occupy perhaps as residential areas or as businesses require some type of revitalization? Carter: The disconnect is that there are really low expectations placed on poor communities in general. And the people that are in them, and the elected that allegedly support them, the regulators who are supposed to regulating them, that kind of dynamic has been going on for generations to the point where I think even people who live there believe it. And I used to be one of them, until I realized that wait a second, if we can create the infrastructure and supports to allow better things to grow...because no one will rise to low expectation. You can't. So if you raise the expectations and give people the tools to rise to them they can and they wil...
It goes without saying. Our world is growing bigger and more complicated everyday. Especially in our urban centers where economic and political fortunes are beginning to shift and reflect the values of a much more culturally diverse population. Despite the devastating effects failing banks and climate change there are rising many new opportunities to tap into the dynamic energy and financial resources of previously under represented members of our society. Leading the way toward positive outcomes in a brighter future is urban revitalization strategist Majora Carter. Urban Revitalization Strategist Majora Carter "An urban revitalization strategist, or me, is a person who identifies in particular low-income communities and in our inner cities in the States, and looks around and sees what the problems are, what the failings are and figures out strategies to improve them both socially and environmentally as well as economically," she said in this interview. "And you have to have all three involved, because it's not just about putting band aids on these communities. It's literally about increasing the quality of life, economically, socially as well as environmentally." Majora Carter was the keynote speaker at the biannual breakfast meeting of the Outdoor Industry Association during the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City Utah. Sharing her thoughts on strategies for urban revitalization she impressed upon those in attendance the importance of reaching out to under served communities, in particular people of color. Now that a majority of the worlds' population lives in cities it is in these urban areas where we must now strive to achieve lasting change for the benefit of humanity. Working in the South Bronx borough of New York City, Carter is putting together solid plans to make this and other communities across the U.S. into vital centers of sustainable economic growth and development while helping to protect the environment. With the creation of both green jobs and green spaces in the heart of our biggest cities Carter hopes to encourage an ethos of conservation that will serve the interests of wilderness as well. JTP: The bulk of your work right now is in the South Bronx (New York), now work internationally but specifically what exactly have you done to revitalize that particular urban setting? Carter: Sure, we literally wanted to sort of flip the script on what was considered development in our community. So much of it was actually around noxious facilities and burdensome things of that nature, power plants, etc., and we wanted to change the landscape by creating more ecologically sound development. So it started with parks and greenways. And then we even went to people and started one of the country's very first green-collar job and placement systems. Now we're moving into real estate development because we understand that you can use real estate development as a platform for social, environmental and economic change, if it's done correctly and strategically. It can be a transformation tool, which it has not been used that way before in poor communities. JTP: So what's the disconnect? How is it that we even need to have someone like you tell us that the spaces that we occupy perhaps as residential areas or as businesses require some type of revitalization? Carter: The disconnect is that there are really low expectations placed on poor communities in general. And the people that are in them, and the elected that allegedly support them, the regulators who are supposed to regulating them, that kind of dynamic has been going on for generations to the point where I think even people who live there believe it. And I used to be one of them, until I realized that wait a second, if we can create the infrastructure and supports to allow better things to grow...because no one will rise to low expectation. You can't. So if you raise the expectations and give people the tools to rise to them they can and they wil...
For companies in the Outdoor Industry day-to-day operations that protect and preserve the environment naturally make good sense. So-called green business practices are meant to be sustainable, using a minimum amount energy and mostly renewable resources to create the products and services that drive our economy. And for Andrew Winston it's become abundantly clear that despite any political and social ideology that espouses the virtues of capitalism above all else green technology in commercial manufacturing and production is the best way to for businesses of every variety to assure their long-term profitability and prosperity. Having begun his career as a traditional business consultant Winston said he started taking a closer look into how business and the environment might work together. Winston: So I went back to school for an environmental management degree and decided that I wanted to marry business and the environment and figure out how to combine my business background and what was just an interest and passion about resource use, what the foundations of business really are, which is stuff and material and how we're using too much of it. So it came from a place of practicality and profitability almost, even more than traditional quote tree hugging. That was just about business can't survive like this. And that means our society can't. The author of two books Green to Gold and Green Recovery Andrew Winston was the keynote speaker at the biannual breakfast meeting of the Outdoor Industry Association at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City Utah. There he shared with an audience of true believers his view on the importance of sustainability in business and why in the long run really there is no alternative. JTP: One of the things I find fascinating about your conversation is that you talk about issues, especially issues that you describe as “TINA Issues” And that stands for “There Is No alternative”. What are a few examples of these TINA issues? And what do they mean when it comes to reducing sustainability costs? Winston: Tina I'm really using in the broadest since. In dealing with climate change, dealing with biodiversity loss, dealing with waste, there is no alternative. We don't have a choice any more for a lot of reasons and the forces driving that include just increased resource cost and reduced resource availability as the number of people on the planet who are getting richer grows. There's just not enough stuff. That's sort of the obvious one. But there's also transparency, the technology driven demand for knowing what's in everything. And so this just opens up companies and they have to start talking about what they're doing. And that means they actually have to start changing what they're doing. You can't be transparent about a process that they you don't want to be a transparent about. So it means that you start changing products, what's in it? Who made it? Where was it made? Were they paid a living wage? These things start being open to the world. So there is no choice. You can't compete in a world where your customers, especially big business customers won't put your products on the shelf if they don't have the data, if they don't know how it was made. JTP: And you refer to certain technologies that allow consumers to very quickly and easily determine how much of an impact these particular products have. But you also said that we're a point right now where green will always be small because people aren't prepared to pay for something that is just green. If that's the case, at what point do we shift our thinking to such a way that we will go to a sustainable product as opposed to something that's just green. Winston: Well, let me clarify that. What I said was the number people who pay more just for green with remain small. And that's partly out of just ability to. Not everybody can afford to buy organic food or a more expensive car that has the hybrid or electric engine.
For companies in the Outdoor Industry day-to-day operations that protect and preserve the environment naturally make good sense. So-called green business practices are meant to be sustainable, using a minimum amount energy and mostly renewable resources to create the products and services that drive our economy. And for Andrew Winston it's become abundantly clear that despite any political and social ideology that espouses the virtues of capitalism above all else green technology in commercial manufacturing and production is the best way to for businesses of every variety to assure their long-term profitability and prosperity. Having begun his career as a traditional business consultant Winston said he started taking a closer look into how business and the environment might work together. Winston: So I went back to school for an environmental management degree and decided that I wanted to marry business and the environment and figure out how to combine my business background and what was just an interest and passion about resource use, what the foundations of business really are, which is stuff and material and how we're using too much of it. So it came from a place of practicality and profitability almost, even more than traditional quote tree hugging. That was just about business can't survive like this. And that means our society can't. The author of two books Green to Gold and Green Recovery Andrew Winston was the keynote speaker at the biannual breakfast meeting of the Outdoor Industry Association at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City Utah. There he shared with an audience of true believers his view on the importance of sustainability in business and why in the long run really there is no alternative. JTP: One of the things I find fascinating about your conversation is that you talk about issues, especially issues that you describe as “TINA Issues” And that stands for “There Is No alternative”. What are a few examples of these TINA issues? And what do they mean when it comes to reducing sustainability costs? Winston: Tina I'm really using in the broadest since. In dealing with climate change, dealing with biodiversity loss, dealing with waste, there is no alternative. We don't have a choice any more for a lot of reasons and the forces driving that include just increased resource cost and reduced resource availability as the number of people on the planet who are getting richer grows. There's just not enough stuff. That's sort of the obvious one. But there's also transparency, the technology driven demand for knowing what's in everything. And so this just opens up companies and they have to start talking about what they're doing. And that means they actually have to start changing what they're doing. You can't be transparent about a process that they you don't want to be a transparent about. So it means that you start changing products, what's in it? Who made it? Where was it made? Were they paid a living wage? These things start being open to the world. So there is no choice. You can't compete in a world where your customers, especially big business customers won't put your products on the shelf if they don't have the data, if they don't know how it was made. JTP: And you refer to certain technologies that allow consumers to very quickly and easily determine how much of an impact these particular products have. But you also said that we're a point right now where green will always be small because people aren't prepared to pay for something that is just green. If that's the case, at what point do we shift our thinking to such a way that we will go to a sustainable product as opposed to something that's just green. Winston: Well, let me clarify that. What I said was the number people who pay more just for green with remain small. And that's partly out of just ability to. Not everybody can afford to buy organic food or a more expensive car that has the hybrid or electric engine.
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