She Explores

Haley Robison, CEO of the hammock and tent company Kammok , believes in the power of play, type 2 fun, and most importantly: showing up. We interview her about how her twenties took her from being a consultant at Bain to a wilderness guide to getting her masters. Now a CEO at an outdoor startup, Haley shares her insights on breaking into a new industry and finding comfort in the uncomfortable. Lea...

We interview Outside Magazine's deputy editor Mary Turner and art & photography director Hannah McCaughey about their women's XX factor issue. It's a special edition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Outside Magazine, but it's not the start or end of women's content on Outside. We talk to Mary and Hannah about the changing shape of outdoor content and why the timing was right to "final...

A discussion on the ways spending time outside impacts our mental health. We interview Florence Williams , author of " The Nature Fix " and Sonya Pevzner, who blogs about anxiety and depression as it relates to the outdoors. In addition, we hear from listeners about their experiences with depression and anxiety and the ways you've found healing through outdoor activities as simple as wal...

Following the blazes and looking up at the clouds. Interview with Rahawa Haile, author of the essay " How Black Books Lit My Way Along the Appalachian Trail " on Buzzfeed. We talk with Rahawa Haile, an Eritrean-American writer living in Oakland, CA, about her northbound thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2016. Rahawa believes that if you have the inclination and the time to do a thru...

Because it's OK to not have it all figured out. We interview Erin Sullivan, the writer behind "Erin Outdoors" about finding your path (in the outdoors and otherwise) through vulnerability, saying no, and self-awareness. We don't think there's any such thing as a straight path and Erin holds her life up as proof. After years of guiding outdoor, adventure, and travel excursions, Erin start...

Our talk with Jerri gave us a lot to think about: 1) How companies on private land can respect and uplift the missions of our public land organizations. 2) How the way you grow up so impacts your relationship with the outdoors. 3) How experience is key to stewardship. And 4) How we all make choices every day when it comes to the footprint we leave on the earth. Jerryne "Jerri" Cole belie...

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 Mi...

Weekend climbing, camping, hiking, and backpacking is not so different from going it "full time." Meet Paulina Dao, the blogger behind "Little Grunts" and an honest advocate for spending time outside. We talk about overcoming insecurities, growing, and finding the activities and issues you're passionate about in the outdoors. Be sure to read Paulina's piece, " Why Don't Th...

Bringing women together in the outdoors. Meet Sasha Cox, founder of Trail Mavens , and Amanda Goad, founder of Wild Women's Project , two very different companies whose missions are built on backcountry bonding. We talk with each founder about the benefits of bringing women outside together, the community that springs from outdoor endeavors, and how much we have to learn from each other. Learn mor...

Communication, activism, and reflection. In the second part of our series on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors, we talk with experts to provide practical steps for how organizations AND individuals can cultivate a more inclusive outdoor space. Liz Song of Snowqueen and Scout cohosts with Gale Straub on this special two part series. Featuring Ava Holliday and Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin...

Life lessons learned on the PCT. We interview Kimberly Vawter, who quit her job as a school principal in Los Angeles to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. We've found that a lot of people thru hike because they're looking for an in-between. They want more in their lives but they're not sure what. They need time to think. Just 5 days off the trail, Kim is bursting with lessons learned and she is holding...

Entrepreneurship, sustainable outdoor gear, and making a difference: a new kind of outdoor retail company. We talk with the women of Wylder Goods, which just launched this week. Featuring Jainee Dial, Lindsey Elliott, and Gina Peters. Starting a business can be challenging, but it helps when there is a lot of heart behind it. We talk with three women who are rethinking outdoor retail with their ne...

The outdoors and diversity, equity, & inclusion. We team up with Liz Song from Snowqueen and Scout to investigate the many barriers that a diverse group of people from enjoying and embracing the outdoors. Thanks to listener Sara Murphy for the push and prompt to go "beyond the buzzword of diversity." This episode features: Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin & Ava Holliday, The Avarna Group...

Hope, empowerment, and appreciation. Carrot Quinn, author of "Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart", teaches us lessons from the trail and reminds us that WE have the power to change the world we live in. Carrot has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail twice and the Continental Divide Trail. Follow Carrot on Instagram via instagram.com/carrotquinn The second in a series of "After the PCT&quot...

The benefits and challenges to getting outdoors with your kids. We interview Shanti Hodges, founder of " Hike It Baby ", as well as Aly Nicklas and Alisa Geiser, cofounders of " Born Wild Project ." Featuring voice memo submissions from Lynn Doiron, Stephanie Harper , and Dylann Stubblefield. Learn more about the women featured here via she-explores.com/podcast Sponsored by Goa...

What moms don't talk about enough: adventuring while pregnant, postpartum, and beyond. For the first part of a two part "Adventuring with Kids" series, we talk with moms about pregnancy and getting outside with (and without) young kids. There are a lot of stories out there about what motherhood does to our free time, our bodies, and our outdoor lives. Let's write our own. Interviews with...

Injury, community, and gratitude. We interview Karen Wang two weeks after she left the Pacific Crest Trail just shy of Crater Lake in Oregon. There's a lot out there about what it's like to hike a famous thru-hike, but what is it like when you get home? How do you deal if life throws you an injury? How do you assimilate to city life after months in the wilderness? Karen Wang is the first of three...

This episode is about going it alone in the outdoors. As women, we're often advised to exercise extra caution when we go solo. We wanted to create an episode that is motivating to other women to get out there on our own, whether it's hiking, camping, or backpacking. With the help of listener stories and advice, we hope you might be encouraged to plan your next solo excursion. Music by Nihilore and...

Profiling women who work or who have worked for the National Park and US Forest Service. We've always been curious about what it's like to work for the agencies - we hear about real women's experiences and find out that there is no ONE experience. Learn more on She-Explores.com. Support the podcast with your donation via she-explores.com/support. Music by Jahzaar, Mise, Steve Combs, and MindsEye.

The best part about the internet? Real communities and businesses are built there. It's one place that movements can be made visible. While the "outdoors" and "online" can seem like an oxymoron, social media and other online platforms have enabled women to ignite change within the outdoor space. Even in the wilderness, we are never too far from technology. And while that can be...

Creativity is a big part of #vanlife. Many of the women on the road we've featured are photographers, writers, filmmakers, and visual artists. One reason for this is that a road trip is incredibly invigorating for the mind - it leads us to create wonderful work. It's also because if you make a living as a creative, it often means you can work from anywhere. In Episode 5 below, we interview Alison...

What is the backstory of She-Explores.com ? Host Gale Straub explains why she started She Explores with the help of some contributors, including: Emily King, Liz Song, Nikki Frumkin, Erin Sullivan, Korrin Bishop, Vivian Chen, Madeleine Boga, Stevie Lewis, Tricia Pickren, Ching Fu, Bee Roper, Kat Carney, and Elizabeth Kane. Music is by MindsEye and Chris Zabriskie. Sponsored by Outdoor Research

We compiled listener submitted voice memos that describe how the outdoors make them feel. Some adjectives used include: inspired, energetic, connected, healed, calm... The list goes on. Thanks to Alyssa Hands, Hallie Rose Taylor, Laura Hughes, Kathleen Morton, Miranda Morehouse, Jackie Currie, Abigail Scott, Delicia Long, Kristin H, Ryan Scavo, Addy Polet, Stepfanie Aguilar, Kelsey Suemnicht, Rach...

Interview with adventure writer Hilary Oliver about her short film, "Being Here." We talk about her motivation to create the film, how she felt about sharing it with the world, and how she sees adventure films changing for the better. We also include listener voice memos about how the outdoors make them feel.

Interview with Julie Hotz , a videographer and photographer in favor of human-powered travel. She bike-packed from Los Angeles, CA to Glacier National Park and then hiked the Pacific Northwest Trail to the Pacific Ocean. We talked about how we grow when we take on challenges that we're a little afraid of.