show notes:

Camping was never really my favorite adventure as a child, but my family went ALL THE TIME. As an adult, I’ve grown to love camping — I mean, I live full-time in an airstream these days. Looking back on all of the camping and hiking adventures from the past, I’ve realized that camping has actually taught me a really valuable lesson on the type of leader I want to be. Listen in as I share the two types of people you can be in life, as compared to those you would encounter while on a hiking trail.

My Camping Story (1:09)

Two types of people that you cross coming back the other way on the hiking trails. (2:07)

1. the person who says nothing, but maybe you get a friendly nod.

2. the person who stops and tells you what’s ahead on the trail.

Being the person who stops and tells you what’s ahead on the trail: (2:59)

If I see a bear- I’ll tell you.

If I went left and should have gone right- I’ll let you know.

If I did something that worked- I’ll share the steps with you.

If I did something that I NEVER WANT TO DO AGAIN- I’ll also give you that heads up.

If I find reasons to celebrate- I’ll invite you to do the same.

The Episode’s One Liner: No matter where you’re at in your journey, believe that you’re just getting started. (3:47)

Review the Transcript:

Hey, everyone. So in this episode today, I’m going to be sharing a little story with you about what I’ve learned from camping. And yes, you heard that correctly. And the irony is, right now, I’m actually recording this episode inside of my car, parked at a campground in Livingston, Montana so it’s really on-brand for what we’re going to talk about in this episode.

So it might seem like camping and leadership are completely different things but there’s something that I’ve learned on the hiking trails that has really carried into how I show up, how I show up for you guys, how I show up on social media, and how I want to show up as a leader. So enjoy.

What’s up, everybody? It is Jess Ekstrom and welcome to Business on the Bright Side, the podcast where you can learn how to make a living and make a difference at the same time. Life is short and so is my attention span so let’s get started.

When I was a kid, we would go camping all the time. Our dog’s name was Camper. That’s how legit we were. Can’t make this up. And I used to loathe hiking and camping so much that at one point, when my family was going on yet another camping trip, I declared to my parents that I was 100% sure they picked up the wrong baby at the hospital because I don’t belong to this family. I was like, “Why can’t we go to the beach and stay in a hotel and order pizza like normal people?” But needless to say, this outburst was during my middle school, AKA, I- hate-everything years.

But now I’ve learned to love camping and the outdoors, so much so that my husband and I live full-time in an Airstream and travel the country. If only my middle school self could see what she was in for. But one of the things I’ve discovered is that there are two types of people that you cross coming back the other way on hiking trails. So if you’re doing an out-and-back hiking trail and you’re on your way up and someone’s on their way back and you cross paths, there are two types of people that I’ve seen.

That first person is the one who says nothing but maybe you get a friendly nod. But the second person is the one who stops and tells you what’s ahead on the trail. So Person Two could say something like, “Watch out. There’s a bear up ahead,” or “careful. The rocks up there are slippery,” or “there’s a really pretty river up on your right,” or “take a picture behind the waterfall at the top,” or “make sure you eat lunch at the Lake. It’s super pretty up there.” Since they’re coming back from a direction that you’re heading, they’ll tell you what to expect, what to look out for, and how to make the most of the hike.

And that’s what I’m here to do for you. I’m still on my journey but I’ve climbed enough summits to be Person Two for you on our trail. I believe the biggest value in our own experiences is the story that we get to tell to help others on their journey. If I see a bear, I’ll tell you. If I went left and should have gone right, I’ll let you know. If I did something that worked, I’ll share the steps with you. If I did something that I never want to do again, I’ll also give you that heads up. If I find reasons to celebrate, I’ll invite you to do the same.

Maybe you’re deciding whether or not to go on this trail, or maybe you’re already halfway up there, or maybe you’ve just realized you’ve been hiking the wrong mountain and now you’re waving down a helicopter and wondering if the plant next to you is edible. But there is still so much left to see and do. So I’ll leave you with this: No matter where you’re at in your journey, believe that you are just getting started.

Thanks for listening to Business on the Bright Side. I’m your host, Jess Ekstrom. For all the show notes, head to businessonthebrightside.com and be sure to tell me what you thought of this episode on Instagram. And if you’re picking up what I’m putting down, subscribe and write a review wherever you consume podcasts. See you next time and keep chasing the bright side.