William Vazquez: We Explore Earth

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[SPEAKER_02]: This is without compromise.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Show that explores what happens when you won't settle for anything less than your crazy ideas.
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[SPEAKER_02]: We'll talk to athletes, founders, adventures, and entrepreneurs of all kinds about living without compromise.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I'm your host, Mason Gravely.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to the show.
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[SPEAKER_02]: We're programs for survival, so our instinct is to give up on these situations to move away from them.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I thought if I didn't sign up for that race, that I was just going to disappear.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't have to be these big, huge things that everyone thinks you need to do to make a difference.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Hey folks, in this episode, we're sitting down with William Vasquez, who's the founder of We Explore Earth.
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[SPEAKER_02]: If you want to know what that is, it is a grassroots community and an organization that organizes Hikes, cleanups, outdoor gatherings, and has grown tremendously into this force of nature connecting people with the outdoors.
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[SPEAKER_02]: As you become this incredible pathway for people to not only connect with the places we love, but with each other.
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[SPEAKER_02]: and with themselves.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So William and the team that we explore Earth are recipients of a grant from two for the trails, which is the program by athletic brewing that's been in place since day one.
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[SPEAKER_02]: We're up to $2 million a year and gets donated to organizations like we explore Earth.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So today, we're zooming in on one of those partners and taking a look in an organization that has built something very meaningful without compromise, connecting people to the places that we all love and enjoy the outdoors.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You can learn more at weexploreearth.com.
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[SPEAKER_02]: All right, folks, welcome to Without Compromise.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You heard a little bit of Williams background of what we're talking about today with we explore Earth in the intro, but William wanted to welcome you to the show now.
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[SPEAKER_02]: How you doing?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Good morning, good morning, Mason.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Good morning, everyone.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for having me.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm super stoked to be here to share some, I guess, history and about the org and now about myself and just our intentions and our love for nature and community building.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Super stoked, Mason.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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[SPEAKER_02]: This is a really cool,
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[SPEAKER_02]: thing you're doing and I'm curious to learn how kind of you got started with we explore earth and also how it's evolved over time.
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[SPEAKER_02]: But before we jump too far and where are you coming from today?
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're now in LA, East of LA, in the city of San Gabriel, I was what to call it's basically the heart of the San Gabriel Valley and where we first started doing our conservation projects and clean-ups and hikes just up the road here and Pasadena at Eden Canyon.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's where I'm not right now in LA and this is where our headquarters is as for we explore Then yeah, how about you Mason?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I say it's morning.
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[SPEAKER_02]: That is true.
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[SPEAKER_02]: It's technically a lot later here because I'm on the East Coast And also if I'm not mistaken, that's where do you grew up, right?
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[SPEAKER_02]: San Gabriel?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
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[SPEAKER_02]: What is it like doing something like this?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Kind of that home, you know?
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's honestly
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[SPEAKER_01]: It feels my spirit and it makes me truly happy and especially throughout like the journey I've been through and like I guess a full circle of life that, you know, my interest in all that, it really is a full circle moment like daily when I'm waking up and then being able to, you know, I guess nurture this plant that I planted years ago because I've got a weak employer then, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's
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[SPEAKER_01]: It excites me every morning, excites me every weekend where I'm with the community and being able to like, you know.
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[SPEAKER_01]: San Gabriel, L.A. being one of the most biodiversity places on earth, but also ethnic, diverse places on earth.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's so cool to diversity of people and creatives and community members, and we what's a homepage with and we're able to provide for and yeah, you know, it's it's it's beautiful.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I would say it's it feels truly beautiful.
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[SPEAKER_01]: To be able to do what we've been doing here and like in my hometown, but also my home county L.A.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So what was your relationship with nature growing up were you in an outdoorsy family?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Tell us a little bit about that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was in a really exposed to nature areas, like national parks or a lot of mountains and stuff.
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[SPEAKER_01]: with the family.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We only went on like one grand canyon road trip, but throughout the years I always had a appreciation but we'd go to some parks and stuff and my father being a landscape or my brother went into the landscaping world as well.
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[SPEAKER_01]: that I guess growing up, I would help out, you know, but don't work with him as a vet, had a love for care taking after, you know, gardens and nature areas and like parks and stuff that he work at.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And then I, what's it called, I ended up finding myself like finding,
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[SPEAKER_01]: true appreciation for it, seeing the whole world, just like the history of the lands and learning about, I guess, in the books and schools, like about, you know, geology and the natural world space and all.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I got obsessed with that and also just learning about it but didn't really get to go out until like my high school years, I started going with friends, my brother started taking me on high access stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And in fact, that time, no, I was already like, my mind was set on like a side passion of mine, which was always like bringing people together for creative events and ended up like getting a job in the music industry and the film industry.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And that part took me like to,
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[SPEAKER_01]: I guess while I was doing all that, you know, I was still like, nurturing my love for nature and seeing the palms where like, yeah, there's not enough like outreach to like, you know, folks in like diverse areas and stuff like and what to call, I've always found like that to be like a problem where like I can maybe help and try to fix by starting put on my own experiences with friends and stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, so like, you know, after leaving the music and film industries, I ended up starting the nonprofit more time and I wanted to just plainly take people out for starting off for the first few years, like a monthly group hike cleanup, a conservation project or something, and then a monthly group hike organized.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, from there, like we ended up, you know, we're here
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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but yeah, like that's like the I guess my origins of a like, you know, but how I found where I always had a special place for nature in my heart and, um, and yeah, you know, it's exciting.
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[SPEAKER_02]: That's awesome.
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[SPEAKER_02]: When people ask, you know, when they say, you know, what what is we explore earth, what's like your 30 second elevator pitch to tell them like, okay, here's who we are, here's what we do.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Oh yeah, okay.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to give you two versions.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
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[SPEAKER_01]: What is the fun on a quick one where we had a camp, we do camp, aren't we treats us of a guy for the community?
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[SPEAKER_01]: We do all kinds of free programming stuff.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And one time, we were like, 80 people out of amphitheater, and then they were picking like our brains and they picked my brain and was like, so what is we explore at the exact question that you just asked?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I just answered, you know, playfully, but, you know, at the core of the spirit, like, we're just a tribe called Earth, you know?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And so one of the back was like, you should throw it on our shirt, and so we did, and then that became actually a trademark clothing line of ours that recently has been selling and some so-called REI stores, and we're starting to expand it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But the other version I like to tell people in person when I'm meeting and all that is what to call that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we explore it is non-profit org that provides over 20 plus events right now a month to, you know, all walks of life, we like to say.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And we, at the core of our mission, we, our intention is like we, we'd like to build stewards and explorers of the land through our creative nature experiences.
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[SPEAKER_01]: with nature conservation at our core.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So everything we're doing, we're always planting knowledge of planting, yeah, seeds of knowledge and inspiration to protect these lands while enjoying it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And that's why we do so many creative events and stuff with conservation projects.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Like we've been in and stuff, like a full moon hike and stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We do every fooling for the last four years.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We like to do
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[SPEAKER_01]: We pass all trash grabbers.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So it's like, hey, we're out here enjoying this.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let's give back to nature while we're out here.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's like, oh, look, this is an invasive species here.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let me pass all some knowledge.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This is what you do with some of these invasive species.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You ain't get out and stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And like you can join us for actual conservation, probably just stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, our favorite thing to say is that, you know, through our creative nature experiences that we're providing, we like to build stewards and exports of the land.
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[SPEAKER_02]: That is awesome.
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[SPEAKER_02]: What will tell me when did you start putting this idea together, you know, with your background in event planning and the music industry, when did you start seeing a need for this in this space and and what were some of those like I guess early actions you started taking.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, my mind just goes straight back to like as soon as I left the music industry and film industries, I wanted to take a little break for myself to like, you know, find, you know, realizing that like in those industries, I reached like the highest, oh, especially in the music industry, position that I can get is like a bent production for a label.
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[SPEAKER_01]: through like festivals and all that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So my spirit was like, I feel like I achieved what I needed here.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I can stay here, keep doing the same thing.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But I've always had like a love for nature, and I always wanted to help protect that one.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, do you stuff in community building?
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[SPEAKER_01]: So I, after I left the industries to take some time from itself for a little bit, I started like going on road trips a lot with my friends, camping trips, you know, up here in the national
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[SPEAKER_01]: And through all every time we were out there and engaging in like with nature and like out there and about like, you know, seeing our our struggles from the getting of learning how to like, oh, like, you know, properly have the proper gear and all that how to properly.
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[SPEAKER_01]: go about hiking is a trail, you know, hiking was a trail etiquette and everything.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was just like always noting like, you know, like, oh, well, this is something I wish I would have known before going to the industry, oh, like going into the outdoors community and everything.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And so I would also pick up trash and my friends, we were always just love, you know, advocating for nature.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We, all of us always loved learning about nature, so we, we were like, you know, combiner,
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[SPEAKER_01]: understanding of the trees of just like, you know, of just everything the trails and national parts of history of it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And so I was just like, damn, this is so cool.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I only like the younger version of myself and the younger, like younger community members there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Like from that age, I was like 20.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We were like on 22.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We were just like,
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[SPEAKER_01]: like I would love for everybody to have the chance to get exposure to nature to learn about nature, go on nature experiences from younger age and none of us wherever we talked about it and none of us wherever properly, like I guess like
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[SPEAKER_01]: exposed to it like you know heard about nature experiences just like park galleries and like county events and stuff like that once in a while that we'd heard of so all of that and like taking into account with like every you know we every time we do like what's it called
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[SPEAKER_01]: a monthly cleanup that we would start, we intended to start doing it back in like 2017.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We were like, hey, let's just hike to eating Canyon and clean up as we hike there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And by doing that, we're like, we're giving back to nature, but we're also, of those that are watching as they're going to be inspired to maybe possibly like, hey, I want to do that, or hey, thank you.
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[SPEAKER_01]: that just plans to see like of inspiration and also advocacy and so we started doing that and what's it called throughout the you know after I think a year of doing that as like friends I made my mind up of like okay you know what I want to be able to provide like creative nature experiences I was one of the main ones from the group of friends I was always encouraging us to come together going to road trip and stuff like that I was like I want to be able to do this
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[SPEAKER_01]: you know, for those that don't even know.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I want to meet others and like, you know, wild spirits out there.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And then like, you know, start creating these, you know, nature experiences where we can like, encourage folks like, hey,
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we're with, um, with we explore earth, uh, you know, if you'd like to join us for any like fun group hikes or conservation projects cleanups and, uh, you know, we're always thinking of new things to do and, you know, inspire them to come together and join us, um, but yeah, like, you know, I started doing that and to tell you a quick of like, uh, I guess, uh, where I thought of we explore earth was, uh, when I was in, um,
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[SPEAKER_01]: in Washington, 2017, I was hiking on Boulder Trail, Boulder River Trail, and I have what's it called.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was just hiking amongst the river, and then I was just thought about, I was like, you know what, I was like,
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[SPEAKER_01]: I want something that's inclusive that belongs to the people, run by the people and I was just like, yeah, I was like, you know, has to have the word, we in it and then I thought about it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, you know what, and we're always exploring, but what are we exploring, we're exploring all aspects of earth.
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[SPEAKER_01]: life, society, you know, ways of conserving, exploring and having fun, feeling their spirit, looking out for each other.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So I was like, we explore Earth.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's quite literal, but there's a lot more meaning to me personally, and it's just like we explore everything about Earth about the life on Earth and everything, you know?
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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, I guess like that would be like the, I guess, the little origins of like, you know, my intentions of how, you know,
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[SPEAKER_01]: community building within my group of friends and also problem, you know, seeking the problems, seeing what, like what, what other, what missing bridges there are in society between, you know, just community members to nature and I wanted to help build those bridges and I've been building those bridges thankfully with weeks where then the amazing, you know, crew of volunteers, fellow volunteers of mine and, and yeah, here we are today, you know,
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[SPEAKER_01]: I hope that's a good question.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I know it was a long one.
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[SPEAKER_02]: No, that was perfect.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You know, you talked a lot about some of the first questions I had, like, when did you realize this isn't just for me.
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[SPEAKER_02]: This is something for others, so you nailed that.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You know, when did you realize you were maybe on to something?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Like, oh, man, this is a, you know, not only is this, like, what I think the world needs, this is, this is,
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[SPEAKER_02]: You're proven it and people are responded and was there like a ha-ha moment where you're thinking to yourself, okay, this is really starting to happen now.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, let's see.
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[SPEAKER_01]: There was two very special moments.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, one of them I never really, I've never shared on Instagram or on podcast or anything like this.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, so you got a special treat on Instagram.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, this is what I've been telling.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, people have been telling me for years and I like, you should write a post about that or story, but I would love to share with you.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Seven years ago, we were doing a group high cleaned up to eating canyons, a waterfall.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's one of the eating canyons waterfall is one of the nature's that were highly affected by the fires and the LA fires, and while hiking there, two things happened.
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[SPEAKER_01]: One, we saw the amount of people that we were engaging with, and then people were thinking that I was feeling like, you know,
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's like how we've been seeing a consistency there, like you guys cleaning up this area and like we carried a giant live straw, like, you know, giant one, like a fill of a few gallons and we put about a waterfall.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So people, it was filtering water, people were drinking water.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So we were creating experience, you know, like, wow, I've never drained from a waterfall and stuff like that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And then on that same day on the way back out, I met with a randomly met,
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[SPEAKER_01]: Coincidence is pretty good.
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[SPEAKER_01]: One of the the park officials of the Canyon the nature center there at eating Canyon and just meant, you know, I owe me, I guess I would just say forges a connection there and then a two years later We found ourselves through the conservation projects together as helping them out like get exposure to the community we're building Folks are stoked about the outdoors and then it's like, you know, instead of just what since you know, that's what we explore it does is
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[SPEAKER_01]: build huge community of members that are stoked to have a good time in nature and then where I would like, hey, look at this nature center and they need help with this and then you'll have a good amount of folks that are have time and willing to go and help out, you know, and that's what we've been doing throughout the years, but I guess that those two moments of like the community engagement there and then meeting what's called like nature official of such a special
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[SPEAKER_01]: place like in my heart and so many others in an ally eating can and one of the most scored just waterfalls and being able to engage with them and connect with them and then becoming a core partner, you know, two years later and you know that damn at her, you know, her name was Lowrain.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We
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[SPEAKER_01]: I felt it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, this is so cool.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're being seen and we're being taken serious because this is our intention and then we're off the bat.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We all became natural as and you've got to finish getting our certification because we've got became a wilderness first responder.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, those are some sweet little moments that help realize them.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This is onto something beautiful here and we're doing it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: We're having fun and
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[SPEAKER_01]: you know, we had our followers and our community members were just like wanting to just go do everything with weeks where we were.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, we were stoked to provide that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Now, this other story, I'll try to be quick with the road.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It will be quick with it.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I took a group of 10 folks up to
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[SPEAKER_01]: What's it called?
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[SPEAKER_01]: The Lost Coast.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's a backpacking trail along the coastline of it's like mid northern California.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And it's about four hours north of San Francisco.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's a three-day backpacking trip.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I want you sleep and hike along the beach, even get like a black sand beach.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But on day two, we're backpacking and
19:40.505 --> 19:56.016
[SPEAKER_01]: everybody's having breakfast, I'm out there while they're having breakfast, cleaning up trash, I was washing that to show her and I was just I carried a big bag so I can just fill it up with trash and add it to my backpack so when I did the backpacking trip finish it I'd see how much trash I ended up like picking up along the coast.
19:55.996 --> 20:12.934
[SPEAKER_01]: And one of what's it called, I've to see a log with a pink hollow plastic water container and I was just like, okay, that's a little trash, that's a little annoying, I lift up the log and I pick it up and I owe it to a message in the bottle.
20:13.315 --> 20:23.826
[SPEAKER_01]: So I walk back to camp and then I get to, I sit in amongst everybody eating the breakfast and then I open it up and I empty out the container, two vials come out.
20:23.806 --> 20:28.431
[SPEAKER_01]: And with the little bit of like dust and one of them had like a letter, all right?
20:28.451 --> 20:32.875
[SPEAKER_01]: And then I opened it up and I read the letter and it says to whom member finds this message in the bottle.
20:33.315 --> 20:34.116
[SPEAKER_01]: This is my mother.
20:34.757 --> 20:40.523
[SPEAKER_01]: She's always wanted to travel the world and I'm just like, whoa, everybody's like, oh my god, I just stopped the thing and it came up to me.
20:40.563 --> 20:51.113
[SPEAKER_01]: And I guess a little bit of powder I looked down and I stopped mid like reading and I see like that other vibe was literally her like some of her ashes like a good amount of them and I'm just like, whoa.
20:51.093 --> 20:54.520
[SPEAKER_01]: She's like, she's always wanted to travel the world and this is the best I can ever do for her.
20:54.580 --> 21:04.900
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, please, like, you know, keep me updated with her, her travels, her number, her email, and then people, everybody that was like, do the fact that this, this is the best she can ever do.
21:05.021 --> 21:07.245
[SPEAKER_01]: She's always wanted to travel the world and she lands.
21:07.698 --> 21:11.164
[SPEAKER_01]: She finds herself meaning you, the founder of We Explore Earth.
21:11.685 --> 21:13.227
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, what are the chances of that?
21:13.247 --> 21:17.895
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, there has to be some type of symbolic, and that was like, yes, that's honestly true.
21:17.955 --> 21:18.817
[SPEAKER_01]: That's pretty beautiful.
21:18.837 --> 21:21.021
[SPEAKER_01]: So after that, I was just like, like, I looked at the map.
21:21.461 --> 21:26.049
[SPEAKER_01]: She was thrown into the ocean about four miles in south, about three months ago.
21:26.450 --> 21:28.553
[SPEAKER_01]: Those waves are brutally strong.
21:28.573 --> 21:30.977
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, we saw everything, and I was like, she's not going to go anywhere here.
21:31.538 --> 21:33.081
[SPEAKER_01]: So I ended up bringing her.
21:33.061 --> 21:39.211
[SPEAKER_01]: Back with as we finished the backpacking trip came down to LA and then we went to call.
21:39.292 --> 21:59.085
[SPEAKER_01]: I called her daughter And I guess here her what to call she didn't pick up, but I emailed her and she'd and then she called me back And she was so stoked like what did the chances is amazing She got emotional and she's like, please like you can either throw her back in or you take her in your travels Like what do you mean like what?
21:59.065 --> 21:59.967
[SPEAKER_01]: That's so cool.
21:59.987 --> 22:00.748
[SPEAKER_01]: You sure about that.
22:00.768 --> 22:03.153
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, yeah, so she was like, yeah, so I was like, okay.
22:03.213 --> 22:04.436
[SPEAKER_01]: So what did we end up doing?
22:04.476 --> 22:15.758
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I got our new container, glass one, that's a more, if it, you know, eco-friendly, and then the other one, a recycled, and then yeah, we took it to Death Valley, and a Death Valley community road trip.
22:15.738 --> 22:34.940
[SPEAKER_01]: camping trip we took an air to Yosemite and my parents were okay with her living in like in the garden area like you know Had a nice little filter a nice little place and yeah, you know, I named her Betsy Because yeah, I was like you're living a new life.
22:35.040 --> 22:44.631
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like your mom's living a new life She has a new a new name, but yeah, like that was a confirmation that from I was saved the creator the universe like and just
22:44.611 --> 22:56.791
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, that was just like nature telling me like you're doing your own to something here with your your community and your your organization and keep it up like, you know, like those like you're wild, right?
22:57.272 --> 22:58.454
[SPEAKER_02]: That is crazy.
22:58.974 --> 23:03.582
[SPEAKER_02]: Whoa, I did not expect you to be talking about that.
23:04.540 --> 23:07.590
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't care if you could say, oh, that was just a coincidence.
23:07.690 --> 23:11.662
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd be living like that was destined to happen.
23:11.682 --> 23:12.184
[SPEAKER_02]: You know what I mean?
23:12.204 --> 23:15.715
[SPEAKER_02]: That would have given me so much.
23:15.847 --> 23:38.935
[SPEAKER_02]: juice to do this and say all right if at the very least for Betsy we got to keep doing this and that that would be I would absolutely take that as a sign to keep going and that you were on to something that is wild so cool cheese even even folks after this life that want to keep seeing stuff that that's a beautiful story
23:39.556 --> 23:39.977
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
23:40.317 --> 23:40.858
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, thank you.
23:40.878 --> 23:41.659
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad you like it.
23:41.719 --> 23:43.581
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the first time I share out a lot of like this.
23:44.002 --> 23:47.306
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it really was special.
23:47.867 --> 23:49.630
[SPEAKER_01]: And I definitely take it like he said.
23:49.650 --> 23:52.193
[SPEAKER_01]: It definitely gives me juice at the time.
23:52.213 --> 23:56.279
[SPEAKER_01]: I was so like consumed and still like building what we've been building.
23:56.319 --> 23:58.281
[SPEAKER_01]: But now I've had more time with a flag than like you said.
23:58.301 --> 24:00.344
[SPEAKER_01]: It gives me juice when I think about it for sure.
24:00.725 --> 24:01.806
[SPEAKER_02]: Wow, that is awesome.
24:01.866 --> 24:02.787
[SPEAKER_02]: What a cool story.
24:03.168 --> 24:06.272
[SPEAKER_02]: And what you've done.
24:06.252 --> 24:14.510
[SPEAKER_02]: since then to like, you know, bring Betsy part of it and contact her daughter and, you know, provide these experiences for people.
24:14.750 --> 24:21.645
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, what kind of, have you noticed trends, any trends in the last nine years of what?
24:21.794 --> 24:51.058
[SPEAKER_02]: you know how you've responded to the needs that people have to get outside because obviously in that nine years is everything that happened with covid before covid now you're seeing like six years later you know what what what what how have you adjusted based on what you see out there in the community for for needs before covid you know nature is an outlet
24:51.511 --> 25:03.711
[SPEAKER_01]: from, you know, I would just say, society, what what society puts on us and life, but also to connect with ourselves, steeper and nature and the natural world and the stars and you're able to see it all.
25:04.292 --> 25:17.974
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, a lot of not a lot of folks, you know, it takes folks a while to realize and discover these outlets and before COVID, you know, I always saw like, yeah, more people need,
25:17.954 --> 25:21.103
[SPEAKER_01]: to discover and need to find out about this outlet.
25:21.203 --> 25:25.155
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, so always I was always trying to encourage that and people on the streets, that's how I meet it.
25:25.175 --> 25:26.338
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, hey, do you go on hikes?
25:26.358 --> 25:27.482
[SPEAKER_01]: Is there no I haven't really done it?
25:27.502 --> 25:28.585
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like you should definitely go on that.
25:28.886 --> 25:30.210
[SPEAKER_01]: I bet you do you well, you know?
25:30.811 --> 25:32.436
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, um,
25:32.652 --> 25:50.526
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I noticed that, you know, like, you know, there's, you know, there was a need for people to discover nature as an outlet before COVID, but after COVID happened, as soon as it was happening, I was like, oh, well, if people retreat and like in and like, you know, start doing closures and all that.
25:50.506 --> 26:12.835
[SPEAKER_01]: people are going to have more time to realize like, hey, what life is and reflect on life and want to hopefully go outside more, after they get sick and tired of just being indoors and all that and sick and tired of social media and then what happened, I've seen the huge difference in the awakening of folks
26:12.815 --> 26:37.100
[SPEAKER_01]: of wild spirits and their realizations of like, I need to go out to nature more and they, the outdoors industry, the outdoors communities, they all start blowing up after COVID and like, yeah, like, because more people are just, discover during COVID, like, I need more nature and like, you know, they realize I need to go to take care of their health more and everything.
26:37.621 --> 26:40.003
[SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of these folks, you know, to this day,
26:40.642 --> 26:41.504
[SPEAKER_01]: What's it called?
26:41.544 --> 27:04.084
[SPEAKER_01]: They open up about that when I ask questions and stuff, you know, we are every group hike we do every and how most every gathering we do, we ask everybody, you know, raise your hands like, you know, who is, who is here for their first time for a week's worth hike, and more than half of them usually raise their house like, all right, well now raise your hands if you're, is your first like group hike in nature and stuff.
27:04.604 --> 27:34.088
[SPEAKER_01]: a lot like almost half of them usually keep your hands over raise their hands and it's just like to this day that's still happening like we just had our full moon hike the other day we had a hundred people come out for the group hike portion another 55 to like just to like the sound bath and like musical aspect but at the beginning of hike we we asked the same questions more than half like kept their hands up when we asked them if it's your first time going group hike is up like that we're like you know we like to ask question what's the longest hike
27:34.068 --> 27:43.865
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, once a three miles at a park and stuff, it's like, and there's just still so many being awake and are realizing and finding that nature is the most beautiful outlet out there.
27:43.885 --> 27:58.590
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, yeah, you know, we're helping, I guess, adhere to that and provide, you know, these experiences to help a lot of these folks take their first steps into nature with us, you know, with, you know, guided.
27:58.570 --> 28:24.730
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, guided them, but what's it called, you know, naturalists on the team, well, they're the first responders like myself to make sure we're taking care of everybody and passing on the right knowledge and sharing the right knowledge, sharing them, you know, I naturalists have telling what, you know, all trails apps and other apps to help them like get geared up and acquire the tools to keep their, you know, their outdoors journeys, you know, thriving and everything.
28:25.199 --> 28:28.924
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, like there's been a huge awakening after COVID for sure.
28:28.964 --> 28:36.855
[SPEAKER_01]: And to this day too, a lot of people are like, you know, there's just, you know, what the outdoors industry is just, it's a domino effect blowing up.
28:37.435 --> 28:53.417
[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody, you know, there's more and more people like realizing that outdoors is beautiful and the nature is beautiful and it's a beautiful outlet for us to go and, you know, you know, disconnect release in like, you know, and reflect and, you know, nurture our spirits, you know.
28:53.600 --> 29:13.566
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, like there's been a big difference for sure, and it's a beautiful difference, but at the same time, it's like it's important to have like companies like the feeling that really how being like, you know, organizations thrive so we can all collectively, you know, I guess what to call.
29:13.546 --> 29:40.650
[SPEAKER_01]: provide properly, to preserve properly and like the I guess supported to continue providing all these experiences and outlets and conservation projects so we can keep protecting and you protecting nature but also providing for community members that are trying to like get into the outdoors and you know and be well guided you know.
29:41.896 --> 30:00.732
[SPEAKER_02]: As you're seeing, you know, being able to meet people with what they need getting outside and just just finding other people to do it, and your events grow and get bigger in the brand grows, how do you maintain like being that
30:02.483 --> 30:27.557
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just authentic as possible, despite growth, because with that comes, you know, having to check boxes and cross your T's, dot your eyes, legally, and entrances, and contracts, and how do you kind of keep something really cool and ground, you know, grass roots, but also grow to meet the growing need of doing it more effectively.
30:27.577 --> 30:29.740
[SPEAKER_02]: How have you been able to do that?
30:31.053 --> 30:39.346
[SPEAKER_01]: We've been able to do it where I'm a volunteer myself and we're all full of volunteer base.
30:40.167 --> 30:52.487
[SPEAKER_01]: And we explore it, it's become a platform, a tree, where our main group of our community,
30:53.041 --> 31:08.282
[SPEAKER_01]: group of volunteers, we consider ourselves the roots of we explore, you know, it's tree, you know, we consider a tree that tree that brings fruition fruit for us to, you know, be nurtured from and also community members to be nurtured from.
31:08.923 --> 31:21.040
[SPEAKER_01]: And you know, by creating this like vision of we explore it and like sharing it with like folks and being open about it too, we built a team
31:21.020 --> 31:36.463
[SPEAKER_01]: all these backgrounds in what's it called in professional backgrounds with like event production and marketing and what's it called graphic designing and like you know a naturalist
31:36.443 --> 31:40.528
[SPEAKER_01]: And like women's like retreats, everybody has some stuff.
31:40.628 --> 31:41.830
[SPEAKER_01]: We have a women's apartment.
31:42.251 --> 31:43.793
[SPEAKER_01]: And all these folks are coming together.
31:43.813 --> 31:52.163
[SPEAKER_01]: We're all bringing something to the table from a place of love and care of community and also of nature.
31:52.223 --> 32:01.135
[SPEAKER_01]: And as volunteers, we do all this, as volunteers, and we're doing it with nothing asked in return because
32:01.115 --> 32:07.605
[SPEAKER_01]: where what we're doing here is creating something beautiful and we all see it but we're thanked by thousands and everything.
32:07.666 --> 32:23.511
[SPEAKER_01]: We're seeing these, you know, folks literally their lives changing and we're seeing the impact we're bringing together and we what's a call we have folks that are reaching out like our latest chapter that just opened up in New York, you know a year and a half ago.
32:23.744 --> 32:27.911
[SPEAKER_01]: We had a really talented, creative individual.
32:27.971 --> 32:31.517
[SPEAKER_01]: And it was me Laana, she's become a good friend of everybody's now.
32:31.657 --> 32:37.446
[SPEAKER_01]: And she reached out and was just like, I love what you guys are doing in LA for nature and community building.
32:37.566 --> 32:43.035
[SPEAKER_01]: I would love to help get one's chapter starting in New York and we're like, you got it.
32:43.015 --> 32:54.036
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, half of your Wimbai and you know, we met with her, we chatted it up and we saw like if anything, like New York is definitely in need of like outland.
32:54.096 --> 32:56.381
[SPEAKER_01]: So like Bridget nature.
32:57.082 --> 33:04.737
[SPEAKER_01]: And so yeah, you know, from, you know, she, she offered and we're like, hey, why don't we get you started on like a monthly, uh, what's it called like,
33:05.071 --> 33:09.275
[SPEAKER_01]: Group run and then a monthly conservation project will talk to Liberty State Park.
33:09.295 --> 33:19.825
[SPEAKER_01]: We're in conversations with them right now and everything, foraging walks and with naturalists out there, we would also do what's called climb nights and stuff.
33:19.925 --> 33:23.028
[SPEAKER_01]: And by doing that, she's building community now.
33:23.568 --> 33:34.318
[SPEAKER_01]: And she reached out, all she did was reach out, she got inspired by us and wanted to start community building and helping provide nature experiences.
33:34.298 --> 34:04.002
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what we explore it is, it's a reflection of us, but also, you know, it's a reflection of all of us together, but also the community members that come out for the experience and, you know, we're all talented individuals with passions for, you know, for nature, you know, for, yeah, passions for nature, but also for community building and also with our own passions where we, well, it's a platform where we can compact as our passions,
34:03.982 --> 34:05.784
[SPEAKER_01]: and provide while we're doing it.
34:05.945 --> 34:11.733
[SPEAKER_01]: And then like some yogis provide some time if they just offer their services because like hey, I love you guys are building.
34:12.053 --> 34:15.578
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanna give my provision and stuff like that.
34:15.798 --> 34:21.466
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's how we explore it has been maintaining where we've been going, the way we've been growing.
34:22.047 --> 34:33.482
[SPEAKER_01]: And also it's what to call, we're able to like pay it like the org, we have a van, like we were able to get, like a set of the individual reached out is like,
34:33.833 --> 34:34.879
[SPEAKER_01]: I love what you guys are doing.
34:35.161 --> 34:38.781
[SPEAKER_01]: Have 11 Cedar, 43, 50, Super Duty.
34:39.217 --> 34:45.307
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, someone can easily build out like a home in and stuff like that, but I want to give it to you guys for $2,000.
34:45.447 --> 34:51.397
[SPEAKER_01]: We're like, what, you know, like, so those are the type of things like blessings that we've been getting and community members are helping out.
34:51.737 --> 34:53.821
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, we're now we have an insurance for that.
34:53.861 --> 34:56.044
[SPEAKER_01]: We have an insurance for the or we have all kinds of stuff.
34:56.064 --> 35:04.077
[SPEAKER_01]: So thanks to like the support of getting from companies and like, you know, outdoor, you know, leading brands, like I've let it grow into where
35:04.360 --> 35:28.900
[SPEAKER_01]: you know, able to like, you know, take care of the infrastructure and while, like, a lot of the volunteers are, you know, helping grow it, you know, with the site with a with our passion for, you know, for nature and community building and, you know, that's how we've been very heat like resilience and how we've been growing and thriving and, you know, this Saturday, we have our earth, they festival, you know, every year folks look
35:28.880 --> 35:38.976
[SPEAKER_01]: towards, you know, a lot of folks looked towards us and like even employees of other nonprofit orgs that their legendary ones look at us like, what are you guys doing this earth month they now?
35:38.996 --> 35:49.373
[SPEAKER_01]: And so thanks to, you know, the main thing in our application for the grant with athletic brewing colors here was our Earth Day Festival on which we're super stoked to provide this Saturday.
35:49.393 --> 35:51.917
[SPEAKER_01]: We've worked so hard on it and, um,
35:51.897 --> 36:09.518
[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, you know, once again, there's 40 of us, not 38 of us for this circus to or out of town coming together to like host all these, help hosts all these like 20 simultaneous clean up locations, conservation project with nature centers and like a bird walk with while cleaning, you know, trash on the river.
36:09.498 --> 36:13.463
[SPEAKER_01]: In the mornings, the 20 conservation projects happening from coast to coast.
36:13.483 --> 36:26.820
[SPEAKER_01]: You'll send me to National Park in New York, San Francisco, Arizona, and then a lot of them here in SoCal, and then after the cleanups each read, just going to have an after party, at the, you know, thanks to the funding we have for going to be providing like the little after parties.
36:27.261 --> 36:32.788
[SPEAKER_01]: And then our biggest after party will be Earth Day Celebration, will be here in L.A. at the Legion Park.
36:32.768 --> 36:51.925
[SPEAKER_01]: this Saturday and yeah we're going to be doing we have a lot of organizations that are going to be tabling like a lot of those nature centers and organizations that are leading in the restoration efforts for like alley fires instead of effects, alley county fire department, forestry division, eating kind of nature center,
36:51.905 --> 36:59.117
[SPEAKER_01]: LA County themselves and you have like the list goes on and athletic Green Co's gonna be popping up with us too.
36:59.919 --> 37:16.427
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, like we're super stoked to be able to like come together for our biggest event of the year and you know continue to come together for you know every month for our 20 plus provisions you know as volunteers as community members
37:16.407 --> 37:23.277
[SPEAKER_01]: that are literally, you know, nurturing this plant that's nurturing ourselves too, you know, because a lot of these folks have been volunteering.
37:23.638 --> 37:41.605
[SPEAKER_01]: I've gotten in like big-time jobs with using like what they put into we explore, you know, and at one point like, and you know, I really, I really do look at we explore that as like, I would just say, I'm a really big,
37:42.192 --> 37:44.495
[SPEAKER_01]: organization, you know, I like to run like that.
37:44.655 --> 37:55.871
[SPEAKER_01]: And by doing that, I'm always inspiring folks like, hey, you know, like, remember, you, you, you've always wanted to get into product designing and everything, clothing designing, like, this is a platform you can do that.
37:56.312 --> 37:57.814
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they're on the side.
37:57.974 --> 38:01.779
[SPEAKER_01]: And then, you know, they can, you know, get their, you know, their experience.
38:01.799 --> 38:05.725
[SPEAKER_01]: And then put down their resume and then apply for the next job and stuff like that, you know?
38:05.805 --> 38:08.408
[SPEAKER_01]: And, and that's what it's literally been happening here.
38:08.488 --> 38:11.052
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's, it's,
38:11.032 --> 38:14.257
[SPEAKER_01]: we're nurturing, but being nurtured, you know, in a short answer.
38:15.059 --> 38:16.922
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's how we've been resilient, you know?
38:16.982 --> 38:18.424
[SPEAKER_02]: That's so cool.
38:19.967 --> 38:34.170
[SPEAKER_02]: So as this grows and you continue down this path, what's something you've had to learn being not only an organizer, but the leader, maybe you're learning
38:36.631 --> 38:37.674
[SPEAKER_01]: learn and learn.
38:37.694 --> 38:38.596
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a good question.
38:38.616 --> 38:47.418
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say, I've had to learn how to for sure.
38:47.438 --> 38:50.826
[SPEAKER_01]: I have to learn how to like, uh,
38:51.329 --> 38:58.440
[SPEAKER_01]: trying to do it all myself throughout the years, I was always trying to like, you know, but then I realized I was just like, I was like, it's not a ego thing.
38:58.481 --> 39:01.405
[SPEAKER_01]: It was just, I love being involved in everything, but I was like, oh, you know what?
39:01.826 --> 39:06.874
[SPEAKER_01]: What if, you know, I finally came to the consensus or, you know, within myself, like,
39:06.854 --> 39:27.664
[SPEAKER_01]: Delegating if we're able to delegate and start seeing like all right, unlearned always me trying to DIY everything and Like to delegate and then start building a team You know, and that you know if we're really gonna want to take it to those next levels and you know become a really big you know non-profit or
39:28.235 --> 39:46.615
[SPEAKER_01]: uh you know nationwide and who knows internationally uh but uh yeah like we got to unlearn how to the DIY everything and and actually delegate and like you know start you know building a team and like um and yeah you know like I always wanted to
39:47.033 --> 39:49.776
[SPEAKER_01]: lead group hikes, trail runs, rock climbing and all that.
39:50.137 --> 39:52.399
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's like, I can't DIY everything.
39:52.519 --> 39:53.440
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't learn that.
39:53.521 --> 39:55.683
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, let go of some stuff and be like, all right.
39:56.024 --> 40:13.564
[SPEAKER_01]: And when I meet community members, I've learned to see the potential in community members and friends and help them tap into that and help them see their potentially can be like, hey, I want that for you first.
40:14.000 --> 40:30.806
[SPEAKER_01]: I want you to thrive the best you can as an individual for us, but if you find it like as a calling to want to be able to like help out the org as a trail like runner as a trail lead and stuff, you know, you're welcome to do so.
40:30.826 --> 40:35.112
[SPEAKER_01]: If not one day, I would love for that for weeks where they just express that.
40:35.132 --> 40:38.758
[SPEAKER_01]: Next you know, this actually just happened like,
40:38.738 --> 40:43.645
[SPEAKER_01]: five months ago, we have our new trail runner Lee.
40:43.685 --> 40:45.848
[SPEAKER_01]: She's an ultra runner in the works.
40:46.209 --> 40:47.210
[SPEAKER_01]: Her name is Nicole.
40:47.731 --> 40:56.243
[SPEAKER_01]: Amazing team member and she's always like, she's hosted her own group once in the past and she's always wanted to pick them back up again and she had it.
40:56.303 --> 41:05.556
[SPEAKER_01]: She was like, it's an it'd be an honor for me to like start hosting trail runs for the org, you know, and she's now she's been doing that for, you know, twice a month right now.
41:05.536 --> 41:10.603
[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, you know, just to show you think that that's the trail running for the gym.
41:10.623 --> 41:16.913
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like I've learned to like help find help, folks find organically and genuinely loud.
41:16.933 --> 41:18.695
[SPEAKER_01]: Do it like, hey, you're a badass.
41:18.715 --> 41:22.140
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, you're a chingonine spanish, like the sale, oh, like a badass woman.
41:22.621 --> 41:26.106
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, I can see like, oh, you're, you know, you're a beast at trail running.
41:26.126 --> 41:29.011
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, you should really like keep at it and stuff like that.
41:29.051 --> 41:32.135
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you ever want, the org really needs a trail lead and stuff like that.
41:32.155 --> 41:33.417
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're done for trail running.
41:33.397 --> 41:48.975
[SPEAKER_01]: And then yeah, you know, so I do that for all the times I ask all types of like positions within the worry that we have existing right now, like our women's apartment, there's a women's hiking group and what's it called the lead name that you've on to mom.
41:49.343 --> 41:53.848
[SPEAKER_01]: She's a close friend now and then a close crewmate of the org.
41:54.709 --> 42:08.706
[SPEAKER_01]: She was always, I always saw her from, you know, we're really in, I would just say, we've been to like the outdoors community here in SoCal, you know, social media and everything, and I always noticed she's always like doing like women's hikes and stuff like that.
42:09.127 --> 42:14.473
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I reached out, you know, like after we met once on a group hike, we collabed on a group hike, and I was just like, hey,
42:15.010 --> 42:30.395
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's awesome what you're doing and I think you should keep it up like, you know, the outdoors or what I've noticed is mainly women, you know, from our community members, it's like 74% we have a count of like women base that comes out to our events.
42:30.415 --> 42:31.998
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, and that's I think it's really important.
42:32.078 --> 42:33.320
[SPEAKER_01]: I see that's another problem.
42:33.340 --> 42:33.981
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you know,
42:33.961 --> 42:46.054
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I encouraged her and like she was like, hey, you know, I was actually thinking of giving up on, you know, on like, you know, on this side project, I'm like, you know, I just, you know, I just didn't know where I was going with it.
42:46.074 --> 42:50.779
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, hey, one instead of giving up on that one, I need to just join us as a organization.
42:50.819 --> 42:53.842
[SPEAKER_01]: And we explore it now has a women's apartment.
42:54.042 --> 42:56.144
[SPEAKER_01]: And she's just like, I would love that.
42:56.445 --> 42:58.827
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, I just, I don't anything I just need would help.
42:58.847 --> 42:59.808
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, there's so many of us.
42:59.848 --> 43:00.829
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure we're down to help you.
43:00.849 --> 43:03.512
[SPEAKER_01]: There's other women volunteers.
43:03.492 --> 43:08.498
[SPEAKER_01]: And yes, as of like a year ago now like we have a woman's apartment name hiking on purpose.
43:08.839 --> 43:32.368
[SPEAKER_01]: She was her own organization but like you know saying that's how we're becoming one like and staying strong and like so I've learned to see the potential and community and you know and what to call in community members and teammates and help them tap into it and the potential of like you know what they can do as individuals but also what we can do together you know
43:34.036 --> 43:35.884
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I'm learning to do it.
43:35.904 --> 43:36.828
[SPEAKER_01]: I why vibes.
43:37.751 --> 43:38.294
[SPEAKER_01]: That's enough.
43:39.157 --> 43:39.459
[SPEAKER_01]: Always.
43:39.479 --> 43:41.166
[SPEAKER_01]: You would all yourself always.
43:41.186 --> 43:41.628
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
43:41.648 --> 43:42.692
[SPEAKER_02]: That's that's great answers.
43:42.712 --> 43:44.620
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I tell you what.
43:45.832 --> 44:10.489
[SPEAKER_02]: We're so appreciative to be working with you here at Athletic Brewing and I'd love to just learn a little bit more by jumping into some rapid fire questions because we're crazy enough we're already at time and we'll learn a little bit more to through this but if you're ready I can hop in and it's not one word answers it's really just you know shorter answers but should give a little insight in who you are and how you work.
44:11.667 --> 44:12.750
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, let's do it.
44:12.770 --> 44:15.297
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's wait.
44:15.518 --> 44:20.913
[SPEAKER_02]: Let me say, what are you most curious about right now outside of your work at we explore Earth?
44:22.477 --> 44:22.858
[SPEAKER_01]: Mm.
44:23.648 --> 44:29.940
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm most curious about psychedelic rock music, okay, outside of that.
44:29.960 --> 44:30.120
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
44:30.601 --> 44:35.150
[SPEAKER_01]: Psychedelic rock music in nature while like star gazing and like astrophotography.
44:35.570 --> 44:36.051
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
44:36.131 --> 44:36.472
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
44:36.592 --> 44:41.121
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you're tying in your music background now too in production record.
44:41.141 --> 44:47.192
[SPEAKER_02]: If it's, what's your proudest achievement so far at We Explore Earth?
44:48.067 --> 45:14.091
[SPEAKER_01]: at we explore I would say I would say that's why there's been so many achievements I mean I would say this last oh this past month women's panel the org
45:14.527 --> 45:34.493
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll put so much effort into helping out the women's department put together the first of its kind of I've seen in the outdoors like here in SoCal a women's panel event that it was like a mini tour It was a Saturday March 7th we the organization the women's department did a women's panel at REI
45:34.473 --> 45:42.482
[SPEAKER_01]: And then from REI, you know, as a whole morning thing, and then after that, they went on a group hike and yoga session.
45:42.983 --> 45:56.257
[SPEAKER_01]: And the next day, we took the tour down to OC, and then we did the women's apartment did a women's panel there, and they, you know, provided at what they call the whole experience at sports basement.
45:56.297 --> 46:00.362
[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, we, you know, we explore this, like seeing that, like,
46:00.342 --> 46:12.421
[SPEAKER_01]: their achievement there and also working with two big brands like that and helping the brands like, you know, I guess bring down their their berries within each other to like be okay with that type of stuff.
46:12.441 --> 46:28.105
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a beautiful thing and a lot of women came out, you know, and they got a great experience and got to hear some awesome speakers, you know, ultra runners, like Lizzie
46:28.085 --> 46:35.957
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a crazy awesome inspiring runner and we had our women's department head of the head of it at speaking.
46:36.738 --> 46:50.498
[SPEAKER_01]: We had a youth young who spoke with who works with Ask Got Hills Park LA, where we'll actually be doing a partnered Earth Day Clean and Conservation Project with athletic bearing on Earth Day in the morning.
46:50.478 --> 47:00.045
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and yeah, you know, just seeing that that women's like women's panel tour like we can even that was just so awesome.
47:00.667 --> 47:05.500
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the most recent of favorite achievement that pops in my head, but there's so many.
47:05.480 --> 47:14.197
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, seeing our clothing at REI, seeing our full moon high class, we just reach a new elevation of growth.
47:14.277 --> 47:18.946
[SPEAKER_01]: And you had over 150 people out enjoying the full moon.
47:18.966 --> 47:27.623
[SPEAKER_01]: We had NASA, some NASA ambassadors with Los Angeles, astronomical society, come out with their telescopes.
47:27.603 --> 47:31.669
[SPEAKER_01]: Give that experience who folks can be a member to look at nebula.
47:31.729 --> 47:41.863
[SPEAKER_01]: So look at the moon up close all and for a free van, you know, inspiring folks like the achievements just continue Mason That's awesome.
47:42.083 --> 47:55.281
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that was your proud achievement actually I forgot to ask what you know, what did your biggest goal not yet achieved At we explore what's like something you want to make sure y'all y'all do you do well, you know what
47:55.717 --> 47:58.285
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I guess I would just say,
47:58.720 --> 48:00.142
[SPEAKER_01]: Three things real quick.
48:00.442 --> 48:02.806
[SPEAKER_01]: One, we have a custom mobile app coming out.
48:02.906 --> 48:04.568
[SPEAKER_01]: One that would be super successful.
48:04.748 --> 48:08.153
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we're in the works of building out a custom mobile app like UCLA.
48:08.854 --> 48:26.719
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's going to, we feel it's going to be like innovative as hack and really build community and gamify the outdoors and like event attend the attendance and conservation project attendance.
48:26.699 --> 48:28.982
[SPEAKER_01]: and do time, but that thing's one of my mind.
48:29.043 --> 48:38.977
[SPEAKER_01]: Another thing is, I guess, continue making sure we explore either maintains where it's at and continues doing our 20, right now at 24 events average a month.
48:39.698 --> 48:43.144
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, because we're making an impact.
48:43.204 --> 48:48.792
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, either keep it at that, we're helping it grow and thrive and expand.
48:49.177 --> 49:04.081
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and then the other fun thing I have in mind is like we're working on um, I used to produce festivals, music festivals and stuff like that, and we're in taught in the works of like putting together a camp out festival, uh, and um, yeah.
49:05.062 --> 49:08.788
[SPEAKER_01]: Can't say who exactly I don't want to let you out loud, but.
49:08.768 --> 49:20.843
[SPEAKER_01]: Really big music art is that if you let a can my Instagram, you might be able to see who what artists I've worked with in the past and the music industry in general, I used to work for what to call.
49:20.903 --> 49:34.219
[SPEAKER_01]: And so on me, I get dimmog was my main, like, dimmog is a record label from Steve Aoki and, and yeah, you know, the potential and the talks already, the seeds are being planted for a camp out festival in the future.
49:34.469 --> 49:43.611
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, a whole sum of wellness, you know, camp office, that weaves in everything we explore Earth is conservation and everything and fun experience and then music, you know.
49:43.972 --> 49:48.242
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, as you're achieving all these, what's a daily habit you stick to?
49:48.425 --> 49:50.509
[SPEAKER_01]: Ooh, I asked myself four questions every day.
49:50.529 --> 49:51.912
[SPEAKER_01]: So what's the same four questions?
49:51.972 --> 49:52.693
[SPEAKER_01]: How am I doing?
49:52.734 --> 49:54.517
[SPEAKER_01]: And I, I'm brutally honest with myself.
49:54.537 --> 49:55.900
[SPEAKER_01]: I talk to myself out loud.
49:56.261 --> 49:59.186
[SPEAKER_01]: I may look crazy in the sauna or wherever I'm doing it.
49:59.667 --> 50:00.569
[SPEAKER_01]: But how am I doing?
50:00.589 --> 50:03.034
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't care if there's people around me.
50:03.074 --> 50:05.920
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm still like, they're just like, side eyeing me.
50:05.940 --> 50:06.721
[SPEAKER_01]: How am I doing?
50:07.423 --> 50:08.104
[SPEAKER_01]: What am I doing?
50:08.708 --> 50:11.452
[SPEAKER_01]: know, what do I need and where am I going?
50:11.993 --> 50:13.476
[SPEAKER_01]: Because my answer is four questions.
50:13.536 --> 50:21.448
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm able to like, basically, it's like, you guys journaling every day out loud and like, you know, I'm able to remember and keep on track.
50:21.468 --> 50:22.971
[SPEAKER_01]: What am I, you know, how am I doing?
50:22.991 --> 50:24.533
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, am I feeling okay?
50:24.553 --> 50:25.795
[SPEAKER_01]: Am I feeling bad?
50:25.835 --> 50:28.860
[SPEAKER_01]: Am I, you know, am I feeling like I need to retreat?
50:29.144 --> 50:30.265
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, what am I doing?
50:30.305 --> 50:31.526
[SPEAKER_01]: That's making me feel like that.
50:31.546 --> 50:32.547
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, oh, I'm doing this and that.
50:32.567 --> 50:34.970
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm working on the org and where, you know, I'm staying balance.
50:35.030 --> 50:36.551
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm trying to, you know, I'm playing soccer.
50:36.571 --> 50:37.873
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm all I'm lacking on this.
50:38.273 --> 50:39.134
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, what do I need?
50:39.194 --> 50:41.016
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, oh, what do I need to fix that, you know?
50:41.116 --> 50:42.598
[SPEAKER_01]: And then, where am I going?
50:42.658 --> 50:44.660
[SPEAKER_01]: I set that vision to manifest, you know?
50:44.760 --> 50:52.908
[SPEAKER_01]: And asking those four questions I've been helping me get through the days and get through these phases and, you know, and make sure, you know, I can't hold myself accountable.
50:53.028 --> 50:57.953
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, and push it to the, you know, keep on thriving and push it to the next level.
50:58.237 --> 51:03.252
[SPEAKER_01]: Four questions and those four questions in my opinion are really important for me and I encourage folks to do it in it
51:03.367 --> 51:04.468
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
51:04.488 --> 51:05.229
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
51:05.249 --> 51:08.513
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you have your fan of athletic brewing?
51:08.533 --> 51:11.216
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you happen to have a favorite athletic beer?
51:11.276 --> 51:12.798
[SPEAKER_02]: Is there any style that you like?
51:13.138 --> 51:15.841
[SPEAKER_01]: The he's he's honestly he's in my favorite.
51:16.462 --> 51:17.643
[SPEAKER_01]: I still have one left over.
51:17.663 --> 51:21.027
[SPEAKER_01]: I've been like I'll leave it to like a special occasion.
51:22.248 --> 51:26.373
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but I had a was it so tasty.
51:26.413 --> 51:27.134
[SPEAKER_01]: So refreshing.
51:27.154 --> 51:28.395
[SPEAKER_01]: It's perfect for the summer.
51:28.375 --> 51:32.165
[SPEAKER_01]: So we actually, we had a cooler with some of them in there.
51:32.466 --> 51:35.575
[SPEAKER_01]: This passality, we did cook them on the peak and at the end of the hike.
51:36.156 --> 51:36.999
[SPEAKER_01]: Nice and cold.
51:37.039 --> 51:42.474
[SPEAKER_01]: We had our, our, most of us had our non-alcoholics and, uh, someone was just like, sticking to caffeine.
51:42.955 --> 51:43.617
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah.
51:43.597 --> 52:01.116
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, now those the hazy's my favorite though, and athletic really killed it on the, on the hazy, you know, the fact that it's not like a holly to it's it's amazing and I stopped drinking, you know, a while back alcohol, so like it's nice to really have.
52:01.653 --> 52:07.108
[SPEAKER_01]: really tasty drink, you know, from time to time, you know, that's an alcoholic.
52:07.489 --> 52:16.675
[SPEAKER_01]: And I used to be really big into like, into bruise, you know, from stouts, Russian imperialists, and that too, like, all that stuff, but like, yeah,
52:16.655 --> 52:42.831
[SPEAKER_01]: You know and like I've always was a fan of just the brood self and like being able to find a company and not only just find the company And but also see the company supporting or a side project like project of my passion love It's like it's so exciting and it's uh, you know, it's really cool to like you see like y'all I flutter brewing really puts that so much effort into the actual brew and the taste and damn does it taste good
52:42.811 --> 53:03.300
[SPEAKER_01]: it's like we're always joking like man this tastes like a real like like whoa like it's fermented so well it's like borderline it feels like placebo we like to say mess in your eye because it's like it's so good it's like the real thing it's like and makes you laid out you know what's it called enjoy yourself from blacks and it's really refreshing that's the most important thing
53:03.618 --> 53:04.319
[SPEAKER_02]: That's awesome.
53:04.339 --> 53:14.730
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, on every can, it used to say brew without compromise, and we started realizing that was more of like a model for all of life is to live without compromise.
53:16.011 --> 53:18.895
[SPEAKER_02]: That's obviously what you're doing is you build weak explorers.
53:18.915 --> 53:20.957
[SPEAKER_02]: What does it mean to you to live without compromise?
53:22.298 --> 53:29.406
[SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, I guess as long as I'm staying balanced, you know, going, giving it all,
53:29.977 --> 53:48.238
[SPEAKER_01]: during the best I can and without spreading myself fan I've realized but like to like give and not expect anything back and you know build and lead and see you know that the the impacts and all I guess for me that's that's what
53:48.522 --> 54:14.749
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I'm realizing it and like I'm still on that process where like I've been so busy with like building it within like the den that I I'm finally reaching the point where like we the org is everything is so delegating out in a beautiful way that we're like all right um I have more time for me to reflect and be able to like answer that question deeper you know down the line but um I'm gonna add it to my journal and
54:15.168 --> 54:21.621
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, for me, like, I guess that is, you know, what I'm how it feels for me right now to living without compromise.
54:21.902 --> 54:25.169
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's so powerful by the way that you'll run by that, honestly.
54:25.229 --> 54:30.099
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, it really is a powerful, you know, way to pave the way.
54:30.159 --> 54:32.704
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, athletic brewing is doing honestly.
54:35.789 --> 54:36.812
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, there you have it folks.
54:36.832 --> 54:41.767
[SPEAKER_02]: You can learn more about William and the team at weexploreearth.com.
54:41.948 --> 54:47.284
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you'd like to try any of our award-winning non-alcoholic brews, go to athleticbrowing.com.