Ep. 55: Interview w/ Jonathan Buford - Nature Photographer, Author, Environmentalist, & Master Brewer

In this episode of Get Real or Die Trying, host Amadon DellErba sits down with Jonathan Buford — wilderness photographer, master brewer, entrepreneur, and co‑founder of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company — for a raw conversation about land, business, conservation, and what it really means to live in relationship with place.​Jonathan shares his journey from starting a small service business and homebrewing in his garage to building Arizona Wilderness into a nationally recognized, conservation‑minded brewery rooted in the desert landscapes of his home. Together, Amadon and Jonathan explore how the way we grow, make, and consume things mirrors our relationship to land and community — and why any meaningful “wilderness ethic” has to show up in our everyday choices, not just our weekend hikes.​This conversation dives into sacred commerce, storytelling through beer, the soul of the Sonoran Desert, localism, and the hard lessons of building a mission‑driven company in a profit‑driven culture. Jonathan speaks candidly about failure, risk, and humility, and about how photographing all of Arizona’s wilderness areas reshaped his understanding of public lands, responsibility, and what it means to belong to a place.Weaving together ecology, entrepreneurship, creativity, and cultural renewal, this episode reveals why protecting wild places is inseparable from how we do business and how we treat each other. It points to a future where beer, art, and stewardship are not separate lanes, but one path toward a more alive and attentive way of living.If you’re ready to rethink what “success” looks like, question extractive business models, and explore what real stewardship looks like on the ground in the American Southwest — this conversation will leave you challenged, inspired, and invited to take responsibility for your own corner of the world.#jonathanbuford #arizonawilderness #sacredcommerce #getrealordietrying