From the age of 15 I wanted to work in the outdoor industry.

When I was in high school I was obsessed with rock climbing. Not a typical sport for a kid in Texas to be obsessed with. I loved everything about it and wanted to be around it as much as possible so I decided to get a job at the local outdoor store.

They wouldn't hire me. So I offered to come in on Mondays after school and clean all of their rental equipment for free.

After working for free for two days they hired me.

Every day I worked at that outdoor store was heaven for me. I was surrounded by like-minded people talking about the gear and activities I loved. I worked hard and was a great employee.

But I needed to get closer to actual mountains. I knew of an outdoor leadership school in the mountains of California where I wanted to spend my summer. I called them up to see about a job. They promised me a job, a place to sleep and meals for the summer if I could get myself to California.

I made $5 a day that first summer and I couldn't have been happier.

I was doing grunt work but surrounded by people making their living guiding in the mountains. I found my tribe.

I continued to work for this organization seasonally for eight years. They eventually paid me more, but not much. I met my future wife while working there. On one of our first dates, she asked me what I wanted to do with my life.

I told her I wanted to own a brand in the outdoor industry.

My first job at the company I now own was packing boxes and sweeping the floor.

I actually applied for a different position but didn't get it. They called me back a few months later and gave me the box packing job out of pity. The pay matched the glamour of the job.

I was packing orders of winter hats (toques if you're in Canada, beanies in the U.S.) and shipping them to outdoor retail shops throughout North America. I had made it one step further into the outdoor industry and I couldn't have been happier. I was keen. I asked questions. I took on projects. I did everything I could to learn about how to run a business.

I worked there for three years until the owners offered to sell me the company.

I've owned the company since 2009.

[Update: I sold the company in 2024]