#101: Erik & Emily Orton - Failing Forward, Failing Better

Disrupt Yourself Podcast with Whitney Johnson

When Erik and Emily Orton sailed their boat up the Hudson River, there was no one to greet them. It was late, and no fanfare or celebration disturbed the stillness of the night. But the Orton’s and their five children felt what they had sensed many times over the past year: a quiet victory. They had made it. One year and 2,500 miles after leaving home, the Orton’s had managed to sail their family from St. Martin’s in the Caribbean all the way back to New York City.

Today on the podcast my guests have a particularly unusual story of disruption. I typically showcase individuals who jump to a new professional learning curve, but Erik and Emily didn’t just jump, they leapt, swam, and climbed up a curve completely removed from their original day to day life. As documented in their book Seven at Sea, they chose to live on a boat with their five children for a year while sailing up the east coast of the United States at the breakneck speed of 5 miles an hour. While many would balk at the idea of taking a year off of work (and some would say life) to make such a trip, the Orton’s felt strongly that this opportunity would be transformative—in all the best ways. Through physical strain and emotional courage, Erik and Emily found their balance, strengthened their family, made lifelong friends along the journey and learned that they can, in fact, do hard things.

Full show notes and links at https://whitneyjohnson.com/erik-emily-orton