86: Brittany Charboneau: The Path from Average to Elite

Breaking Trail

Brittany Charboneau is a Denver-native and also known as The Funny Runner because she is pursuing a career in running and comedy.

Sponsored by fellow Colorado-native company OtterBox, and thanks to her coach Jenni Nettik with Mercuria Running and her entire "Dream Team" of trainers, she qualified for the Olympic Trials' A' Standard at the 2018 Los Angeles Marathon with a time of 2:36. Brittany was the 10th American finisher at the 2018 New York City Marathon and finished 11th at the 2019 New York City Half Marathon. Most recently, she has stepped into the trail running scene and her debut season saw wins at the 2019 Leadville Heavy Half, Telluride Rundola and Aspen Backcountry Heavy Half.

Her background of improv and sketch comedy stems from her training at The Second City Chicago and The Annoyance Chicago. Brittany teaches improv and performs regularly at the Bovine Metropolis Theater in Denver. She has written, performed, and directed her own one-woman sketch comedy show called "My Long Distance Relationship with Running: From the Early Miles to the Olympic Trials."

Brittany was an Olympic hopeful from childhood but was a very average runner/athlete through school and college. Eventually, she quit her job to pursue a career in running and comedy. We talk today about listening to your gut, following your path and finding the confidence or the signs to know you are on the right track.

There are many lessons in today's show. Enjoy and with that, let's listen in and gear up for what's next.

We talk about:

• How she made the transition from the middle of the pack to an elite runner

• Taking a big leap and following your path. And wondering if it is even the right path.

• Setting small goals to achieve big wins

• Adapting to things outside of your control

• Her strategy for winning the Olympic trials

So, with that, let’s listen in and gear up for what’s next.

Where to find Brittany

• The Funny Runner

• Instagram

• Blog post on trail runners. Read it. It's funny.

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About Lisa Gerber:

Lisa advises CEOs and senior-level management on how to use the power of storytelling and effective communication to influence action and bring ideas to life.

She guides companies through the digital maze of constantly changing tools to build discovery, loyalty, and ultimately help them achieve their own big leaps.

When she is not in her office, she might be out skiing or trail running. This is where she does her best creative problem-solving.

To learn more about booking Lisa for consulting, speaking or workshops, visit www.bigleapcreative.com.