Best Shawn Stratton Podcasts (2024)

1
James "KG" Kagambi: NOLS - Mt. Everest in Detail 1:30:07

1+ y ago1:30:07

1:30:07

Today our guest is James "KG" Kagambi, Senior NOLS Instructor and the owner of KG Mountain Expeditions. He joined NOLS as a field instructor in 1987. KG has worked many curses types over the years but regularly works in NOLS mountaineering programs in Patagonia, Alaska, East Africa, and India. KG is not only a senior NOLS instructor; he is the most…

1
(Rewind) Rachel James: NOLS - Storms from Patagonia to Alaska 59:39

1+ y ago59:39

59:39

Rachel James was born and raised in Palmer, Alaska. She started working at the NOLS Alaska branch at the age of 15, cleaning toilets and landscaping; this was also when she started ice climbing. Rachel took a NOLS Alaska Mountaineering course at 16 and started working as a mountaineering instructor after taking the first-ever NOLS Alaska Instructor…

1
Jeff Rose: Outward Bound - Losing A Co-instructor, Losing a Student and Getting Lost 1:23:28

1+ y ago1:23:28

1:23:28

Jeff Rose has worked as an outdoor educator for over two decades, including 19 seasons with Outward Bound. Besides Outward Bound, Jeff has worked for numerous colleges and universities, including the University of Utah, Davidson College, San Diego State University, UC San Diego, and Indiana University. He also worked for Adventures Cross Country an…

1
Steve Smith: Outward Bound - Value of a Near Miss 1:00:50

2y ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Steve Smith has worked in the outdoor industry for over thirty years, in the field, in the office, in the board room, and in national leadership roles, specializing in program leadership, risk management, and staff training. As a teen, he took a NOLS semester course in 1991 and for Outward Bound from 1998 through to today. Since 2008 he has run a r…

1
Travis Holmes: NOLS - Alaska Canoe Epic, A Love Story and Crocodile Bites Canoe Paddle 1:40:02

2y ago1:40:02

1:40:02

Travis Holmes was born in grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He lived most of his life in Alberta, B.C. and the Yukon; however, for the past 15 years, he has been living in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, with his wife, ten and 8-year-old kids. Travis worked in outdoor education for much of the 1990s and 2000s. His work lifeguarding in swimming poo…

1
Mike Clelland: NOLS - One Epic Alaska Mountaineering Course! 1:28:05

2y ago1:28:05

1:28:05

As a young adult, Mike lived in New York City from 1981 to 1991, working as a freelance illustrator. During that time, he spent one winter season as a ski bum in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1986 and couldn’t get it out of his system. So Mike moved west permanently in 1991, eventually settling in Driggs, Idaho, where he spent a quarter of a century. H…

1
Steve Whitney (part 2): NOLS - Instructor Disagreement, Big Falls, and Grizzly Bears 1:45:29

2y ago1:45:29

1:45:29

Steve grew up in Maine & New Hampshire and was an outdoor recreation major at Plymouth State College. He completed a NOLS student semester in 1993, and the rest is history. He has been an outdoor educator professionally since 1994 for many organizations, including Plymouth State College, Barnstead Elementary School, Tioga County Community Wildernes…

1
Steve Whitney (part 1): Cameron Diaz Comes to NOLS and Other Wild Stories 1:11:50

2y ago1:11:50

1:11:50

Steve grew up in Maine & New Hampshire and was an outdoor recreation major at Plymouth State College. He completed a NOLS student semester in 1993, and the rest is history. He has been an outdoor educator professionally since 1994 for many organizations, including Plymouth State College, Barnstead Elementary School, Tioga County Community Wildernes…

1
Andrew Cusack (with David Perry): NOLS - $30,000 Blister in the Yukon 1:28:47

2y ago1:28:47

1:28:47

Andrew Cusack was born and raised in Sudbury, ON, and studied Outdoor Recreation and Natural Science at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, ON. He spent more than ten years working in outdoor education for organizations across Asia and North America, including NOLS Project DEAR, Asia Pacific Adventure, Hong Kong International School, Hong Kong Univ…

1
Megan McGinty: Outward Bound, NOLS - Students Engulfed In A Forest Fire 1:05:53

2y ago1:05:53

1:05:53

Megan is currently living in Fairbanks, Alaska, on the lands of the Upper Tanana people, finishing up a Post Doctorate contract with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Megan has had an extensive career working in outdoor education. In 1992 she began the first of her eight years working for the North Carolina Outward Bound and later the Pacific Cre…

1
Brady Robinson and Ed Roberson: NOLS - Instructor & Student Share Different Perspectives on the Same Story 1:26:44

2y ago1:26:44

1:26:44

Brady Robinson Brady began working in outdoor education in the mid-'90s at a boy's camp in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. He went on to work with Outward Bound for over a decade, spent some time guiding, and instructed with NOLS for a few years. After leaving fieldwork, he has primarily worked in conservation as the Executive Director of the Access F…

1
Brendan Madden: NOLS, Outward Bound - Mental Health Challenges for Students and Instructors 57:11

2y ago57:11

57:11

Brendan Madden is from Dublin, Ireland and has lived in Canada since I was 12. He is currently the head of Programs and Interim Director of a new Training Academy for Outdoor Professionals at Outward Bound Canada. He has been active in the expedition-based adventure education field for over 25 years, mainly as a program director and senior instruct…

1
Henry Wood: Outward Bound & NOLS - Rockfall in the North Cascade Mountains 59:47

2y ago59:47

59:47

Henry Wood grew up in Atlanta but has lived in Boulder, CO, since 2005. He studied Philosophy and English literature at Georgia State University before embarking on a 10-year career in outdoor education, most notable with Outward Bound and the NOLS. While working in outdoor education, Henry led backpacking, mountaineering, canyoneering, and climbin…

1
Geoff Kooy: NOLS - Stroke Survivor 10:05

2y ago10:05

10:05

In this short "in-between" episode, Shawn shares a few stories from former Outward Bound and NOLS Instructor and, most recently, stroke survivor Geoff Kooy, who had emailed to the show.

1
Paul Koubek: NOLS - Planning to Run Out Of Food 54:39

2y ago54:39

54:39

Paul's career in outdoor leadership began in 1995 when he began working with adjudicated youth in the desert of southern Utah. He started working with Outward Bound in 1998 and moved up to work with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in 2000. With NOLS, he ultimately worked 265 field weeks as a mountaineering, rock climbing and sailing C…

1
Tim Felt: NOLS - Patagonia Mountaineering or Advanced River Crossing 1:24:01

2y ago1:24:01

1:24:01

Tim Felt grew up in the suburban wilds of Northern California. His career in outdoor education started with him working in boarding schools 1991-94 running outdoor programs and teaching biology in New Hampshire and Arizona. He took a NOLS Instructors Course in 1993 and started work in the field immediately. For the next decade, Tim went on lead bac…

1
Rachel James: NOLS - Storms from Patagonia to Alaska 59:39

2y ago59:39

59:39

Rachel James Rachel James was born and raised in Palmer, Alaska. She started working at the NOLS Alaska branch at the age of 15, cleaning toilets and landscaping; this was also when she started ice climbing. Rachel took a NOLS Alaska Mountaineering course at 16 and started working as a mountaineering instructor after taking the first-ever NOLS Alas…

1
Curtis Tronolone (part 2): NOLS - Losing Control of the Student Group 1:22:15

2+ y ago1:22:15

1:22:15

For the second podcast in a row, we have Curtis Tronolone on the show to share some more wild stories from the field. Before we review Curtis's bio we wanted to share a recent podcast review. Podcast Review Makes me homesick for my recent expedition life! Just an incredible chance to get into the field from afar. I’m loving this podcast- it made me…

1
Curtis Tronolone: NOLS - Broken Leg Resilience with the Naval Academy 1:37:26

2+ y ago1:37:26

1:37:26

Curtis Tronolone, grew up in rural upstate New York, along the Erie canal, nestled between the small towns of Churchville, Spencerport, and Brockport. He began his love of outdoor pursuits as a kid, boating and hiking with his family, and spending his summers riding horses at New York summer camps before undertaking a NOLS mountaineering course as …

1
(Rewind) David Yacubian: NOLS - Doing CPR When Teaching CPR 56:58

2+ y ago56:58

56:58

David Yacubian has been working in Outdoor Education for more than 20 years and has over 15 years of risk management and emergency preparedness experience. He has worked with NOLS as an instructor and advisor on four different continents around the globe. Dave has also run over 100 NOLS Wilderness Medicine courses in the San Francisco Bay Area thro…

1
Trevor Deighton: NOLS - Mystery Bullet and Practical Jokes 1:08:15

2+ y ago1:08:15

1:08:15

Our guest this week, Trevor Deighton, was born and raised in the Washington DC area. He currently lives in Victor, Idaho and teaches 8th-grade Physical Science at the Jackson Hole Middle School. Trevor is a passionate backcountry skier and has been teaching and guiding in the backcountry for over 30 years on all seven continents. He has worked for …

1
Jared Spaulding: NOLS - Too Much Cheese and Falling Trees 1:00:03

2+ y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Our guest today Jared Spaulding has worked in the outdoor education industry since 1999. He has worked for NOLS for over 20 years as a field instructor and now mixes his time between instructing and an administrative program supervisor role at the Rocky Mountain branch. Jared has instructed courses in Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, C…

1
Anjeanette LeMay: Outward Bound - Adventures From South Africa to the Arctic! 52:10

2+ y ago52:10

52:10

Anjeanette LeMay is a mother and educator living close to the forest, lakes and ocean of Mi'kmaki (Nova Scotia). Raised in Southern Ontario, AJ has relished the opportunity to work in outdoor and experiential education for 25 years throughout Canada, South Africa and the United States. Over this time, she has worked for outdoor education programs S…

1
Moose Mutlow: North Carolina Outward Bound and Beyond! 1:04:07

2+ y ago1:04:07

1:04:07

Moose Mutow has over 30 years of traditional and alternative education experience around the globe. He has course directed 58-day Outward Bound instructor trainings in Appalachia, been a deputy headmaster in the Kalahari Desert, managed a beach concession on the Mediterranean, slogged through Australian rain forests with middle school students, jug…

1
(Rewind) Marc Randolph: NOLS - Netflix Founder On Leadership Lessons Learned in the Field 1:05:41

2+ y ago1:05:41

1:05:41

(This week we share a REWIND of a popular episode with Marc Randolph. Check out this new video about Marc's time working for NOLS - https://bit.ly/3nxK9uL) #TheTrailToSuccess Our guest is a former NOLS Instructor and Chair of the NOLS Board of Trustees, but he is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph. His incredibly s…

1
Shawn Stratton (with Shari Leach) NOLS: Indian Military Evacuation From the Himalayas 1:11:52

2+ y ago1:11:52

1:11:52

This week on the Hot Drinks podcast Shari Leach interviews me about an epic I experienced while leading a NOLS course in the Himalayas of India. Shawn is an international leadership consultant, professional speaker, bestselling author, podcast host, Ironman and Ultramarathon competitor. Shawn has a bachelor’s degree in Experiential Education and a …

1
Dave Anderson: NOLS - Good Luck / Bad Luck, Adventures from India to Las Vegas 1:05:10

2+ y ago1:05:10

1:05:10

Hey everyone, welcome to the Hot Drinks podcast. I am your host Shawn Stratton. Each week I sit down with an outdoor educator to hear some of their best stories leading students on wilderness expeditions around the world. Dave was born in Simsbury, CT, and grew up in Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine BS in Wildlife Biology and starte…

1
Michel Raab: NOLS - Adventures in Kenya, Patagonia and Greenland 48:53

2+ y ago48:53

48:53

Our guest today, Michel Raab, was born in Santiago, Chile. He has always been fond of nature since childhood. Swimming, sailing, mountain biking, hiking, and slowly venturing in the Andes as a teenager – these things were what grew Michel into all that he is today. He currently lives in Coyhaique, Chili’s Patagonia region, with his wife, Betsy, and…

1
Clemencia Caporale: NOLS Wilderness Medicine - Saving the Life of a Stranger and Spending the Day with Paul Petzold 58:50

2+ y ago58:50

58:50

Clemencia Caporale belongs to East Coast but currently lives in her Kimbo Camper and instructs for NOLS Wilderness Medicine and Prescott College. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire's Outdoor Education Program, attended the Audubon Expedition Institute's travelling master's program, and earned a Master in Environmental Education from…

1
Phil Henderson: NOLS - Blazing a Trail to Mt. Everest For People of Colour 1:19:53

2+ y ago1:19:53

1:19:53

This week’s guest is Phil Henderson. A native of California, Philip has worked in the outdoor industry for almost three decades, mostly with NOLS. His passion for outdoor recreation, education and climbing has provided him with opportunities to travel and climb around the world. He has been on several major expeditions including Everest, Denali, Ki…

1
Chris Agnew: NOLS - Parachutes, Helicopters, First Ascents and Lots of Cheese! 1:06:22

2+ y ago1:06:22

1:06:22

This week on the show, I speak with Chris Agnew. Chris has dedicated his career in education to combining immersive learning with more traditional learning models. He grew up on Bainbridge Island near Seattle and spent 25 years in various outdoor educational institutions, 15 of which were with NOLS. Chris began his career at NOLS, leading expeditio…

1
Shari Leach: NOLS - Bears, Lost Student & A Lightning Strike 1:06:48

2+ y ago1:06:48

1:06:48

Since the early 90s, Shari Leach has been involved in outdoor and adventure education. Since then, she has worked in OB, NOLS, United World College, Prescott College, and NOLS Wilderness Medicine. Shari currently teaches first aid, rock climbing, and mountaineering and is a Prescott master’s program lecturer. She is fluent in English and Spanish, h…

1
(rewind) John Able: NOLS - High Highs, and (hilarious) Low Lows 1:01:54

2+ y ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Originally from Southern California, John Abel has worked in outdoor education from 1984 to 2019. He has worked in many different roles such as administrative, instructional, consultative – but the bulk of and the best of his work was as a field instructor for NOLS. John has been a NOLS instructor since 1991, mainly working hiking, climbing, and mo…

1
(Rewind) Heather Hamilton - NOLS: Earthquakes and a Flood 1:04:00

2+ y ago1:04:00

1:04:00

Like many outdoor educators’ travel has been a constant theme in the life of our guests today. I'm thrilled to have Heather Hamilton join us on the show. Heather has always had a hard time answering, “where are you from?” – as she has lots of places that feel like home but was born in Wichita, Kansas, and has travelled a fair amount for a Kansas ki…

1
James "KG" Kagambi: NOLS & KG Mountain Expeditions - Stories From A NOLS Legend 43:00

2+ y ago43:00

43:00

Today our guest is James "KG" Kagambi, Senior NOLS Instructor and the owner of KG Mountain Expeditions. He joined NOLS as a field instructor in 1987. KG has worked many curses types over the years but regularly works in NOLS mountaineering programs in Patagonia, Alaska, East Africa, and India. KG is not only a senior NOLS instructor; he is the most…

1
David Pool: Outward Bound Canada, Class Afloat - Teaching on a Tall Ship in the Middle of a Storm 1:01:01

2+ y ago1:01:01

1:01:01

David Pool grew up in Ottawa and currently lives in North Vancouver with his wife Katey and his two kids. He worked for Outward Bound Canada from 2001-2007 and with Class Afloat. When David moved to the west coast of Canada, he started working in the outdoor education Explore Program at Collingwood School before moving into student services as a co…

1
David Berg: NOLS - Risk Management Embarrassment to Evacuating an Entire Course 59:02

2+ y ago59:02

59:02

David Berg began working in outdoor education in 1992 as a kayak guide in the San Juan Islands, just after graduating from college. He then spent several years in Southern California teaching open water kayaking, surf kayaking, and expeditions. David finished his NOLS Sea Kayak IC in British Columbia in 1999. His first course was in Baja the follow…

1
(Rewind) Chris Manchester - NOLS: Alaska Bear Encounter Like No Other 51:00

2+ y ago51:00

51:00

In this summer rewind addition, of the Hot Drinks, we share one of our most popular episodes today with veteran NOLS Instructor Chris Machester. Chris shares a few hair-raising stories from Alaska to Baja and from bears to drugs!

1
(Rewind, Feb 2020) Jim Chisholm - NOLS: Adventures With A Large Cat in the Amazon 45:56

2+ y ago45:56

45:56

This week we speak with NOLS living legend Jim Chisholm. Jim has worked in the field with NOLS for over 35 years and has many outstanding stories to share. 8:15 Caiman, Anaconda, Electric Eel, Cat Fish ... 9:30 Jaguar hunting ground 19:45 I thought about my options 23:19 I WILL NOT DIE 34:50 I also know the Jaguar…

1
Shawn Stratton: NOLS - It Was Supposed to be an Easy Course, Canoeing in Alaska 1:22:37

2+ y ago1:22:37

1:22:37

Shawn is an international leadership consultant, professional speaker, bestselling author, podcast host, Ironman and Ultramarathon competitor. Shawn has a bachelor’s degree in Experiential Education and a Master’s in Leadership. He devoted 15 years to leading teams on wilderness expeditions around the world into some of the harshest environments, a…

1
Jesse Pierce: Outward Bound Canada - Reflections on Home Place and Misadventures in Northern Ontario 59:03

2+ y ago59:03

59:03

Born in Guelph, Ontario, our guest today, Jesse Pierce, grew up cross country skiing and hiking with her family. She remembers camping in Tobermory near Georgian Bay, Ontario as a teenager and having the tingling feeling that this is what she needed to be doing in the future. So after high school, she went on to earn a degree in Outdoor Recreation …

1
Ian Pineau: NOLS - Adventures Paddling with Students in Mexico, Utah, and Yukon! 57:15

3y ago57:15

57:15

Ian Pineau has spent the past 45 years learning about and working in the Outdoor Education field. From a small PEI farm; close to the coast, his first outdoor education experience would be in a fishing boat with his grandfather. Ian’s first paid job in the field came at 18 when he was a facilitator with at-risk youth. As a student at the University…

1
Mark Hamlin: NOLS - Behaviour Challenges Can Be The Hardest To Deal With 1:04:12

3y ago1:04:12

1:04:12

Today, I speak with NOLS Instructor Mark Hamlin, from small-town Indiana and living in Lander, WY, full time for the past decade. He completed a NOLS student course in 1987, mountaineering in the North Cascades of Washington state and led his first backcountry trip at the age of 18 in 1988. Mark took his NOLS Mountain Instructor Course in 1990 and …

1
Marianne Dawson Alexander: NOLS/Outward Bound Canada - Do You Need Some Food? 55:34

3y ago55:34

55:34

Marianne Dawson Alexander started working in outdoor education in 1995 at a YMCA summer camp in Ontario, leading two-week canoe trips in Temagami. From 2000-2005 she worked for Outward Bound Canada in Ontario and on the west coast of Canada, mostly leading hiking and canoeing course with youth at risk. She came to NOLS in 2004, taking a River Instr…

1
Jaret Slipp: NOLS - Stepping on a Crocodile, Skinning A Polar Bear & Floatplane Adventures 50:33

3y ago50:33

50:33

Jaret Slipp was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Nova Scotia and Ontario. He believes that anyone can be a leader and that as instructors, it’s our role to provide the environment and training to help people discover their full potential. He is currently living on a sailboat in the Caribbean with his wife and two adorable daughters for a cou…

1
Erica Lorenzen Lengacher: NOLS - Legendary Epic on Denali 1:23:34

3y ago1:23:34

1:23:34

Our guest, Erica Lorenzen Lengacher grew up in the Seattle area and has been a bit of a nomad since her high school years. Along with her husband, 8-year-old daughter, she is now happily settled in Whitefish, Montana. She took a NOLS semester in the Rockies in 1993 (during a year off from college) and was immediately smitten with all that NOLS had …

1
Marc Randolph: Netflix Founder On Leadership Lessons Learned at NOLS 1:05:41

3y ago1:05:41

1:05:41

Today, our guest is a former NOLS Instructor and Chair of the NOLS Board of Trustees, but he is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph. His incredibly successful career as an entrepreneur span more than four decades. He's founded or co-founded half a dozen other successful startups, including, most recently, Looker Dat…

1
John Able: NOLS - High Highs, and (hilarious) Low Lows 1:01:54

3y ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Originally from Southern California, John Abel has worked in outdoor education from 1984 to 2019. He has worked in many different roles such as administrative, instructional, consultative – but the bulk of and the best of his work was as a field instructor for NOLS. John has been a NOLS instructor since 1991, mainly working hiking, climbing, and mo…

1
Andy Blair: NOLS - Reflection on NOLS Kenya 1:08:35

3y ago1:08:35

1:08:35

This week on the pod I speak with Andy Blair is a simple man with a craving to be outside. He completed his NOLS Instructors Course in 1992 and his Wilderness Medicine Instructor Training Course in 2001. He has acquired over 250 weeks in the field and taught over 50 Wilderness Medicine courses. His fieldwork includes mountaineering, rock climbing, …

1
Atila Monteiro: NOLS - Pushing the Edge on Personal Trips 1:15:07

3y ago1:15:07

1:15:07

Born in Boston, raised in New York City suburbs, our guest today, Atila Monteiro, went to the University of California Berkeley to study in 1984 and instantly fell in love with outdoor adventures. He worked for Cal Adventures and guided with ARTA river trips before taking a white water Instructors Course with NOLS in 1992. Atila mainly worked paddl…

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