Kegan Minock is the Gym Director and Head Routesetter at Gripstone Climbing in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Having gotten his start in the industry through the youth competition scene, Kegan began setting at Lifetime Fitness at the age of 17 before transitioning into setting at commercial facilities and becoming a USAC Level 4 routesetter. His indus…

Today's guest is Gavin Heverly, consultant and founder of Rise Above Consulting. Gavin has been working in and around climbing gyms since the late 90s, helping grow gym communities of all sizes, from mom-and-pops businesses to multi-market gym chains. Over his two decades of managing climbing gyms, he's become an expert in scaling, people operation…

Chris Klinke is the President of Trango, a Colorado-based designer and manufacturer of climbing gear and holds, with history dating back to the company's founding in 1991 by Malcolm Daly. Trango is now a producer of carabiners, harnesses, chalk, hangboards, ropes and more, and the company is also a distributor of Tenaya shoes in the U.S. Chris spec…

Today’s episode features Buck Yedor, also known as “Big Wall Buck'' at The Spot Gyms in Colorado, where he oversees routesetting at the five Spot locations. True to his nickname in Colorado—and his Yosemite nickname “Bouldering Buck”—Yedor’s proudest climbing accomplishments include a ground-up free ascent of Freerider on El Capitan and double-digi…

Bryan Pletta founded Stone Age Climbing Gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the 1990s. On this episode of the CBJ Podcast, Pletta details what it was like to create the gym, and he expounds on the gym’s progression over the years—ultimately resulting in two current locations, Stone Age North and Stone Age Midtown. Pletta also discusses “gym culture”…

On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, Holly Chen—routesetter, journalist, and contributing writer at CBJ—hosts Kasia Pietras, a legendary, OG routesetter. Kasia has been climbing since 1996 and setting since 2003. She has set for almost 100 competitions—91 to be exact—at the time of recording. Kasia is a USAC Level 4 routesetter, SPI and CW…

Javier Díaz co-founded a gym, Sierra Elevation, in Mexico with business partner Adrian Hovelman in 2021. Two years later, Sierra Elevation merged with Adamanta, the leading climbing gym chain in Mexico. Packed into that multi-year period was an on-the-ground education for Díaz, as he learned what it took to operate a gym in Mexico, realized the adv…

Joining Holly Chen on the Impact Driver podcast this week is Claire Kawainui Miller, a crew leader at Touchstone Climbing, USAC Level 2 Routesetter, climbing movement enthusiast and loving mother of two cats. Claire and Holly’s simultaneously fun and serious conversation meanders from gender inequities to ladder fiascos and covers Claire’s most con…

Jen Piperno is the Executive Director at Teton Rock Gym in Driggs, Idaho. Teton Rock Gym is unique because it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and that designation frames the gym’s operation, outlook and funding. In this episode, Piperno explains more about what it means for a climbing gym to be a nonprofit business and how such designation can allow a fa…

Routesetting as a shorter setter doesn’t come with a shortage of challenges and frustrations. But that’s far from the full story for Abby Tran, Assistant Headsetter at The Circuit Bouldering Gyms in Portland, Oregon. On this episode of the Impact Driver podcast, unabashedly short setters Abby and Holly Chen discuss some of the benefits that shorter…

Today I talk to Mathieu Ackermann, who is one of the shapers at Flathold, the other creative mastermind there being Manuel Hassler, whose name you will hear mentioned in this episode as well. But back to Mathieu. He is a fascinating subject because his shaping at Flathold combines a love for outdoor climbing with some formal art training and educat…

Today’s guest is John McGowan. I don't even know the single best way to describe John. Entrepreneur, business developer, old school climber but new school visionary, adventurer, all of the above. I will say this: If someone were putting together a list of the most important figures of the climbing gym industry of the past 35 or 40 years, basically …

Today's guests are Foxman McCarthy-James and Justin Wright. Foxman is the Head Setter at Alta Climbing & Fitness and Alta Boulders in Arizona, while Justin is the Director of Routesetting at Edgeworks Climbing & Fitness in Washington. Between the two, they have over 25 years of setting experience and even more climbing experience. Together, they co…

We are talking industry trade shows today. Specifically, today's guest is Travis Williams, who founded sToKed Climbing with his wife, Kimberly, and more recently founded the Indoor Climbing Expo. More than a trade show, the Expo is a new industry gathering, or festival, that combines routesetting clinics, educational sessions, roundtables, competit…

Today’s guest is Dean Privett. He's the founder of Iron City Boulders in Pittsburgh and Blue Swan Boulders in Orlando; he's also the president of Moments Climbing, a European gym chain operating three facilities in Finland. Privett gives his take on some of the ways the U.S. climbing gym industry and the European climbing gym industry are similar a…

In this episode of the CBJ Podcast, we’re chatting with Jean-Marc de la Plante, who is a business leader in the Canadian climbing gym scene. He owns or co-owns several gyms in Canada under the UPLIFY development banner: three Allez Up gyms (Montreal), two Seven Bays Bouldering gyms (Halifax), two BoulderHouse gyms (Victoria), Up The Bloc (Mississau…

Today's guest is Stephanie Myr, a climber of almost a decade and a routesetter for just as long. Myr is currently the head setter at Climb Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington. She began her setting career volunteering at the local YMCA before joining the Climb Tacoma staff. In addition to routesetting, Myr also manages the gym and coaches the youth team. …

Retail plays a key role in most gyms’ day-to-day operations, while also being a visual component of the facility, so today's conversation is all about gym retail: what sales strategies work well, what doesn’t work so well; what sells, what doesn't sell. We speak with Brad Werntz, President of the two Boulders climbing gyms in Madison, Wisconsin, bo…

Alec R. Borenstein is an Estate Planning Attorney at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, where he advises business owners and individuals on trusts and estates, corporate and business law, and commercial real estate. He specializes in drafting wills and trusts, including revocable, grantor, and charitable trusts. Alec also provides guidance on business an…

Michael Wildes is the Managing Partner of Wildes & Weinberg, P.C., a firm specializing exclusively in the practice of US immigration and nationality law. Established in 1960 by his father, the firm covers all areas of US immigration law and has represented a distinguished domestic and international clientele, including former First Lady Melania Tru…

Today we sit down with Sam Van Boxtel, who runs the popular Climbers Crag channels on Instagram and YouTube and has teamed up with Tom Randall to manage social media profiles for top climbing brands through their Climbers Crag agency. Van Boxtel has been around the block in the climbing gym industry, having worked on the ground in front desk, route…

Fran Schwartz is the Founder and CEO of Integral Healthcare for Women, a consulting company providing services to clients in developing new or managing established midwifery programs and birth centers nationwide. With decades of executive management experience in ob-gyn, midwifery, and birth center providers, Fran brings unparalleled expertise to b…

Jackson Scott told his parents that he wanted to open a climbing gym, and although there was a lot of hard work along the way, the end result was Crux Climbing, which is operated and co-owned by Scott and his parents. It was a family dream that became a family reality. Scott talks about that process of starting a family-owned gym in this episode. H…

Amanda Abbou is a Real Estate Agent at Signature Realty New Jersey. As the daughter of two New Jersey real estate attorneys, she was immersed in the industry from an early age, developing a strong foundation in real estate law before transitioning to the business side. With over a decade of experience in the field, Amanda is a skilled negotiator wi…

A couple weeks ago, Dr. Eugen Burtscher and Dr. Volker Schöffl (@volkerschoeffl) made headlines when they resigned from their volunteer positions on the IFSC’s Medical Commission. Dr. Burtscher served as the Chair of the Commission, and Dr. Schöffl was a Commission member for more than a decade. Following their resignations, a lengthy post on Dr.…

Siege Climbing is a competition series set for and by women, non-binary and gender minorities in the community. With us today is Hannah Barker (pronouns she/her), founder of Siege Climbing. Hannah is deep in the competition setting scene, and she works to mentor and uplift other underrepresented people in the industry. We also have Jiarra Chiang he…

Niraj Chhabra is the Managing Director of SideBar Advisors, a financial services firm that provides customized wealth management plans for attorneys. Before launching the firm in 2022, he was a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial, concentrating on clients in the legal profession with a focus on family finances, tax and estate strategies, re…

Jill Spielberg is the Director and Partner-in-Charge of the Family and Matrimonial Law department at Abrams Fensterman, LLP, a full-service law firm providing quality counsel, innovative solutions, and personalized service to diverse clients. With a background of 13 years in the field, Jill specializes in high-net-worth matrimonial cases and high-c…

Wade Desai is the Director of Climbing at ASCEND in the Pittsburgh area. As you'll hear, he certainly loves climbing, but he's also passionate about slacklining and accomplished at it too. Since starting at ASCEND in 2017, he's seen slacklining take off as a programming offering and has been helping lead the charge. Could more climbing gyms offer s…

Adam Goldschmiedt is a business coach and Professional EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer at EOS Worldwide, a business management toolkit used by over 190,000 thriving firms to clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision. With over 20 years of experience in helping entrepreneurs, Adam empowers businesses with the tools to bust throu…

Moshe Kinderlehrer is the Publisher and Co-Founder of The Jewish Link of New Jersey, an extensive regional newspaper and media group serving the Jewish community. After nearly 20 years of serving in the nonprofit and fundraising field, he pivoted to the media industry and launched his first newspaper in 2013, The Jewish Link of Bergen County. This …

Jackie Pettitt has been coaching for the past 12 years and specializes in climbing movement, technique, and mental toughness training. Over the years, she has helped athletes reach Nationals, Youth Worlds and other championship events. She also mentors head coaches, helping them become great leaders and establish well-rounded programs. In this epis…

Jane Bergère is the President of Jane Bergère Productions. She is a multiple Tony Awards and Olivier Award-winning producer with a diverse career spanning from acting to artistic direction and producing. Jane began her career as an actress, gracing the stages of Broadway and performing in regional theater and television. Subsequently, she assumed t…

Jacob Guttman is the CEO of Nail It Handyman, a renowned company specializing in small handyman tasks serving residential and commercial clients across the tri-state area and beyond. With a rich background as a general contractor and a comprehensive understanding of the construction industry, he identified an untapped niche for dedicated handyman s…

Today’s episode features a conversation with attorney Jason Pill. Jason is a longtime climber, and he currently works with the Phelps Dunbar law firm in Tampa, Florida. His main areas of focus tend to be labor and employment law, but he's written articles for CBJ on a wide range of legal topics, including an entire Ask a Lawyer series. In this epis…

Hugo Alves is the Director of Acquisitions, Dispositions, and Client Relations at Prawdzik Properties, a New Jersey-based home builder specializing in high-end custom home builds and remodels. Before this, he held key roles as the General Manager and Market Service Director for a Fortune 500 company, where he oversaw financial operations and human …

Theresa Cifali is the CEO and Founder of Daily Achievers LLC, a platform dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and business owners enhance their productivity. With more than three decades of entrepreneurial experience, Theresa has built four successful businesses, amassing a wealth of knowledge and insights on the intricacies of running and scaling a …

Today's guest is Louie Anderson, a setter who needs no introduction, but we're going to introduce him anyway for the listeners who may be new to routesetting. Louie has been heavily involved in the U.S. setting industry since its beginning. Setting since 1987, Louie is also a route developer, a hold shaper, and he owns the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch in W…

David Ostreicher is the President of The Brookview Companies and has played a pivotal role in expanding the company's portfolio of multifamily real estate acquisitions and developments. With over $350 million invested across the United States, Brookview has seen significant growth under David's leadership. Before founding Brookview, David gained va…

Rachel Cyrulnik is the Founder and Principal of RAISE Nonprofit Advisors, a consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits grow and thrive. With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Rachel specializes in fundraising strategy, business development, and campaign management. Rachel's extensive experience in leadership positions at Yes…

Mark (Mendy) Schwartz is the President of New York Water Management, a full-service real estate consulting firm that helps properties in New York City save money on water billing, property tax abatements, and more. He was the former Deputy Mayor of Teaneck, a Co-publisher of The Jewish Link of New Jersey, and a self-made entrepreneur. Mendy has aff…

Jonathan Steingraber is the COO & President at Signature Realty NJ, which offers luxury real estate brokerage services. Starting off as an intern at CT Homes LLC, known for being on the hit TV show Flip This House on A&E, he quickly proved more valuable than an intern and became the marketing director. Jonathan created a business model for the educ…

Dave Hudson has been involved in climbing business for a long time, specifically on the youth coaching and organizational and competition judging sides of things, and his involvement in all that actually predates much of the youth comp climbing scene we know today. Hudson’s currently the youth manager at First Ascent; he's also the head coach there…

Jonathan Steingraber is the COO & President at Signature Realty NJ, which offers luxury real estate brokerage services. Starting off as an intern at CT Homes LLC, known for being on the hit TV show Flip This House on A&E, he quickly proved more valuable than an intern and became the marketing director. Jonathan created a business model for the educ…

Chief Giacomo Sacca is the Chief of Police for the City of Elizabeth and is responsible for all police operations. He is a highly experienced law enforcement professional with 28 years of experience and an impressive track record in crisis management, tactical operations, criminal intelligence, and emergency management. In addition to his role as a…

In this episode we sit down with routesetter and wildlife biologist Sierra McMurry. They experience obstacles every routesetter experiences, such as navigating fair pay and equitable workloads, but they also navigate obstacles that others might not, like how they take up space as a queer setter and communicate about sensitive topics with colleagues…

Darcy Del Castillo is the Director of Traveling 4 Paws Rescue. With over 20 years of experience in the animal welfare industry, Darcy has worked as a vet tech, foster, rescuer, shelter manager and evaluator, animal control officer, animal cruelty task force member, and animal advocate. She has also assisted in training police officers and Union Cou…

Joseph L. Goldman is a Co-chair of the Trusts & Estates practice at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. He focuses on estate planning and administration, business succession planning, and business transactional matters. Joseph leverages his 35+ years of experience in business transactions and agreements to counsel closely held business owners on planning,…

Cathy Haddad is a highly experienced mortgage professional with 20 years of expertise in the industry. She has consistently ranked in the top 100 loan originators, representing the top 1% of the country for the past nine years. Cathy has funded over $250 million in closed volume year after year, helping more than 590 clients each year. She helps fi…

Alec R. Borenstein and Amanda Abbou are brother and sister entrepreneurs. Alec is a Business and Estate Planning Attorney at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, and Amanda is an Agent Partner with Signature Realty New Jersey, a real estate brokerage with five branches throughout the state. Together host Family Hustle Podcast, where they interview other bu…