One Tough Mother ~ Remembering Columbia’s Gert Boyle

The Joy Trip Project

Early in November Columbia Sportswear matriarch and outdoor industry icon Gert Boyle passed away. She was 95. Having fled Nazi Germany with her family in advance of World War II Gert’s father started the Portland, Oregon-based company that today is worth billions. Throughout her long career Gert cultivated an image as a fierce business woman, but that tough persona was belied by a delightful personality and a generous spirit. Way back in 2006 I had the great pleasure chatting Gert at the Outdoor Retailer Show in an interview for the podcast SNEWS Live. In this flash back edition we remember "One Tough Mother". Gert Boyle was one of the truly great original leaders of the Outdoor Industry and her enduring legacy of tenacity and courage will inspire us all for decades yet to come. Our music in this episode comes courtesy of Artlist featuring original tracks by Polaris Rose and Ziv Moran. The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks to our partners American Rivers, The National Forest Foundation and Patagonia. Thanks for listening, but you know I want to hear from you. So please drop me a note with your questions comments and criticisms to [e-mail]. For now go be joyful and until next time, take care!