Meet Holly
THE SHORT STORY
Ten years into my corporate career, I realized I was spending most of my energy on things that didn't matter to me long-term. At the same time, I was connecting more deeply with the outdoors as a way to decompress. I felt most at home and like myself during these hiking and camping trips up north. These trips also revealed that I’d been sacrificing my health, relationships, and the things I cared about most—believing I could buy it all back someday when I retired.
With the support of my spouse, we began making changes that allowed us to live in better alignment with our values today, not decades down the road. Over time, the outdoors went from being a weekend escape to an integral part of my daily life. Today, I write, photograph, and tell stories about outdoor adventures for a living—helping others discover how time in nature could transform their lives.
THE LONGER STORY
WHY I DO THIS
I was ten years into my corporate career with a Fortune 300 company, and everything looked great on paper. I’d received promotions, raises, and had some pretty impressive benefits—all the traditional markers of success I believed would make me happy. But I was away from home a lot, expectations had become increasingly unreasonable, and my relationships, health, and happiness were suffering.
Several years into that corporate career, my husband and I eloped in Hawaii—nonconformists from the start. This trip became the catalyst for the outdoor lifestyle we enjoy today. During that trip, we spent days driving around the island, discovering secluded beaches, and hiking up volcanoes.
This newly rekindled love of the great outdoors followed us home to Minnesota, where we discovered the North Shore of Lake Superior that following spring. We were instantly obsessed with hiking, paddling, and camping in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region.
WAKING UP
Around that ten-year mark—when I began questioning my life choices—I received a painful wake-up call I couldn’t ignore. On a particularly challenging hike on the Superior Hiking Trail, I rolled my ankle and had to hike miles back to our vehicle in excruciating pain. That's when it hit me: I’d been working hard, sacrificing, and saving for someday when we could retire and finally do everything we dreamed of. But at the rate we’d been going, there were no guarantees we’d make it to someday.
That day, I decided we'd start living the life we were saving for someday today. We started a garden, created a budget, and set ambitious health and financial goals. Within a few years, we had transformed our lives in ways that allowed us to make massive changes.
FALLING UPWARD
During those years when we were focused on our goals, my corporate career went from annoying to unbearable. After having nightmares about returning to work during our tenth anniversary trip to Hawaii, we knew it was time to make a change. Three months later, I was free. I had no idea what I’d do next—it was both terrifying and liberating.
As I considered what I’d do next, I thought about the work tasks that made me lose track of time. During my corporate years, I loved working on projects that involved writing and developing content. I got completely absorbed in the work, joyfully fine-tuning each piece until it was perfect. So I decided to start a blog and began honing my writing skills.
Some of my early attempts were rather embarrassing. There's a saying: if you're not embarrassed by your first version, you launched too late. I definitely was not too late. But I stuck with it and improved tremendously.
THE PRACTICE
While I was polishing my writing, my outdoor skills were progressing too. I went from car camping to camping solo, then backpacking, canoe tripping, and eventually completed a solo thru-hike. I learned to fish, forage, and start fires without matches. I shared everything I was learning on Instagram—not just the outdoor skills, but what nature was teaching me about life.
I kept practicing writing and photography, investing in conferences and storytelling workshops. Then my first paid opportunity came in. It’s still wild to think that I actually get paid to do this.
That said, work is still work—there are deadlines, emails, and accounting to deal with. But when I'm writing or behind the lens, I lose track of time and get lost in the creative process. Not long ago, all I wanted was to retire so I could finally do what mattered most. Now I can't imagine wanting to stop what I’m doing.
MY PURPOSE
I've spent the last fifteen years unraveling my purpose. Through that journey, I've learned that purpose develops and evolves as we learn, grow, and try new things. Every experience brings us into closer alignment with who we were meant to be.
This is my purpose as I understand it today: I'm here to use my gifts of writing, photography, and storytelling to inspire people to spend more time outdoors. When we prioritize time to connect with nature, we open our lives to deeper connections to ourselves, each other, and all that is real and truly matters. These connections allow us to live happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives—and ultimately leave things better.
Whether you're a reader seeking inspiration for your next adventure or a brand looking to authentically connect with outdoor enthusiasts, I invite you to join the journey. Not just by following our adventures, but by creating your own.
Life is too short to keep waiting for someday.
JOIN THE ADVENTURE
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Read about the lessons I’ve learned on my blog
There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, “Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.” This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, “I am the wilderness."
— Brené Brown
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