Some time ago, in a driving snowstorm that dropped over a foot of fresh pow in our area and temperatures hovering in the -15° C range, I found myself wandering around in the woods, having an amazing conversation with Jeff Kinsey.
Jeff invited me to work with him as part of his Backcountry Business Coaching program. His lust for combining outdoor adventures with business coaching is unique, to say the least, and aligned well with our shared passion for the outdoors.
I don’t want to presume anything here but I believe that, for many, Jeff’s approach pushes his coachees out of their comfort zones so that they can experience breakthroughs from that perspective.
Pushing boundaries in one area of one’s life can certainly create opportunities and growth elsewhere. I have experienced this myself while running ultras and experiencing how intertwined our personal and professional lives can be and how training one’s “commitment muscles” produces benefits in all areas of one’s existence.
My time with Jeff has taken a slightly different form for me, however. Sure, we climbed some rocks, summited peaks, had one coaching session while perched upon some stumps in 50+ mph winds and snow flurries, and got a little off-piste in over a foot of fresh powder – but what made this experience special for me was how Jeff allowed me to combine two aspects of my personality that I love – building businesses and being outdoors – and experience the calming effect when the two are combined.
My brain slows down when I can get a fresh perspective – usually out in nature – and bringing conversation and contemplation together with time spent outdoors is an activity I would encourage everyone to explore. Most of us work on our businesses in front of screens or in offices. Changing that setting can be what it takes to engage an entirely new way of thinking about one’s life.
I know Jeff has big plans where he will take clients deep into the wilderness. For some, these boundary-pushing activities will create new ways of seeing the world that can be applied to other areas in their lives (business, family, relationships, and personal). For others, these backcountry adventures may just provide an opportunity to still the mind to give some breathing room to explore the challenges they are facing and produce fresh solutions.
I can say without a doubt, any experience you are able to create with Jeff will be beneficial. Sometimes you have to go get a little lost in the woods to find yourself.
