This is episode 5 with Brody Leven. You may know Brody as a professional skier, athlete, explorer, and storyteller. He has built a reputation on his penchant for pushing the envelope and his wholehearted embrace of humbling tests of endurance.

From bike powered ski expeditions in the Arctic to arduous treks to ski the last remaining snows of Uganda, to watch a film by Brody is always an entertaining insight into the well . . . absurd, replete with the self-effacing humor you’d expect in such an endeavor.

In the hour ahead, for sure, we talk some adventures, but really aim to highlight how Brody uses his platform to advocate for the preservation of public lands and educate the masses on the threats of climate change.

We talk about keeping your cool in the politicized and heated social media arena. He challenges the criticism that just liking posts is not a form of activism, and in the end shares some insightful stories on how we can all show up for what is right without necessarily being in the spotlight. Enjoy!

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR:

• An entertaining story about dealing with an unexpected ‘gear issue’ while skiing Denali
• He reflects on a moment of caution and a  decision to turn around on a ski expedition in Kazakhstan
• We speak of battling the scarcity heuristic in our decision making in mountains

• He expands on why he thinks it is a moral obligation for him to tell his story and the story of our changing planet
• He recalls the realization that storytelling could inspire his readers to action
• Brody highlights some factors in his upbringing which contributed to his calling
• He challenges the concept of ‘imperfect activism’, and why we should not be critical of those trying to make a difference
• Brody addresses fallacy that you must be an expert to be an advocate for a cause you care about
• Brody talked about the importance of leveraging his fan base to act, I ask if just liking or agreeing with him is enough. Are we activists or ‘like-tivists?’
• Why the fight over Bears Ears sets a precedent
• He shares an example of how social media shares translated into real $ for a cause
• Brody discusses the base mission of Protect Our Winters and expands on the challenges of being climate activist and adventure skier
• I ask Brody how does someone new to the contentious world of activism find their confidence and voice?
• We talk about aspirations ahead and some passing advice for those who want to follow his lead