I’m delighted that my collaboration with REI has led me to connect with Erin Sullivan—travel writer, photographer and host of the In Our Nature series (produced by Wondercamp and REI). Erin believes images and words have the power to inspire meaningful change. She is clearly a brilliant Wildpreneur! “There are no straight paths.” she says. “Have patience with yourself, and also cultivate trust within yourself. Don’t just hope for the best, plan for it as much as you can.”

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts & Environmental Studies in 2012, Erin spent three years living out of her backpack, traveling and leading teen adventure programs in 9 countries. Her love for personal growth through travel and the outdoors led her to start a blog, and later come back to photography. She is now a full-time travel photographer and writer, focusing on stories of culture, wildlife, and conservation.

Dive into Erin’s experience and wisdom for blazing your own trail here:

Describe your perfect day as a Wildpreneur.

Any day where I get to create, be outdoors, contribute in some way, and share meaningful stories, is ideal for me.

Tell us about your wild business! What was your inspiration to create Erin Outdoors and In Our Nature?

Erin Outdoors started as a blog after I spent several years working and living out of my backpack around the world as an outdoor educator. So many of my friends and family were asking me about my travels and my lifestyle, I started the blog to be a resource. It quickly became a place for me to recount stories from my experiences on the road and the trail. Since starting the blog in 2014, my platform has grown to encompass meaningful stories and images from around the world.

In Our Nature is a series I host with REI about the future of the outdoors. It actually was not my idea! I work with a brilliant production crew (Wondercamp) who deserves the credit for pitching the concept for the show. We work as a team to develop and shoot new ideas for the series, which has become especially dynamic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do you wish you’d known prior to getting started as a Wildpreneur?

There are no straight paths.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering turning their passion into a business?

Have patience with yourself, and also cultivate trust within yourself. Don’t just hope for the best, plan for it as much as you can.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote?

Not sure if this is motivational, but here’s what comes to mind -

“If you are not in the arena also getting our ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.” -Brene Brown

Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?

Just that I have learned that the biggest skill I have ever learned is to try to understand before wanting to be understood! This is key to being a good storyteller.

What are you working on right now?

Right now with the country activated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, I am working on bringing white people into conversations and the work of racial justice. In terms of my art, I am working on my series #OurGreatIndoors, which is a series of miniature outdoor scenes that I started during quarantine while I could not travel. We are also working on new episodes of In Our Nature and looking at what future episodes could be.

Where can we follow you? Please share your website, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

@erinoutdoors everywhere, and erinoutdoors.com :)

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