It is an unusually tough road being an inventor and trying to take a product to market. So many decisions, so much learning, so many sharks out there trying to take advantage.

Enter stage right - Carmine Denisco and Chris Guerrara. These two brothers from another mother have helped more inventors than they can count. They are two of the "good guys". Known as the "King of Manufacturing", Chris currently is President & CEO of PACE Systems, is the Vice President United Inventors Association, is the host of the Made in America podcast, and was on Shark Tank's Season 12 as the Grand Finale episode. He has been featured on Good Morning America and his resume is a mile long of high level leaderships positions at places like Ford and BMW. Carmine is a successful Entrepreneur, Inventor, Author, Podcaster, Investor and sought after business startup consultant. Entrepreneur Magazine picked him as one of its top 5 emerging entrepreneurs. Many of the products he has developed or aided in the design of over the years have sold in retail stores, TV shopping channels, online and infomercials some have gone on to be licensed by major corporations. Carmine is dedicated to helping inventors correctly navigate the invention and manufacturing process, giving each inventor their best shot at success. These two have hearts of gold and we are truly honored to call them friends.

Over the last year, we've stayed in a bunch of RV parks. A lot of them are very nice, but there is something uniquely special about Poche's Rv Park & Fish-N-Camp.

When Greg and Devie bought and took over the management of Poche's, they wanted to build a legacy. Something they were proud of and could pass down to their children. And that's exactly what they are doing. Poche's sits on 100 acres, 50 of which are ponds. And these ponds are stocked with more fish than you can imagine. A perfect peaceful activity - to grab your rod and bait and snag a fish or five. We felt "at home" here in Breaux Bridge, LA with the crawfish, boudin, cracklins, and our new friends. If you're ever passing through, definitely put Poche's on your list!

One of the worst parts of outdoor recreational activities for women is being able to find clothes that are made for women, by women.

Until you discover Carve Designs. The idea for Carve began on a surf trip to San Pancho, Mexico. As two lifelong friends, Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester, lounged in a hammock waiting for the waves to roll back in, they lamented how hard it was to find boardshorts that could keep up with them – real women with real bodies and a real passion for adventure. And just like that, Carve Designs was born. It began as a surf apparel company selling rashguards and boardshorts in 2003, but has since grown into a complete beach lifestyle brand; offering surf, swim, balance, and lifestyle clothing.

The sustainable Carve Designs styles represent their spirit: fun-loving, hardworking, confident, and inclined to get where they want to go.

Lavender has a way of calming, healing, and soothing a body and a soul. Imagine what a whole field of it does for you.

Daniel Bashara was on a path to pursue his talents of acting in Los Angeles. But when his family's lavender farm, Purple Rain Lavender, needed him, he traded in the hustle and bustle of the big city for the healing powers of lavender. Mostly a self-taught farmer, Daniel and his mom, Gretchen, have harvested and processed fields and fields of lavender since 2013, and shipped their hand-made with love products all over the world. Purple Rain Lavender, in the beautiful town of Fallbrook, CA, uses 100% natural organic ingredients because they believe in using the medicinal benefits from herbs to promote wellness.

“Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself the opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit” -Unknown

This quote sums Sasha Washut up perfectly. She lives in the PNW - Washington state to be more specific - and is a Family Services Coordinator in a school district, helping families who are struggling financially, foster care students, and students/families experiencing homelessness. But she's also an "influencer". Her love for hiking and being in the great outdoors has created a following that has led her to be an ambassador for Eddie Bauer. Whether hiking, skiing, mountain biking, running, or doing yoga, being in nature is her favorite place to be.

There are trail mixes. And then. there. are.
t r a i l m i x e s.

Shār (pronounced "share") definitely falls in the 2nd camp. Peter Rushford spent 36 months and 59, yes FIFTY NINE, iterations in his discovery and creation of the p e r f e c t trail mix. During this time, he landed on just 9 ingredients with the exact right combination of flavors, textures, and proportions. Once the combination of ingredients was perfected, he then spent the next 12 months searching for the best of each ingredient from around the world to make sure each was organic and responsibly sourced from small family-owned farms. Ingredients that are grown the way nature intended, free of chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides. So, this trail mix isn't just trail mix. It's crafted with love, intentionality, and precision. And it's Good for your body. Good for the earth. Good for your taste buds.

A wallet can be a boring, functional accessory.
Or... it can be an expression of who someone is.

Colby and McKenzie Bauer started Thread out of a need for expression. As a surfer, snowboarder, skateboarder, and a lover of the outdoors, Colby wanted - even needed - something for his credit cards, license, and money that was minimalistic but had lots of character, function and durability. So, through trial and error, they brought life to a category that was saturated with bulky and boring. Their purpose at Thread is to offer functional products that allow individuals to do what they love and to look good doing it.

Some people fish just for fun. But some people fish because it's an innate passion and they are really good at it.

Lea Anne Powell is definitely the latter. Growing up she loved "boy" things - racing, fishing, outdoors, cars. As much as people wanted her to be involved in the "girl" things, she found out she was really good at those things that most girls didn't pursue. Because of this and Lea Anne's success in both racing and fishing, she is an inspiration to every girl coming behind her showing them they can accomplish whatever they dream. Give a listen and we promise you'll be hooked (pun intended, of course) on Lea Anne's contagious energy!

What do RV Parks and vineyards have in common?

Besides people who like to drink... ;) They both require lots of land. And this is something that Earl and Elka have a bunch of. This beautiful couple are in their late 70's and are still going strong making wine, running multiple RV parks, and herding cattle. In this episode, we hear how they met in Germany and have since built a beautiful life together in the hills of Alabama. Listen in to hear wisdom from a couple lives that are being well lived in the great outdoors!

It's probably safe to say that many people have a significant fear of snakes and other slithery things.

Parker Gibbons is most definitely not one of them. Getting inspiration from his Grandfather who is a well-known herpetologist, Parker also wants to pursue a life in Herpetology after graduating high school. Ever since he caught his first snake at 6 years old, Parker's been hooked on learning everything he can about reptiles and amphibians. Parker is our youngest guest, to date, on our show, but the amount we learned from him about snakes was incredible. In this show, he tells stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

People say that once camping gets in your blood, it becomes something you want to do all the time.

Becky Wadley, owner of Whitewater RV Park, seems to agree with this. After buying a camper RV and spending many weekends living "on the road", Becky wanted to find a way to write her travels off, so she started a blog called Home Is Where We Take It. One thing led to another and entrepreneurs Becky and her husband, Glynn, then decided they wanted to make a living out of this adventurous lifestyle so they bought an RV park. After spending much time renovating the park, they now welcome campers from all over to stay with them in this quintessential small town America town of Mountain View, Arkansas.

Many founders build companies and create products to make money as their primary goal. Others build something great and their driving force is to make a positive impact on this world.

Such is the case with Mission Meats. They are making the world a better place with every grass-fed beef snack that is produced and purchased. They give 10% of their profits to social good organizations, such as BonZeb who helps fight deforestation in Haiti, Perspectives Minnesota who works to transform the lives of homeless mothers and their children, Educate in Africa to invest in leaders and entrepreneurs, and 100+ Dream Centers across the country.

Marci Nault, tried to buy her first dry-top from a brand name. When she looked at the sizing chart she realized that she was a small, medium, large, and an extra large measurement all in the same garment. How was that possible?

Researching the women's outdoor apparel industry, Marci found that the words "Shrink it and pink it". Take men's clothing... make it smaller, and pink. THAT's how they made clothes for women.

Marci is a go-getter, an adventurer, and risk taker, and doesn't take "no" for answer, so she set out to solve the problem herself with her company E2T. Realizing that she’s spent her life feeling as if she didn’t “fit” in the outdoor adventure world she set out to change an industry while inspiring more women to get out and explore.

When you are lucky enough to find that activity in nature that becomes "your thing", you've found a piece of heaven.

Such is the case for Heath Rowland and climbing. So much so that he's started his company, Ground Up, based on his love of the sport. A self-proclaimed hillbilly from Kentucky, Heath grew up in mining and construction, building things. After 13 years of that, he was offered a job as an inside sales rep for Rab USA. It was there that he learned business, and learned how much he loved establishing traditional rock climbs with a ground up ethic. With a history in building things, Heath will tell you he's working on his biggest, and most exciting, build to date as he grows Ground Up.

It's virtually impossible to get on AirBnB's list of Top 4 Experiences.

...unless you are Tia Clark, founder of Casual Crabbing With Tia. Just three months into opening her crabbing experiences to the public in Charleston, SC, she was named among the 4 top AirBnB experiences in the world. Quite an accomplishment and very well deserved, but no one is more humble and grateful for this honor than Tia. She started crabbing for her health, literally, and crabbing has provided her more than she ever could have imagined.

It's a relatively small group of people who can say they've reached the top of even one of the seven highest mountain summits on each continent of the world.

Cokie Cox is on a mission to summit all seven of these peaks. She is a mother of two girls, newly married, owner of two asset management companies and a consulting practice, author of two books, and the founder of two non-profits - Everyday Everest and She Climbs. As an avid mountaineer, she has already conquered Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa (multiple times), Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, and Mount Denali in Alaska. Next on her list is the great Mount Everest. To her, one of the best places on this earth is being above the sun and watching it rise.

Sometimes the very best healing in life comes from time with man's best friend.
After Nathan Pettijohn went through a tough breakup, he needed to get away from it all and clear his head. So he rented an RV and set off on a road trip with his beloved pup, Hafa. Recently, he wrote a book about their travels called Travels With Hafa. Nathan is no stranger to writing as he was coauthor on Zen and the Art of Admin Tasks and he's a regular contributing writer for Forbes on topics relating to what business leaders need to know about innovations in media and technology. In addition to being an author, he also founded a digital strategy agency called Cordouroy and is a talent manager in Los Angeles.

Some people like to hike. Others are legit h-i-k-e-r-s. And there's a big difference.
Shawnté Salabert is the latter. She has hiked the Colorado Trail, Kilimanjaro, the High Sierra, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and many other hikes that a mile or so in would make most people turn back. But what makes Shawnté unique is that it's not uncommon for her to turn an incredible hiking adventure into a story. In her words, deserts and mountains – those big locations where one can feel very small – are her favorite places to spend time, and write about. She spent nearly two years hiking and writing about the Pacific Crest Trail... snapping photographs, recording impressions, and hoofing many miles for her book Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California, which was released via Mountaineers Books in November 2017. For Shawnté, every day is an adventure. And we certainly can't argue with that.

Water can be peaceful and an oasis for rest, but it can also be an incredibly powerful force of nature. Kerri and Carly Lawson have always been adventurers at heart. But even the strongest of adventurers sometimes can't hold their own against Mother Nature. In this episode, these two fantastic humans recount their thrilling and terrifying experience of when their kayaking trip on the Yellowstone River went terribly bad, ending up with a Black Hawk helicopter rescue.

To say Vernice Armour has accomplished a lot in her lifetime is an incredible understatement. She has two honorary doctorates, has been featured extensively in the media to include Oprah Winfrey, CNN, MSNBC and the View and is a member of the COMCAST/NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Council. She has received awards as a pioneering pilot, to include her commanding role in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She was the first African American woman on the Nashville Police Department’s motorcycle squad, Camp Pendleton’s 2001 Female Athlete of the Year, two-time titleholder in Camp Pendleton’s annual Strongest Warrior Competition, and a running back for the San Diego Sunfire women’s professional football team. Vernice has also authored Zero to Breakthrough™ (Penguin 2011) where she chronicles the process she utilized to transition from beat cop to America’s First African American Female Combat Pilot. She is an internationally recognized inspirational leadership keynote speaker for premier leadership conferences and Fortune 500 companies.

If you want to learn from the best in fly fishing, look no further than Jen Ripple.
She has devoted her life to educating others on the beauty and history of the sport. Jen is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Dun Magazine. She's also on the Board of Directors for the International Federation of Fly Fishers, and was a former board member for AFFTA (American Fly Fishing Trade Association). When not on the water, Jen loves to spend her time empowering women in fly fishing by teaching fly tying and fly casting clinics, speaking nationwide on issues regarding women in fly fishing, and devoting her time to conservation efforts through nonprofits. Jen has become a sounding board for women in a currently male-dominated sport by providing them a place to connect and gain knowledge and experience in fly fishing.

Women, Business, Relationship Building, and Golf... it's a powerful combination. And few have experienced that more than Cindy Chace and Diane Sears through their non-profit organization, Go For The Greens. In 2008, their vision of connecting entrepreneurial women over the interactive sport of golf came to fruition and its impact has continued to increase exponentially ever since. The conference is produced by an all volunteer team and is held every year in Orlando at Disney World. Go For the Greens is based on four important pillars: generating revenue, growing companies to create more jobs, exchanging environment-friendly business practices, and developing business strategy through golf. These women are making a difference and using the outdoors to do it!

Sometimes things happen in our lives that we don't expect, making it hard to understand or explain them. Such was the case for Jennifer Kauffman, a spectator only 15 feet away from the horrific bombings that took place at the 2013 Boston Marathon. In that very moment, everything about Jennifer's life and career changed forever. This episode gives you insight into her courageous path of healing and her new outlook on life as she evolved into an inspirational speaker, a best selling author, and a breakthrough results coach.

If there's anyone with rich and deep experience in the outdoor world and human performance, it's Hoby Darling. He has been on the executive teams of major companies including Logitech, Jaybird, Skullcandy, Converse, Nike, and Volcom. He has sat on and led boards for many companies, and has founded and led outdoor and human performance collaboratives. He was named to Sporting Goods Business' 40 Under 40 in Sports in 2010. He's competed in Ironman races and the CrossFit games, and he's an avid trail runner. During one of his transitions in his career, Hoby travelled for 8 months with his family making lifelong memories in Africa and Asia. Hoby has an impressive resume, to be certain, but what we love and respect most about him is his kind nature and his desire and commitment to invest in and see others succeed.

Flip flops are an important staple in any wardrobe, especially if you love the outdoors. But if you're anything like us, just any ol flip flop won't do. After living in Jakarta, Indonesia for three years, Lila Stewart and her husband, Jeremy, returned back to Texas and they designed with intention a flip flop that was different. They wanted fun colors, they wanted to be design-forward with clean aesthetics, and they wanting to eliminate any discomfort and breaking in period. Essentially, they hyper-focused on three things: simplicity, color, and comfort. And they accomplished all these in spades with their company, Hari Mari. As a nod to their time in Indonesia, Hari means "of the sun" and Mari means "of the sea". These lifestyle flops will raise your expectation of what a good flip flop should consist of. But, even more awesome is that proceeds of all sales go to support pediatric cancer patients through their non-profit, Flops Fighting Cancer.