Wind down with Janet Kramer, an I'm Heeart radio podcast.

Wind down with Janet Kramer, an I'm Heeart radio podcast.

I want to introduce you to On the Job and host Avery Thompson. Avery shares stories of people making changes in their professional and personal lives. Whether it's a successful athlete transitioning into a new career off the field, a fly fishing tour guide trying to introduce a new segment of folks to the joys of the outdoors, or a stadium beer and hot dog hawker who doubles as a CEO of a red hot startup. We'll find out what drives them and what lies ahead. These are heartfelt stories of people finding their lives. Work on the Job is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals. This week, Avery talks to a fly fishing guide who's introducing a whole new group of people to her outdoorsy Paradise.

I want to introduce you to On the Job and host Avery Thompson. Avery shares stories of people making changes in their professional and personal lives. Whether it's a successful athlete transitioning into a new career off the field, a fly fishing tour guide trying to introduce a new segment of folks to the joys of the outdoors, or a stadium beer and hot dog hawker who doubles as a CEO of a red hot startup. We'll find out what drives them and what lies ahead. These are heartfelt stories of people finding their lives. Work on the Job is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals. This week, Avery talks to a fly fishing guide who's introducing a whole new group of people to her outdoorsy Paradise.

Welcome to On the Job Today. We're talking with Eric and Nelson, a fly fishing guide in Colorado committed to making the fishing community more diverse and more fun. Workdays for Eric and Nelson begins softly.

Welcome to On the Job Today. We're talking with Eric and Nelson, a fly fishing guide in Colorado committed to making the fishing community more diverse and more fun. Workdays for Eric and Nelson begins softly.

Sometimes I just like to just sit at the water, especially right when I arrive, sitting there and observing what's going on and then just kind of connecting with that place is really important to me.

Sometimes I just like to just sit at the water, especially right when I arrive, sitting there and observing what's going on and then just kind of connecting with that place is really important to me.

Being a fly fishing guide in Crusted Butte, Colorado, Erica gets to make a connection with some of the most beautiful places in the whole world, especially if you're as excited about fishing as she is.

Being a fly fishing guide in Crusted Butte, Colorado, Erica gets to make a connection with some of the most beautiful places in the whole world, especially if you're as excited about fishing as she is.

Within ten minutes, there's the Slate River in the East River, and that's really fun for a bunch of little brook trout. And then there's the gunnisin which is gold metal water. So as the Taylor River further up on the tailor there are is like some major mega trout up there. It's all catch and release. And then above that there's like some creeks, so it's a great place to take people learning how to fly fish. There's like open meadows and so it really just depends.

Within ten minutes, there's the Slate River in the East River, and that's really fun for a bunch of little brook trout. And then there's the gunnisin which is gold metal water. So as the Taylor River further up on the tailor there are is like some major mega trout up there. It's all catch and release. And then above that there's like some creeks, so it's a great place to take people learning how to fly fish. There's like open meadows and so it really just depends.

But you might be surprised to learn that for someone whose job has become taking people out on the water. Erica didn't always enjoy fishing.

But you might be surprised to learn that for someone whose job has become taking people out on the water. Erica didn't always enjoy fishing.

No, I actually hated it as a kid. My dad loved fly fishing, and he tried to take me and even spin fishing as a kid, just stut a lake and I just remember hating it so much.

No, I actually hated it as a kid. My dad loved fly fishing, and he tried to take me and even spin fishing as a kid, just stut a lake and I just remember hating it so much.

So it's no wonder that Erica's path to becoming a fishing guide had more twists and turns than a meandering river. At the beginning of her work life, Erica was working at a boutique hotel.

So it's no wonder that Erica's path to becoming a fishing guide had more twists and turns than a meandering river. At the beginning of her work life, Erica was working at a boutique hotel.

It was funny because you know, this was the boutique hospitality world, and I would go rock climbing on the weekend, or I would go like camping with friends, and I was like, I just slept on a rock and these people were complaining about threads out in the sheets.

It was funny because you know, this was the boutique hospitality world, and I would go rock climbing on the weekend, or I would go like camping with friends, and I was like, I just slept on a rock and these people were complaining about threads out in the sheets.

So while Erica sat there in her boutique hotel dreaming of mountains in Alaska, a friend called her up and said, hey, why don't you come down to California and learn how to be a whitewater rafting guide.

So while Erica sat there in her boutique hotel dreaming of mountains in Alaska, a friend called her up and said, hey, why don't you come down to California and learn how to be a whitewater rafting guide.

I think I said no, And then that afternoon I had a really hard meeting with my boss and then I called her that like evening and I was like, okay, I take it back, I'm coming down. So it kind of all happened really quickly.

I think I said no, And then that afternoon I had a really hard meeting with my boss and then I called her that like evening and I was like, okay, I take it back, I'm coming down. So it kind of all happened really quickly.

But Erica isn't one to sit back and get comfy. So after doing the whitewater rafting thing for a while, she moved up to Wyoming, and while she was there, she noticed that a lot of people were fishing, and.

But Erica isn't one to sit back and get comfy. So after doing the whitewater rafting thing for a while, she moved up to Wyoming, and while she was there, she noticed that a lot of people were fishing, and.

So I was like, you know, I'm just going to try this out. So I just went on YouTube and tried whipping it around and really wasn't successful in the beginning, and there was a writing curve. But with FI fishing, it was like this thing that I wanted to be good at. I was like, what would it be like if I just caught one fish. I just had like made a goal for myself to catch one fish and then I'm going to move on to the next thing.

So I was like, you know, I'm just going to try this out. So I just went on YouTube and tried whipping it around and really wasn't successful in the beginning, and there was a writing curve. But with FI fishing, it was like this thing that I wanted to be good at. I was like, what would it be like if I just caught one fish. I just had like made a goal for myself to catch one fish and then I'm going to move on to the next thing.

But despite it taking an entire year for Erica to catch her first fish, she started to see how people could get so into it.

But despite it taking an entire year for Erica to catch her first fish, she started to see how people could get so into it.

I noticed that there wasn't like a lot of women of color, especially you know, fishing, having indigenous roots. And I got a lot of requests from people of like take me fishing, you know, And I'm like, man, I like, there's this need in this calling that I'm seeing in this industry that we need more female guides in the industry. So when I moved to Colorado, I like, I'm feeling this calling almost, if you will, And so I was like, I'm just going to do a season and I ended up having a very busy summer of just like people from all over the world really.

I noticed that there wasn't like a lot of women of color, especially you know, fishing, having indigenous roots. And I got a lot of requests from people of like take me fishing, you know, And I'm like, man, I like, there's this need in this calling that I'm seeing in this industry that we need more female guides in the industry. So when I moved to Colorado, I like, I'm feeling this calling almost, if you will, And so I was like, I'm just going to do a season and I ended up having a very busy summer of just like people from all over the world really.

And of course Erica and her clients have a lot of fun out there.

And of course Erica and her clients have a lot of fun out there.

It's funny because they always recognize they're like, why is every other boat so serious? And we have like music going, We're having a good time, and we can actually shape the way that we want this to go. It doesn't have to be this one strict way to do things. And so I think that's really fun to be able to play around with and get other people that wouldn't normally experience it, and we get to experience it how they want to and how they're comfortable with doing it.

It's funny because they always recognize they're like, why is every other boat so serious? And we have like music going, We're having a good time, and we can actually shape the way that we want this to go. It doesn't have to be this one strict way to do things. And so I think that's really fun to be able to play around with and get other people that wouldn't normally experience it, and we get to experience it how they want to and how they're comfortable with doing it.

So while she'll continue guiding, Erica will be doing a little less of it as she starts on yet another new adventure in her life, building a fly fishing guide school her own, which, by the way, her dad is thrilled about.

So while she'll continue guiding, Erica will be doing a little less of it as she starts on yet another new adventure in her life, building a fly fishing guide school her own, which, by the way, her dad is thrilled about.

It's just a great way to connect with my dad.

It's just a great way to connect with my dad.

For on the job, I'm Avery Thompson.

For on the job, I'm Avery Thompson.

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Looking for a job is lonely, endless, searching phone calls that go nowhere, applications that vanish into thin air. What if you could link with dozens of local companies who are hiring right now with just one connection. That's Express Employment Professionals. Find us at expresspros dot com. One connection, endless opportunities and no fees ever for job seekers Express Employment Professionals expresspros dot com