Kami Bakken - How to Build a Life and Career in the West's Wide-Open Spaces

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Kami Bakken is a river guide and outdoor advocate, and she currently serves as the Director of the Freeflow Foundation and Director of Ambassador and Grant Programs for Rivers for Change. A native of Minnesota, Kami headed West for college at Colorado State University, where she earned a degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Since graduating in 2018, she has been fully focused on helping others explore and appreciate the mountains and rivers of the American West, while also advocating for their protection and conservation.

Kami and I met in 2023 when she was the facilitator on my Green River Freeflow Institute workshop through Dinosaur National Monument and the Gates of Lodore. During our weeks of preparation for the course and our five days on the river, I was so impressed by her expertise in outdoor education and river travel, and perhaps more importantly, by her ability to connect with a wide range of people in a sometimes-intense wilderness setting. She’s humble yet confident, earnest yet hilarious, and I credit her with so much of the success of that workshop.

When I was in my late 20s and deep in a traditional career in the real estate business, I dreamed of having a life and career like Kami’s– one that combined adventure and wide-open spaces with purpose-driven work. So I wanted to chat with her in depth to learn more about how she has made it all happen. If, like I was, you are interested in learning the realities of following a non-traditional but deeply fulfilling career in the outdoors, then you’ll definitely learn a lot from Kami.

We met up a few weeks ago at my house in the Springs and had a wide-ranging and funny conversation about her life, career, adventures, and crazy misadventures. We talked about what drew her to Colorado for college, and some of the challenges of adjusting to such a new place and environment where she didn’t know anyone. We discussed some of her wild experiences traveling in the West and internationally– including a few run-ins with cult-like groups– and how she took the leap to become a sea kayaking guide and eventually a western river guide. We talk a lot about her commitment to pushing outside of her comfort zone, overcoming fear and discomfort, and why she’s drawn to conservation work. We also discuss the financial realities of seasonal work, how her non-profit work compliments her guiding work, her career plans for the future, and her roles with the Freeflow Institute and Foundation.

And it’s worth noting that Kami and I will be heading out on the river again this summer for another Freeflow workshop, this time on Oregon’s Wild & Scenic Rogue River– August 15th through 20th. As of this recording, there are still a few spots left, so you can follow the link in the episode notes to learn more about the workshop and apply. As of this moment, you can use the secret code “ED200” to get $200 off of the tuition.

A huge thanks to Kami for agreeing to let me ask her a bunch of weird questions, and more importantly, for all of her leadership and support on our river trips. Enjoy!

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Kami on Instagram and LinkedIn
Freeflow Institute
Freeflow Foundation
Upcoming 2024 Freeflow Program on the Rogue River
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/kami-bakken/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED

4:00 - Where Kami is from

5:00 - Why Kami went to Colorado State, and how her family felt about that decision

9:00 - How her early experience in Colorado led her to WWOOF (and apparently a couple of cults)

15:30 - Kami’s return to CSU, and her entry into the world of outdoor recreation

19:30 - Kami’s travel adventures post-graduation

22:00 - Kami’s time with Protect Our Winters

24:15 - Kami’s transition to professional guiding

27:45 - Where Kami’s desire for connection and impact led her career next

31:45 - What Kami’s friends from college were doing while she was raft guiding, and whether or not she has ever questioned her career path

33:30 - Exploring the difference between contentment and happiness, and some more details about the outdoor education and rafting nonprofit that Kami worked for

37:15 - Kami’s transition to the Freeflow Foundation

44:00 - Discussing the Freeflow Foundation

45:45 - Balancing safety with growth driven by risk

50:00 - The trip that Ed and Kami did together on the Green River

54:45 - What makes for a good outdoor guide, and what makes for a bad one

59:00 - Who Kami admires

1:03:00 - Kami’s next steps

1:05:45 - What worries Kami

1:09:00 - Kami’s book recommendations

1:10:30 - Kami’s advice for those who want to try a new lifestyle or career

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