Outdoor Blog Swap: Interview with Katie Levy of ‘Adventure-Inspired’

Gear swaps, clothing swaps, home swaps – there are lots of ways to ‘swap.’ But ever heard of a blog swap? This gives us the chance to get to know another blogger and instead of actually swapping blogs for the day, we exchange interviews and get to know the person behind the websites we admire. First on the list is Katie Levy of Adventure-Inspired! – Meghan

Tell me a bit about yourself. When you’re not posting on Adventure-Inspired, what are you doing?

Posting on Adventure-Inspired is a wonderful creative outlet for me, though sometimes it feels like a full time job! I admire people who’ve been able to create careers out of their blogs.

I currently live and work in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after having grown up in Ithaca, New York, and spending almost two years in Alaska. Playing outside in one way or another has been part of my life for a long time, and I’ve done my best to work my passions into my career and free time. Lately, that’s involved finding new ways to challenge myself physically with pursuits like Crossfit and getting outdoors as much as possible with activities like backpacking, hiking and climbing. Mix all of that in with a healthy dose of quality time with friends, family and my two kitties, and I’m a happy girl.

These days, when I’m not posting or at work, you’ll most likely find me at Go Vertical, on a local hiking trail, at the Crossfit gym, or recovering on my couch from all of the previous pursuits!

When did you start the Adventure-Inspired blog? What led you to start on such a big project?

I’ve always loved to write and have kept a journal since I was nine years old. It made sense to start sharing some of what I wrote with those close to me and now with a wider audience.

Adventure-Inspired grew out of a small personal blog I started when I moved to Alaska in 2006 to record some of the things I did there. I wrote a few posts, but didn’t share them with anyone outside of friends and family. After coming to Philadelphia and getting a bit more involved with social media – Twitter in particular – I resurrected what use to be simply “Katie’s Adventures” and started finding my voice. I wanted to turn my blog into a more professional looking and sounding medium for sharing stories.

There’s a strong outdoor community involved in social media and I found that when it came to needing advice about climbing, sharing trip reports or discussing experiences, blogging was a fantastic way to be a part of that. Blogs are an outlet for us “normal” adventurers, us non-sponsored athletes, to develop a strong voice and influence. We’re the everyday folks out there using the gear, trying new things and telling anyone who will listen about our experiences.

Adventure-Inspired is like a refuge for me – a place I can go to just be myself, like I can outside. But it’s also a place to share things that inspire me, including guest posts from mountain guides and interviews with people I admire. I had no idea it would grow the way it has, though I hope there is still significant growth to come!

The website sometimes says “us” and “we.” Who, apart from yourself, is involved in Adventure-Inspired?

Suiting up for a day of ice climbing! - Photo by Carla Lewandowski.

Though I’m the founder and primary voice of Adventure-Inspired, I don’t really enjoy having adventures alone! If I’m writing a trip report, I might refer to “we” or “us” with respect to others I’ve traveled with. And lucky for me, I have the chance to share posts from guest reviewers and other people who have amazing stories to tell. With stories from SWS Mountain Guide James Brown (JB), local climber Justin Johnsen and EMT extraordinaire Dan Herscovitch, it has been a great way to add a little spice and variety to what would normally have just been my voice.

I particularly enjoy the interviews (with people in the outdoor industry) on Adventure-Inspired. Which interview was your favourite to date?

I’m glad to hear that! The interviews are so exciting to do, though I have to admit I get nervous on the phone with a few folks in particular! People like Theo Meiners, legends in their circles of influence, are just fascinating to talk to. I did a lot of homework before that interview. Theo’s studied snow science for a significant amount of time, and I wanted to have at least a basic understanding of what he knows before we spoke. But that’s the exciting part – learning!

Having the chance to interview Alli Rainey was a dream come true. She’s so inspiring! I also enjoy doing interviews with friends like Alison Vuocolo. Though Alison might not be known industry wide, she’s had a big impact on me and on the women’s climbing community in Philadelphia. Then, of course, there’s James Brown (JB). JB’s just plain cool, and has what many outdoorsfolk consider a dream job. Who wouldn’t want one-on-one time to quiz a mountain guide about everything involved with what they do?

I’m sorry, I just can’t pick a favorite. I’m looking forward to being able to do more of them in the future, and am always open to suggestions for outdoor industry folks to feature.

What do you hope people ultimately take away from the content on Adventure-Inspired?

Enjoying all the beauty the world has to offer in the Sierras - Photo by Priya Swamy.

The most important thing to take away from Adventure-Inspired is, well, inspiration! The word itself can be a bit of a cliche, but for me, the site name in its entirety encompasses a feeling and a collection of experiences that make life special. It’s so important for us “normal” adventurers to tell our stories and to be heard. “Adventure” means something different for everyone, and I want the site to be a place for people with passions of all sorts to feel comfortable. I’m inspired as much by sponsored athletes and professionals as I am by my peers and people doing things I can do or hope to do someday.

It’s my hope that readers will find a community they feel they fit into and can be a part of. Whether it’s your first day rock climbing or your 100th ascent of Mount Rainier, Adventure-Inspired is a place for everyone. I want readers to be encouraged to try new things, to test their limits, to learn and to share their experiences. Everyone has a story to tell, and those stories have a home on Adventure-Inspired.

What do you think is in the future for Adventure-Inspired?

Katie doing one of her favorite things in the world - bouldering! Photo by Denis Brenan.

Given that I had absolutely no idea what my vision was in the beginning, I’m excited about the way Adventure-Inspired has grown up until this point. Building a website without any background in how to do so has been an incredible learning process and I’m learning more every day. I’m so thankful for the others who’ve helped along the way.

One long-term goal is to find ways to create income from Adventure-Inspired without having to compromise any of the integrity, honesty and values I already have as standards for myself and any guest posters. It’s so important to me that readers are able to trust that gear reviews, for example, are unbiased and full of useful information. I created a “Disclosures” page for that reason.

Another goal I have is to continue to grow Adventure-Inspired into a community where readers find inspiration in and relate to the stories, be encourage to live their own adventures and find new gear they can’t live without! Driving site visitation is always a challenge, but being able to do that is a big part of my long term vision. I want to be able to appeal to a wide variety of people with a wide variety of backgrounds all over the world.

Connect with Katie and Adventure-Inspired:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/adventureinspired
Twitter: http://twitter.com/k8tlevy or http://www.twitter.com/advinspired

Don’t miss the other half! Check out Outdoor Blog Swap: An Interview with Meghan Ward of ‘The Campsite.’