ACE CoLab

🌊 It was a short but sweet summer teaching whitewater kayaking on the South Fork of the American River with Cali Collective and Riverbound .
A familiar place, but with a new perspective. Finding so much joy and presence in simply being on the water.
It’s always a pleasure introducing new people to the river and working alongside such a solid crew of colleagues and friends.
Part of me wishes I could stay a little longer, but I know I’ll be back. For now, the mountains are calling. ❄️

Over the last year we tested five popular mushroom coffees to see if they actually live up to the hype.
As someone who used to drink 3–4 cups of coffee a day, I was looking for something that could provide steady energy, better focus, and fewer crashes without sacrificing the ritual I love.
🏆 My Top Pick: Everyday Dose
☕ Best Traditional Coffee Flavor: La Republica
🌱 Best Caffeine-Free Alternative: Delight Teas
The biggest takeaway? Replacing an unhealthy habit with a healthier one doesn’t have to be a sacrifice.
Read the full comparison and get a discount code at the link in bio.

❄️ Winter 2025–26
Despite missing 132 days due to surgery (but who’s counting?) and a very weird winter, I still managed to get on the mountain for 30 days.
A lot of lessons were learned from the couch this season, but one of the best parts of getting back on snow was having more chairlift rides and laps with friends than I’ve had in the past few years combined. Slowing down allowed me to do that.
Grateful to be healing and recovering, and for the reminder of how much joy and connection skiing brings into my life. Stoked just to be able to slide on snow again.
Many thanks to all the faces by my side and behind the scenes who helped me get here. Here’s to many more turns and memories to come. ⛷️

Sometimes the best things in life are the things you aren’t chasing at all.
For most of my life, I planned everything. My calendar, my goals, my adventures—my whole life lived in spreadsheets.
Then an injury forced me to let go of the illusion of control.
When I finally returned to skiing and kayaking this spring, I set off on a six-week road trip with only a loose plan. Somewhere along the way, I found myself kayaking my very first waterfall.
The funny thing is... I never went looking for it.
It wasn’t on a bucket list. It wasn’t in a spreadsheet. It simply became an opportunity I was open enough to say yes to.
That experience reminded me that some of life’s greatest adventures aren’t the ones we spend months planning. They’re the ones we discover because we leave enough room for the unexpected.
My newest blog, Chasing Waterfalls, is about learning to trade certainty for curiosity—and the surprising places that can lead.
🔗 Link in bio.

For most of my life, I measured success through achievement.
Another peak. Another objective. Another adventure.
Being injured changed the way I define success.
This spring, I found myself savoring breakfast at a trailhead with friends instead of rushing to start climbing. We skinned uphill side by side, talking and laughing the entire way.
Success wasn’t about reaching the top. It was about being present, sharing the experience with people I care about, and appreciating a body that could once again take me into beautiful places.
That shift inspired my latest blog, Redefining the Summit Within—a reflection on injury, recovery, ambition, and what it really means to reach the top.
🔗 Link in bio.

Some places become part of our story. For me, Banks, Idaho is one of those places.
This year, I returned to NFC for the first time in years. The river was familiar, but everything else felt different. I was there without the person who had introduced me to whitewater kayaking, without the life I thought we’d continue building together, and without the certainty I used to feel on the water.
I expected the trip to help me find myself again. Instead, it asked me to feel everything I had been trying to avoid.
One of the biggest lessons came from choosing not to prove anything. I didn’t paddle every day. I didn’t run the hardest rivers I’d paddled in the past. I gave myself permission to kayak on my own terms, laughed with friends on Class II and III sections, and realized that simply being on the water was enough.
Sometimes growth doesn’t look like pushing harder. Sometimes it looks like trusting yourself enough to choose a different line.
I wrote more about returning to the river, grief, healing, and learning to trust myself again in my latest blog. 🔗 Link in bio.

We don’t view coaching, guiding, or personal development as products - we view them as partnerships.
At ACE CoLab, we believe meaningful change happens through exchange. Not simply the exchange of money, but the exchange of energy, commitment, trust, knowledge, and presence.
Every experience we create together requires investment from everyone involved. I bring training, experience, preparation, and guidance. Participants bring curiosity, courage, openness, and a willingness to engage in the process. When those elements come together, transformation becomes possible.
This belief is also why ACE CoLab uses a sliding-scale model. I believe outdoor adventures, coaching, wellness, and personal growth should be accessible to people from a variety of financial backgrounds. The sliding scale allows those with greater resources to help expand access for others while creating a more sustainable and supportive community for everyone.
Rather than requiring applications or explanations, I choose to trust people. I trust that individuals know their circumstances best. I trust that most people want to contribute fairly when given the opportunity. And I trust that communities become stronger when we support one another.
I recently wrote a blog post sharing more about ACE CoLab’s Exchange Philosophy, the reasoning behind our sliding-scale model, and the values that guide the work we do. My hope is that it sparks a broader conversation about accessibility, sustainability, trust, and the ways we invest in ourselves and each other. You can read it at the link in bio.

Ski season never has to end.
Introducing ACE Journeys — custom ski trips, coaching camps, and retreat experiences in South America for September 2026.
Whether you’re looking to improve your skiing, explore new terrain, challenge yourself in the mountains, or simply reconnect through movement and nature, we’ll create an experience designed around your goals.
Every ACE Journey is fully customized and may include:
• Resort skiing
• Backcountry skiing
• Cat and heli skiing
• Private instruction and guiding
• Travel planning and logistics
• Recovery and wellness support
• Food, culture, and adventure
Through partnerships with premier resorts, guides, and operators across South America, ACE Journeys offers access to world-class skiing while maintaining the personalized, client-centered approach ACE CoLab is known for. We’ll design an experience that aligns with your goals, interests, ability level, and style of travel.
This is more than a ski trip.
It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, explore somewhere new, connect with incredible people, and create memories that last long after the snow melts.
Planning for September 2026 is now underway.
If skiing the Andes has been on your bucket list—or if you’re simply not ready for winter to end—I’d love to help you design your next adventure.
Visit the link in bio or send me a message to start the conversation.

What started as curiosity about human growth, change, and potential became one of the most meaningful learning experiences of my life.
Stoked to share that I’ve officially earned my Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
This journey challenged me to grow as both a coach and a person. Along the way, I learned how to listen more deeply, ask better questions, hold space for difficult conversations, and trust that people are often far more capable, resourceful, and resilient than they realize.
One thing many people don’t realize is that coaching is largely unregulated—anyone can call themselves a coach. Earning an ICF credential requires rigorous standards for training, experience, ethics, and coaching competency.
More than a professional milestone, this credential reflects my commitment to providing the highest quality support for the individuals and communities I serve.
Thank you to the mentors, instructors, clients, friends, and family members who have been part of this journey.
Here’s to continuing to learn, grow, and support others in creating meaningful change.