Mary Rondepierre is a fourth-generation Montanan, avid sportswoman, and a public lands advocate who has explored our nation’s wild places from coast to coast. She is also the Marketing and Experiences Manager at Filson, one of the most renowned and respected outdoor apparel brands anywhere. Currently based in Seattle, Mary has managed to combine her personal and professional passions into an exciting and rewarding career that melds together high-performance business with conservation and time in wide-open spaces.
As a child, Mary grew up in a household that respected the outdoors and valued rich experiences over accumulating endless amounts of “stuff.” Her father worked as a commercial fisherman and logger, wearing– you guessed it– Filson gear to his jobs in the often-brutal environments of Alaska and the West. Mary headed to Oregon State for college, and soon after graduation entered the apparel business, eventually landing at Filson. Since then, she’s worn many hats at the company and now works closely with Filson’s partnership with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, helping to produce their “Campfire Stories” events around the country.
If you’re like me, love the outdoors, and own a ridiculously large stash of gear, odds are you’ve dreamed about working at a well-known outdoor apparel company. Mary’s career serves as an excellent case study for anyone interested in pursuing this path, and she reveals how she managed to land such a dream job. We talk about her education and early career, as well as her decision to work retail at Filson to “get her foot in the door.” We discuss the critical lessons she learned from working on the sales floor, and how those retail experiences inform and enhance her current role at Filson. We chat about an epic road trip she took with her husband in which they visited public lands from coast to coast, and we talk about how her upbringing in rural Montana instilled a deep love and respect of public lands. As usual, we discuss favorite books, places in the West, and the best advice she’s ever received. Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of Mary Rondepierre
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Episode Notes
Topics Discussed:
- 4:30 – How Mary describes her work
- 6:30 – History of Filson
- 9:40 – Holding high standards
- 11:45 – Outdoor apparel marketing
- 13:30 – Partnership with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
- 18:10 – How Mary began working in outdoor apparel
- 19:00 – Mary’s dad’s secret camps!
- 20:00 – Family history in Montana
- 22:55 – Childhood outdoor adventures
- 24:00 – Decision to leave Montana
- 26:30 – First job out of college
- 28:30 – First job at Filson
- 30:10 – Experience working retail
- 33:30 – Filson’s “Unfailing Goods”
- 35:30 – Humility gained from retail
- 38:00 – Advice to recent college grads
- 41:00 – Thoughts on reading business books versus real-world experience
- 44:10 – Epic public lands roadtrip
- 49:30 – Proposal story!
- 42:00 – Lessons learned from the road trip
- 55:00 – Favorite spots in the PNW
- 59:30 – Awesome TR side conversation
- 1:01:45 – Mentors
- 1:04:30 – Favorite books
- 1:09:00 – Most powerful outdoor experience
- 1:12:45 – Favorite location in the West
- 1:13:30 – Best advice ever received
- 1:14:30 – Request of the listeners
- 1:16:00 – Connect with Mary
Information Referenced:
- Mary on Instagram
- Filson
- The Klondike Quest by Pierre Berton
- Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
- BHA-Filson Campfire Stories
- The Moth
- Bigfork, Montana
- Hoka shoes
- Jessica Lewis podcast
- Bryce Andrews podcast
- Down from the Mountain by Bryce Andrews
- Badluck Way by Bryce Andrews
- Jim Harrison
- Dalva by Jim Harrison
- A Good Day to Die by Jim Harrison
- Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison
- This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
- Deep Creek by Pam Houston
- Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston
- Sarah Calhoun podcast
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these as well:
- Melissa DiNino – Building a Unique Life in Big Sky Country
- Sarah Calhoun – Community Building Through Commerce
- Christine Su – The Business of Healthy Grasslands
- Connor Coleman – How to Build a Meaningful Life in the West
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