Steve Casimiro is the founder and editor of Adventure Journal, an online and quarterly print magazine devoted to outdoor adventure in all its forms. AJ began as Steve’s personal blog back in 2008—a project he created on the side while writing for National Geographic Adventure. Steve’s unique perspective and devotion to adventure writing struck a chord with the outdoor community, and AJ’s audience grew and grew. When National Geographic Adventure closed its doors, Steve decided to pursue AJ with his full professional focus, building a loyal following who is deeply devoted to AJ online and in print.
Steve grew up on the east coast, and from an early age, he was obsessed with writing, photography, and storytelling. After earning a degree in journalism, he spent his early twenties writing for traditional newspapers, including USA Today. But when presented with the opportunity to meld his passion for the outdoors with his journalism career, he left the newspaper business to join the team at the legendary ski magazine Powder. From there, Steve immersed himself in all aspects of the adventure media world, honing his craft for storytelling and dialing in his voice as a writer and editor. The culmination of these years of hard work is Adventure Journal, which is, in my opinion, one of the most essential voices in the outdoor community.
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Adventure Journal. I reference it often in my weekly newsletter and suggest the quarterly print publication in my reading recommendation emails. But what I find most impressive about Steve is how he has built such a loyal community of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts—curious, thoughtful, open-minded readers who enjoy thinking deeply about the outdoors and adventure. In this conversation, Steve shares how he managed to create such a unique community and what drives him to work so hard to continue to build it. We talk about AJ’s values as a business, and we discuss his recent commitment to make AJ carbon neutral. We talk about how Steve welcomes ideas and opinions that he may not necessarily agree with, and the unique niche that AJ fills in the outdoor community. Steve also discusses how his his wife Joni, who is the AJ Art Director, has played an invaluable role in the growth of AJ. We talk about the importance of attention, the need to support independent media, what he looks for in writers, the importance of optimism, his ideas on building community, and much more.
Whether you’re a writer, photographer, business owner, community builder, or outdoor enthusiast, I can promise you that you’ll learn a lot from this conversation. And please keep an eye on my Instagram account, because I’ll be doing a giveaway of a few copies of AJ later this week. You can find a link to my Instagram Account in the episode notes.
Thanks to Steve for taking the time to join me. I hope you enjoy!
Photos by Sinuhe Xavier
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EPISODE NOTES
Topics Discussed:
- 4:00 – AJ’s decision to be carbon neutral
- 7:00 – Founding values of AJ
- 9:45 – Thoughts on the business decision of going carbon neutral
- 15:00 – Importance of where we focus our attention
- 20:00 – Influences on Steve’s unique approach to media and AJ
- 24:30 – AJ’s transition from personal project to full-time gig
- 26:30 – Thoughts on AJ’s tone, consistency, and content
- 30:30 – Evolution from traditional journalism to AJ
- 35:00 – Importance of doing work that is new and innovative
- 40:45 – Impactful notes and letters from AJ readers
- 41:30 – Deep feelings brought out by outdoor adventure
- 43:00 – Important example that pursuing one’s passion can set
- 46:00 – Pushing through being “stuck”
- 51:00 – Optimist or Pessimist?
- 55:45 – What Steve looks for in writers
- 1:01:30 – Importance of supporting media with your dollars
- 1:06:00 – Having high expectations of the brands you support
- 1:09:00 – Favorite books
- 1:12:00 – Parting words of wisdom
Information Referenced:
- Adventure Journal
- Subscribe to AJ
- AJ on Instagram
- Steve Casimiro
- Joni Casimiro
- AJ’s commitment to being climate neutral
- Climate Neutral certification
- The Surfer’s Journal
- Conservation Alliance
- 1% for the Planet
- Bill McKibben
- National Geographic Adventure
- Yvon Chouinard
- Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
- Sterling Lorence
- Powder, Bike magazines
- Steve-Brendan Leonard interview in Outside
- Brendan Leonard / Semi-Rad.com
- Chris Burkard episode
- Field Notes
- AJ Pocket Notebooks
- Craig Childs
- Terry Tempest Williams
- Peter Heller episode
- One Man’s Meat by EB White
- Peter Heller books
- The New Wilderness by Diane Cook
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these as well:
- Peter Heller – Chasing the Flow
- Chris Burkard – The Art of Suffering
- Brendan Leonard – Grinding It Out
- Becca Skinner – Pursuing Her Passions in the West
- Hampton Sides – Live at the Aspen Institute
- Pete McBride – A Passion for Water & Wild Places
- Emilene Ostlind – Storytelling for the New West
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THIS SUMMER’S ADVENTURE:
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