EP 01: Lizzy VanPatten on Practicing Gratitude, Building a Business, and Projecting Fear (and 5.12 Trad)

Lizzy VanPatten is a rock climber and the founder of She Moves Mountains, a guiding company with the mission of helping women realize their strength through rock climbing. We talked about Lizzy’s brief music career, building a business, breaking into 5.12 trad, assessing fear, and her gratitude practice.  

Support on Patreon:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  

Show Notes:  

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/lizzy-vanpatten  

Nuggets:  

1:25 – Rollerblades (and Rollergangs)  

2:31 – Lizzy’s brief music career, transition into rock climbing, and her first trip to Patagonia  

12:03 – Starting guiding, seeing women come alive, and becoming a business owner  

19:06 – Taking big leaps and why it’s hard to feel embarrassed  

26:23 – She Moves Mountains growth and where things are at now  

29:50 – How Lizzy makes her guides feel stoked while giving herself freedom  

35:47 – Self-doubt and the importance of building a solid team  

37:49 – One piece of advice for herself and running her business to pay her guides well  

42:30 – Finding challenge through projecting and climbing ‘Der Sportsman’ first try  

47:33 – Lizzy’s first 5.12, climbing 5.12 in four different locations, and ‘Winter Sustenance’  

51:08 – Sending 5.12 fourth try and flashing two 12+ routes on top rope  

52:09 – A nasty fall Lizzy took this summer  

58:07 – The importance of having a goal  

1:02:25 – Training for ‘Moonlight Buttress’ and projecting fear  

1:07:08 – The curse of being a technical climber, pistol squats, and trying ‘Churning’  

1:10:20 – Calm meditation app, highs and lows, Lizzy’s gratitude practice, and the negative bias  

1:18:58 – The one thing Lizzy is most grateful for right now  

1:20:44 – She Moves Mountains apparel  

1:23:05 – She Moves Mountains upcoming events  

1:27:39 – Lizzy’s final thoughts on facing and assessing fear  

1:31:12 – Quote from Anaïs Nin