The Terra Girls Podcast Terra Running Company

A native of western North Carolina, Chad Wykle, didn't originally plan to work in the outdoor industry, but a love of rock climbing brought him to the Chattanooga area and into a career working for the outdoor retailer Rock Creek. After many years at Rock Creek, Chad and his family decided that it was time to move back to the mountains of western North Carolina at the same time a new opportunity with the brand La Sportiva opened up.
Listen in to this episode to learn how Chad went from rock climber to runner, how he we was able to overcome a severely broken calcaneus to be able to run at all, and to learn more about La Sportiva and their shoes.

Jen Vega never planned on being a business owner. Originally a teacher, she and her husband Martin got started on their business ventures by selling Martin's truck for some start up funds. One thing led to another, and eventually Jen and Martin found themselves buying the local running store in their town of Midland, Texas. 7 years later, Midland Athletic Company has grown to include a running store, a bike shop, a holistic health center, and a race timing and event business. Listen in to this episode to learn more about Jen, how she balances her time between being a business owner and a mom of 3 boys, and what it's like to build an active community in the heat of Texas. Listeners can check out Midland Athletic Company online at: https://midlandathleticcompany.com/

Growing up in the Florida heat, Blake Riley used to hate running. But growing up in a turkey trot family and having a natural love of being active eventually turned Blake into a runner. Fast forward a few years, and Blake found himself from one extreme to the other: immersed in the running world, working in a run specialty shop, and running in college, to burnt out on the sport and injured. But one thing led to the next, and those old running connections brought him back to the running world to work for his favorite brand: On. Listen in to hear more about Blake, as well as On, in this episode of the Terra Girls. 

Though he hasn't always been a runner, George Destin Bell has always been entrepreneurial. From his early days as a kid selling candy bars to classmates, to more official ventures as a university student, being business-minded has always come easy. But no amount of business acumen could shield Destin from the circumstances of graduating college in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities were lost, job offers rescinded, and life seemingly put on hold. Listen to this episode to learn how Destin went from being jobless and broke to creating a successful new running app - Card.io - with no upfront funding, no official industry connections, and no app development experience. 
 

Caroline Daniel still remembers the magic of her first pair of Brooks Ghosts. A middle schooler at the time, she had no idea that she would one day work for Brooks as a Guru Field Representative, helping other people fall in love with running one pair of Brooks shoes at a time. But roads rarely run in a straight line, and for Caroline, the path from middle schooler to professional in the running industry wasn't always smooth. Listen in to this episode to learn more about how Caroline went from soccer player, to college runner, to law school student, to embracing the joy of working in the run specialty industry for one of the most respected brands out there. 

If you are a Hoka fan in Tennessee, there is a good chance that you have met this episode's guest, Melanie Harsha. Melanie is the Hoka Field Representative for the state of Tennessee (and Mississippi and a smidge of Virginia!) which means there is a good chance that you have met her at a Hoka demo run, a Hoka-sponsored race, or just out and about at general running events. What you might not know about Melanie is that, besides being a runner, she is an incredibly accomplished hiker, having completed the "Triple Crown of Hiking," that is thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. Listen to this episode to learn more about Melanie's experiences on the trail, her job with Hoka, and what it is like to leave your life for a season to accomplish your dreams.