Creative Ego: The Good and The Bad – Zuoyi Phang

Today’s guest is Zuoyi (pronounced: Zoe) Phang, a routesetter based in Durham, North Carolina, and a member of the setting team at Triangle Rock Club. Zuoyi began climbing in 2018 after a friend invited her to a gym birthday party and she quickly “fell down the rabbit hold,” climbing nearly every day while balancing long shifts in the service industry. Not long after, she was recruited into routesetting and has been building her experience ever since, working across multiple Triangle Rock Club locations and setting USA Climbing events across the Southeast. Notably, Zuoyi has also set for Siege the Southeast. Zuoyi is a USA Climbing Level 2 routesetter with plans to step into her first chief roles in the near future. In this episode, Zuoyi and host Holly Chen dive into the human side of routesetting: the emotions that come with creative work, the role ego plays in the craft, and how team members can support each other through the inevitable frictions of collaborative setting. General Topics Covered Why routesetting can be more emotional than people expect Managing frustration, feedback and vulnerability when sharing climbs with the public How ego shows up in routesetting, and the difference between healthy pride and destructive ego Using curiosity and communication to navigate disagreements about grades, movement and style How body types, strengths, and climbing backgrounds shape setters’ perspectives Recognizing when a teammate is struggling and how crews can support each other during a tough day The role of leadership and crew dynamics in diffusing tension on a setting team Balancing innovation and practicality when testing new ideas on the wall What an ideal routesetting team culture can look like, and the importance of staying serious about the craft but lighthearted enough to enjoy the process Show Notes Find Zuoyi Phang on Instagram Triangle Rock Club Siege Climbing An Episode of Affirmations: Battling Imposter Syndrome with Ethan Paris Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a guest next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out. You can find our pitch form here. The Impact Driver Podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Rúngne, Cascade Specialty, Trango, Approach and Onsite. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Megan Cheek, Scott Rennak and Joe Robinson, and our theme music is by Devin Dabney.