Mary Rondepierre - Melding Work, Play, and Purpose

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! https://mountainandprairie.com/mary-rondepierre/ https://mountainandprairie.com/support/ https://mountainandprairie.com/bozeman/ TOPICS COVERED: 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! 52:00 - 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