Meet Sara Kunz

We were lucky to catch up with Sara Kunz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Resilience comes from not jsut grit, but grace too.

My resilience stems from a combination of trained adversity, and the chaos (and BS!) of modern life.

While I grew up doing tough things like hiking, competitive martial arts, and other sports, it wasn’t till I was sexually assaulted in my early 20’s that I really leaned into the idea of GRIT. I had horrible PTSD that jeopardized my physical and mental health. Inspired by the TV show ‘naked and afraid’ I started to learn primitive survival as an attempt to reclaim my mental health and sense of self. I was obsessed with being more resilient, but the better I got into the survival skills the more I learned it’s not just grit that makes us tough, but the grace and love we give ourselves to rest, heal, and grow.

Nowadays, I still love a good challenge (obviously, seeing as I’ve completed ‘Naked and Afraid’ twice now), but my self-worth isn’t wrapped up in it, nor is the need to prove anything. I get to speak about JOYFUL resilience on stages across the country, and in those speeches, I remind people that sustainable, enjoyable resilience comes from a combination of planned adversity (pushing yourself) as well as responding with love and self compassion when the unplanned adversities pop up.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I help people turn adversity into adventure by learning to survive the wild and everyday bull💩.

Through retreats, speeches, and my weekly YouTube videos, I give people the tips and tools they need to build confidence in themselves both in the wild and in modern life.

I teach the same primitive survival principles and ancient wisdom (such as mindfulness and stoicism) that I used to overcome PTSD and complete two ‘Naked and Afraid’ challenges to everyday people of all skill levels. This helps transform the chaos and stress of modern life into an adventure you feel confident tackling with simple, fun tools!

In all I do (speeches, youtube, retreats) I get the honor of seeing people go from “uhh idk if thats for me… I don’t know if I can do that” to “oh my god! I did it!”. Wether it’s speaking their truth using one of my simple tools, plunging into ice-cold water, or starting a fire by rubbing sticks together I get to witness people realizing just how powerful and joyful they can be,

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

“It’s not your fault the mountain is steep, but it is your responsibility to keep climbing”
Bad things happen to good people, life is hard. That’s not your fault. The moment you can accept that without judgment or blame and step into acceptance and adventure is the moment you claim your unique path and begin to shine your light.

“use your fear to pack the right gear”. We often ake fear as a sign we’re not capable, safe, or prepared. But in most cases, fear is a friend, and when you listen to it and explore those scary questions you not only find it’s not that bad- but the fears are telling you what you need to be prepared. In hiking this is literal, if you’re afraid of the dark bring an extra flashlight. In life we can use this for physical as well as emotional support.

“In nature and life, the most fruitful experiences are found in the valleys, not peaks”.
We’re taught to chase and achieve, but the truth is nobody is meant to live on a literal or metaphorical peak. In nature, peaks are cold, resource-poor, and inhospitable, but the darker more mysterious valleys are where all the nutrients, rivers, and animals thrive. We need to allow ourselves to sit in the “lows” of life more on our quest to the peaks, it’s where we find out who we really are, and find the connections and resources we truly need.

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How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I LOVE to collaborate! Hit me up if this resonates with you and you have any skills supporting:

-YouTube: video production, editing, channel management, brand deals
– Speaking: Want to bring me to your company to speak on joyful resilience? I host workshops, corporate retreats, and speeches!
-Marketing and Audience Growth: help me help more people feel confident in surviving the wild and everyday bull!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ben Staley
Kat Waterman

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