We had the good fortune of connecting with Connor Koch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Connor, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Our roots are in the mountains, and risk assessment is everything in the mountains. Jonny Morsicato (one of my cofounders) and I climbed all the Colorado 14ers together, and have stood on countless summits only made possible through our partnership. We met Colin Rex and Christian Van Os Keuls through our sponsor, Arc’teryx, and the bond was immediate. We wanted to take big risks together, with the reward being a fruitful and meaningful career.

When people talk about risk in the mountains, they’re talking about the ultimate price. We’ve weighed that a lot, and stared down the barrel of bad decisions many times, with everything on the line. So when you apply it to business, big risk seems a little less intense, and it’s easy for us to stomach “risky” decisions when the only thing on the line is our jobs.

The other factor when it comes to risk is controlling variables. Variables in the mountains are weather, conditions, rockfall – you get the idea. In business, that variable is passion. Client responses, economies, macro trends – those are all out of our control, so we control the only thing we can: our passion and work ethic.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our content is crafted with three things in mind: world-class imagery and video, beautiful writing, and relatable experiences. We travel around the world, on foot, in the vertical, and on two wheels, looking for beautiful stories to tell and awe-inspiring places in which to tell them. Our art is visible and digestible, but it’s also more than that: it’s universal. From Colin’s images, to Christian’s design, to Jonny’s events and Micheli’s activism. From my words, to Erin’s social media genius, to Gian’s community building, Charlie’s sincerity, and Nick’s adaptability. Our art is all of us, crafted and curated to bring something special to the world.

We started as a group of best friends who loved being in the mountains, but that’s not enough. There are so many voices out there waiting to be heard, and so many mountains to climb.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We are products of our environment – thus, the Collective. Each of us operates in concert with each other, and with the support of our friends, families, partners, and communities, who lift us up and drive us forward into a better future. Beyond our immediate support circles, the real credit belongs to you: the person reading this who is living their own story, facing their own doubts, fears, and challenges every single day. We’re doing it for you, because your story matters, too. Saddle up and follow your heart. There’s a lot of life to live.

Website: www.thecoyotecollective.com

Instagram: @thecoyotecollective

Image Credits
The Coyote Collective

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.