Meet Emily Pennington | Writer and Musician

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

Hi Emily, how do you think about risk?
For me, risk taking is everything. at the end of 2019, I quit my desk job as an administrative/executive assistant, moved ito my van, and embarked on a year-long trip to every U.S. national park. The time ended up being challenging, with Covid hitting in the middle of my adventure, but I stuck it out, and now I have an illustrious new career as an author and journalist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I set out to work full-time as a writer, I wanted to contradict the traditional macho narratives that we often see in the outdoor industry. I wanted to prove that you can be a badass and still be silly or vulnerable, and I think both my magazine work and my memoir, Feral, Losing My Way and Finding Myself in America’s National Parks, showcase that beautifully.

Some of the main challenges I’ve faced in the creative field come down to an ever-changing media landscape. It’s tough out there for creatives who want to break into the industry-whether that’s writing, photography, music, or film! Luckily, I’m a freelancer, so I can be nimble and pivot from client to client if a legacy publication faces huge layoffs, for example, but I think that diversifying your clientele is a *must* at this point in the industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question! I would tell them to stay at The Ramble Hotel, because it has this fabulous vintage chic quality that can’t be downplayed, plus the incredible mixologists of Death & Co. are right downstairs. In the daytime, I’d take them to Denver Central Market for lunch , followed by a trip to the contemporary art museum, and if we were feeling splurgy, we would hit the town for an incredible 12-course omakase at this amazing new Denver restaurant, Ukiyo. On day two, we could head towards my hood, Boulder, and hike in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, before an awesome, sustainable dinner at Blackbelly, my favorite.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My incredible editor, Abigail Wise, who took a chance on me when I was a newer writer and gave me a full-on column at Outside Magazine. Sadly, she’s not at the publication anymore, but so much of my success can be attributed to her care and trust.

Also, my partner, Oliver Franklin, who got me out of the doldrums of desk work last year and got me performing on stage again (my first love) in a new band called Trouble’s Braids.

Website: https://troublesbraidsmusic.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brazenbackpacker/

Twitter: https://x.com/BrazenBackpack

Image Credits
The professional headshots (not the outdoors ones) are courtesy of Darren Eskandari.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-eskandari/