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

Hi Jessie, what matters most to you?
Integrity consolidates a lot of concepts into one simple word. I liken it to “olden” days when (so I’ve been told) a person’s word meant something and it feels like a guiding hand if ever I am not sure what to do. I think of my grandpa and my impression of him.  I still fall short sometimes or end up in situations that feel negative, but even then I can say with honesty that I’ve done my best and that feels good and gives me strength to keep moving forward. Integrity holds honesty, authenticity, an implication that one will do their best, and that they will try to right any wrongs they have committed.  Treating others with respect regardless of how they are acting. At the same time it isn’t shy, flinching, or weak. I think “Mr. Miyagi” from “The Karate Kid”. Standing with dignity and pride with a touch of humility. I find it a worthy goal to strive for.    

What should our readers know about your business?
The road to where I am now has been quite the roller coaster. My work and passion is teaching wilderness skills, and technology has been my weak spot for quite some time. Without a business partner and mentor I never would have started this particular journey. Dan pitched the idea of running a satellite school for him here in Colorado with he and his crew handling most of the bureaucratic hurdles. After running that school for about 4 years now, I’ve decided to start my own business that focuses on teaching women. Abuse as an infant and child led to a strong connection with wild places and a feeling of safety when I was alone in the woods of Michigan growing up. People felt much more dangerous and confusing than plants, streams, bugs, night-time, and animals. I was pretty shy and quiet as a kid and running or owning a business would have sounded horrifying to me then! Mom wasn’t raising me to be meek though, and the Air Force did a good job of helping me find my voice, gain confidence, and develop a focus: teach military personnel how to get back home safe. Looking back, S.E.R.E. Training was a powerful kick in the butt to get things started. It was years after I was honorably discharged before I was given the gift of working in wilderness therapy. There I finally began looking beneath the surface and changing/growing in a more fundamental way. Because of these various chapters in my life book, I’m about to launch “O.W.L.S. Skills” (Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills) in 2021. I look forward to continuing to empower women in the wilderness, and hopefully through that, in life as well.

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 still have so much exploring to do in Denver! I’m back living at my home in Pagosa Springs for the duration of Covid, but still get to jump up and spend a week or two in the Denver/Boulder area while teaching each month. I LOVE Sam’s No, 3 as a dining option at least for one meal while folks are in town. My boyfriend owns a little pedicab business (Blake Street Pedicabs) so getting to tour some of the local bars, restaurants, and amazing views of Denver that way is awesome and gives such a better feel of the city than in a car. I love our Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, and we used to live just a couple blocks from the Botanical Garden’s near Cheeseman park. We’ll often get the CityPass for three, four, or five attractions when folks are visiting. Taking those that are willing out into the mountains west of town to do some hiking and camping is a fun option too. Of course I’m out at my training area and teaching a fair amount so I have my favorite spots to play! The biking trails around and through Denver are awesome, and of course they are the best way to get to the many little festivals and activities that are usually everywhere, especially in the summer. Concerts, plays, comedy clubs, dancing (the Mercury Café always had something going on!), you want it? You can find it in Denver!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shew, what a tall order! Trying to recognize all the people who have shaped me into who I am now and guided me in my work and my personal journey is like trying to name every grain of sand bathed in sunlight at the bottom of one of our beautiful Colorado lakes. There are the usual folks that hopefully most of us can thank: my family, friends, coworkers, organizations that I’ve worked with and that have assisted me in so many ways, etc… I’ve hopefully thanked most of you at some point, and I hope you know who you are! Here is a shortlist of businesses/organizations and their amazing owners/organizers doing good things in the world:

Women’s Wilderness-https://www.womenswilderness.org/  for women and girls seeking wild refuge/connection

Open Sky Wilderness Therapy-https://www.openskywilderness.com/  for folks struggling

Medafore-https://medafore.com/  for respiratory equipment

Primitive skills gatherings like: Wintercount in AZ, and Rabbitstick in ID

Search and Rescue around the state and country.  Thank you for your service!

I also thank those people and situations that challenged me. The ones that knocked me down. I think most of the time this isn’t intentional. I’ve likely done this to others in my life at various points. I’d like to think the universe only gives us what we can handle at least until we pass from this life. The challenges we face are to help us grow, adapt, deepen our understanding of ourselves and others, and give us the chance to re-forge our relationships into something stronger and more meaningful. 2020 has offered that potential many times for most of us. I hope you and yours have been able to meet it with integrity and are coming through feeling stronger than when it began!

Website: WWW.SERETraining.US
Instagram: sere_training_school
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SERETrainingSchool
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnlaQHIoCs8&t=296s
Other: Coming soon! www.owlsskills.com

Image Credits
All mine! Jessica Krebs

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDenver 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.