Meet Josie Pearson | Creator- for the betterment of this Earth.

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

Hi Josie, every day, we know about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
It started with traveling. My boyfriend and I are avid adventure seekers, escaping to a new place any chance we get. As we began to travel to places very new to us, I began to realize certain things. One of the most profound things is how absolutely beautiful our world is, yet we don’t always treat it as so. This started to bother me, so a conversation began to take place in my head that proceeded to an actual conversation with my boyfriend. Not only were we seeing places looking like a landfill itself, we too (Paul and I) seemed to be wasting more than what was necessary.

I began to look into what I could change lifestyle wise in order to lessen our carbon footprint on this Earth. We began composting, we switched to powdered toothpaste, we started to bring our own utensils on trips so we wouldn’t need single use plastic to eat our food, we began taking reusable bags inside when shopping for groceries, etc.

We adopted these changes, none of which were hard to follow through with in our opinion. I was satisfied with the new lifestyle because I felt like we were doing our part, but that satisfaction only lasted for a little while.

We continued to travel and again, we saw a lot of waste. I then realized I wanted to do something bigger than myself. I needed to do something bigger than myself.

I had a thought, but I didn’t know if it would work out for two reasons. One, I wasn’t sure if I could take what I had envisioned and create an actual product that would help jumpstart a conversation. Two, this idea meant I would need to pick up a new skill I wasn’t entirely sure I’d want to learn how to do in the first place.

So I went for it.

Once I got the hang of using a sewing machine (thanks mom), I began to make tote bags repurposed from t-shirts, long sleeves and jeans. Still unsure of my vision, I took these handmade totes to different farmer’s markets this summer and to my surprise, I received a lot of positive feedback. As I connected with more and more people, the more I realized what direction I really wanted to go with this business.

So here we are. A business that is trying to be more than simply just a business that makes money. Two Escapers is a business that has been created in hopes to bring wastefulness into the conversation because the reality is we have created so much waste and it doesn’t just magically go away when that textile is thrown into the trash, discarded in the nearby river, buried out in our backyard or even donated to the local thrift store.

All the textiles ever made still exist on this Earth in one way or another, so why not lessen the burden for Mother Nature by recreating?!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am proud of the person I am today because I feel like I am finally my true, authentic self. I do not believe I would have gotten here if it wasn’t for a life changing event that happened to me almost three years ago. In December of 2018, my dad was diagnosed with stage four cancer they deemed terminal.

As you can imagine, the news shattered my world and I lost myself. Looking back now, I am grateful. I am grateful in the sense that my dad’s diagnosis has truly put life into perspective for me and changed how I wanted to define myself.

Because of my reality, I have realized life itself is truly precious and I want to start living the dream instead of dreaming about living. So when this idea for a business came into my head, I knew as soon as my heart was on board, I needed to pursue it.

We only get one shot at this life and life as a whole is about taking risks so if my story- my business- can challenge and then potentially change even how one person thinks- in terms of recognizing the preciousness of Earth and this life- I feel accomplished.

I have a story, we all do. I guess it just all depends on how we use our story to fuel our life’s work and whether or not we touch other peoples’ lives along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

To begin the week, I would take my friend down to a local breakfast place in downtown Evergreen. We would go do some hiking nearby, I would show them Evergreen Lake and we’d probably hit a local coffee shop afterwards. As for nightlife, I would head down to either Golden or Denver for a delicious dinner and drinks. I would also probably insist we get ice cream from Little Man’s Ice Cream in Denver because I am a person who tends to have a sweet tooth after meals.

For part of the week, we would definitely need to spend some in the mountains. Hitting all the cool mountain towns like Idaho Springs, George Town, Breckenridge, Frisco, and Winter Park. Any of those places would take up at least a whole day’s worth and if the weather was nice enough, we’d go camping near one of the towns. If we felt like really spoiling ourselves, we would probably book an AirBnB or stay in a cute little local hotel.

I am also all about seeking out the little towns that not a lot of people like going to or know about. Like the sleepy, little town known as Silver Plume. Although there isn’t a whole lot to do, there is a lovely coffee shop, along with a restaurant that serves yummy cocktail drinks and delicious charcuterie boards. There is also a trail that takes you up on the side of the mountain, overlooking the town.

I look forward to any opportunity I get to show my friends around this amazing state because it means I can show them places I grew up going to as a kid and I feel like I give them the true, authentic experience of Colorado.

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 supportive family, friends and boyfriend most certainly deserve a shoutout! They have been unbelievably supportive and continue to fuel that fire in me to keep pursuing this dream.

Website: twoescapers.com

Instagram: twoescapers_shop

Other: adventure page instagram: two_escapers

Image Credits
Jahna Pusedu