Customize Your Life (And Your Chalk Bag!): Erin O'Toole, Oterra Designs

I'm coming at you today with an interesting case study in risk taking, or should I say, the perception of risk taking.

My guest this week is Erin O’Toole. Erin’s an avid rock climber, as well as an entrepreneur; and not just some kind of internet digital entrepreneur, she actually founded and runs a small manufacturing company called Oterra Designs.

Now, I’m not sure which would scare me more, hanging from a granite rock face, or saying sayonara to my stable 9-to-5 to start a product company right before a global pandemic shutdown; both sound pretty terrifying to me. But as you’ll hear, Erin is taking it all in stride, and is enhancing the outdoor pursuits she loves with beautiful, functional and meaningful products.

One person’s risk is another person’s affirmation of life, after all. Every new challenge you undertake and persist through will leave you with a story to tell. So enjoy this storytelling with the brave and creative Erin O’Toole of Oterra Designs.

Check out Oterra online at Oterradesigns.com, and @Oterra.designs on Instagram and Facebook. And of course, come on over to the episode page on GuidesGoneWild.com for lots of great climbing links, and more inspiration from climbing rock stars Laurie Watt and Wendy Eliot, or creative rock stars like Mischa Ostberg.

And if you’re interested in hearing more about our upcoming the Guides Gone Wild meet-ups we’ve got in the works, drop your email into our contact form and I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop as plans firm up!

A few links from my conversation with Erin:

• What is sport climbing? ‘Trad’ climbing? Bouldering?
• Hyperlite Mountain Gear
• Cannon Cliff (NH)
• Cathedral Ledge (NH)
• Shag Crag (ME)
• Blair Woods - Pawtuckaway State Park
• Salt Pump Climbing (ME)
• Alpenglow Adventure Sports (ME)