05/03/2024
Huge shout out and an amazing accomplishment to Chase Baker and Grit, LLC!!
Wow! I definitely wasn’t expecting something like this to happen so soon.
A few weeks back, I was caught by surprise with a phone call from the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation informing me that I had been nominated for an award. Fast-forward a couple weeks and I found myself on a stage at the WiWF annual banquet, receiving their Conservation Communicator of the Year Award for my work on a video podcast called The Hide. In the moment, I was at a complete loss for words and my short acceptance speech was anything but smooth or eloquent. The past two years or so, I’ve mostly had my head down and nose to the grindstone. Putting out good work and keeping the momentum has been such a focus that I hadn’t even realized that some people were starting to take notice.
It’s always a nice feeling to get some recognition for hard work but prior to the event I looked up some past recipients and boy was that humbling. Many of the past recipients are very accomplished individuals, with significant bodies of work in the outdoor/conservation space. Of course, it was a huge honor to be recognized on that same level, but it did leave me feeling that I still have some work to do before I am truly in the same league as the veterans that preceded.
I’m extremely grateful for this token of recognition from the federation and equally grateful to have been born and raised here in Wisconsin. My parents are due a big thank you for instilling in me a love and respect for wildlife and our natural resources. In more recent years, my wife Jessi has helped reignite my passion for the outdoors as I turned it into my career. I even get a chance to relive all kinds of milestones, such as first fish or first hunt, through her experiences. But that career change has meant sacrifices around the home, less entertainment, and A LOT of time away from home. I wouldn’t get through all the early morning shoots, late-night editing, or working weekends without her generous love and support of my dream.
A big thank you to Eric Lobner at the WI DNR for nominating me. Also, a shout out to Mark Kakatsch (Host of The Hide) and our frequent guest Taylor Finger.
*Props to ya if you made it this far, that was a lot to read.
https://wiwf.org/cdnwiwf/podcast/