THE PODCAST
Breaking Trail
Conversations with leaders who chose the harder path,
and the storiesthat show us how to follow.
FEATURED EPISODE
Mary Kerrigan: Transformation through Conversation
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
This quote is often attributed to Goethe but it's really credited to Basil King, a Canadian clergyman. As I chatted with today's guest, Mary Kerrigan, this quote came to mind. To make a big change, you have to be bold. You have to start somewhere, and when you start, "mighty forces" will come to your aid. In Mary's case, she starts with a conversation.
Mary Kerrigan is a Conversation Architect. Based in Ireland, she helps leaders and their teams in communities, organizations, and industry design and structure powerful conversations that change people, places, and public spaces. With a background in conservation and architecture, Mary served on Northern Ireland's Ministerial Advisory Group for ten years, where she gained deep insight into the impact of planning on climate and carbon footprints.
In this episode we talk about:
Doing big things and rewriting the self-doubt story
A process for public input that involves conversation leading to transformation
Built heritage, what it means to progress and preserve
SIGNATURE EPISODES
Conversations Worth Your Commute
Six conversations that capture what Breaking Trail is all about. New to the show? These are the ones to start with.
Turning Frustration into Opportunity
KATIE HARRIS
Katie leads community impact at Adventure Cycling Association, where she works at the nexus of climate, transportation justice, and healthy communities. From bike safety to making bicycle travel safe and inclusive for everyone.
A Story about Finding Purpose and Adapting
ROBIN HALL
When the outdoor brand she worked for relocated, Robin had a fork in the road. Instead of following along, she co-founded Town Hall, a sustainable kids outdoor apparel company built around community and the planet.
The Great American Rail-Trail
KEVIN BELANGER
Trail planner Kevin Belanger is part of the team building the Great American Rail-Trail, a 3,700-mile multi-use trail connecting Washington, DC and Washington State, and the bulb that goes off when communities see what a trail can do.
Housing Policy and Climate Change
ALEXIS BIDDLE
As Great Communities Program Director at 1000 Friends of Oregon, Alexis spans housing, transportation, and infrastructure to build communities that aren't just livable, but thriving. A conversation about farmland, middle housing, and public input that actually
Every Step is a Gift
A father, husband, ultramarathoner, and Director of Sustainability at George Washington University, Josh has logged 6,000+ miles of bicycle touring and 85 races. A story about fatherhood, endurance, and how caring for his father changed everything.
JOSH LASKEY
Their Story is Our Story
LIZ JEVTIC-SOMLAI
Originally from Serbia and now in Phoenix, Liz knows what it means to flee a country she loved and find new roots in an unfamiliar one. Today she works at Their Story is Our Story, changing perception, reception, and legislation around refugees through personal storytelling.
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