Conversations with the Inspiring Casey Bollinger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Bollinger.

Casey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles when I was about 25 to find myself. I realized what I wanted was just so much bigger than where I was, and the “city of opportunity” was where I needed to be. My thirst for adventure and culture was insatiable. I did everything I could to make it, and it worked. I played rugby and made incredible friends, worked as much as I could to stay afloat, and made LA my home. Soon, I met a girl on Instagram who became my best friend and adventure inspiration, and she introduced me to the Eastern Sierras… backpacking, snowboarding, yoga, and climbing. My life finally had a purpose again, and I found my sanity. I found myself.

About four years into my stay in CA I fell in love with a close friend I knew from high school who was in the military and lived in Georgia. We decided to try long distance from CA to GA and made it work for 3.5 years before I agreed to sell it all, quit my job (again), and leave the life I dreamed of behind for a new one, full of love and adventure. It was not an easy 3.5 years, nor was it an easy decision to give up everything I created for myself. But in the end, I can’t deny following my heart. So, I did it. I moved up to Tacoma, WA where he was stationed. I lived there for eight months, got my Wilderness First Responder certificate, worked as a Backcountry Response Team Member for Washington Trails Association, trained with Washington Search and Rescue for three months then became part of the team and participated in multiple searches, volunteered with The Mountaineers, and also got a paying job as the Chief Orchestrator for a marketing and design firm. I also had taken up a new hobby called rockhounding, as well as an odd obsession with wood. My boyfriend was deployed for the first three months I was there, and it was winter. All it did was rain. I tried to enjoy the outdoors but coming from southern California to no sun in months took a hard toll on me. Not to mention, I was broke and very alone. My boyfriend’s dog also started attacking my dog when I left the house so that added to vet bills and stress on me and my dog. When my partner came back, he said he didn’t want to be with me anymore. I was devastated. After weeks of trying to figure out what went wrong, we decided to go to counseling. The two guys just talked about football the whole time and nothing was fixed. We decided to keep working on us though and our communication and hoped that time would fix our hearts.

My partner was soon called down to San Diego, so we packed it all up again and moved back down the coast. Oh, how I did miss the sunshine!!! But this time, I wasn’t as happy. I was lost again and had to start everything over, AGAIN. I had finally found something I loved and put all my efforts into developing a career in it, but then I was ripped out for someone else’s career and placed into another area without anything I loved. Don’t get me wrong, I know I can’t really complain… I mean… it’s SAN DIEGO. And all of my best friends are still so close, and the Sierras are now just a 7-hour drive instead of five. It could be MUCH worse. But still, I felt lost. By this point too, I was absolutely BROKE. My dog came down with a rare digestive failure; which cost me to be in a significant amount of debt and with no job. On top of it all, my boyfriend of now 4.5 years just decided he didn’t love me anymore and literally kicked me out. I had nothing, and no one, and nowhere to go.

When you are stuck in these situations, I find it similar to being stuck on a wall when rock climbing. It’s stressful, there’s a fear of falling (or failing) that seems like it could cost you your life, you don’t see a way out through your point of view, and your arms are getting tired. So, what do you do? I have a voice in my head that takes over and talks me through it. It says: “Take a deep breath and reassess the situation. It’s not the end of the world.” Usually, there is a rope that seems pretty thin but it’s durable and it will be there to catch you when you fall. You will have to get back up on that wall though and retrace your steps and figure out how to do it again without falling this time. And your arms will be even more tired than before. But don’t give up, because there is a top and you will get to it. It’s not impossible. People have done it before you, and some with great ease. All it takes is just practice, focus, drive, and trust in yourself.

So, thanks to the support of my close friends I succeeded. I got to the top of my wall and now I’m on the next obstacle. I got a job where after six months, I earned a 10% raise and was promoted. People had been working there for years and never even heard of that happening. Then, I was offered the position of Creative Director for a successful chiropractic franchise which turns out to be an absolute dream. I got my own place with an incredible ocean view and even took a snowboarding trip to Japan. Just when I was on what I thought was the top of the world, my dog and best friend of ten years passed away suddenly, in my arms. It seems that no matter what there is suffering of some sort in life, and struggles that keep us feeling alive. But what matters most is how we choose to deal with these struggles. Death and loss, in a sense, is similar to the rest of my struggles. Having to rebuild a life from what you worked so hard to build, all of the goals and imagined futures… demolished. But through tragedy comes rebirth, and it’s the circle of life.

I still have many obstacles to overcome and I’m sure more will pop up, as they always do. But I face them with love. I know I would not be the strong and independent woman I am today if it weren’t for all the difficult situations I had to be put in. It’s important to KNOW that you always are strong enough for anything. As a woman, being independent and alone may not always be easy, but sometimes these it’s just what we need to make us stronger!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh man, this was all in my previous story! But, advice for young women starting their journey…

– Get educated. It’s easy to be taken advantage of in any situation. But a smart woman is one who will most definitely succeed in life. A car, a house, a bed, a loved one… it can all be taken away from you. But as long as you have your knowledge, you can get it all back and no one can take that away from you. It is the most valuable asset you have. Learn as much as you can, read books, listen to podcasts, join seminars… always.

– Always listen to yourself. Women are incredible beings who possess intuition and strength that some men will never understand. We are magical beings whose bodies can physically create other beings and birth them. When your intuition tells you something is off or isn’t right, trust it. You don’t have to act on it, but listen and pay attention.

Don’t doubt yourself. Sometimes, humans can be very dominant and may tend to intimidate you. But there is nothing more powerful than a woman with confidence and education. Be immaculate, think it through, double-check, do your research, and trust in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will either.

– Sometimes, life has a different plan. It may be devastating to know something didn’t go as planned or work out the way you wanted it to. I get it. I’ve seen the perfection that I had imagined that I was so close to and it’s so hard to just watch that crash into a billion pieces. But sometimes, after that facade has crashed and come down, you have a clear view of something so much more beautiful and you had no idea it was even there.

– Enjoy the ride. Don’t forget to stop and just appreciate how beautiful the small things in life really are. Where you are, the people who love you, the food you get to eat, the smells of the fresh air… and hold on to it. Find whatever it is that makes you feel the most appreciative—whether it’s working out, being in nature, being with friends or family—and harness it. Make it your zen. Use it to help you realize this is your only life, and your only day, and your only minute… and it’s absolutely incredible!

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I went to school for graphic design and minored in photography. I have bartended and waited tables, coached rugby, been a Miller Lite Girl, been an Instagram promotional spokesperson, and worked in natural foods alongside doing graphic design to make ends meet. After years of building a portfolio and working my butt off, I have finally landed a job as a Creative Director for a chiropractic company. This company is great because they hold the same values and beliefs in terms of health and fitness as I do, they share a passion for family and community, they trust me, and I dont have to work a typical 9-5 office job. Quality of life is very important, as well as being involved in something that I passionately believe in. When you share love, love will always come back to you in return. I think what sets me apart from others in my work is that I am able to work as a whole instead of as an individual in a company.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
– Only make the same mistake once. if you are prone to make it again, put systems in place that hedge your weaknesses. For instance, if you are absent-minded, use apps or a notepad and take notes of everything. You will get away with honest mistakes now and then but if you are not reliable you will not last.

– Work your way up. Starting at a lower pay grade or position can be disheartening or even degrading… but sometimes it’s what it takes to get to where you want to be. Once you are in the door and know how to work the systems, and create yourself to be irreplaceable you can easily step up the ladder.

– Get a mentor. find someone either a lot more senior than you or with 1–2 years experience already, in any case, someone you can have honest conversations with. Someone that will guide you through the do/don’t and will help you identify the usual minefields before you step on them. Someone you can ask the dumb questions we all had when we started, and that you don’t want to be asking your boss or people in your team.

– Work hard, and get things done. If you need to stay late to make sure your responsibilities are taken care of, do it. Hold yourself accountable and never let anything get in your way.

– Think differently. So many times, I was able to excel because I put myself in the client or owners shoes and asked: “why.” What is the outcome of this small task Im being asked of? In a lot of situations, you are asked something small but if you understand the bigger picture, you are able to perform above and beyond normal tasks. This gets you recognized and appreciated, and respected. It creates your position as one of necessity rather than just performing tasks you are told to do.

– Dont get involved in workplace politics. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” In every workplace, there will be those who talk shit and want to create a negative outlook on someone or something. Systems, ideas, people… no matter what, don’t allow yourself to partake. Be there, listen to what they have to say, and if anything tries to fix the issue. If it’s just complaining to create a divide, it will bring you down with it.

Contact Info:

• Email: caseybollinger8@gmail.com
• Instagram: casey_bear

Image Credit:
Casey Bollinger

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