Brittany Leavitt is a climber, backpacker, educator, and the co-founder and CEO of Brown Girls Climb (BGC). We talked about Brittany’s climbing origin story, her unique family upbringing, unmasking and educating about race, teaching kids at the Smithsonian, the mission of BGC, creating more accessible spaces, lessons from her first road trip, using TikTok to stay informed, climbing goals, inspiration, and much more.Check out The Nugget on YouTube:youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbingCheck out Athletic Greens!athleticgreens.com/NUGGETUse this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app!Check out Rumpl!rumpl.com/nuggetUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order! We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt MickolasBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/brittany-leavittNuggets:0:05:20 – Working from home, and having a home office0:07:38 – Why hasn’t Brittany taken the leap to traveling and climbing full-time while working remotely0:10:20 – Being within community, and Brittany’s dream of part-time vanlife0:15:15 – Brittany’s climbing origin story0:20:24 – Outdoor Afro0:21:04 – Brittany’s unique family dynamic, and having accessibility to the outdoors0:24:06 – Unmasking, adoption as a trauma experience, and educating her family0:31:00 – Protecting your own energy, giving space, and knowing when it’s worth it to argue with someone0:34:25 – Family holiday recitals, and Brittany’s guitars0:37:45 – The crossover of art and climbing, and singing around the campfire0:40:12 – Wanting to be an educator, and teaching at the Smithsonian0:46:33 – Musical theater with the kids0:50:01 – Learning patience and empathy from working with kids0:52:05 – Teaching life lessons through climbing, and working with community kids0:54:15 – How to decide what to say yes to, and passing ideas on to someone else0:58:25 – How Brown Girls Climb got started, and what it has become1:06:26 – The mission of Brown Girls Climb1:07:21 – What it feels like to have a space with people who share your experience1:15:09 – Patron question from Adam: How can we make climbing events (like the Rendezspew and International Climbers Festival) more accessible to diverse communities?1:24:11 – Brittany’s road trip to Bishop and Red Rocks in 2019, and writing a piece for Patagonia1:30:27 – What Brittany wishes she had known before the trip, planning which gas stations to stop at, and safety considerations1:35:11 – Favorite non-climbing memories from the trip, visiting famous movie locations, and first-time van living1:41:55 – Doing her first highball boulder, and favorite climbing memories from her trip1:44:37 – Brittany’s advice for folks who want to go on their first climbing road trip1:50:01 – Brittany’s climbing goals in Rumney and The Gunks1:52:32 – Mountain climbing and adventure goals1:54:24 – Who inspires Brittany1:57:28 – What Brittany wishes people understood more and spent more time thinking about1:59:18 – Getting her news from TikTok2:05:17 – Wrap up and what’s next for Brittany

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