Join us for a powerful episode of Bold Journeys as we explore the real‑world mountaineering experiences of Louise McEvoy, a high-altitude mountaineer who has summited 6 of the Seven Summits ⛰️ including Mt. Everest. Louise breaks down what it takes to tackle the world's tallest mountains and how the grit she developed on the slopes fuels her success in work, leadership, and life.

By day, Louise is a high‑impact channel executive who helped shape Trend Micro's award‑winning partner ecosystem and now leads global channel sales at Keyfactor. By night (and often at 20,000+ feet), she's pushing her limits on some of the harshest terrain on earth.

In this conversation, Louise shares:

- What climbing Everest and Denali taught her about resilience

- How mountaineers manage fear, fatigue, and mental overload

- The training required for high‑altitude expeditions

- How to handle disappointment, setbacks, and unexpected danger

- Why pursuing passion outside of work builds stronger leaders

- The story behind She Summits Fourteeners, her initiative empowering women through mountaineering

This episode isn't just about climbing mountains — it's about building the mental toughness to face life's biggest challenges and emerging stronger on the other side. 💪

What's the "mountain" you're climbing right now, and what's one step you're taking toward the summit?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Everest Experience

01:27 Lou's Climbing Pedigree

04:35 Challenges on Denali

07:22 Lou's Childhood and Early Influences

08:49 The Journey to Everest

17:19 Training and Mental Toughness

27:41 Surviving a Knee Injury in the Wilderness

30:00 Glorious Moments in Mountaineering

33:05 Challenges and Decisions on the Summit

35:44 Overcoming Fear in Rock Climbing

38:38 Rapid Fire Questions with Lou

48:21 The SHE Summit: Empowering Women Climbers

52:09 Life Lessons from the Climb

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What if you could develop a systematic way to build grit and resilience, a mental model that would help you handle life's hardest moments without falling apart? 🌟 Join us in this profound episode as we explore Jay McBain's journey of systems thinking—a way of living that's both practical and transformative.

Jay McBain is one of the most respected voices in the tech channel world, known for helping companies understand where partnerships and ecosystems are heading. He's widely recognized for helping businesses navigate the fast‑changing world of partner strategy and go‑to‑market models.

Growing up in Canada, Jay's childhood was filled with pivotal moments that shaped his logical and resilient mindset. Discover how early lessons in financial planning, sports, and technology prepared him to face life's toughest challenges, from the heartbreak of divorce to the failure of a tech startup.

This conversation is essential for anyone seeking courage, clarity, faith, or reinvention. You'll come away with practical strategies for:

1️⃣ Compartmentalizing life's challenges to avoid overwhelm.

2️⃣ Using statistical and logical thinking to overcome emotional hurdles.

3️⃣ Embracing gratitude and acknowledging privilege in personal success.

4️⃣ Finding adventure in travel and life's unexpected turns.

Jay's wisdom offers a fresh perspective, empowering you to approach your storm with a heart full of determination and a mind ready for calculated action. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will elevate your sense of possibility and prepare you to face your own storm with a resilient heart.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to System Thinking

01:31 Jay's Early Life and Family Background

02:17 Childhood Memories and Early Influences

04:00 Pivotal Moments and Early Career

06:59 Financial Lessons and First Motorcycle

12:57 Building a Future and Facing Adversity

22:31 System Thinking and Resilience

26:04 Prostate Health and Genetic Testing

27:29 Family History and Genealogy

29:41 Christmas and Family Traditions

31:13 Adventurous Travels and Rollerblading Tour

35:21 Skydiving Proposal and Rapid-Fire Questions

41:49 Reflections on Life's Challenges and Advice

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Introducing The Bold Journeys Podcast, where we inspire you to find hope, resilience and strength in challenging times of adversity.

Hello, Channel Pros! Welcome to the final episode of Channel Journeys—a moment that's both nostalgic and exciting. After celebrating our voyage with highlights from ten fantastic guests in the last episode, it's time to chart a new course toward "Bold Journeys."

This December, in the spirit of advent—a season of anticipation and joy—I reflect on the past seven years of Channel Journeys and the joy it has brought me. Through insightful conversations with astonishing people, we've explored channel stories that resonated with our ecosystem, the channel community.

The podcast has evolved from an emerging platform to a sought-after space where guests frequently requested to share their partnering wisdom. But as I transitioned from my career as a channel chief, my passion for sharing channel stories shifted to adventures, grit, and faith.

Join me in this final episode as we dive into grit, adventure and faith behind the pivot to Bold Journeys. You'll hear stories from Jay McBain, Louise McEvoy, and Mitch Lewandowski that personify these themes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Grit: A Formula for Success

Grit combines passion and perseverance, serving as a cornerstone for long-term achievement. Often more crucial than natural talent, grit fuels persistence in challenging times. Jay McBain, known for his analytical approach as a chief channel analyst, transforms obstacles into manageable challenges. During our interview, he emphasized the importance of compartmentalizing life's difficulties, aiming to prevent overwhelming piles of stress. His analytical mindset is a hallmark of his ability to overcome life's hurdles.

Adventure: Stepping into the Unknown

Adventure starts where certainty ends. It's about embracing risks for rewarding experiences. Louise McAvoy, a partnering executive and avid mountaineer, embodies this spirit. Inspired by reading about the 1996 Everest Disaster, she set her sights on climbing Everest. What started as a simple promise turned into a 14-year journey to the summit. Her narrative illustrates that adventure is a choice to leave comfort behind and discover personal limits, whether in careers, relationships, or personal growth.

Faith: Trust in the Unseen

Faith is the compass guiding our journey, even amidst unseen challenges. For Mitch Lewandowski, faith was a lifeline through three critical life challenges, including a near-death experience with COVID. Emerging from his trials stronger, Mitch highlights how faith fuels perseverance, molding us for future challenges. His conviction that trials develop character echoes deeply as we navigate our own journeys.

CHAPTERS

THANK YOU!

As we embark on "Bold Journeys," I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our distinguished guests—Jay, Louise, and Mitch—for their inspiring narratives and insights. Thank you, too, to our devoted listeners who've been part of the Channel Journeys community and all of the guests who have shared their stories over the past 7 years.

While bidding farewell to Channel Journeys, I invite you to join me on this new adventure. When it launches in January, subscribe, share, comment, and let's be bold and courageous together.

Thank you so much for being an integral part of the Channel Journeys adventure and for embracing the upcoming Bold Journeys.