Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Krebs.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I joined the US Air Force at 18, both as a way to pay for college and to escape the small-town, midwest blues. What I got, in addition, was a sense of competence and a deeper connection to the outdoors. I survived childhood trauma through the support of the natural world: the wilderness was a familiar and safe place that held me when the humans around me could not be trusted.
I went from a shy girl to one of the few female S.E.R.E. Specialists (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape), teaching military members how to stay alive and return home if they were shot down behind enemy lines. After four years in the military, I directed team-building courses, guided outdoor activities, and worked for over a decade in wilderness therapy. I’ve dabbled in media as well, acting as a consultant (After Armageddon, Hacking the Wild), a reality TV personality (Mygrations, Kicking and Screaming, Alone season 9), and an online educator (MasterClass).
I now run a Colorado-based wilderness survival school that specializes in empowering women and other marginalized demographics through teaching what are traditionally considered “masculine” skills. My approach comes from the heart and adapts to each client, moving from nurturing and supportive to stern and no-nonsense.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My trust was broken at a young age, being a survivor of infant and childhood sexual abuse, and for decades, I viewed emotion as weak and something to be stuffed away and avoided. Like most traumas, though, if we survive them, we can learn from them and become stronger.
I have had and continue to see so many amazing female role models who are so beautiful in their strength and perseverance against incredible odds. There is always more to learn on a personal and professional level. I’m fumbling through being a new business owner and bringing together a team of amazing humans to provide a service that empowers and connects people.
As you know, we’re big fans of OWLSSkills.com. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
OWLS stands for Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival. It’s a fun, relaxed, yet power-packed place for connecting with others and learning BA skills without the cocky attitude. We practice, share, grow, laugh, and occasionally cry while tying knots, building shelters, making fire, sharpening knives, learning to read a map and compass, and so much more.
Classes range from one-day programs to weekend overnights to week-long expeditions, and many are adaptable to a wide variety of mental and physical challenges as well. Some select courses are also available to males and non-binary folks uncomfortable in women’s only spaces. We also offer private courses for family reunions, bachelorette parties, divorce parties, graduations, birthdays, and so on, where the client chooses the course’s topics, location, and flow.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check?
There are a couple of books that I’ve enjoyed lately. One is “The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and John David Mann. I love collaboration, and the “cutthroat” version of business I’ve been exposed to all my life never sat well with me, so I was excited to read a book that turned it all upside down! It’s a simple premise with far-reaching impacts.
Next are a couple of different books by Byron Katie. “Loving What Is” and “A Thousand Names for Joy”. Katie helps reframe our paradigms on a personal level. A quote I learned working in wilderness therapy is “All conflict is caused by unmet expectations”. We get upset when we don’t meet our own or someone else’s expectations or when they don’t meet ours.
Or we expect to have a nice picnic, and then it’s 50 degrees and raining that day. Katie expresses a way to be and look at things without expectations and thus live in joy and peace: no conflict! I hope I can attain that state someday!
Pricing:
- Our general admission one-day classes are $150 per person and make great gifts for folks who work or play outdoors. It’s a fun and informative day that could save their life.
- Our weekend courses run from Friday to Sunday evening, are usually $520 per person, and have a ton of information and time practicing skills like navigation, building a fire, shelter construction, choosing and using a knife, how to signal effectively for help, and so much more. Novice to experienced backpackers will all learn some new concepts and skills. Dinners are included.
- Week-long courses vary depending on the exact number of days, location, meals, and so on, but usually range between $1,200 and $2,000 per person. They may focus on practicing a variety of skills for a particular environment or dive deep into just one or two skills. Many of these are in collaboration with other instructors or schools, and each has its own unique vibe.
- We also offer team-building programs, motivational and keynote speaking, and customized courses. Just reach out if you’re interested!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.owlsskills.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owls.skills/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owls.skills/events/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-krebs-77a7588b?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BTXlW2E%2BLTF2QTrDD6cnVeA%3D%3D
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessiekrebs6240
- Other: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/jessie-krebs-teaches-wilderness-survival?utm_source=instructors&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=pp_-_test_%7C_ins_-_jkreb_%7C_all
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