Daily Inspiration: Meet Jon Glassberg

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Glassberg.

Hi Jon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, and started climbing at age 11. I was obsessed at a young age and obsessed over all things climbing from that moment forward. I traveled the world as a competitor and pro climber for the majority of my childhood eventually making my way to Boone, North Carolina to climb and attend Appalachian State University for undergraduate and graduate studies in the photo, graphic design, print media, and business.

In college, I discovered a love for photography and around that same time the DSLR cameras first started coming out and I focused my attention on digital photos and videos in the climbing world. Many of my friends were pro climbers and I would travel and document their achievements all over the world.

I started my company Louder Than 11 in 2008 in Boone, making documentaries about climbing, and eventually moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2009 to focus more on climbing and filmmaking and see what was possible with my connections and talents. 15 years later, Louder Than 11 is one of the most trusted commercial and documentary climbing, expedition, and adventure production companies in the game and every year we refine our processes and techniques to be better storytellers and filmmakers.

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?
From Louder Than 11’s inception in 2008 to around 2014, we were scraping by financially. Every job or expedition or film would take all the money we had to pull off and felt risky on a lot of levels. We were scrappy back then and got away with a lot and our connections in the industry and the trust of the athletes help us be successful. I also worked crazy long hours either editing, traveling, shooting, or climbing myself so the pressure was on to eventually succeed.

Earning the trust of the outdoor industry took us a long time but eventually, we got some bigger jobs that allowed me to buy more gear and upgrade things here and there. I had a business partner for years that eventually went his separate way which was also very hard as we were a 50/50 split in ownership which was a huge mistake. The hardest thing for me over the years has been finding good collaborators, good talent, and great editors.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I picked up a film camera for the first time in high school. My mom gave me her old camera and I took some photo classes and learned to develop in a darkroom. I loved taking film photos of my climbing friends back in the 90s and early 2000s and when I went to college I got my first DSLR and was able to shoot video and suddenly, BAM!

All I wanted to do was take videos of me and my friends climbing. I was obsessed with capturing the spirit of bouldering in the early 2000s and never looked back. Over time, I refined my style and got a lot more professional, but back then, it was all about just documenting the end, the moment, the adventure of it all.

I think what set me apart was that I was a pro climber for years and built all these relationships with other pros who either stuck with it or started working for companies we started working with. Relationships go a long way. I have documented numerous big-wall free ascents, hanging from the side of El Capitan, 3000 feet off the valley floor which I am very proud of.

Capturing video and telling stories in the vertical world is very hard both physically and mentally. I would say my specialty is finding good stories in the climbing world that are rooted in accomplishments with remarkable people. I love directing big shoots, organizing nightmare logistics, and being ringside when the action starts and along for the ride regardless of the ups and downs along the way.

I am most known for directing the USA Climbing media side of things for nearly a decade – covering live events, athlete stories, and promo for USA Climbing. I am also known for filming some of “Free Solo” the movie with Alex Honnold as well as capturing climbing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. In the climbing world, I am known as a core climber that can hang with the pros and not make of fool of himself on the rocks. It goes a long way…

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
I wish I knew how long it would take to pay my dues. It takes a long time to earn respect and the confidence of the outdoor industry before you can excel there. I think people need to be patient, not assume that they are owed anything in this space, and that they need to put in the time before anyone will care what they have to say. I also always tell people to create relentlessly.

If you want to be a photographer or filmmaker in the outdoor industry get out and shoot like crazy, make things even if they suck, and keep trying, you will get better and it only works with repetition and practice. I also think that everything you create is a marketing tool for yourself and these days, you need to be putting out content all the time to be seen your most recent work is often what people remember so create relentlessly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lt11.com
• Instagram: @louderthan11 and @Jonglassberg
• Facebook: facebook.com/louderthan11
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/louderthan11
• Twitter: @louderthan11 and @jonglassberg
• Youtube: youtube.com/louderthan11

Image Credits
Jessica Glassberg