Daily Inspiration: Meet Neal Ritter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neal Ritter.

Hi Neal, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I took an indirect path to where I am today. Instead of going to college, I started traveling around the world, and in between worked with youth to make money for travel. Through summer camps and tutoring jobs, I found a love of teaching, and from travel and backpacking developed a love of nature.

My wife and I started working with homeschooled students in 2007 with the simple goal to support their connection to the natural world. Over time, this grew into a deep passion for ancestral living skills, which we continue to practice and teach.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Along the way, we were forging our path, starting something that at the time was new.

Before the popularity of survival TV, most folks hadn’t heard of “primitive skills”, and so we had to paint a picture of what we were offering. Also, with no business or nonprofit experience, learning how to administer a program took a lot of learning and support from others.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think I am best known for high-octane game-playing. The two sides of our programs are primitive skills and games, think to capture the Flag in a hundred variations. I will race through the brush, hide, and ambush players at every turn.

Beyond that, high-quality skills instruction is our style. We offer workshops in everything from wild willow basketry to bowmaking, and everything is functional yet highly beautiful as well.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
I have two thoughts for others stepping out of a new path. First, jump. Go for it. Worst case, you change gears and move in another direction, but the timing is never right, you will never have enough experience, so just go for it and learn along the way.

Second, ask for help. There are too many aspects of entrepreneurship to know, so reach out to the community for the skills that others can share.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laughingcoyoteproject.org
• Instagram: @laughingcoyoteproject
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdXFVN42L07K7yl0RM602g