Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Proemm.
Hi Diana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story didn’t begin with a carefully mapped-out plan. It began with a desire to see what was beyond the familiar. Growing up in Ohio, I dreamed of mountains, wide-open spaces, and a life that felt bigger than the one I knew. In the mid-1990s, I packed up my car and headed west, chasing seasonal jobs in ski towns, national parks, and remote mountain communities. I had little money, no guarantees, and only a belief that if I kept saying yes to new experiences, I would eventually find where I belonged.
Those first years became the foundation of a life built on adventure rather than convention. I worked wherever opportunity appeared. From ski resorts and wilderness lodges to recreation programs and outdoor education. Every new destination introduced me to people willing to share advice, offer a couch, point me toward my next job, or simply remind me that strangers can become lifelong friends. Those conversations, more than any carefully designed career plan, shaped the path I would follow.
That path eventually led me far beyond the United States. I spent seasons photographing grizzly bears in Alaska’s backcountry, hitchhiked through Patagonia in Chile, volunteered on organic farms in New Zealand, trekked through the Himalayas in Nepal, and explored dozens of countries as both a traveler and photographer. More than once, I sold nearly everything I owned so I could begin again with little more than a backpack and an open ticket. Starting over never felt frightening; instead, it became a way of life.
Along the way, I earned a degree in Recreation Administration with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation and built a career helping others discover the healing power of the outdoors. As a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Adaptive Sports Director, I had the privilege of introducing people with disabilities to skiing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, and other outdoor adventures. Those experiences taught me that the greatest barriers are often the ones we place on ourselves, and that confidence grows one small step outside our comfort zone at a time.
Financial freedom never arrived all at once. It came through seasonal work, side hustles, remote jobs, freelance photography, volunteering, and learning how to stretch every dollar while continuing to explore the world. I discovered that meaningful travel isn’t reserved for the wealthy. It’s available to those willing to live differently, embrace uncertainty, and redefine what success really looks like.
Today, I call the Austrian Alps home, though I’ve learned that “home” is less about a place and more about a feeling. After being laid off after I immigrated to Europe and rebuilding my life once again, I’m still trusting that the next opportunity will appear—as it always has. At a time when many people are counting down to retirement, I’m still asking where the next trail leads. My journey has never been about finding one destination. It’s been about discovering, over and over again, that life begins the moment you’re willing to take the first step into the unknown.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I liken my life to downhill mountain biking. There are times when the path is smooth and easy, and there are times when I think I’m getting bucked off. I had moved to Europe to try my hand as an expat and found a beautiful place tucked into the Alps near Salzburg. Then I got laid off. This was a rude awakening in learning to trust the process and that the next piece will fall into place. There were good days and bad, but I remembered that I had been traveling for a year and a half to that point, and I had achieved my dream of living in Europe. Thankfully, the next job fell into place a few months later, and I was able to stay in Austria.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Photography has always been at the heart of who I am. Through landscapes, travel, and everyday moments, I’ve learned that every image tells a story. My camera has taken me around the world, but the greatest journey has been discovering how adventure, challenge, and change transform us from the inside out.
Today, I help women over 50 rediscover themselves through transformational coaching, solo travel, and outdoor adventure. Whether someone is navigating an empty nest, divorce, retirement, burnout, or simply feeling stuck, I help them reconnect with their confidence, embrace new possibilities, and create a life that feels exciting again. My coaching combines practical strategies with real-life experience, encouraging women to step beyond fear and into a life of purpose, courage, and freedom.
My background is anything but traditional, and that’s what makes my approach unique. I’ve worked in therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports, helping people with disabilities discover confidence through outdoor adventure. I’ve built a career protecting photographers’ creative work through copyright compliance, advocating for artists in today’s digital world. I’ve traveled extensively as a solo female traveler, rebuilt my own life more than once, and learned firsthand that the biggest transformations begin with one brave decision.
The accomplishment I’m most proud of isn’t a title or career milestone; it’s the lives I’ve helped change. Whether it was teaching someone to believe they could ski for the first time, empowering a woman to book her first solo trip, or coaching someone through a major life transition, I’ve seen what happens when people stop waiting for permission and start believing in themselves.
What sets me apart is that I don’t coach from theory. I coach from experience. I’ve reinvented my own life, stepped into the unknown, and discovered that growth happens outside our comfort zones. My mission is to help women realize that life after 50 isn’t about slowing down; it’s about becoming who they’ve always wanted to be. Through coaching, travel, and adventure, I help my clients stop settling for “good enough” and start creating a life they truly love. It’s their time now.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories are of my family and our family friends spending the day every summer, canoeing down the Mohican River in Ohio. I absolutely loved being on the water – ok in the water because we purposely tipped our canoes. There was always so much laughter among our crew; it made my heart happy. Not to mention spending the whole day in nature. I think, though, the best part of the day was riding on the old, run-down school buses back to the parking lot with my German family and friends singing along the way.
Pricing:
- $150 an hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dianaproemm.com/
- Instagram: @diana.proemm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573605037260
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaproemm/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@proemmd
