Outdoor Allies: Jake Wheeler

Ever wondered how you can do more for public lands but you aren’t sure where to start? Outdoor Alliance’s Outdoor Allies series explores how other outdoor adventurers got their start in advocacy work and their advice for how you can harness your passion for the outdoors into advocacy for the land and water you love. Jake Wheeler lives in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley and is a designer, creative thinker, community builder, storyteller, and trusted leader in the outdoor industry. His north star points towards the values of community, stewardship, and connection. He has over 10 years of brand building experience through working in-house for tech startups, apparel brands, and various ski resorts.

What do you like to do outside and how did you first get connected with the outdoors? 

I live deep in the Colorado Rockies, where my activities naturally change with the seasons. These days, you'll find me out searching for powder stashes, enjoying a run at sunset in nearby alpine meadows, and riding my bike down singletrack flow trail.

I feel very lucky to have had parents who introduced me to the outdoors from day one. They honeymooned on the Appalachian Trail, and thereafter, my father started a successful outdoor specialty store in Tennessee. I grew up in a cabin for 18 years, spending my days playing on protected land just outside the property line. My dad also ran a gear shop. Some of my earliest memories being in the outdoor industry are sitting on the sticker-covered countertop of Rock/Creek, listening to the staff discuss their outdoor adventures and the gear they planned to take.

Tell us about your role as a professional in the outdoor industry and how it led you into outdoor advocacy. 

The day I graduated college with a graphic design degree, I started my journey in the outdoor industry. For the first six years, I helped build a startup focused on breaking down barriers to finding places to camp, climb, hike, bike, and ski. I then joined an apparel company, where I learned the brand side of the industry. After that, I was a part of the creative team at a well-known ski area. This combination in my twenties led me to where I am now–owning and operating Day Fire Company, a boutique creative agency in the outdoor industry. I've been doing this for over two years and couldn't be happier.

What are some advocacy issues you have worked on, and how did you get involved in them? 

For over a decade, my experience in brand marketing has ranged from local to national advocacy campaigns. One of the things I enjoy about working in the outdoor industry is that this type of work is naturally woven into the priorities of businesses' messaging.

In my first company, we focused on hyper-local conservation–connecting retail, brands, and conservation efforts to raise awareness for people, places, and issues that needed support. We raised $20,000 in a few months through Marmot for these efforts. Later, at a clothing company, our focus remained on protecting the environment where our products and sports thrived, such as waterways and fisheries. At the ski area, the emphasis was on climate change and preserving snowscapes. Today, I help companies craft their advocacy messaging with strong design, intentional communications, and actionable ways for outdoor enthusiasts to get more involved. I have the privilege of choosing which causes our company supports outside of our client-focused work, which I really enjoy. Since founding my agency, we have volunteered over 120 hours for local conservation and trail-building efforts.

What would you tell someone who is looking to get more involved in protecting the places they love/outdoor advocacy, but doesn’t know where to start?

During the Bears Ears campaign, my father gave me some advice that I think is worth sharing, "You can't fight for what you don't know." I took that to heart and drove from Outdoor Retailer down to southern Utah to see the profound beauty of that place.

Since then, I've embraced that perspective and often try to give back to the places that have shaped me into the person I am today. I feel immense gratitude for the life the outdoor industry has afforded me. My goal today is to invite people into the outdoors, offer them a path to an uplifting experience, encourage them to support the brands and gearmakers who make it possible, and then inspire them to protect the places that provide physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being for themselves and future generations. I also believe in supporting the places right in your backyard. I have found it to be a great way to make a lasting impact while also building relationships and community.

Is there anything else that feels important about your work, what you've learned, what you think people should know about advocacy, or about the particular issues you work on that you'd like to share?

It seems like a healthy, diverse stakeholder ecosystem is essential to keep advocacy thriving. It takes a mix of perspectives and experiences. I try to provide value through the skills I have and be okay with not knowing everything about everything. At my business, we use the lens of service as a key filter for why we do things. I've found that there are very few times when I return from an advocacy project and wish I hadn't participated. It's been a great way to give back and also step out of my own agenda.

Lightning round (one or two word answers):

Most used piece of gear: YETI SB 130 Lunchride in the summer and Burton Flight Attendant in the winter

A place you want to go: Anywhere in Alaska, ideally to see some wildlife 

Another advocate you admire: Vince Mazzuca at Osprey Packs

Favorite close to home spot: Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness Area