Mirna Valerio

Rebecca and Mirna explore:

• Mirna finding her voice in both poetry and the outdoors

• The poem "Trophic Cascade" and how it mirrors life transformation

• Nature as the ultimate teacher and refuge: "Nature is always the answer"

• Core values as non-negotiables and how to lead with them

• What it means to take up space—on trails, in life, and in leadership

• The strongest people often don’t get the support they need, and how to change that

• Supporting your people in non-threatening, nourishing ways

• How writing, community, and curiosity became Mirna’s healing practices

Transformative Insights:

• Nature doesn’t just welcome us; it changes us

• Your presence can shift a space, even if you weren’t invited in

• Belonging starts with deciding you’re allowed to belong

• Cultivating joy is a radical act of self-preservation and leadership

• Introduce yourself by your values, not just your job title

• You don’t need to reach the summit to feel the transformation

Vulnerable Moments:

• Mirna shares what it felt like to not be seen in outdoor spaces and how she kept showing up anyway

• She talks about grief, burnout, and the internal tug-of-war of performing vs. simply being

• Rebecca opens up about her own depression and loss of purpose during recovery from a head injury

• The two reflect on how writing became a lifeline in the dark

• Mirna speaks to the exhaustion of being “the strong one” and how she’s learning to ask for help

Practical Wisdom:

• How to identify your core values and use them as navigational handrails

• The importance of creating judgment-free space for processing, growth, and rest

• Why vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness

• Ways to build community through action, not just intention

• How to hold space for both leadership and learning

Personal Growth:

• Mirna’s evolution from educator to outdoor leader to published author and DEI advocate

• Rebecca’s journey from podiums to poetry

• The ways both women are reclaiming what it means to perform and belong

• Reframing the pursuit of adventure as something that starts with joy, not outcomes

• Embracing a new season of life where permission comes from within

• Adventure as a lifelong throughline, both for Mirna and for Rebecca

• Lifelong educator, lifelong student, lifelong adventurer