It all started in the summer of 2008, when I was introduced to fly fishing while working at the A Bar A Ranch in Encampment, WY. During that summer I fell in love with Wyoming, with its cool meandering rivers, sage brush, plentiful trout and abundant wildlife, which was totally foreign compared with the expansive green salt marshes, pluff mud, oyster beds, tailing redfish, ancient live oaks, vibrant azaleas, and cabbage palms of the Lowcountry of Savannah, GA where I was born and raised. Wyoming was new, exciting and completely awe-inspiring. It's also where I became, perhaps unhealthily, obsessed with fly fishing. During that summer, I also happened to read "Let My People Go Surfing" by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and was inspired as I discovered that I could use business as a vehicle to protect the planet, and that was my "ah-ha" moment. Seeing how the economy was in shambles during the Great Recession, I decided to stay "out West" and I set out to find a way to use business as a tool to protect what I love, and my dream of marrying fly fishing and sustainability was born.

Since that fateful summer, I looked to any and all experience I could in the sustainability field, so I started installing solar panels while living in Jackson Hole, WY, then earned an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University, and worked in the renewable energy and green building industries for a few years before deciding to marry my passion for fly fishing and sustainability when I launched my sustainable business consultancy, Emerger Strategies. I decided I would marry my passion for fly fishing and sustainability, and started cold-calling companies in the fly fishing industry. With a little luck, Flood Tide Company and RepYourWater became my first clients, and I was living my dream teaching companies how to operate their businesses more responsibly by measuring and improving the environmental performance of their operations, products, and packaging while protecting what they love in the process. Today, we work with numerous organizations in the fishing industry, such as: Z-Man Fishing Products, Bajio Sunglasses, Trout Unlimited, American Sportfishing Association and the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, as well as companies outside the fishing industry. Emerger Strategies’ mission is to measure and improve your company's sustainability performance, all while boosting profits.

Along the way, I created The Sustainable Angler podcast (2018), which is an award-winning podcast whose purpose is to educate and inspire anglers to protect the planet, and even had the honor of interviewing Yvon Chouinard as the first guest on the podcast! In 2020, I founded the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, which is an alliance of fly fishing guides, shops, lodges, brands and nonprofits committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. In an effort to lead by example, Emerger Strategies has been a proud 1% for the Planet member since our inception, and Emerger Strategies is also Climate Neutral Certified, which means we have measured our Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions, have created a Climate Action Plan for reductions, and purchased carbon offsets to achieve climate neutrality. I found my life's purpose when I discovered "sustainability" and fly fishing because they connected me with nature, which had a profound impact on me and is the reason I started my company…to protect what I love. I am grateful for every step of my journey, and thankful that you have taken the time to listen to the show!

Protect what you love,

Rick