EP 03: William Woodward on Balancing Work and Passion, Rules for Life, and Ruby the Vanagon

William Woodward (@wheretowillie on Instagram) is a climber, skier, and professional travel photographer. We talked about the beginnings of ‘Where to Willie’, balancing work and passion, finding meaningful stories and doing work that matters, Will’s daily routines, rules for life, photo advice, and three things he is grateful for.  

Support on Patreon:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing  

Show Notes:  

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/william-woodward  

Nuggets:  

1:33 – Ruby the Vanagon  

4:48 – Will’s defining moment, early travels, blogging, and the start of Where to Willie  

8:50 – Will’s career transition and taking the leap as a freelance photographer  

19:06 – Finding meaningful work and Will’s three-year plan  

25:25 – Capturing experiences vs. being present  

27:11 – Will’s daily meditation practice  

29:51 – Will’s five coffee making methods  

31:05 – Running and stolen bicycles  

31:51 – Will’s process for finding freelance work and choosing brands to work for  

33:06 – Pitching trips and photo projects  

34:42 – The business of selling photography and his book recommendation  

38:50 – Balancing work and passion and getting out of a rut  

41:34 – “Rule number one: always swim”, flowered shirts, and other rules for life  

45:10 – Hiking in Patagonia and a world record in Iceland  

55:00 – Advice for traveling photographers and capturing the in-between moments  

59:55 – Will’s writing, gear reviews, and tutorials  

1:03:17 – Being part of the activity vs. keeping up on the latest gear  

1:05:23 – One of Will’s personal mottos–“Get closer.”  

1:05:52 – Will’s climbing progression and his relationship to climbing  

1:08:36 – Alpine technical leadership training, sport climbing at Smith  

1:10:46 – Will’s first trip to the Bugaboos, recent climbs, and plans for Mt. Stuart  

1:13:29 – Promoting the outdoors vs. seeking solitude  

1:14:06 – Why Will bought a new film camera and shooting film vs. digital  

1:15:57 – “It’s ok to ask for help.”  

1:17:15 – Will’s advice for himself at age 20  

1:18:27 – Coolant, blown head gaskets, and why it’s always worth taking the time  

1:19:43 – Will’s upcoming trip to NZ and giving yourself time to let things happen  

1:20:57 – Will’s three gratitudes  

1:22:34 – Journaling, writing as a habit, and why it has fallen off recently  

1:23:55 – What’s next for Where to Willie  

1:25:31 – Social media plugs  

1:26:13 – Chasing great light