What is work, really?
It's not the shit they tell us we should be doing
Hi friends,
I was supposed to write Lady Parts yesterday but I decided it was more important to ski pow with Sarah. We clocked more than 20,000 vertical feet over 22 runs and managed to time the opening of the Chutes *perfectly.* That last part right there is enough to make me say fuck it, I’m not going home early to sit behind a computer and write a newsletter that no one has a calendar reminder set for.
As far as I’m concerned, skiing is life. Working more to earn more doesn’t get me more time on the mountain. It simply creates more work. And after 10 plus years of running Coalition, what I’ve learned is that more work doesn’t necessarily result in more money. As a business, when you earn more money, you spend more money—you hire more people, you pay for more apps and subscriptions to manage it all, you advertise more, you do all the things to make more money. Because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do.
I tried that for a minute, and then the bottom fell out of the outdoor industry. And now any bit of normalcy that small businesses—and I would imagine you as a human being—needed to get it all back on track is being unraveled. And then you look around and you think everyone else has it figured out, that they’re all doing better than you, but here’s the thing—they aren’t. Most people I know are doing their best to keep their heads above water, but they don’t speak to it publicly because we’ve been conditioned to believe that being vulnerable is a sign of weakness. So we keep posting to social, sending the emails, and showing up at the events, all in the name of keeping the wheels turning.
I have to remind myself that working harder doesn’t always get you what you want. Time to once again recalibrate, to gain clarity on what it means to have enough and be grateful for what’s right in front of us, rather than that thing we’re chasing. We need to take a step back from the capitalist machine that was designed to make us feel like we aren’t enough. When so much is out of our control, we have to find what it is that allows us to recharge and reset—skiing, cooking, running, hiking, reading, yoga, laughing with friends—and do them unapologetically. In those seemingly simple activities, we can discover what it is we truly do so we can arrive at where we are truly meant to be.
Until next time…
Jen Gurecki, she/her, CEO of Coalition Snow
What are you doing to care for yourself? What puts a smile on your face? What are you being reminded of? Share your thoughts in the comments if you want more validation than screaming into the void.
If you took your husband’s last name, you’re one of 69 million American women who do not have a birth certificate that matches your current legal name. And that means you may not be able to vote. And you thought they wouldn’t come for you. Learn more about the SAVE Act here and take action here.
A legal resident who is married to a US Citizen was detained by ICE and may be deported because he exercised his First Amendment Rights as a nonviolent pro-Palestinian activist. The administration said he’s the first of many—they are currently scrubbing social media to see who else falls under their “pro-terrorist” and “anti-Semitic” definition. Get the details on Mahmoud Khalil’s evolving story here and here.
In case you thought you’d start protesting at Tesla dealerships, think again. Trump says violence against Tesla is domestic terrorism and perpetrators will “go through hell.” Cool. Can’t wait to see their definition of “violence.”
On Tuesday, House Republicans decided to be extra naughty as they quietly ceded power: They declared the rest of the year one long day, nullifying a law that allows the House and Senate to jointly put an end to a disaster declared by the president through a vote. Now they don’t have to go on the record with a wildly unpopular decision by the king.
🎿 April 11th, Demos at Boot Tan Fest: We'll be getting naked, turning screws, and having the time of our life, not necessarily in that order. RSVP for demos here. And keep your fingers crossed that we organize some demos in SLC on the way to/from.
⛷️ 🏂April 23-27th, Bachelorette: Because skiing at Mt. Bachelor in the spring is glorious and so is the company. There's still room, but not a whole lot so get your buns in gear if you want to join.
💌 May, Full Send: Join me in this collaborative workspace to grow and nurture your emails, newsletters, and creative writing because the algorithm isn’t there for you to succeed. Wait list coming soon!
🚲 July, Cycling Safari in Kenya with Zawadisha: Please tell us what is more fun in summer than cycling next to giraffes and elephants. This is THE trip to save for.
⛷️ A list of just a few women who are doing especially cool stuff right now in skiing.
👭🏽 We are facing growing global threats. UN Women’s latest report “Women's Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing”, published ahead of the UN 50th International Women’s Day on 8 March, shows that in 2024 nearly a quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash on women’s rights.
🎙️ Men should stop podcasting. I’m looking at you Newsom.
Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you’re paying attention.
Did you know? Coalition is so much more than a ski and snowboard brand. We are a team of creatives and dreamers who love to get our hands dirty.
If you love what we put into this world and want to infuse the same energy, joy, and je ne sais quoi into your business, consider working with us as a sponsor or a collaborator on your newsletter, creative content, or event. DM us for details.
Other places to find us:
Website: www.coalitionsnow.com
IG: @coalitionsnow
I see I am not the only one to simply say thank you for this reminder. Skiing used to be life for me...now it is my mules and horses. Perhaps next year skiing will work it's way back in as well...
Have you read Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman yet!?! It blew my mind. He makes the same point as you've done above. I'll paraphrase (badly): Capitalism has tricked us into assigning economic value to all of our time. We are reluctant to do things unless they're going to yield some monetary result down the road. Whether that's kids in sport (better college acceptance rates > better jobs > more money) or volunteering (sit on a no -profit board to gain experience and ultimately land a paid board gig) or whatever. We all need leisure and leisure by definition yields no result aside from joy. Like powder! Kudos for sorting out the thing that many of us struggle with.