Episode 11: Meet Jenn Biestman, Waterwoman and Co-Founder of Local-Ish

Listen to the Episode Here

Show Notes

In this conversation, Jenn shares her remarkable story of recovery and how she hacked her way into a balanced and enlightened lifestyle between Maui and Half Moon Bay. Of course, surfing and the ocean had an enormous part to play and you’ll find out all about in the episode. But her recovery also spurred her to review her priorities.

“Really on that beach in Maui when I was watching those SUP boarders surf those waves, and play around and just have the time of their life, I was like, “Wow, I really need to rethink my priorities” (…) It was really depressing because I was like, ”OK, I’ve got the marriage, I’ve got the house, I’ve got the cars and I’ve checked these boxes and there’s something that’s drastically unhappy in my life”. I didn’t have that sense of adventure.“ — Jenn Biestman, Co-Founder, Local-ish.

In the process of this life-changing experience, Jenn and her fiancé Greg, travelled a lot on surf trips. From country to country they were always humbled by the fact they were treated as family with open arms, and felt a sense of belonging as they were welcomed by the amazing people they met along the way. As if they were locals.

This experience percolated into the brand philosophy of Local-ish. Because, in a time in history when people are more likely to migrate to other places for their jobs, relationships or just life experience, it’s really cool to feel like a local in a new place. To feel like a “local-ish” person in short.

“Local-ish is all about adventure, respecting the land, the people, everyone you’re around, and you get that sense of community and belonging. Essentially, we aim to foster that sense of community and a place for people to belong.” — Jenn Biestman, Co-Founder Local-ish

Jenn’s story is truly inspiring on many aspects: first the recovery, then the resetting of life priorities, the strategies to hack surfing progression, and finally the creation of an awesome brand that carries Jenn’s values.

In this episode, you’ll hear Jenn’s story, who she was mentored by, how she hacked surfing progression to become an accomplished downwind SUP racer, surfer, and hydrofoil rider against all odds.

You’ll find out what it takes to drop out of the corporate world to become an entrepreneur, and what strategies Jenn and her fiancé have put into place to work as a couple at Local-ish.

Also, after this conversation, you may be tempted to escape to Maui and try hydrofoiling 😉

Until next episode, take care, have fun and enjoy the waves!
Ciao
Imi

Links

To connect with Jenn, send her an email to jenn@livelocalish.com, as she said, she is happy to share her tips on recovery, surf progression and nutrition, so just whip up an email and send it to her.

About Local-ish:

Local-ish can be found online at www.localish.co. Jenn is offering a 20% discount to all listeners, so tune in to the episode to get the code (hint, you’ll get it at the end 😉)… Local-ish ships worldwide so just imagine a piece of Hawaii landing in your letterbox, it can’t get more exotic than that!!!

Surf Coaches that Jenn was Mentored by

About The Oceanriders Podcast

I would like to thank you ever so much for being more and more listeners every week. If you enjoyed listening, please subscribe, rate or review the podcast on iTunes. The more you do this for me, the closer I am to getting into the « new and noteworthy » section of Apple Podcasts.

Find out more about my story here

I’m on Instagram @theoceanriderspodcast, Facebook, Twitter and on Medium. You can also connect with me and other listeners on my Facebook group called The Oceanriders Community. I post surf-related job offers so if you’re looking for a job near a surf spot, or for a surf brand, you may find your dream job there. Likewise, if you’re hiring, please feel free to share your post on the group too. The more the merrier!

Related Epsiodes

Episode 30: Meet Alexandra Lia, founder of SoulSurfer and Seatizens

This week I got to sit down for a chat with Alexandra Lia. I must admit this talk was an incredible cosmic journey through the mind, the body and the soul. You could say Alexandra is a half German half Greek goddess: she is a creative, a filmmaker and a therapist who runs a platform called Soul Surfer, a place for people to find wellness through meditation, workshops and coaching via the healing properties of water.

Read More »

Episode 19: Meet Felipe Pomar, 1965 World Champion, Tsunami Waverider and Surfing Legend

George Bernard Shaw once said “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing” and this is exactly what my conversation with Felipe Pomar sparked in my mind. Felipe Pomar is a surfing icon and is listed in the Encyclopedia of Surfing as one of the most prominent surfers of his generation. His career in surfing started in the 60’s. He has an incredible life story to share. I was honored to sit down for a chat with him.

Read More »

Episode 11: Meet Jenn Biestman, Waterwoman and Co-Founder of Local-Ish

Today’s conversation is taking us to Hawaii, on the island of Maui, where my guest was up before the chickens to talk to me, her name is Jenn Biestman.
Jenn’s story is truly uplifting.
At the age of 27, Jenn suffered a severe back injury that left her immobilized and in pain with no real prospect of recovery. Basically, the doctors had made it clear that her life as an adventurous human being was doomed…
In the turmoil of having to face this life-shattering news, she hobbled to the airport, and took off to Maui to try to figure things out.

Read More »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to top