SHelby Stanger
Journalist, Speaker, Podcaster, Adventurer
about
shelby stanger
SHELBY STANGER has been passionate about storytelling since she inked her first article in a national publication at age 15. As a longtime adventure journalist in the outdoor sports world, Shelby has standup-paddled a portion of the Peruvian Amazon, reported about a summer-long punk concert series called the Vans Warped Tour, surfed in places as far as Tofino to Tavarua, had her own adventure column in five San Diego newspapers, and interviewed countless CEOs, entrepreneurs and pro athletes on assignment for national publications like Outside Magazine, ESPN, CNN.com, and Shop-Eat-Surf.com. Prior to becoming a full-time storyteller and consultant, Shelby worked at the iconic shoe company, Vans, where she helped oversee all the women’s branding and later the international marketing for the Americas and Australasia regions. She later served as a media consultant to brands including Nike, PrAna, and Body Glove.
In 2016, Shelby created Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast, which she sold to REI Co-Op four years later in 2020 and still hosts. The award-winning show features high-impact interviews with world-class adventurers, authors, scientists, athletes, health experts and explorers who have turned their own wild ideas into a reality. She also created a podcast about health and humor called Vitamin Joy in 2020, and was hired to host a travel show for Lufthansa Airlines.
In 2023, Shelby released her first book, Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life, published by Simon and Schuster. She also presented her first TEDx talk about the power of nature and adventure to change your life, and was hired as a keynote for several major companies and nonprofits.
In addition to her work as a storyteller and journalist, Shelby regularly consults with people wanting to launch their own businesses and wild ideas. She is an honorary board member for Outdoor Outreach, a non-profit that helps empower at-risk kids in San Diego through outdoor programming like rock climbing, snowboarding and hiking.
The common thread to everything she does: A little adventure is life’s antidote. To second chances. To soul seeking. To success. When not on assignment or behind a microphone, the San Diego native enjoys sampling the best coffee, surf breaks and smoothies around the county.