Stacey Benham | Casting for Recovery

Stacey Benham | Casting for Recovery

Some organizations don't just change the sport. They change lives. 🎣💗 In this episode, host Linda Leary sits down with Stacey Benham, Director of Marketing and Communications at Casting for Recovery, the national nonprofit that has been bringing women with breast cancer to the water since 1996. What started as an idea between a fly fisher and a breast reconstruction surgeon has grown into a movement, now hosting around 60 retreats across all 50 states and serving over 800 women every year. Stacey and Linda talk about the origin story of Casting for Recovery, how Stacey found her way to the organization, and what it actually looks like when a woman walks into one of these retreats for the first time. Each retreat brings together just 14 women, creating an intimate space where participants learn to cast, tie flies, and spend time on the water alongside medical professionals, counselors, and guides, all completely free of charge. But this conversation goes beyond the logistics. It gets into why fly fishing, specifically, holds such a unique kind of medicine. The gentle motion of casting was intentionally chosen for its therapeutic benefit, helping women rebuild strength and mobility in muscles affected by surgery and radiation while also offering something that no clinical setting can: peace, nature, and the feeling of being surrounded by women who get it. This one is for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer, anyone who has ever found healing in the outdoors, and anyone who believes that sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer a woman is a fly rod and a weekend to just breathe. Connect with us: * Follow @fishewear [https://www.instagram.com/fishewear/?hl=en] on Instagram * Shop bold, functional gear at fishewear.com [http://fishewear.com/] * Join the movement: #CastandConnect Learn more about Cast for Recovery: www.castingforrecovery.org [http://www.castingforrecovery.org/] Instagram: @castingforrecovery [https://www.instagram.com/castingforrecovery]

Kirstie Pike | Próis Hunting

Join host Linda Leary as she sits down with Kirstie Pike, founder and owner of Prois Hunting Apparel, the women's first hunting and performance gear brand that has been outfitting women in the field for nearly two decades. Kirstie and Linda get real about what it looks like to build and sustain a small business in the apparel world right now. They talk about the economic headwinds hitting brands like Prois, the decisions that don't come with a playbook, and how staying connected to your customer has been one of the most important anchors through it all. The conversation also goes deep on what it means to lead a women-focused company inside one of the most male-dominated industries in the outdoor space. Kirstie shares what she has learned about carving out room where the door was never really open, and why building something specifically for women was never just a niche idea. It was always the whole point. This one is for the hunters, the builders, the women betting on themselves in spaces that weren't designed with them in mind. Connect with us: * Follow @fishewear [https://www.instagram.com/fishewear/?hl=en] on Instagram * Shop bold, functional gear at fishewear.com [http://fishewear.com] * Join the movement: #CastandConnect Learn more and Shop: www.proishunting.com [http://www.proishunting.com] Instagram: @proishunting  [https://www.instagram.com/proishunting/]

Lisa Michaels | Meteorologist

Join host Linda Leary as she sits down with Lisa Michaels, a meteorologist based in Wisconsin whose career in weather science started somewhere most of us would least expect: a childhood fear of thunder and lightning. Lisa shares how that fear became a fascination, and how studying the sky eventually led her to the water. It was a trip to Alaska that first brought Fishe across her radar, and when she finally walked through the door, what started as a quick visit turned into hours of conversation with the Fishe staff. She and Linda dig into something most anglers never think to ask about: what is the weather actually doing to the fish? Lisa breaks down how temperature, pressure, and atmospheric shifts influence fish behavior beneath the surface, and what that means for the person standing on the bank or sitting in the boat. The conversation also gets practical. Lisa offers a handful of tips for reading conditions before you head out and knowing when it's time to reel in and get off the water safely. This one is for the angler who has ever looked up at the clouds and wondered what the fish are doing down below. Connect with us: * Follow @fishewear [https://www.instagram.com/fishewear/?hl=en] on Instagram * Shop bold, functional gear at fishewear.com [http://fishewear.com] * Join the movement: #CastandConnect Follow Lisa on Facebook: Meteorologist Lisa Mishaels [https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistLisaMichaels/]

Lisa Gilliland | Title Nine

Join host Linda Leary as she sits down with Lisa Gilliland, Community Manager at Title Nine, the women-owned outdoor and adventure apparel company that has spent nearly four decades outfitting and inspiring women to lead, risk, and own their adventures. Lisa pulls back the curtain on what it looks like to build a community of women from the inside out. She and Linda talk about Title Nine's mission to champion women entrepreneurs, how the brand has cultivated a network of women-owned businesses through their annual PitchFest program, and what it really means to create a rising tide for women in the outdoor and apparel space. The conversation explores how brands can put their values into action and why investing in women-owned businesses isn't just good ethics, it's good business. This episode is for the dreamers, the builders, and every woman who has ever wondered if there's a seat at the table for her. And speaking of seats at the table: applications for the Title Nine PitchFest are open now and close May 20th. If you are a woman entrepreneur with a product and a story to tell, this is your moment. Learn more and apply at titlenine.com/t9-pitchfest [https://www.titlenine.com/t9-pitchfest-outdoor.html] Connect with us: * Follow @fishewear [https://www.instagram.com/fishewear/?hl=en] on Instagram * Shop bold, functional gear at fishewear.com [http://fishewear.com/] * Join the movement: #CastandConnect Learn more and Shop: www.titlenine.com [http://www.titlenine.com/] Instagram: @titlenine [https://www.instagram.com/titlenine/]

Heather Harkavy | Fish For Change

Join host Linda Leary as she sits down with Heather Harkavy, a driving force behind Fish for Change, a nonprofit using fly fishing as a doorway into something much bigger for young people. Heather shares the heart behind the Fish for Change scholarship program, which sends high school and college-aged students on one-week international fly fishing experiences, with 40% of participants joining on need-based scholarships. She and Linda talk about what happens to a teenager when you hand them a fly rod in a place they've never been, and why the ripple effects of that week tend to follow them for life. The conversation also turns to Joan Wolfe, whose legacy in fishing reminds us that the women who came before us were already casting in waters people said weren't meant for them. This one is for anyone who believes that a week on the water can change the direction of a young person's life. Connect with us: * Follow @fishewear [https://www.instagram.com/fishewear/?hl=en] on Instagram * Shop bold, functional gear at fishewear.com [http://fishewear.com/] * Join the movement: #CastandConnect Learn more and Shop: www.fishforchange.org [http://www.fishforchange.org/] Instagram: @fishforchange [https://www.instagram.com/fishforchange/]