Jim Clash is an American participatory adventure and business journalist, author, and fellow and director of Explorers Club. Since joining Forbes as a staff writer in 1993, Jim has skied to the South Pole, flown in a MiG-25 at Mach 2.6 to the edge of space, and climbed the Matterhorn. His other adventures include driving the Bugatti Veyron at its top speed of 253 miles per hour and, most recently, flying with the US Navy Blue Angels in their F-18 fighters. He is the author of Forbes to the Limits and The Right Stuff. Jim holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.
Today, you’ll hear Jim describe his life as a participatory adventurer and journalist. He recounts his adventurous, geeky childhood building his own radios and antenna and why he switched his major from Physics to English while studying at the University of Maryland. He explains why he decided to return to journalism after a career in the advertising industry. He discusses his ventures to the peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest and his journey to the North Pole. You’ll also learn about the common characteristics among the successful and great people he has interviewed and gain insight from his life lessons.
“Journalism is about truth and advertising is like a pyramid—you take a little point and pile layers and layers on it until you get an obfuscation of truth. In journalism, you narrow it to the point, which is truth.” - Jim Clash
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
● Jim’s background, fascinating childhood, and life in Japan
● His stint in advertising and being a drummer for a rock band
● Uncovering truth and how Jim realized that journalism was his life’s calling
● The Rat Experiment, climbing the Matterhorn and Kilimanjaro, and Jim’s passion for mountain climbing
● The Hillary Step traffic jam on Mount Everest
● Skiing to the South Pole and other adventures in Jim’s life as a participatory adventurer and writer
● How Jim procures his adventure gigs
● The common characteristics of extraordinary people
● Understanding the difference between real and perceived risk
● Resisting peer pressure and other life lessons
Resources Mentioned:
● Book: Seven Summits by Dick Bass, Frank Wells, and Rick Ridgeway
Our Favorite Quotes:
● “Extraordinary people understand that there’s a difference between real and perceived risk.” - Jim Clash
● “If you think differently, don’t go along with the crowd. Don’t always bow to peer pressure—do what you think is right. - Jim Clash
Connect with Jim Clash:
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity...
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