Why Grit, Risk, and Vision Matter in Business and Climbing with Asa Firestone, CEO of A-Lodge

In this episode of The Radical Hospitality Show, host Zeke Freeman sits down with Asa Firestone—climber, adventurer, and CEO of A-Lodge—to unpack the wild journey from scaling granite walls in the Amazon to creating one of Colorado's most unique hospitality experiences.

Asa shares what it means to build a life around adventure, how near-death expeditions taught him tenacity, and the surprising lessons he carried from the big walls of El Capitan into building A-Lodge. Together, Zeke and Asa explore the parallels between entrepreneurship and exploration, the evolution of adventure hospitality, and why sometimes not knowing the full plan is a feature—not a bug.

Whether you’re a climber, a creative, or a business builder, this episode will challenge you to go all in—even when the summit seems far away.

What We Cover:

• Growing up between D.C. and Colorado, and falling in love with the outdoors
• Big wall climbing in Yosemite, Peru, and a wild National Geographic expedition to Venezuela
• The uncomfortable lessons of solo climbing—and solo entrepreneurship
• Building A-Lodge from scratch and reimagining what "adventure hospitality" means
• Tips on seasonal hospitality, off-season strategy, and building for both climbers and families
• How to commit to a path even if you don’t know the outcome

Quotes Worth Remembering:

“At a certain point, it’s easier to keep moving forward than to bail.”
 “If you're not growing, you're dying—and that applies to people just as much as business.”
 “Sometimes the climb you didn’t finish teaches you the most.”

🔗 Links & Resources:

• A-Lodge Website
• Learn more about Zeke Freeman & Root Architecture: root-ad.com

Connect with Zeke Freeman:
Instagram: @zekefreeman_rootarchitecture and @rootarchitecture
YouTube: @rootarchitecture
Facebook: @RootArchitectureandDevelopment
LinkedIn: Zeke Freeman
X/Twitter: @zfreemanroot

Ready to get started with your hospitality project?
https://root-ad.com/

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