A member of the Masters in Outdoor Recreation Economy Program’s inaugural class, Cassie Elrod has leveraged her graduate studies to earn an exciting new role in the outdoor industry. Cassie shares her journey from a law school graduate and practicing attorney to an outdoor enthusiast, and finally, a member of the outdoor industry’s growing workforce.
Pivoting to a Passion-Forward Career Path
Cassie attended law school at Indiana University Bloomington and then launched a law career where she focused on intellectual property and technology transactions. “My career as an attorney brought me out to Denver originally,” Cassie shares. “During the pandemic, I realized that a lifelong career in law firms wasn’t what I wanted. It’s a demanding career field, without the work-life balance I was seeking, and I didn’t feel passionate about the work.”
Outside of work, Cassie has always been an outdoor enthusiast. “I snowboard and snowshoe in the wintertime, and in the summer, I love hiking, backpacking, trail running. I make it a point to spend my free time outdoors, and I wanted a career where I could focus on that passion.”
As Cassie realized she wanted to make the outdoors a part of her career, not just her weekends, she started considering a career pivot. That’s when she came across the Outdoor Recreation Economy program at CU Boulder. “I admit, I jumped in with both feet,” Cassie says. “I started doing informational interviews with the staff and faculty members of the program, trying to figure out whether it would be the right next step for me. Joel Hartter, the director of the program, really helped me understand that my skills would be valuable in the outdoor industry and helped support me in taking the leap. I was admitted to the program, left my job, and started as a full-time student in fall 2021.”
It didn’t take long for Cassie to see the results of joining the Outdoor Recreation Economy program. “Just recently, I accepted a position as Commercial Counsel with Outside,” Cassie shared in January 2022 – less than six months after she joined the program. “It’s been amazing. I've been reading Outside magazine and the Outside Business Journal since I moved to Colorado, and I’m thrilled that now I get to work with them. The position aligns well with my legal background. I’m working on agreements for publications that I read as a consumer myself and products that I believe in and am passionate about. I’m also gaining invaluable experience behind the business side of the industry. It’s been a whirlwind, and I’m excited to learn more and continue to grow in not only this position, but the outdoor industry as well.”
In the interview process with Outside, Cassie was able to leverage both her extensive background in law and her passion for the outdoors, which was demonstrated by earning her master’s degree in the Outdoor Recreation Economy program. “During the interview process, they were excited to see I was enrolled in this program,” Cassie reflected. “I was worried it might be a hindrance since I was applying for a legal position, but it demonstrated my clear interest in the outdoor industry. I shared the certificates I’ve chosen to stack together for my master’s degree, and it helped them to see what I was passionate about. Since joining, I have been able to assist in the formation of Outside’s sustainability employee resource group which assists in Outside’s sustainability planning and practices. I have the opportunity to bring a lot of what I’m learning in my classes into the organization, especially my coursework relating to sustainability, which is so fulfilling and exactly what I wanted with this career change.”
Fully Immersed in Online Courses
For Cassie, one of the defining features of the Outdoor Recreation Economy program that made it so appealing was the fully online format. “I ultimately knew that I’d be working full-time while I was earning my master’s degree, and I loved that the classes were so flexible to fit around my job and spending my weekends outdoors,” Cassie shares. “But at the same time, I wanted to have fully involved and collaborative online classes that were focused on the outdoor industry, which is exactly what the program has offered me.”
“In addition to the Introduction to the Outdoor Recreation Economy Certificate, I’m also enrolled in the Leading a Sustainable Business Certificate and Public Lands & Natural Resources Policy Certificate,” Cassie says. “This mix of coursework is perfect for me because it combines the areas of the industry that I’m most interested in. I have a background in business law and knew that diving into outdoor businesses would be an exciting career field for me, but I’m also fascinated by environmental policy. Policy and law go hand in hand, and I’d love to use my advocacy skills in a way that helps our planet.”
For Cassie, the exciting nature of the coursework is overshadowed only by the professors themselves. “The professors are what makes this program so amazing,” Cassie says. “Mark Gasta has helped get me connected with so many amazing people in the outdoor industry, including introducing me to some of my now-coworkers at Outside. And my public lands instructors have such interesting backgrounds and so much knowledge to share. I love that the courses apply environmental justice and indigenous rights to public lands policy. For example, I visit national parks along with so many others each year, and I had no idea about the harsh reality of how we formed some of those parks. So many conversations with my professors have been so eye-opening and valuable to me in understanding how the outdoor industry can help shed light on environmental issues and effect real change.”
Cassie’s Advice for Aspiring Outdoor Leaders
Since joining the Outdoor Recreation Economy program, Cassie has taken full advantage of the networking opportunities available to her in the program – as well as opportunities she’s made herself. “Networking is so important in an industry like this,” Cassie shared. “It can be intimidating to try and break in, but people are so happy to engage with you.”
“This program gives you the opportunity to network with industry leaders,” Cassie shared. “For example, I attended the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow and met with a lot of great folks. I even met Colorado Governor Jared Polis and we chatted about the program and how it’s preparing students for roles in the outdoor industry. But beyond conferences and events hosted by CU Boulder, I’ve also made networking in the industry a personal mission of mine. I’ve reached out to folks on LinkedIn who were posting about topics I’m interested in, and asked them for informational interviews to learn more about what they do and any advice relating to pivoting into the industry. Every single person I reached out to said ‘Absolutely’ and gave me an hour of their time. And after having an organic conversation with them, they’d often say, ‘Let me put you in touch with other people who are working in this space’, so I met a lot of great people that way.”
“My advice would be to dive in and don’t be scared to reach out to people,” Cassie says. “It was a little daunting to get started, but what I learned is that folks will want to chat with you. In the outdoor industry, everyone's super welcoming and excited to talk about what they do, because they’re passionate about it. And if you’re passionate about the same things, you can make great connections that way.”
“My final piece of advice would be to lean on your support network,” Cassie emphasized. “Some people gave me a side-eye when I told them, ‘Yeah, I'm leaving my cushy law job to, you know, save the world.’ But my close friends and family members have supported me regardless in making this transition. And my professors in the Outdoor Recreation Economy program - I've only been in the program for a few months, and they have done everything possible in order to help me succeed. And I know they're doing that with other students as well. Whether it's acting as a reference or just talking to me about strategy on how to get a job and succeed in the industry, they've gone above and beyond. I can't say enough great things about this program, and I’m thrilled that I’ve already made the leap into the outdoor industry. I can’t wait to see how I continue to learn and grow in this program and ultimately make a difference in the world doing something that brings me joy.”