We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Marsteiner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Deciding to leave the corporate world and pursue a dream job can be both exhilarating and daunting. For many, the thought of leaving a stable and secure job can be scary, but for some, the allure of pursuing a passion is too strong to resist. This was the case for me when I decided to leave Corporate America to become a survival instructor and CEO of my own wilderness survival school.

As I progressed in my corporate career, I started to feel unfulfilled and yearned for a career that aligned with my passion for outdoor adventure and survival. After extensive research, I recognized a gap in the market for a survival school that focused not only on the technical skills required to survive in the wilderness but also on the mental resilience and emotional intelligence necessary to thrive in challenging environments. I took the leap of faith and left my career to start my own survival school.

However, being a CEO and owner of a business has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. I had to learn to wear multiple hats, from marketing and sales to accounting and customer service. At times, it felt overwhelming, but the satisfaction of seeing my students grow and develop their survival skills made it all worthwhile. Additionally, the unpredictability of the outdoor environment posed constant challenges, and I had to learn to adapt and adjust to different situations quickly. Despite the challenges, I remain grateful for the opportunity to pursue my passion and provide a unique and valuable service to my clients

Taking that risk to leave Corporate America to running one of the top survival schools in the country has been a challenging but rewarding journey. In 2015, leaving the security of a corporate job was a leap of faith, but I knew deep down that I wanted to pursue my passion for survival and the outdoors. The initial years of running my wilderness survival school were filled with obstacles, from building a client base to perfecting my teaching methods. But with persistence, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to my vision, I have been able to establish one of the top survival schools in the country. Today, I am proud of the impact my school has had on the lives of my students, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have turned my passion into a thriving business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born on the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs CO, and I couldn’t be more passionate about sharing my love for the outdoors and survival skills with others. Growing up in the small mountain town of Cripple Creek, I lived and breathed everything from camping and hiking to hunting and fishing. And while most kids were playing sports, I was packing my survival kit and heading out into the hills to see what kind of adventure I could find. It was a way of life for my family and me, and it’s what molded me into the woodsman I am today.

But after attending the University of Northern Colorado, I found myself working a technical job that left me unfulfilled. I knew I had to get back to my roots, and that’s when I started Colorado Mountain Man Survival and later, The Survival University. It’s been an incredible journey, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to share my knowledge with so many people over the years.

I don’t consider myself a hardcore survivalist or a bushcrafter. Instead, I’m a well-rounded jack-of-all-trades who’s dedicated to sharing the vast knowledge I’ve gained over the years. Whether you’re a hunter, a fisherman, a hiker, or just someone who wants to learn new skills, I’m here to help.

My father played a significant role in my journey as an outdoorsman, but his tragic death in 1993 is what ultimately set me on this path. I believe that if I can teach even one person the skills they need to survive in the wilderness, then I’m doing my part to honor my father’s memory.

The survival school provides instruction to a wide range of individuals and skill levels, starting from toddlers and going all the way up to military special forces. In addition to our regular classes, we also offer customized programs for grade schools, private events, and corporate team building. Our diverse offerings cater to a broad spectrum of skill levels and backgrounds, ensuring that everyone can benefit from our expertise in wilderness survival and bushcraft. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced outdoorsman, we’ve got something for everyone. Our goal is to help families reconnect with nature and get away from the distractions of technology, while also providing intense programs for those seeking a true survival experience.

At the The Survival University, we pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of classes to prepare individuals for any survival situation. When I first started teaching survival skills, it was just me sharing my knowledge and passion with others who were interested in learning. As time went on, the Colorado Survival School became more well-known and it grew beyond what I could do alone. I began to attract other skilled instructors who wanted to teach and share their skills as well. Today, we have a team of experienced and knowledgeable instructors who come from all over the country to teach at our school during the summer months. Our instructors are well-versed in both primitive and modern survival skills. Our team is made up of individuals who are experts in a variety of survival-related fields, including wilderness medicine, navigation, austere cooking, plant foraging, bushcrafting, mushroom foraging, flint knapping, primitive and modern survival skills, firecraft,bow making and more. Our success has allowed us to expand our reach, and we now have a satellite school in Washington and run a jungle survival course in Costa Rica.

So if you’re ready to embark on a new adventure and learn some invaluable skills along the way, I invite you to join me and my team of expert instructors. Together, we’ll explore the great outdoors and discover what it truly means to be a woodsman.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

As the owner of The Survival University, my reputation within the market was built on a few key factors. Initially, I struggled to establish myself as a unique player in the crowded survival school industry. I quickly realized that my success would depend on more than just my ability to teach survival skills. Instead, I focused on promoting my personality and the way I run my school differently than the majority of military-run survival schools.

Networking and my knowledge in IT were key factors in building my reputation. By leveraging my networking skills, I was able to make connections with like-minded individuals and bring on guest instructors from all over the country. Additionally, my IT background allowed me to create an online presence that showcased my skills and personality to a wider audience.

My likable personality and social media presence played a significant role in building my reputation. By highlighting my personal brand on social media, I was able to engage with potential students and establish trust with them before they even stepped foot in one of my classes.

Lastly, while the US military certainly does train some of its troops in survival skills, it is not a skill set that is universally taught across all branches and units. The focus of military training is typically more geared toward combat and specialized tasks, such as operating high-tech equipment and weapons systems. Additionally, there is a wide range of military occupational specialties, and not all of them require survival training. So while some troops, particularly those in special forces units, may receive extensive survival training, the majority of troops may not receive such training. My upbringing in the mountains gave me an inherent advantage in terms of survival skills knowledge, which allowed me to teach my students skills that even many military personnel do not know.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I first started my survival business, I had limited funds and needed to find a way to raise money. So, I decided to sell survival kits on eBay. This venture proved to be successful, and I was able to use the profits to help get my business off the ground.

In addition to this, I was fortunate enough to inherit 10 acres of land from my parents. This land held a special place in my heart, as it was the same land that I played on and built a tree fort on as a child. With my passion for survival skills and teaching, I knew that this land could be used to create something special.

I put in a lot of hard work and dedication, and eventually, I was able to expand the 10 acres of land to a whopping 70 acres. This expansion allowed me to develop more comprehensive programs for my students and gave me the space I needed to offer a wider range of survival classes. The support from the eBay store, along with the land inheritance, were both integral to the success of my business, and I am grateful for both opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheSurvivalUniversity.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason_thesurvivaluniversity/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMMSurvival/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmarsteiner/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CMMSurvival
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/cmmsurvival
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-survival-university-cripple-creek-2
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/steiner093/