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  • Ryanintheus LLC
  • About Ryan
  • Marketing
    • Social Media
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  • Music
    • Band of the Week
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    • Quotes
    • Philanthropy
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Influencer, Philanthropy

Huffington Post mention is recognition for everyone involved with Team Up!

Last Friday I was included in a blog post in the Huffington Post titled “39 Inspiring Men and Their Passion for Charity”.  It was penned by three incredible people in Sean Gardner (2morrowknight), Amy Neumann and Yasamin Beitollahi and featured a list of men that have accomplished truly great things.  To say I was humbled and honored by this is an understatement.  It is, without a doubt the biggest acknowledgement of any work I have done in my life to date so of course I was thrilled.  But perhaps I wasn’t thrilled for reasons beyond the obvious.

As the founder and president of Team Up for Nonprofits I have been a blessed man. Firstly that a group of wonderful people would embrace an idea I had and take it on as their own, give up their precious spare time, and take that idea and work together to make it a reality.  Then secondly, move it to a place where the organization has produced seven Gigs4Good benefits and in doing so not only has it gifted over $30,000, and raised the profile of those nonprofits we’ve partnered with, but also provided countless opportunities for young people in their 20’s and 30’s to contribute to their community and have fun at the same time.

So the real reason I am thrilled about this article is that it acknowledges the collective efforts of everyone who has been involved with Team Up from our first meeting in my living room to this very moment in time.  I am the spokesperson for the organization, and while assuming that position means that I get such focussed recognition such as this, it does not, and never will, mean that this nonprofit is mine and mine alone.  To me it is the opposite.  It belongs to everyone who has attended a Gigs4Good event, performed at, or worked back/front of house, anyone who has put up a poster, “liked” us on Facebook or re-tweeted us on Twitter, given us a discounted print ad, interviewed us on radio, given us a reduced venue rental, lent us gear, printed posters for us, written a check to us, or received a check from us.

There is no doubt that the following people however are the people who really deserve their names in the Huffington Post.  They are the people who write the sponsorship applications, balance the books, do the data entry, post updates on social media, write the blog posts, take the photos, stream the shows, write the checks, coordinate the volunteers, manage the website, design the posters, choose the nonprofits, manage the events, take care of production, write the press releases and so on.  These wonderful people are the Team Up Board of Directors and Gigs4Good volunteers and what a lot of people don’t realize is that Team Up has no paid employees and no office.  Up until this point we have been a totally grass roots organization, doing our best to function as professionally as possible as a 100% volunteer organization.   So that said, it is this group of wonderful people, perhaps 30 of them who have volunteered with Team Up over the past 2 years who I am thrilled for.  I’m thrilled because all their hard work added up to get recognition from a great, national publication for Team Up, which is not one person, but all of us.  Great job team!

September 22, 2011by Ryan Hodgson
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About Ryan Hodgson

Ryan Hodgson

Ryan Hodgson, CEO of Ryanintheus LLC, is a Seattle based Australian entrepreneur with a passion for business and marketing strategy. A lover of nature, adventure and photography, he regularly partners with global brands as a travel influencer. Ryan is also the co-founder of The Armour St Sessions, a melanoma survivor and a proud dad!

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 Who’s been glamping? Truthfully when I heard that I was going to @islachiquita, Costa Rica's first and only island-glamping adventure hotel I wasn’t really sure what I was in for. The website sold that it blended the playful fun of camping with the comforts and services of an upscale Costa Rican Eco-Luxury beach hotel, but what the hell did that mean? It went on to say Isla Chiquita was created to immerse adventure travelers in the laidback lifestyle of Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya and elevate the traditional camping experience with glamor-style comforts. It did sound good, but camping to me meant multi-day hikes into the mountains around the PNW, not so glamorous, so this was obviously going to be a very different experience. And it was. Nestled into the trees and ascending up and away from the beach 15 Glamping Tent Suites were as beautiful and novel as the website indicated. It is a truly unique experience to sleep in a tent, hearing all the sounds, feeling that exposure, and do it in a king bed, with a day bed lounger, a private shower and bathroom (with double sinks), and a spacious lounging deck with stunning ocean views! Yep it was different, and awesome. The tents are perfectly designed and ridiculously comfortable, this is not camping, it really is glamping! I’ve posted a set of pics of the island already so you can see how beautiful it is. There’s a bunch of things to do and loads of wildlife. If you are interested in going, contact @GreenSpotTravel and check out the new Master Sunset Suite which features a king bed, two day bed loungers, a private shower, bathroom (again with double sinks), a spacious Palapa lounging terrace, and a stunning whirlpool deck. Set at the very top of the island, it features complete privacy and unrivaled views of the Gulf of Nicoya and its string of islands. Yes please! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #Sponsored @alaskaair  Over the years I’ve received feedback from significant people in my life that I tend to hold onto things a little too tightly. One bit of amusing advice that stood out to me was being told “20% less Ryan, 20% less!”  Having heard similar feedback across other aspects of my life I decided to investigate it. Turns out I actually suffer from a pretty decent amount of anxiety. It might seem like it should have been obvious to me but it wasn’t because I realized I’ve been affected by anxiety my entire life. It was just what normal was for me. Like they say, acknowledging you have an issue is a huge part of dealing with the issue. Once I started really paying attention I was able to make different choices which was a big step forward. But acknowledgement alone wasn’t enough. I’d always had noise about taking a daily medication because I believed I could successfully solve all my challenges with my brain. But of course it was actually the way my brain functioned that was the issue so I reluctantly decided to start a mild medication. I’m happy to admit that the results is that I’m able to navigate life’s challenges much easier now. The combination of acknowledgment and a little medicine is improving my experience in the world in so many ways. If you’re like me and you don’t want to admit you suffer from anxiety I challenge you to face it because I know now how much better life can be if you do. There’s an expression I grew up with which is “like water off a ducks back” (which means a person just let an issue go and didn’t stress about it.) I might not be perfect at letting issues go completely but I’m definitely doing better than 20% less! . #travel #nature #mentalhealth. . . . . . . #wearelimitless #wildernessculture #ourplanetdaily #allaboutadventures #nakedplanet #earthofficial #roamtheplanet #liveyouradventure #adventureculture #merknmountains #awakethesoul #washington #goneoutdoors #earth #hikingadventures #pnwonderland #optoutside #beautifulmatters #adventurenthusiasts #pnwdiscovered #destinationearth #wildme #exploreeverything #pnw #campvibes #folkscenery #alwaysgo  Costa Rica is truly an incredible place. From breathtaking waterfalls, to stunning beaches, to beautiful rainforests, to endless sunsets, to the amazing wildlife. Although Costa Rica is a pretty small country, it actually makes up about 5% of the earth's biodiversity so fortunately about 25% of the country is protected. This focus on preserving the environment has also led to a true commitment to Ecotourism. Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial mass tourism. It means responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism, and the country is recognized as one of the few with true ecotourism. To me this is something really cool about Costa Rica, I think about all the stories I’ve heard about beautiful natural places around the world that have been destroyed thanks to Instagramers flooding those areas to get an iconic shot in an unsustainable way. Given the importance of ecotourism to the future generations being able to enjoy our world’s beautiful places I urge you to consider seeking out companies that deliver on the ecotourism promise and more specifically I’d like you to check out @GreenSpotTravel as their tours to Costa Rica, the Galapagos, Iceland, Panama and Peru are all deeply founded in great ecotourism practice. This company is truly one you can rely on to take you to the beautiful places while making as little impact as possible. Give them a follow, you won’t regret it! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation @alaskaair #sponsored  I love rainforests! I don’t know about you but there’s something truly magical about them. The density of life is somehow awe inspiring. It’s an ecosystem on steroids and you feel the potential of animals around you even if you can’t see them (but of course you know they can see you!). Us humans love that sense of expectation though right? What is making that noise in the forest to me left? and that one behind me? It plays out right here on Instagram as well though! Pics where you can’t see someones face get more likes because it’s our curiosity that gets piqued and it starts a narrative that a clear pic of a face just doesn’t generate. Back to the rainforest. You add hanging bridges with the thrill of swaying above the tree tops and rivers running way below and you get one fun day out out and some cool pic opportunities. What can make the day better? Spending it with one of my best friends @TravisWals, and co-owner of @GreenSpotTravel and my guide on this trip Richard (@GreenTravelGuy). Richard is an travel expert which is obviously amazing in these small tours as he has a wealth of interesting facts and experience to share with you, but he’s got a wicked sense of humor as well so he’s a ton of fun to spend your days with. . This awesome place is Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (@misticopark) in Costa Rica. Big thanks to Richard and @GreenSpotTravel for taking me there! . Pics of me taken by @traviswals. . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation @alaskaair. . . . . #CostaRica #CostaRica🇨🇷 #wildernessculture #ourplanetdaily #allaboutadventures #nakedplanet #earthofficial #bestvacations #roamtheplanet #aroundtheworldpix #adventureculture #beautifuldestinations #travelstoke #earthfocus #bestplacestogo #discoverearth #exploretocreate #welivetoexplore #stayandwander #meetthemoment #goneoutdoors #theoutbound #beautifulmatters #adventurenthusiasts #modernoutdoors #moodygrams @visit_costarica  Who loves Macaws? One of the great things about traveling with an eco-travel company like @GreenSpotTravel is they support and introduce you to organizations doing amazing things for nature. My favorite of these organizations is the @macawrecoverynetwork which is a conservation organization dedicated to the recovery of wild parrot populations in the neo tropics. I was lucky enough to spend a morning at their Punta Islita Refuge and Breeding Center meeting some of their staff and watching a feeding of their Scarlet Macaws. In the Punta Islita area Scarlet Macaws were actually extinct due to deforestation of land for the beef industry, but over the last 8 years the Macaw Recovery Network has reintroduced just over 50 Scarlet Macaws into the area and there is now a healthy population who are beginning to become self-sustainable.⁠ One of the keys to that success is the incredible work done by this team of scientists and conservationists who work tirelessly to tackle and asses this threat by: Protecting mountain almond trees and restoring habitat. Encouraging sustainable land use. I feel very fortunate to have been able to visit their Punta Islita Refuge and Breeding Center so have to thank @GreenSpotTravel who take all their guests there who visit the area because it so perfectly aligns with the way they want to support the future of travel. . If you’d like to visit the beautiful Punta Islita area and visit the Macaw Recovery Network Refuge and Breeding Center I highly recommend staying with their partners at @hotelpuntaislita which is an absolutely beautiful beach side luxury hotel which has won awards for its sustainability efforts. Their approach is “planet-friendly, people-positive”. Wildlife conservation, reforestation and local employment are their key concerns, and the hotel rather poetically states on its website that its “caring attitude” makes it “better empowered to protect the environment, champion economic opportunity, and celebrate the cultural differences that color the fabric of human experience.” Enough said! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #Sponsored @alaskaair.
 Who’d like to stay here? Amazing sunset cocktails, zip lining, infinity pool, poolside bar, horse riding on the beach and much more, this place is amazing! @hotelpuntaislita is an absolutely beautiful beach side luxury hotel and to top it off it’s won awards for its sustainability efforts. Their approach is “planet-friendly, people-positive”. Wildlife conservation, reforestation and local employment are their key concerns, and the hotel rather poetically states on its website that its “caring attitude” makes it “better empowered to protect the environment, champion economic opportunity, and celebrate the cultural differences that color the fabric of human experience.”  In addition to all that their support of the @macawrecoverynetwork really helps that project remain sustainable. I’m very happy to promote places like this, I wish there were more of them! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #Sponsored @alaskaair. . . . . #CostaRica #CostaRica🇨🇷 #wearelimitless #ourplanetdaily #allaboutadventures #nakedplanet #earthofficial #roamtheplanet #liveyouradventure #adventureculture #merknmountains #awakethesoul #goneoutdoors #earth #optoutside #beautifulmatters #adventurenthusiasts #pnwdiscovered #destinationearth #wildme #exploreeverything #campvibes #folkscenery #alwaysgo #mytinyatlas #travelinstyle @visit_costarica  I love this time of year in the PNW. The mountains call your name and reward you with epic scenes after you’ve gotten up at 4:30am and scrambled up 4,500 feet. Mountain goats, golden Larches, stunning alpine blue lakes and air so crisp you can feel it in the bottom of your lungs. That’s my kind of perfect. How about you? . #travel #nature #adventure. . . . . . #wearelimitless #wildernessculture #ourplanetdaily #allaboutadventures #nakedplanet #earthofficial #roamtheplanet #liveyouradventure #adventureculture #merknmountains #awakethesoul #washington #goneoutdoors #earth #hikingadventures #pnwonderland #optoutside #beautifulmatters #adventurenthusiasts #pnwdiscovered #destinationearth #wildme #exploreeverything #pnw #campvibes #folkscenery #alwaysgo  One of the things I find most enjoyable about traveling is experiencing the food at each place I go. I can remember a great steak in Malaysia in 2000, discovering Cous Cous in Europe in 96, the ribs and BBQ sauce I had in Texas in 2016 and Yak Butter Tea in Tibet in 06 (but that was for all the wrong reasons!!). Food can be just as strong a memory as the place itself or the people. For that reason it’s great to find ways to genuinely experience the local food and there’s no better way than by getting yourself into a kitchen. In Costa Rica traveling with @GreenSpotTravel I got to visit the home of an incredibly talented local señora for a fun tortilla-making class. In fact Dońa Mara is the mother of Irene, cofounder of @greenspottravel so they had all the proof they needed to know we’d love her and her food. @TravisWals, GreenTravelGuy and I had a great time learning from her and feasting on her food. It was a delicious Costa Rican culinary experience! What are your favorite experiences of food while traveling? . This sunset pic was taken later the same day, we sat and enjoyed this stunning view with fully bellies and happy hearts! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #sponsored @alaskaair. . . . . #CostaRica #CostaRica🇨🇷 #wearelimitless #ourplanetdaily #allaboutadventures #nakedplanet #earthofficial #roamtheplanet #liveyouradventure #adventureculture #merknmountains #awakethesoul #goneoutdoors #earth #optoutside #beautifulmatters #adventurenthusiasts #pnwdiscovered #destinationearth #wildme #exploreeverything #campvibes #folkscenery #alwaysgo #mytinyatlas #travelinstyle @visit_costarica  Posting pictures from a trip that was nearly a year ago presents issues for someone like me who likes to share something philological that was inspired by the experience, the place or the pics I capture. In this case, finding that thread wasn't difficult. As a traveler and a photographer "light' makes an incredible difference to the experience you have and the photos you capture so I very deliberately plan my movements based on being in the right place for sunrise and sunset. I just don't understand those folks who go somewhere incredible, only to sleep in and miss the greatest beauty of the place they're at. Likewise in my life here in Seattle I've also learned that surrounding myself with people who radiate light brightens my days like a good sunrise or sunset. You have struck gold, as I have, if your partner naturally emanates light in the forms of a positive outlook, a great sense of humor, kindness, an abundance of compassion, tons of smiles, is empathetic, is thoughtful, and of course loves you for who you are. I'm so grateful to have @Brittincharge in my life and that I get to receive her light AND now enjoy all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets together. My advice, get up for sunrise and choose people who bring light into your life! . These particular sunrises and sunsets are thanks to @GreenSpotTravel who took me to the stunning @islachiquita, Costa Rica's island-glamping adventure hotel. Set on a beautiful tropical island (Isla Jesusita), Isla Chiquita rewards visitors with adventure both on land and sea and delivers some spectacular lighting for those who want to get up!  Another twist on the light theme is I took a night-time Bioluminescence Adventure to witness the mesmerizing natural phenomenon when the ocean lights up during dark nights. Produced by high concentrations of light-emitting plankton, bioluminescence imbues the waters with a starry night effect and is something else. We also got a peak at some of animals that call the waters around the island home. I have much more on this beautiful place coming soon including more about their glamping! . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #Sponsored @alaskaair  Hey everyone, I’m really excited to start posting again and to start sharing pics from some of my adventures over the past year that I haven’t had a chance to post. I’m going to start by sharing my incredible trip last November to Costa Rica with luxury eco-travel experts @GreenSpotTravel. Just like many of you I travel the world to experience the beauty of nature and the beauty of this planet and I know just like you I also worry about the consequences of my travels and of our collective effect as travelers on these beautiful destinations. Because of that, when GreenSpot invited me to experience Costa Rica with them I was incredibly intrigued to learn more about what eco-travel and eco-luxury actually meant and felt like. Thanks to them I learned a lot and got to experience the true beauty of this amazing country in a way that felt true to my values and ideals. More on that in coming posts but what I really appreciated is that they truly crafted my trip based on my interests with incredible thoughtfulness and detail. They clearly knew their stuff and were welcomed at every place we stayed as true friends which in turn created the space for me to feel like I was making great friends as well. . OK now to the place itself. One of the true icons of Costa Rica is Arenal Volcano, it is in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km NW of San José and rises 5,479 feet into the sky. It is a really striking volcano because of it’s very true conical shape which on the evening we first saw it set the stage for an absolutely epic sunset. The volcano itself and the sky morphed through different shades of just about every color and we had the opportunity to stand in a field in the perfect location to just stop and witness this incredible natural art show. . The day was topped off with a stay at the Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa (@arenalkioro) which was amazing because my room backed up to the volcano so I woke up with a direct view from my bed of this beauty. Their tagline is Green Luxury and they didn’t disappoint, the food at their restaurant was particularly good. I definitely recommend. . #FindYourGreenSpot at @GreenSpotTravel #EcoLuxury #CostaRicaVacation #Sponsored @alaskaair
TAP

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