REWIND: Heather Kelly of Heather’s Choice — Building an Outdoor Food Brand, Backcountry Nutrition & Adventures

#94: We’re rewinding to one of our favorite episodes with Heather Kelly, the powerhouse behind Heather’s Choice — a backcountry meal brand born in Alaska and built for adventure. Heather is an entrepreneur, nutritionist, and outdoor enthusiast who turned her passion for real food and wild places into a thriving business. In this episode, we talk about: How Heather’s Choice was born Heather’s roots in Alaska and the outdoor lifestyle Her approach to fueling adventure with healthy, packable meals Business lessons from the backcountry Why her products are a staple in my pack to this day Whether you're a hunter, hiker, or weekend warrior — or you’ve dreamed of turning your passion into a business — Heather’s story is one you don’t want to miss. Get our FAVORITE links, codes & more here! Chapters: 00:00 – Fireside Intro & Favorite Camp Snacks Kicking off around the virtual campfire with Heather’s go-to snacks and drinks. 02:00 – Growing Up in Alaska Heather shares how her Alaskan upbringing shaped her love for the outdoors. 04:20 – First Outdoor Memory: Rafting at 18 Heather becomes a river rafting guide — a pivotal experience in leadership and confidence. 07:13 – Life After That First Summer What came next after guiding and how those lessons carried forward. 09:40 – Collegiate Athlete & Crew Journey Heather’s time rowing in college and how athletics shaped her. 11:10 – Nutrition, Psoriasis & The Wake-Up Call How a health scare led her to explore diet, autoimmune wellness, and food as medicine. 14:18 – Disordered Eating & Recovery Her honest journey through body image, community support, and healing. 16:08 – Eating Psychology & Strength Culture Discussing the mental side of fitness and the impact of your circle. 20:50 – Finding What Fuels You Customizing your diet and tuning into your body’s signals. 22:15 – Backcountry Nutrition = Safety & Performance Why what you eat in the wild matters more than you think. 23:15 – Anti-Inflammatory Eating & Autoimmune Healing What Heather eats now and how food helps her manage symptoms. 27:00 – Elimination Diets, Food Sensitivities & Listening to Your Body The evolution of nutrition through the lens of autoimmune support. 30:40 – The Start of Heather’s Choice How her health journey led to dehydrated meals for the backcountry. 33:00 – First Products & DIY Growth From sockeye chowder to Shopify and organic buzz. 39:35 – Imposter Syndrome in a Saturated Market Breaking into the outdoor food industry and staying authentic. 44:00 – The Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurship The real grind of building a business from scratch. 52:35 – Recipe Development at Heather’s Choice How the team creates new meals and flavor profiles. 57:00 – A Day in the Life of Heather Kelly Business, balance, and daily rhythms as a founder. 1:03:00 – Packing Food for the Backcountry Tips on how to prepare and pack the right fuel for your adventure. 1:10:00 – What’s Next for Heather’s Choice Heather’s future plans, personal updates, and ways to follow along. EPISODE MENTIONS: Watch the show on YouTube HERE Heather’s IG Heather’s Choice IG SHOP Heather’s Choice Adventure Meals & Snacks Submit your favorites at thereckoningpodcast.com/submit SHEEPFEET for custom orthotics, the best hunting shoe and the hideout hoodie use code: RECKONING for 10% OFF SHOP HERE MTN OPS for the best supplements and gear. Use code BRITT for 20% OFF your order! RUGGED ROAD COOLER GET 10% OFF your lightweight and organized cooler here or USE CODE: LONG Have Reckoning create content for your brand, learn more HERE! Follow Us on Social: Brittney Long IGReckoning IG Affiliate Disclaimer. Show Notes may contain affiliate links. If you click through my referral link, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting RECKONING LLC.