Just show up. The rest will fall into place.

An interview with a mountain town professional, Julie Howsmon

Find Julie on LinkedIn and Instagram and follow her mountain town employer Gravity Haus on LinkedIn and Instagram

Mountain Town tenure(s)

Breckenridge, Colorado (current) + Winter Park, Colorado

Job Title

Director of Digital Marketing at Gravity Haus

Why mountains?

You get the best of both worlds in the mountains. The obvious: access to outdoor activities galore! There is never a dull moment. I also love that Breckenridge specifically is buzzing all year round. There are SO many amazing restaurants and bars, there is always live music to be found, we have a creative arts district, a live play theatre, and a movie theatre too. I once wrote a blog for Gravity Haus about all the things you can do when you’re not exploring outside – let’s just say it was stacked. In my opinion, not many mountain towns can so seamlessly offer the outdoors AND all the other things. Plus, I love to be an arms-length distance from so many ski resorts. I’m team Epic AND Ikon 🙂 

Favorite mountain town activity

Don’t make me choose just one! Since moving to the mountains, my living room has transformed into a full-blown gear closet. I love to be outdoors every season of the year, which demands that I have all the tools to explore new peaks, trails, rivers, and lakes. But my favorite is probably backcountry skiing. Since dialing in my setup and completing my AIARE certification a few years back, I have been clocking more days on the uphill setup than at the resort. I love the challenge of the climb and the rewarding adrenaline rush of the wiggle down. My touring setup helps me explore jaw-dropping parts of the mountains I would otherwise not be able to access. Honorable mentions: trail running, mountain biking and stand-up paddleboarding are all close in tow.

How has living in the mountains influenced your career? 

For anyone that has lived in the mountains, it can be tough to navigate the community at first (hello transient friends!). Since diving into my marketing career in the mountains, I have met other like-minded professionals who work hard, and love to play harder. The people I work with are also the people I champion mountain summits with and enjoy après brewskies with. Because I have deepened relationships with my teammates, my career doesn’t feel like a job. I show up to a team that I adore and love to work with every single day. And when you love what you do, you’ll never work a single day in your life.

Why is your mission with Gravity Haus so important to you living in the mountains? 

We have a couple of mantras at Gravity Haus. 1. Is it good for you? Is it good for the planet? Is it an amazing experience? AND 2. Community first, everything will follow. You can absolutely accomplish these missions no matter the location, but living in the mountains makes it 10x easier when you’re surrounded by a community of go-getters who love the great outdoors. I truly do believe that getting outside is the best happy pill you can be subscribed to.

What can the Mountain Careers community do to support the Gravity Haus mission?

We are CONSTANTLY growing, evolving and hiring at Gravity Haus. Let’s tap into the talent pools in the mountains and together we can continue to build our awesome team of people who really, truly CARE about what they do and are the BEST about what they do, too!