What does Braided mean?
Since Braided started I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten the question – What does the name mean? Is it because women braid their hair? HA, Well, no. It isn’t. Not far from my new home town of Durango, there’s a section of river that is called “The Braids”. It’s a section of the river that fascinates me. The river splits around a series of islands, each season carving new pathways, finding a way to meet back together. I thought the name Braided was a perfect parallel for the community I wanted. Where all our different perspectives, personalities, and experiences flow together, to create a strong community where experiences, learning, and laughs can all be shared.
Why did you start Braided?
Recently, we were able to fulfill a lifelong dream and move to the mountains in Colorado. In part, we were driven by the desire to have more access to the outdoors that we loved, and to have closer friendships with people that loved the outdoors like we did. Once in Durango, I recognized it was not hard for Nick (my husband) to find new fishing buddies. And it got me thinking, “Where are all the ladies?” And not just the industry luminaries like Joan, Meredith, and April, and Paula, Camille, and others. I mean locally, in my town, in your town?
Around the same time period, I had the opportunity to participate in a couple of corporate women’s fly fishing initiatives. The discussion was around how to reach more women and get them involved in the sport. The more I thought about these topics, the more I started to ask myself some questions. What did fishing really mean to me? Was it something I was just doing because it was my husband’s passion, or was it really my own? What drew me to the sport initially? What do I remember most from the times I fished? I thought back to my early years of fly fishing while living in DC. What I remembered and missed the most was not the fishing—it was the people and community we were part of while we lived there. I thought of the last few years, of some of the amazing fish I’ve had the opportunity to catch around the world. So many great memories, but each filled with as much or more thoughts about the experiences I shared with others—the laughs we had, and the memories and relationships I created. That’s why I started Braided—to build that community.
What is the mission of Braided?
The Braided mission is to create a strong women centric community that provides women with welcoming access to the sport of fly fishing.
What are the guiding principles of Braided?
The strength of our community is based upon the value and the people that define us. These are our guiding principles of Braided. The rules we live by as a community. Our goal is to embody these qualities both individually and collectively as Braided.
- Support: Encouragement over Judgement
- Adventure: Big or Small. Local or Global. Find Adventure.
- Social Responsibility: Take care of what and who is around you.
- Fun: Have fun. Period.
- Authenticity: Be yourself. Show up.
- Fearless: Never be afraid to try something new.
- Share: Teach others what you know. Share experiences.