Rephonic
Artwork for Epic By Nature

Epic By Nature

Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts
Skiing
Ski Industry
Epic Pass
Accessibility
Guest Experience
Marketing
Inclusivity
Olympics
Dining Culture
Park City Mountain Resort
Labor Unions
Employee Relations
Keystone Resort
Snowmaking
Ski Noir 5280
Slide Through Sessions
Social Media
Authenticity
Opensnow

There are so many heroes in the story of Vail Resorts and in the ski industry as a whole. Those are the journeys that CEO Rob Katz explores on this podcast, while also tackling some tough questions, like crowding, labor, and accessibility. Joined by his Chief of Staff and the occasional guest, Rob dives into the values that guide our company, the decisions that shape our future, and the stories th... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes30Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Epic By Nature

Latest Episodes

What brings guests back to a mountain year after year? In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz sits down with his chief of staff to share why Vail Resorts is investing in guest experience as the next frontier of growth in the ski industry. To... more

For nearly two decades, our integrated network of world-class resorts has been at the heart of our success as a company. In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz explains how that owned-and-operated model will play an even bigger role in drivi... more

Earlier this month, Pat Campbell—a trailblazing leader who has helped to shape our company and our broader industry—became the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). In this episode, Rob ... more

In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz sits down with Joel Gratz, Founder and CEO of OpenSnow to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to predict a powder day. From translating complex weather models, to the emotional weight of knowi... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Marketplace
MarketplaceMarketplace
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'ShaughnessyColossus | Investing & Business Podcasts
The Air Show
The Air ShowCranky Flier LLC

Recent Guests

Pat Campbell
Former COO of Keystone and leader across multiple mountains, first woman to hold several top roles at Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts
Episode: Blazing the Trail: Pat Campbell and her Incredible Leadership Journey
Joel Gratz
Founder and CEO, OpenSnow
OpenSnow
Episode: Predicting Powder: The Science, Stress, and Stoke behind OpenSnow
Grace Donner
Gen Z content creator traveling to Epic Pass resorts, sharing real-time stories
Independent creator
Episode: From Lifts to Livestreams: Meet Skiing’s Next Generation
Quincy Q Shannon
Co-founder of Ski Noir 5280 and Slide Through Sessions, a leader in Denver's black snow sports community
Episode: Belonging is Built: How to Welcome More People to the Mountain
Kate Schaffani
Senior Director of Mountain Operations at Keystone Resort
Keystone Resort
Episode: Weathering the Weather: The Hidden Work of Winter
Stuart Winchester
Host of the Storm Skiing Podcast and a prominent voice in ski industry media.
Storm Skiing Podcast
Episode: Closing the Lift Ticket Gap: A Conversation with Industry Guru Stuart Winchester
Nick Goepper
Three-time Olympic medalist known for challenging traditional skiing stereotypes and advocating for accessibility in skiing.
Episode: Why Olympian Nick Goepper Isn’t Afraid to Ski in Jeans

Hosts

Rob Katz
CEO of Vail Resorts and primary host of the show, often guiding episodes with a focus on corporate strategy, guest experience, and industry dynamics.
Sarah Schwandt
Chief of Staff and co‑host, frequently co‑leading discussions with the CEO and providing operational and strategic context.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 119 ratings
  • Old but Good

    Vail pass holder for 10+ years and this was a neat behind the scenes guide to the place. Interesting!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BigAppleGreg
    United States10 months ago
  • Excellent!!!

    I am SO glad this podcast is back. It is insightful, informative and interesting. How lucky are we to hear how the company tackles different challenges and truly values both its employees and customers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    !!!Al123
    United States6 years ago
  • Excited

    As an employee integrated into Vail, let it be known that I am very excited!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    delightedstrings
    United States7 years ago
  • Eye opening

    As a skier for 50 plus years I knew it took a lot to run a ski area. This pod really explains the complicated undertaking it is. I recommend to to every skier and ski area employee.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    skistuff
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insightful look into how a large resort group manages guest experience and operations.
Listeners value the mix of leadership journeys with hard industry questions.
Behind‑the‑scenes access to leadership decisions and labor conversations.
Guests appreciate candid industry perspectives and practical takeaways for operators and fans.

Top Business Podcasts

The Code To Winning
The Code To WinningKagiso Dikane
We Fixed It, You're Welcome
We Fixed It, You're WelcomeWe Fixed It, You're Welcome
Bred To Lead
Bred To LeadDr. Jake Tayler Jacobs
Proven Podcast
Proven PodcastCharles Schwartz
Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha: Entrepreneurship and Self-Improvement Podcast
Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha: Entrepreneurship and Self-Improvement PodcastHala Taha | Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing | YAP Media Network

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Strength of Our Network: What It Means for Employees, Guests, and Shareholders
Q: What would you say to employees who are seeing stories about bankers coming in or potential sales?
Public companies often engage outside advisors, but there has been no such engagement here; the focus remains on running the business and delivering a great guest and employee experience.
The Strength of Our Network: What It Means for Employees, Guests, and Shareholders
Q: What guides your response to external feedback from communities and shareholders?
We listen to stakeholders but ultimately decide based on long-term value to guests, employees, communities, and the company; shareholder input is considered, but not the sole driver of strategy.
The Strength of Our Network: What It Means for Employees, Guests, and Shareholders
Q: Why is this discussion important for the ski industry right now?
The industry faces weather variability, workforce challenges, and growth opportunities tied to diversifying the guest base and investing in technology and experiences; a unified, owned network can better withstand volatility and drive innovation.
The Strength of Our Network: What It Means for Employees, Guests, and Shareholders
Q: What about alternative models that don't anchor towards owned and operated, focusing instead on partnerships?
Partnerships can bring stability but limit revenue capture, pricing flexibility, and data ownership, making it harder to optimize marketing and guest experiences; owning and operating at scale provides greater control and long-term opportunity.
The Strength of Our Network: What It Means for Employees, Guests, and Shareholders
Q: Okay, Rob, so let's start at the beginning. What is it about our network of resorts that is so foundational to our business model and success as a company?
The network enabled a transformative Epic Pass, offered diversity and choice, and allowed us to scale guest experiences across multiple locations while maintaining cohesion in culture and operations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Epic By Nature

What is Epic By Nature about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Epic By Nature centers on leadership, strategy, and the economics of running a large, integrated resort network in the ski industry. Through conversations with Vail Resorts' leadership and industry guests, the show delves into topics like guest experience, labor relations, pricing, technology, and marketing, often tying decisions to long‑term shareholder value and sustainability. A notable pattern is the blend of executive-level storytelling with practical industry insights, accessible to both ski enthusiasts and business professionals. The format tends to mix high‑level strategy with concrete operational examples, guest experiences, and industry context that can inform sponsorship and partnership opportunities for brands connected to trave... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Epic By Nature?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Epic By Nature. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Epic By Nature and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Epic By Nature get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Epic By Nature, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Epic By Nature?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Epic By Nature, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Epic By Nature have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Epic By Nature has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Epic By Nature?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Epic By Nature:

1. The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast
2. Marketplace
3. The Daily
4. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
5. The Air Show

How many episodes of Epic By Nature are there?

Epic By Nature launched 8 years ago and published 30 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Epic By Nature?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Epic By Nature?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Epic By Nature from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Epic By Nature?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Epic By Nature. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Epic By Nature?

Recent guests on Epic By Nature include:

1. Pat Campbell
2. Joel Gratz
3. Grace Donner
4. Quincy Q Shannon
5. Kate Schaffani
6. Stuart Winchester
7. Nick Goepper

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days