The What’s Your Why series on First Chair dives into the heart of what motivates snowsports instructors to do what they do — beyond the pins, paychecks, and powder days. Hosted by George Thomas, this introspective series invites PSIA-AASI National Team member Melodie Buell and other instructors to share their personal journeys and reflections on purpose, passion, and perseverance in teaching. Listeners will explore how understanding one’s “why” shapes not just a professional path, but a more meaningful connection to guests, peers, and the mountain lifestyle itself.
 
This series challenges instructors to look deeper than goals or achievements and rediscover what truly drives them to teach, learn, and serve. Each episode uncovers insights about finding joy in the journey, embracing growth through discomfort, and aligning personal purpose with professional practice — all while celebrating the transformative power of teaching others to ski and ride.

What's Your Why? Exploring Why Snowsports Instructors Teach

In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with Rob Golden, CEO of Renoun, and Dana Kaufman, Director of Renoun Pro Membership, to introduce PSIA-AASI members to one of its newest official suppliers.

Renoun isn’t your average ski company — it was founded by an aerospace engineer who discovered how to use non-Newtonian material in ski cores. The result is skis that adapt in real time to terrain and vibration, stiffening on ice and staying smooth in powder. This patented “secret sauce” gives skiers a ride that literally changes with every turn.

The company has launched the world’s first ski membership program, RenounPro, a community-driven model that combines high-performance gear with real connections. Members get access to skis, exclusive events, discounted gear, and even opportunities to swap or donate old skis to adaptive programs — creating a cycle of performance and purpose.

Rob and Dana share how Renoun’s direct-to-consumer roots allow them to know every customer personally, why they see PSIA-AASI instructors as the core of this new movement, and how the RenounPro community fosters connection both online and on the mountain. You’ll also hear how instructors can get involved, lead their own events, and access exclusive member perks.

Gear Meets Community: Renoun Launches a First-of-its-Kind Ski Membership

In this special episode of the First Chair Podcast, PSIA-AASI CEO Jeff Lifgren and Marketing & Communications Director Katherine Fuller share the inside story behind this season’s all-new member survey. This isn’t just another questionnaire — it’s part of a larger, ongoing effort to better understand and respond to the needs of instructors, schools, and the entire snowsports industry.

Jeff and Katherine discuss why this new approach is different, how it will help PSIA-AASI stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment, and why every member’s participation matters. From uncovering what drives instructors to helping schools tell their story to resort ownership, this project is all about listening, learning, and building a stronger future for everyone on snow.

We’re Listening: How PSIA-AASI’s New Member Survey Will Shape the Future of Instruction

In the first episode of our latest mini-series, Finding Your Why, host George Thomas sits down with PSIA-AASI National Team member Melodie Buell to unpack what it really means to find purpose in snowsports instruction. Melodie shares how defining her “why” reshaped her approach to teaching, training, and living—moving beyond goals like earning certifications to embracing the deeper meaning behind the work instructors do every day.

Together, George and Melodie explore how understanding your purpose sustains motivation through challenges, transforms how you connect with guests, and turns feedback into growth. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a new instructor, this conversation invites you to pause, reflect, and rediscover what truly keeps you coming back to the mountain. 

Finding Your Why – Why We Teach: A Conversation with Melodie Buell – Part 1

In Part 2 of Finding Your Why, PSIA-AASI National Team member Melodie Buell sits down again with George Thomas for a raw, heartfelt conversation about what it really takes to trust yourself, stay authentic, and reconnect with purpose—even when doubt creeps in.

From her first tearful ski lesson at age five to racing Division I in college, coaching junior athletes, and eventually finding her calling through adaptive instruction, Melodie shares how every turn on snow led her closer to understanding her “why.” Along the way, she talks about shifting from external validation—pins, titles, and team selections—to internal motivation grounded in impact, service, and inclusion.

This episode digs into the emotional side of professional growth in the ski and ride world—the part we don’t always talk about. Melodie opens up about facing imposter syndrome before national team tryouts, learning to sit with discomfort, and finding the courage to show up as her authentic self. Through vulnerability and grit, she reminds all instructors that living into your purpose isn’t about reaching a pinnacle—it’s about using every opportunity to connect, give back, and elevate the people and communities around you.

Whether you’re just starting your certification journey or decades into teaching, this conversation will hit home. It’s a reminder that your “why” can be the strongest tool in your quiver—and that believing in yourself might just be the most important skill of all.

Finding Your Why: Owning Your Journey and Finding Purpose with Melodie Buell - Part 2

In Part 3 of Finding Our Why, PSIA-AASI member Kathy Mogensen joins George Thomas to share her journey from a seventh-grade ski-club kid with rental skis and fifty cents for hot chocolate to a 20-year PSIA-AASI instructor who’s helped generations of new skiers fall in love with the sport.

Kathy’s story captures what makes ski and snowboard instructors so passionate about what they do—the joy of watching guests gain confidence, connection, and community on snow. What started by chance—when a ski school director handed her a jacket and said, “Here’s your group”—grew into a lifelong purpose rooted in helping others discover the same love of skiing that shaped her family’s life.

Throughout the conversation, Kathy reflects on the mentors who guided her, the small ski areas that nurture tight-knit teaching communities, and the simple power of sharing turns with others. She also opens up about fear—how she’s faced it, learned from it, and now uses those lessons to help her students find control and confidence on the hill. Whether she’s teaching inner-city kids, moms learning to ski for the first time, or fellow instructors, Kathy’s “why” is simple: to create opportunities for others to feel the same joy and connection she’s found through skiing.

This episode celebrates the everyday instructors who make the biggest difference—not through big mountains or fancy titles, but through genuine care, patience, and passion for helping others find their way on snow.

Finding Your Why  – From Ski Club to Ski Pro - the Joy of Teaching with Kathy Mogensen – Part 3

In the final episode of the Finding Our Why mini-series, PSIA-AASI’s Nathan Chapple reflects on two decades in snowsports instruction—starting as a 15-year-old junior instructor in the Pacific Northwest and growing into an Intermountain examiner who measures success by the lives he touches. Nathan shares how teaching gave a shy kid a consistent forum to practice communication, how certification structure sharpened his craft, and why a student-centered approach (and today’s People Skills emphasis) creates better teachers—and better guest experiences.

Nathan also opens up about scaling impact by training instructors, the season he nearly lost his spark, and how changing environments (hello, Snowbird) helped him rediscover joy. His advice for anyone on the fence about Level II or Level III is pure gold: control what you can, avoid outcome-only goals, and treat this as a game to play—not a game to win. It’s a grounded, generous conversation that brings our series home: purpose isn’t a pin or a title—it’s the way we show up for guests, peers, and the broader mountain community.

Finding Your Why: Keep It Fun, Not Final: Playing the Long Game with Nathan Chapple | Part 4

In this episode of First Chair: PSIA-AASI Podcast, host George Thomas sits down with Derek Mikulski, Director of Commercial Sales and Education for Gibbon North America, and National Team member Melodie Buell to explore how balance training off the snow can transform on-snow performance. Derek shares how his own fitness journey led him to champion the Slackboard—a slackline-inspired balance trainer designed to build strength, stability, and coordination for athletes of all ages. He also discusses new research showing how balance training supports not just athletic performance but overall health, focus, and mental well-being.

Melodie offers an instructor’s perspective, sharing how Slackboard training has enhanced her preseason conditioning—improving foot and core engagement, reducing fatigue, and adding a sense of play to her workouts. Together, they discuss why balance work matters for every discipline—alpine, snowboard, cross-country, telemark, and adaptive—and how small, mindful off-snow movements can yield major gains in control and confidence on the hill. Whether you’re looking to prevent injury, extend your teaching career, or rediscover joy in movement, this conversation connects fitness, flow, and longevity in ways that resonate with every snow pro.

Off-Snow Training with Purpose: Slackboard Fitness for Skiers and Riders

In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with Matt Gnoza, Freestyle Sport Director at U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and PSIA-AASI National Team members AJ and Elle, to explore a groundbreaking collaboration between the two organizations.

As the U.S. prepares for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Matt shares how his team designed a new National Development Group program to prepare future Olympians — and why partnering with PSIA-AASI was a game-changer.

AJ and Elle discuss what it was like to work with elite freestyle athletes, how fundamental skiing skills translate to world-class performance, and what both groups learned from blending coaching philosophies.

Together, they reveal how this project is helping athletes — and coaches — become better skiers, better teachers, and better teammates.

Building Better Skiers: PSIA-AASI x U.S. Ski & Snowboard Collaboration

The First Chair Podcast brings you inspirational stories and educational tips from the country's best ski, snowboard, Nordic, and adaptive instructors. 

More than 34,000 individuals belong to PSIA-AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors), making it the world’s largest organization dedicated to snowsports. We are lifelong learners committed to changing lives through great experiences on snow. 

Connect with us to learn more: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesnowpros 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesnowpros 
YouTube: @thesnowpros

Finding Your Why – From Ski Club to Ski Pro - the Joy of Teaching with Kathy Mogensen – Part 3

PSIA-AASI First Chair Podcast

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