Oxbow Strategies
river with oxbow
ISSUE 36, 30 June 2026
Welcome back to The Bend!
The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative that deserves some attention. From the Field, shares a small anecdote about the broader outdoor recreation economy from Oxbow’s non-profit arm, the VA MTNS Outdoor Collective. And One Thought Worth Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing with.

It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the current.
The Eddy Line
“The best way to predict the future is to make it.”
What the Current Pulled Toward
This week the current pulled toward equipping.

Over the past year and a half, my friend Jason Bookheimer and I have had the opportunity to speak at several conferences about I Play Too, an initiative he created through the Virginia Recreation and Park Society to encourage healthier workplace cultures and better support the mental well-being of parks and recreation professionals.

Last week, we sat down with a nationally recognized speaker who has helped organizations move important ideas beyond conference rooms and into everyday practice. At one point, she challenged us with a simple question.

“You spend a lot of time talking about why this matters. Where’s the how?”

It hit me like a ton of bricks. She was absolutely right. It’s one thing to convince someone that workplace culture matters but it’s quite another thing entirely to help them improve it.

The same is true for leadership. Or parenting. Or community building. Or just about anything worth doing. Awareness is important and inspiration has value but eventually people need something they can take home and use.

That’s when a conversation becomes a practice and an idea becomes a habit. It’s when a simple message becomes a toolbox.

I’ve spent a good part of my career trying to help people see things differently. Maybe the next chapter is helping them do things differently.
There’s a big difference between motivating someone and equipping them.

- Mike.
Signal Fire
Long before the VA MTNS Outdoor Collective had a website, a newsletter, or much of an identity at all, the folks at Shrewd Outdoors believed in what we were trying to build. They’ve been one of our earliest and most consistent supporters.

Their shop in downtown Salem is a great example of what’s possible when someone decides to create the kind of place they wish already existed. In a town that’s traditionally been associated with high school football, national softball tournaments, and other ball-and-bat sports, they’ve carved out a welcoming space for outdoor enthusiasts.

More importantly, they help people figure out what they need, where to go, and how to get started. Plus they have a really cool indoor archery range.

That’s equipping.

If you haven’t stopped by, it’s well worth the visit.

To learn more about the Shrewd Outdoors, click here.
From the Field
Folks already believe that the outdoors matter. The challenge is helping communities understand how to build around those assets. How to support outdoor businesses. How to develop sustainable trail systems. How to market themselves authentically. Most importantly, how to work together.

The “why” has never been stronger. Now it’s time to invest in the “how.”
One Thought Worth Sitting With
This week’s theme: Equipping.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“
-Ben Franklin
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