Spotlight on Guide Russ: Get out and tell your story
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You can likely find Russ out in nature, hiking, or biking. When he’s not there, he’s pursuing his passion for writing, reading, and publishing. Russ has spent the last several decades working in the publishing industry and as a university administrator before “downshifting” three years ago. He had a busy job and life and wanted to slow down to more deeply appreciate his home in the Shenandoah Valley. With 41 years of marriage, 6 kids, and 6 grandkids, he has a lot to enjoy in his spare time.
A Life-Changing Journey
After taking a year off, Russ spent six weeks in Spain walking 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago. This experience was so transformative that he wrote a book about it, The Walk of a Lifetime, which he later self-published. You can hear him talk about this great adventure in his class, Walking the Camino de Santiago.
“I like teaching the class on the Camino because it's different every time. I never know what people will ask about.”
Later that same year, Russ biked 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in the UK, covering the entire length of the UK in just two weeks. He has 5 or 6 more book ideas brewing, with the goal of writing a book a year. He was preparing to walk the Way of St. Francis in Italy and write a book about it when COVID-19 struck, keeping him closer to home—well, almost.
“My home has a fabulous view of the Allegheny Mountain. I felt a bit guilty that I had such a nice place to ride out the pandemic.”
Instead, he set out locally for his physical feat of the year: riding the Great Allegheny Passage, a 7-day, 335-mile journey from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. This adventure is the theme of his second book, currently in progress.
Sharing Wisdom Through Teaching
After slowing down in 2018, Russ became a freelancer. In addition to writing, he now works as a publishing consultant and coach and serves as a GetSetUp Guide.
“I know there are lots of folks with a story in them or a skill that they want to write about. They just need to know how to start it.”
According to Russ, it’s not always about publishing a physical book; sometimes, it’s about publishing a blog, ebook, or other medium to share with others.
“Don’t die with your stories unshared. Get out and tell your story.”
This is why Russ teaches classes on GetSetUp about publishing. He offers an introductory class, 6 Questions to Ask When Thinking About Publishing a Book, for people who have an idea they want to write about.
"I enjoy teaching how to self-publish a book because people who come to that usually have ideas about what they want to do. I like that learner engagement. They ask specific technical questions, and I really enjoy that. I know a lot, ranging from the type of paper to the cover material, formats, copyright, and more. I enjoy sharing that expertise and offering suggestions. Key for any successful author is to work with an editor, get a professional design, and don’t make your self-published book look amateur.”
Working with Older Adults: Dispelling Aging Myths
Russ truly enjoys connecting with learners and particularly likes working with older adults. He knows ageism firsthand from his industry experience. Yet, just as he knows a person can walk the Camino de Santiago at any age, he knows a person can write well at any time too.
“I love what I am doing now and plan to keep doing it as long as I’m able. Part of my attraction to working with GetSetUp is how much I love the interaction with older learners. I think it’s important that people continue this trend of growth and change and movement throughout their lives. Some people say once someone is 60, they are set in a mold and won’t change. I say there is NO excuse. I like encouraging people to go out and do things. I emphasize with learners that they can do this!”
That’s part of the reason Russ teaches a class on Cycling Fun and Fitness to motivate people to get out there and ride!
“I want people to get out and move, but self-propelled via biking or walking. It’s like I say in my Camino de Santiago class, 'You too can get a backpack. You might not walk so far every day, but you can do it, no matter your age. If that’s not your dream, is there something you dreamt of doing and never did? Well, get out and do that!'”
Russ hopes people continue to explore at all ages. He is looking to teach a class on GetSetUp about “slow” travel. He and his wife enjoy traveling to one place for a week or two and really exploring that area by walking, hiking, or biking. It’s a great way to learn about history and culture, becoming a “temporary local,” as travel specialist Rick Steves terms it.
Never Retire—Just Slow Down
When Russ decided to slow down, he knew he didn’t want a full-time job again. However, he’s not considering retiring 100% ever, as he has a superstition around it.
“I will never retire. I have met people that never retired and loved their work. They did it until the day they died and lived long, happy lives. I’ve also known people who didn’t like their work and saved up for retirement, but when they stopped working, they got sick or died shortly after. They never lived to enjoy it! Consequently, I have found work I love, and I plan to keep working—though at a slower pace.”
Russ sees aging not as a hindrance or a problem but rather as an opportunity.
“I think that 55 on is the age you should be sharing wisdom. That’s why I like working with GetSetUp to help guide other older adults on their inner movement and outer movement. By just taking it one step at a time.”
Older learners still have many opportunities for growth and learning. They have wonderful potential to share their wisdom and experience. Russ is even learning about himself. While some of his kids might consider him a tech “Neanderthal,” he’s learning that he’s much more of an expert than he thought.
“Apparently I’m a real tech expert, and I never thought about myself that way. I had to learn a lot in the publishing industry. I knew I had to learn the tech because it’s in my business. I didn’t realize that keeping up with tools like Gmail and Google Docs made me now an expert to start teaching those.”
Now, he's starting a new class to help others modernize with tools like Gmail and Google Docs. Despite his love for tech, Russ still appreciates a good physical book. He gets tired of staring at a screen, so even on his Camino de Santiago journey, he packed a couple of books. He found that rather than using his smartphone, he preferred to read about the history and culture of the regions from paper pages.
Join Russ in a class to learn more about him. Maybe, if you’re lucky, he’ll tell you about his favorite small coffee town in Colombia—an unspoiled paradise—or his next travel plans.
