Our Story

Our story began when we set out on our own journey to build a life in our mountain communities. Along the way, we realized we weren’t alone in asking tough questions about stability, purpose, and sustainability. We, Sasha Clonts and Erin Kearns, met in graduate school, where the vision for creating better pathways for seasonal professionals took root.

We saw firsthand how the outdoor and seasonal industries often lack the support systems needed for long-term growth. Guide Theory was born from the idea that we could help others build lasting stability in lives defined by their dreams and guided by seasonal ebbs and flows. Together, we’re working to re-imagine what professional and personal success can look like in seasonal communities.

Who we are…

Guide Theory is a collective of Outdoor Industry enthusiasts, professionals, and game changers. We are here to share ideas and build systems that work for us, not against us.

We believe in the power of our lived experience, our seasonal cycles, and our community knowledge.

At Guide Theory, we believe that by coming together, we can shape a future where seasonal work isn’t something you “grow out of,” but something you grow into—with confidence, clarity, and support.

Our Mission

To empower seasonally dependent communities to thrive.

We support guides, creatives, self-employed workers, and the small businesses that hire them with practical tools, strategic systems, and a values-driven community. Our work helps people build lives that work — and ecosystems that last.

We’re here to shift seasonal life from survival to sustainability — replacing burnout with clarity, disconnection with community, and instability with opportunity. Because when guides thrive, businesses thrive. And when seasonal communities thrive, the whole system gets stronger.

Sasha Clonts

Founder & Consultant

Hi, I’m Sasha — systems engineer, management consultant, strategist, seasonal worker, rafter, skier…. and founder of Guide Theory.

I help outdoor industry businesses and independent guides clarify their goals, simplify their systems, and build lives that actually work.

I’ve guided rivers, designed systems, managed operations, and earned an MBA focused on the Outdoor Industry. I started Guide Theory to be the resource I always wished existed — one that helps seasonal workers and small businesses thrive without burning out.

Whether you're trying to launch a business, hire a team, or optimize your market strategy, I’m here to help you figure it out step by step — and enjoy the ride while you do.

    • Systems Analysis

    • Digital Transformation Project Leader for River Rafting Company

    • Operations Automation & Optimization

    • Trip-based Payroll Automation

    • Non-Profit Strategy Advisor

    • Go-to-Market for Outdoor Subscription products

    • Grant-funding for Outdoor Community events

    • Technical Management Consultant

    • University of Virginia, B.S. - Systems Engineering & Economics

    • Western Colorado University, M.BA. - Outdoor Industry Masters of Business Administration

Interested in working with Sasha one on one?

A smiling Sasha (Guide Theory co-founder) with a large backpack and hiking gear sitting on a trail in a mountainous area with rocky cliffs, trees, and shrubs.
Hikers on a mountain trail with lush green grass and mountain peaks in the background, under a bright sun and blue sky.
Sasha (Guide Theory co-founder) snowboarding in a snowy mountain landscape with tall pine trees and clear blue sky.
Modern wooden house on a grassy hillside overlooking a lake, with mountains in the background, during sunset.
A woman with long brown hair smiling outdoors with trees and a clear sky in the background.

Erin Kearns

Erin grew up in a small mountain community in Vermont. She was a dedicated soccer player until she realized that all of her friends were skiers. From the moment she first clicked in, she never looked back. Skiing led her to Western Colorado University in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where she completed undergraduate degrees in Recreation and Outdoor Leadership and Environment and Sustainability. 

After graduation, her plan was to stay “one more year” in Crested Butte before applying to grad school or looking for a “real job”. One year of ski instructing turned into a full blown career. She moved to Steamboat Springs, where she taught, supervised and pursued the certification pathway through PSIA. While piecing together work for the summer months, she found her way to Buena Vista, Colorado, where she fell in love with rivers. She spent nearly a decade splitting her time teaching skiing and exploring and sharing western rivers. As life does, a chain of events lead her to put away her river guide hat (for now) and move across the world to New Zealand to teach skiing year round. 

After realizing that a lifestyle had turned into a full blown career and developing a deep love and connection for the people and communities where she works, Erin decided to pursue an MBA to help solve the puzzle to make this all work. She returned to her alma mater to ensure that the focus remained on the outdoor industry and mountain communities. She believes in helping her peers and these communities not just survive but thrive into the future, so we can continue to share the spirit of the outdoors for generations to come.

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