About JAN
Long story (to read or not at the visitor’s choice)…
My Story: Grit, Gratitude, and Growth
I’m Jan Guenther— entrepreneur, endurance athlete, mom and now creator of Grit, Gratitude and Growth. This program was born from my decades of experience owning and operating Gear West Ski & Bike, a specialty endurance sports store in Long Lake, Minnesota. Throughout those years, one of my greatest joys was connecting with women—helping them discover strength, community, and confidence through sport.
As I transition out of business ownership and into new chapters of life, I remain inspired to bring women together—especially those navigating aging, reinvention, and purpose. I’ve moved beyond the full-time demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship. I still ski, bike, and run (with creaky knees) and carry with me a life rich with experience and emotion. Education through hard knocks, achievements through sweat equity are two of the many accomplishments (?) I want to share.
Additional adjectives define my life over the decades, and I am sure, yours: frustrations, sadness, joy, gratitude, challenges, aspirations, competition, humility and moments of inadequacy—along with countless other feelings that can’t be labeled by a word. What is of interest is how we navigate and grow through these setbacks.
With Gals with Grit, I am creating a space for women who have goals to reach. This coaching program is for those who desire to stay vibrant and engaged with purpose and energy, while balancing all that has shaped them.
The Journey That Shaped Me
My path has not been a straight line forward. My 30’s, 40’s and 50’s were a blur: I was a mom of two grown boys whom I love beyond anything; we were building a business (figuratively and physically) day and night for 35 years; I released stress through physical exercise. Recently I completed the journey of preparing and selling the majority of Gear West Ski and Bike, the business my husband and I started long ago. Though still involved, I am shifting focus to share my life experiences -- entrepreneurship, motherhood, business partnership with my husband and a lifetime of endurance sports.
My career started in corporate, finishing business school at night while working full time in telecommunications. The reality of a life spent behind a desk, enduring a lengthy commute and working in a business which did not inspire, pushed me to change. With my MBA as a safety net-- I took a leap of faith, buying into two bike and ski stores located outside Chicago. I craved more freedom and sought to avoid a midlife crisis. I defied my parents’ norms and found mental and physical challenge in partnering with two older men to run a bike business I knew nothing about. I then immersed myself into the world of triathlons, xc skiing and paddling.
After years of living retail and racing, I married our cross-country ski rep and moved to Minneapolis, MN. We shared a vision of what a brick and mortar ski and bike store could be and built Gear West from scratch. What started as a passion product in bikes and xc skis expanded into running shoes and alpine skis. Gear West reached 10 million in sales doing business built on community, hard work and love for sport.
Not surprisingly, growth aligns with challenges. I could speak all day on the obstacles facing entrepreneurs and the retail niche. One example? Our expansion into Alpine skiing. It was not a simple business move, but a serious personal risk. Hiring the right team, settling on the best location and learning a new retail category cost us the equivalent of a college tuition. We were financially stretched with unforeseen challenges. Faced with failure, we doubled down on our focus. We identified priorities for success and decided to build instead of renting across town.
On our remaining plot of land which was a gas station, we financed, designed and built specifically for GW Alpine. We then attracted experienced alpine managers, expanded Nordic ski service into alpine and finally, good stuff happened. Gear West became a true destination for endurance athletes in all forms of skiing, biking and running.
Through it all I raced ---- hard. Staying active kept me sane, healthy and gave Gear West authenticity. Customers knew we didn’t just sell athletic gear; we lived it.
My athletic journey began with lots of triathlons, including many Ironman races. Additionally, I fell in love with the power and the beauty of flat water canoe racing, triathlons and cross country skiing. During summer I paddled outriggers in Hawaii and California, raced in Ironman triathlons and in winter, poured my soul into cross- country skiing—making way to the Olympic trials and finishing second in the women’s division at the American Birkebeiner. Cross-country skiing remains both my sport and my sanctuary.
Over three decades I juggled building and operating a business, raising my sons, and competitively racing endurance events. Along the way I created athletic programs for women. I saw firsthand how sport shifts a woman’s mindset from self-doubt into strength and confidence. Coaching women deepened my appreciation for diverse talents and stories. I share mine and always learned from others.
Not every chapter is positive. The evening before I turned 60, I hit cement, literally. During a GW group bike ride cruising on my tri bike at 25mph, I was chatting with our Hoka shoe rep and saw a huge pothole. I faced a split-second decision. Do I swerve into him or smack into the cavernous hole in the pavement? I chose the pothole. I launched 42 feet (I had biking friends who measured) and landed onto a concrete curb. The result: I shattered four ribs, fractured my tibia, broke my fibula, and ended up in in an operating room having my tibia pinned together with screws and plate. A surprise 60th birthday party was still carried forward at the store and customers ate cake. I spent three months on a walker and crutches.
My summer was completely rearranged. The crash was humbling, painful, and eventually transformative. I focused on the positive realizing I was lucky to walk away with my head and spine unscathed. The crash forced me to slow down, accept help, and figure out how to make work happen. All illusions of invincibility were stripped; my clearest reminder that recovery requires more than strength – it takes patience, perspective, and a positive mindset.
When customers ask me what it is like to build a business, my answer? Nothing is more humbling. Post accident I had a choice to feel sorry for myself or buck up. I chose to show up. We had re- purchased our bike store (which had been sold to a fellow staff member fifteen years ago) and he business needed me.
Coincidentally the same summer, my husband was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, undetected for nearly five years. He faced two immediate neuro surgeries and was left with significant optic nerve damage and no pituitary. The major loss of eyesight made him unable to work. The loss of a pituitary left him on synthetic hormones . Throughout it all, I learned to lean on my staff, to let go of problems out of my control and to build strength in shared leadership.
Personally, I focused on tiny nutritional and strength changes during my 3+ month rehab. Mentally I knew actions I need to take to avoid depression and surprisingly these tiny but consistent disciplinary improvements did wonders for my well-being. As we age, we often become less pliable mentally. Being open to new ways of doing things is immensely valuable.
After adjusting to our health issues. my business challenges were equally daunting:
working through the pandemic which followed our accidents
creating a succession plan for Gear West by my self-imposed goal of 65.
Both arenas were new to me (obviously) and required GRIT and Gratitude in spades. Although I could write a chapter on operating a business through the pandemic and selling a retail business facing post pandemic struggles, each experience worked out ~OK~ due to a plan, hard work and commitment.
Now, my passion is assisting women to reach goals important to them and find growth through aging. Hormonal and body changes associated with aging often initiate a loss of confidence. If we follow the ‘easy’ path, we may question goals we once held and diminish the value of our gifts to share.
Where do we find the support to follow our dreams as we age? By sharing actions which worked for me, with you. Make your next chapter count. Check out the Gals with Grit program.
