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.
Now in the 65-69 age group, 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 (?) or experiences I want to share.
Additional adjectives define my life over the decades, and I am sure, yours: frustrations, sadness, joy, gratitude, challenges, aspirations, competition, adjustments, 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 desire to stay vibrant and engaged with purpose, energy, and laughter 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 am a mom of two grown boys whom I love beyond anything, we were building a business (figuratively and physically) day and night for nearly 35 years and I released stress by working out. Recently I completed the journey of preparing and selling the majority of Gear West Ski and Bike, the business my husband and I started so long ago. Though still involved in Gear West I am shifting focus to share with other women, all I have learned-- through entrepreneurship, through being a mom, through working with my husband as a business partner and through a lifelong love of endurance sports.
My career started in the corporate world, finishing business school at night while working full time. 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 even in my early 20’s was trying 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 endurance sports world of triathlons, xc skiing and paddling.
After six years of living retail and racing, I married our cross-country ski rep and moved to Minneapolis, MN. My husband and I shared a vision of what a brick and mortar ski and bike store could become and built Gear West from the ground up. What started as a passion product in bikes and xc skis expanded into running shoes and alpine skis. Gear West became a 9 million business built on community, hard work, 24-hour focus and love for sport.
As we all know, growth aligns with challenges. I could speak all day on the obstacles facing entrepreneurs and specifically us in this retail niche. One example was our expansion into Alpine skiing. It was not a simple business move, but a serious personal risk, more than I envisioned. 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 and losing money due to the location and management of the Alpine business. Faced with failure, we doubled down on our focus to make this category of skiing work. Together we identified priorities for success, and the major decision was to build instead of renting across town.
On our remaining gas station plot of land, we financed, designed and built specifically for GW Alpine. We attracted experienced alpine managers, we expanded our knowledge of Nordic ski service into alpine and finally good stuff happened. Gear West became a true destination for endurance athletes in skiing along with biking and running.
And through it all I raced ---- hard. Staying active kept me sane and 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 flatwater canoe racing, triathlons and cross country skiing. During summer I paddled outriggers in Hawaii and California and in winter, poured my soul into cross- country skiing—making it all the way to the Olympic trials and finishing second in the women’s division at the American Birkebeiner. For the rest of my life cross-country skiing became and still is 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 programs just for women--- because I saw firsthand how sport shifts a woman’s mindset from self-doubt into strength and confidence. Coaching women also deepened my appreciation for diverse talents and stories. I shared 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 ride while chatting with our Hoka shoe rep and cruising on my tri bike at 25mph, I faced a split-second decision. Do I swerve into him or hit the pothole I was barreling toward. I chose the pothole. My tri bike smacked into the 16” sink hole, launched me 42 ft long (I had biking friends who measured) and landed me onto a concrete curb. The result: I shattered four ribs, fractured my tibia, broke my fibula, ended up in the hospital and spent three months on a walker and crutches.
My 60th birthday happened in an operating room having my tibia pinned together with screws and plate. A surprise birthday party was still carried forward at the store and customers ate cake.
My entire summer was completely rearranged. The crash was super humbling and painful, but eventually transformative. I focused on the positive realizing how lucky I was 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; it is one of my clearest reminders that recovery requires more than strength – it takes patience, perspective, and a positive mindset. The accident deepened my appreciation for resiliency, friendship and the healing power of gratitude.
When customers ask me what it is like to own a business, I always say, nothing is more humbling. After my accident I had a choice, to feel sorry for myself or buck up. I chose to show up. We had just re- purchased our bike store which had been sold to a fellow staff member fifteen years ago; the business needed me.
Additionally, and 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 functioning pituitary. The major loss of eyesight made him unable to work within the business. Throughout it all, I learned to lean more on my staff, to (try!) and let go of problems out of my control and to build strength in what I could affect, which was shared leadership.
Personally, I focused on tiny nutritional and strength changes during my 3+ month rehab. Mentally I knew what I needed to do 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 redefine age by avoiding the trap of ~many~ societal expectations. Hormonal and body changes associated with aging often initiate a loss of confidence. Society suggests we quietly submit to aging. If we do so and follow the ‘easy’ path, we will question goals we once had and the value of our gifts to share. Personally, at retirement age, I have much to explore, learn and give.
Just where do we find understanding and support to follow our dreams as we age? My goal? To share actions which worked for me and for others, with you. Let’s make this next chapter count. Time to allow our wisdom to flourish and good energy to flow from an improved connection between our body and mind.
