James Wilkes’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We recently had the chance to connect with James Wilkes and have shared our conversation below.

Hi James, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
The joy is currently all about transitioning to a life outside of work. My identity was completely wrapped up in my business and the work I did for it. It was deeply discomfiting to consider moving away from that after 30 years in the industry. I had to do a lot of introspection, reading and podcast listening to find a healthy, satisfying and meaningful way to continue the journey. And now? So many things! Most important to me is having quality time to spend with my partner. She has weathered a lot of storms and distraction and I am so lucky she is still here for us to be able to enjoy the post work life. Likewise, spending time with my friends riding bikes, seeing shows, camping, and exploring the southwest and finding good food is just as satisfying and fun as it was 40 years ago. For my own “James time” I can’t get over the joy of riding my electric skateboard through the urban world with that “go to” playlist that has all the beautiful, happy people out there exchanging smiles and knowing looks as I ride by.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, you can call me Mr. White. That should give me enough of a head start to get away when the time comes. I left Milwaukee, WI and all of its incomparable world class amenities in 1995 because I was chasing a beautiful woman to Madrid, New Mexico. Turns out it was a catch and release program, but it landed me with guiding rafts with New Wave Rafting on the Rio Grande. For the first time in my life and near the end of my twenties I had found a calling. The River. The people on the River. The beautiful canyons and landscapes of the River and all of its history had me excited for each and every day. After 10 years and tens of thousands of river miles I found myself being convinced by a friend named Wiley (the name should have been a hint) that the next step after guiding was outfitting. The two of us and his buddy Mike found ourselves in late 2006 owning a raft company in the Arizona desert. Brilliant move. The Upper Salt River north of Globe, AZ on the White Mountain Apache Reservation is probably the logistically most challenging river in the U.S. to run a rafting business. Especially in a drought year because, well, there is no river to run. We didn’t care. We loved the place and went for it. Wiley was great with the management of the day to day operation of getting rafts and customers on the water. Mike was outstanding as the office girl, booking the trips. Me? What can I do? I took the deep dive into what no self-respecting river runner would ever consider: book keeping (hello quickbooks), website development (digital dreamweaver), marketing. hr, payroll, company systems and procedures. The challenge was fun for quite a while because all of that was new to me and I like using me cabeza and the results were that us three dirt bags were keeping up or surpassing our multi-million dollar competitors. Um, yeah, I might be a little competitive…

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The “moment” I identify most strongly with lasted from 8th to 10th grade. During that time the veil was pulled back and I could see the wizard behind the curtain manipulating all the lies and deceits of the adult world with 20 – 20 clarity and x-ray vision. Vietnam, Nixon, Pollution, Racism, Ronald Raygun, Family, and the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church were laid bare. Question everything, trust no one, and think for yourself became self-evident principles to rely on. Critical thinking and standing on the shoulders of the visionaries from history and contemporary times has shaped how I see the world. Red pill. Never the blue pill. Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, Krishnamurti, Chomsky, Abbey, Tich Naht Hahn, Dylan, Lennon. The usual suspects! Love and compassion are the guiding principles of their teachings, writings and art and I can only hope to reflect this in some small way.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Relax little man, you’re taking it all too seriously. Laugh more, play more, dance more, make more mistakes, drink less, judge less, work less, stress less. Life is like improv comedy — no script, lots of awkward silences, and people laughing for the wrong reasons.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
100%. WYSIWYG. I can’t make small talk, exchange platitudes or feign interest in banality. This is probably why I don’t get invited back to the dinner party.
I miss the invitation
because I bring the questions.
But the right table is out there—
set for those who feast
on meaning.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That it is all made up. The lottery of birth shows this truth. If you were born in India you would most likely be vegetarian. If you were born in Afghanistan you might be Taliban. If you were born black you would not want to travel backwards in time (so says Chris Rock. Makes sense when you think about it). If you were born to Fred Trump you would probably “be given a small loan of a million dollars”. So most of our thoughts, beliefs, and realities are essentially human-made constructs — fluid, subjective, and often arbitrary. Therefore, we would do well to:
1. Embrace Humility and Open-Mindedness
2. Cultivate Empathy and Compassion
3. Find or Create Meaning
4. Practice Presence and Mindfulness
5. Engage in Actions That Reflect Your Values
6. Build Community and Connection

Contact Info:

• Website: https://durangorafting.com/arizona-rafting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltriverrafting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaltRiverRafting/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/salt-river-rafting-phoenix
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUIpBbCI7fxFs9XToVvGPjw

Image Credits
Salt River Rafting LLC