400,000 Feet of Vertical in a Month: How an Extreme Athlete Builds a Business from the Mountains

Chris Fisher, professional mountain endurance athlete, high-altitude climber, and adventure filmmaker, shares his journey from early life struggles and the U.S. Navy to setting world records in extreme environments and building a media business from the mountains.

Chris holds the record for climbing 400,000 vertical feet in a single month on foot, completed all 58 Colorado 14ers in a single winter season, and summited Manaslu (the 8th highest peak in the world) without supplemental oxygen or support. He has set over 30 Fastest Known Time speed records across the Andes, Himalayas, and North America.

As the founder of To The Top Media, Chris documents elite athletes and remote landscapes through cinematic photography and film, working on major expeditions including Everest and multiple 6,000-8,000 meter objectives. He discusses the business of being a professional athlete, closing brand partnership deals, funding high-dollar projects around the world, and an upcoming role as a cinematographer for a Netflix film.

Key Highlights: - From lost and directionless to U.S. Navy to world-record mountain athlete - The mindset behind surviving high-risk, high-altitude environments - How to market yourself as an athlete and filmmaker to land brand deals - Building To The Top Media and selling stories to outdoor brands - Why consistency and showing up on the hardest days creates leverage - Risk assessment in deadly situations and what it teaches about business