Melanie Draheim’s childhood spent camping in the wilderness of northcentral Wisconsin and visiting her grandparents’ farm sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors.
As chief marketing officer at Fox Communities Credit Union, Draheim appreciates the “digital detox” of being in nature, although she admits colleagues who know her professionally are often surprised to learn she prefers hiking boots over heels.
“Digitally we’re more connected than ever before, whether it be email, text, platforms like Teams — all of the things. But when it comes to real connection with people or with nature, that’s more scarce,” she says. “I’ll go out and put my phone on airplane mode, even if we have service, to just detach from all the messages.”
Draheim’s adventure buddies include her husband and their two dogs: a golden retriever and a beagle mix. The family strives to visit at least one national park each year. This year’s trip to Zion National Park in Utah resulted in one of Draheim’s favorite, yet most challenging, hikes to date — a 12-mile trek up Angel’s Landing trail.
“It’s incredibly steep,” she says. “You’re going straight up almost all the way.”
Other favorite parks have been Sequoia, Yosemite, Arches, the Ozarks and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Next up is a backpacking trip to Death Valley in March.
Draheim finds more than peace in nature. Her outdoor adventures often lay the groundwork for her best creative thinking.
“When you’re doing your job, you never come up with your best ideas. It’s usually when you’re away,” she says. “For me, it helps with ideation and connecting the dots on different things.”
Standing in these landscapes — whether desert, mountains or volcanic craters — provides an important perspective. The immensity of nature has a way of putting everyday concerns in their place, Draheim says.
“Just the vastness of what’s around you and how small you are,” she says. “There’s something about it. It feels good for your soul.”
