At Geartrade, we’re all about giving gear a second (or third) life—and the same could be said for careers, passions, and new adventures. This International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting our very own Laura Provine, co-owner of Geartrade, who took a leap from the dental world into the outdoor re-commerce space, helping to shape the future of how people buy and sell used gear.
Laura wears a lot of hats—business owner, mom, outdoor enthusiast, and expert in navigating the chaos of running a company alongside her husband and brother. In this Q&A, she shares how she found her voice in male-dominated industries, why women play a huge role in driving conscious consumerism, and what advice she’d give to others looking to break into the outdoor space.
What inspired you to acquire Geartrade, and how has your journey as a female business leader shaped the company?
At the time that my husband acquired Geartrade, I was a new mom working as an associate dentist in an office in Salt Lake. As Geartrade grew and became busier, I found that I wasn’t getting to spend the time with my new young family that I wanted and work demands were only increasing. So I jumped on board at Geartrade filling in wherever help was needed. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work in most areas of our operation, allowing me to improve processes and support members of our team in new growth areas. I’ve learned, after being part of the male-dominated dental world in Utah, to speak up, more than once at times, to voice my opinion when I think a change is warranted. My background in athletics and skiing in particular has always been a pillar of stability for me and being able to tap into the confidence that I have in those areas has given me a boost to explore this new opportunity at Geartrade.
What has it been like co-owning a business with your husband and brother? How do you each bring something different to the table?
Working with family certainly has its ups and downs, but we are quite lucky that my brother, my husband and I each have very different strengths that help us to collaborate to make this business run. My husband has over 20 years of experience working in the outdoor industry and has a strong economic background to run the business end of Geartrade. My brother has a wide range of gear knowledge and years of experience operating in customer service, ski tuning, as well as warehouse operations so he is able to continue the flow of outbound products and services. Coming from another small team environment in the dental field, I enjoy working on team development and supporting our team members as they take on new roles and more responsibilities. I also am well-positioned to identify trickier parts of our processes and help to streamline them to be less cumbersome or more accessible to our customers.
Geartrade is all about sustainability and re-commerce. How do you see women playing a key role in shifting the industry toward more conscious consumerism?
We commonly say after events, when we’ve been spreading the message about what we do, that women just get this consignment model. Not only has this idea of re-sale already been marketed to women by companies like, ThredUp, but I also don’t know a single woman that hasn’t bought an item of clothing that just didn’t work for them. So I think the variation between sizes for all the brands out there is nothing new and they are primed and ready to have a more environmentally-responsible and economically-favorable way to offload gear and outdoor clothes that they aren’t wearing or using.
What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own business or break into the outdoor industry?
My advice would be to rely on the things you do know to jumpstart your path in a new direction. I have felt in many instances over my life, the pressure to fill a role that was expected, which in many cases was not one of importance or visibility. You may have doubts about where you may fit in this landscape. Fall back on the things that make you feel confident to forge ahead. The outdoor world has been one place that for me personally, I’ve never been afraid to take up space. And I feel even more strongly about that now that I have a young daughter. Every person is deserving of a place in this field and they should have the opportunity to take up space here.
What does International Women's Day mean to you, and how do you hope to see more women empowered in business and the outdoors?
I have such a great appreciation for the growing number of women and people that identify as “Outdoorsy” or “Outsidey” without having to be a core participant in every or any one activity. I remember feeling a lot of pressure to be able to keep up in an ultra-competive space when I first moved out to Utah that it made many of the activities less fun or intimidating to try. The positivity that surrounds so many sports in the outdoor world right now is a growing benefit and I think there are a lot of women out there that help push this narrative. I continue to be inspired by the women we have on our own team here at Geartrade, who are experts in their own chosen activity or aren’t afraid to dive into something new. They are strong women leaders who continue to push for the changes they believe in to make this business go and I hope to find more of them.
Rapid-Fire: This or That?
🔥 Pow day with your husband or bunny slopes with your kid? Tricky one, while I love both for different reasons, we have been a little slim on snow this season so I’d take a good day of storm skiing right now.
🌞 Spring corn or mountain biking? Spring corn, all the way. Spring skiing is the glorious and sunny end after enduring the cold, gray early season.
⛺ Backpacking adventure or cozy cabin getaway? Cozy cabin getaway. As things continue to grow at Geartrade, a quiet respite from the daily grind sounds like a welcome form of self-care.
🏔 Climbing a peak or skiing down it? Skiing down! I maintain that I am probably safer on a ridgeline with skis on my feet than I am with running shoes.
♻️ Score epic used gear or finally sell something you've been holding onto? Impossible to choose. I constantly come across insane used items that I’m tempted to add to my kit, but I also get a ton of fulfillment from seeing a much-loved item of mine go to a new home to head out on new adventures.