The Deep Cut 003: Adventure on

Because not all adventures require a passport—some just need a spark.

Back when I first launched brettharned.com, it was called Adventures in Project Management. It was a mix of stories, lessons, and rants from my early days as a PM—when every status meeting felt like navigating uncharted terrain. That scrappy little site opened the door to a career full of real adventure. Not always glamorous, not always easy, but definitely wild.

So when Greg Storey recently suggested I call my consulting practice Project Management for Humans (duh, right?), it felt like a full-circle moment. The site got a facelift (still a work in progress), and I got reminded that this career has been the adventure. And now? I’m hoping it leads me to my next one. (Yes, I’m available. Yes, I’d love a warm intro.)

Meanwhile, I’m heading off the grid this weekend for a camping trip in the Poconos. Rain is guaranteed. Mud is likely. Yet, my spirits are high (and duly loaded into the cooler). Sometimes the best thing you can do is pack a cooler, turn off your phone, and let the weather do what it wants.

But here’s the thing: adventure isn’t just about planes, forests, or faraway places. It can show up in a big career leap. A vulnerable conversation. A new relationship. A vinyl record. This week’s list captures all of that—adventure in every form: mind, body, spirit, and Spotify queue.

🎬 Watching

The Long Way Round (Apple TV+)
Ewan McGregor and his best friend motorcycle through some of the most rugged, remote terrain on the planet—and somehow still make it funny and heartwarming. Ewan’s sense of lightness through chaos is exactly the vibe I want for all my future adventures.

Will & Harper (Netflix)
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele (a longtime SNL writer) take a road trip together after Harper comes out as a trans woman. It's emotional, vulnerable, and full of love. The kind of quiet, real-world adventure that’ll punch you in the feelings—in a good way.

🎧 Listening

“Woods” – Bon Iver
If you’re like me, you listen to music while doing everything. Unless I’m trail running (then it’s full raw-dogging nature), I love easy, atmospheric music when I’m outside. “Woods” is literally about being in the woods—and it builds into something beautiful, like watching mist lift from a treeline.

“Road to Nowhere” – Talking Heads
This song has been living rent-free in my head since my teen years—probably thanks to The Real World and a deeply rooted desire to drive west with no plan. “Road to Nowhere” makes aimlessness feel exciting. The kind of track you blast with the windows down, even if you’re just headed to Trader Joe’s.
Sure, being on the road to nowhere can be fun... unless you’re looking for a job.

“Around the World” – Daft Punk
My current gym jam, and also a reminder that I haven’t traveled abroad in nearly a year. (The adventure itch is itching.) This track loops you into motion—whether it's reps, writing, or planning your next trip.
Where are you going next?

📚 Reading

Mountain Gazette
Discovered this large-format outdoors mag last year and I’m obsessed. Stories by real people, printed beautifully, and full of character. Greg sent me this video about how they run the whole thing remotely—and honestly, it made me want to quit everything and go make print magazines in the mountains.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
I read this after getting laid off from my first job. It hit hard. It still does. A reminder that the search for meaning doesn’t always look responsible—but it’s real. Adventure isn't always romantic. Sometimes it's reckless. Sometimes it’s necessary.

💿 Spinning (from the vinyl collection)

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Not every adventure starts with a backpack and boots. Some begin in the heart—with a quiet decision to open up, slow down, or let go. That’s the kind of journey Golden Hour captures so beautifully.

The album is full of soft, sweeping risks: falling in love (Butterflies), trusting your pace (Slow Burn), walking away when you’ve outgrown something (Space Cowboy), and believing the sun might actually come back out (Rainbow).

It’s not your typical trail anthem—but it’s absolutely built for the journey. If you’re in a season of reflection, reinvention, or figuring out what’s next, Golden Hour hits like sunrise on day two of a hike: warm, clear, and kind of exactly what you needed.

Golden Hour is the soundtrack to the kind of adventure no one claps for—quiet, brave, and deeply personal.

✨ Admiring

My dad, Harold Harned
After 50 years at the same company, my dad retired—and then immediately kept working. At nearly 79, he’s still going, still traveling, and still saying yes to new adventures. He’s one of the hardest-working people I know, not because he had to be, but because he wanted to be. He built a career that allowed him to see the world, and he made the most of every mile.

His job scratched his itch for travel, but it was his curiosity—and relentless drive—that made it all possible. He’s been just about everywhere, and while most of his travels were solo work trips, we finally took one together in 2023: Egypt.

It was our first trip—just the two of us—and it was unforgettable. We climbed inside the Great Pyramid, sailed the Nile, stood in King Tut’s tomb, rode camels through the desert, and ended up on a sunset horse-and-buggy ride through the back alleys of Giza. It was chaotic, magical, and something I’ll hold onto forever.

He’s living proof that adventure is what you make it. Whether it’s part of your job or something you chase after hours, it’s out there—if you’re willing to work for it.
Love you, Dad.

TL;DR

Adventure doesn’t have to look epic to be meaningful.
Sometimes it’s muddy, emotional, or overdue. Sometimes it’s as small as clicking “publish” on your website or saying “yes” to a weekend in the woods.

This week, I’m leaning into all of it.
What’s your next adventure?