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Date: December 13, 1995

Title: Travel & Transportation/ An Assertiveness-Training Program for Women Executives

Author: Charles Jacobs

A nagging concern that too many qualified business and professional women sit back and allow men to take the lead convinced former school teacher Betsy Thomason to create her own brand of assertiveness training.

Her classroom is the outdoors. Her curriculum varies. Most often her students hike, but they also canoe and cross-country ski. “Being part of a small group of women far away from the routines of everyday business or household chores gives a person the chance to discover her inner person and develop confidence and a deeper understanding of herself,” Thomason says.

The 50-year-old mother of two also stresses the relationship of mind and body. “You”ve got to understand your body and respond to its messages,” Thomason explains. That is one of the great lessons she feels can be learned in the wild. And if her tight, slender body, ruddy complexion, sharp mind and constant smile are any indication, her approach is extremely effective.

The concept underlying the program began to take form when Thomason, as a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, developed a leadership program. Thomason says she was always bothered when emergencies occurred in the wilderness, and the women watched while the men performed a needed rescue.

“One day, I was privileged as a trained EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) to participate in a canoe rescue instead of standing on the shore watching as most women did.” That, Thomason claims, gave her a sense of euphoria and a desire to help other women experience the same degree of fulfillment.

The sense of euphoria then turned into a business. Health & Fitness Outdoors, Thomason”s parent company based in Montvale, has two subsidiaries: Adventures for Women and the Total Breathing Workshop. The respiratory program, founded in 1987, began because Thomason recognized the essential role breathing played in any hike up a steep mountain. After training in BreathPlay-a method of efficient breathing to overcome physical difficulties and stress-at the Omega Institute, Thomason took an associate degree in respiratory therapy and now serves as therapist for the St. Barnabas Medical Center”s pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Thomason combines her skills in teaching the breathing technique designed by Olympic trainer Ian Jackson with her knowledge of hiking to offer a corporate stress-management program that includes lectures, BreathPlay instruction and a 45-minute fitness walk before work to control stress.

While men are accepted in the breathing and stress activities, the outdoor Adventures program is designed to allow women to get in touch with their innermost selves in an exclusive female setting. Groups of up to 10 participate in Thomason”s Challenge Hikes, where they gain self confidence by learning to read trail maps and to use a compass. They then can enjoy a six-mile mystery hike using those wilderness skills.

Adventures also sponsors Joy Hikes, which cover five to seven miles at a moderate pace. These vary from easy terrain to strenuous. Because there is no need for training on these hikes, group size expands up to as many as 20.

Thomason encourages every member of her group to express her feelings. “When we are trying to make a decision for the group, I will not accept the answer, ”I”ll do whatever the group wants.” The group then weighs all the responses and then collectively decides what it will do,” Thomason says.

Most of the women”s events are held on the weekends with hikes in the Palisades, Harriman and Ramapo Mountain state parks. Canoe trips are usually also weekend excursions in Wawayanda State Park or on the Hudson River. But for more intrepid participants, Thomason sponsors several five-day canoe and hiking adventures in the Adirondack Mountains.

When Thomason takes off her backpack and returns to civilization, she follows a busy schedule. She is an active member of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, and was co-founder in 1983 of the group”s Bergen County chapter.

At a time when many women are breaking through corporate glass ceilings to assume leadership positions, programs like Thomason”s offer a business resource. By nurturing teamwork and initiative, they help women help themselves.