In this personal and revealing conversation, Amanda McKeen sits down with author, risk management leader, and former police officer Ty Gagne to explore the experiences behind the work he is widely known for.
Ty traces his story from growing up in Holderness, New Hampshire, where service was modeled by both of his parents, through difficult school years that tested his confidence and resilience. He shares why he became a police officer at just 18 years old, what the work taught him about people and community, and why he eventually left a career he loved to create a path of his own.
The conversation moves into loss, grief, fatherhood, and the critical incident that taught Ty it was possible to show emotion without surrendering strength. He reflects on the difficult balance between reason and emotion during a crisis and the importance of recognizing the human beings within the chaos.
Ty also revisits a dangerous experience on Franconia Ridge when ego overruled his better judgment, explaining how something he once considered a failure became one of the most important lessons of his life. He shares how his interests in mountains, risk, decision-making, and human behavior eventually led him to write Where You’ll Find Me.
Throughout the conversation, Ty resists taking credit for the impact of his books. He sees himself instead as a conduit for other people’s stories and believes their true value lies in what readers choose to do with what they learn.
This is a conversation about service, vulnerability, empathy, resilience, risk, and the courage to let people see the human being beneath the titles.
