Q&A with Colleen Bouseman
Colleen Bousman (Recreation Administration, ’95), owner and event producer at See & Be Productions and Wildflower Experience, has been a race director for more than 25 years, building on a legacy started by her father when she was just a young girl. It remains a family affair today, with her husband and children pitching in. After a six-year hiatus, Bousman is bringing the Wildflower Experience, a triathlon steeped in years of memories, back to San Luis Obispo County.
What is the Wildflower Experience and how did it come to be?
It started as a bluegrass festival in 1983 with this new thing called triathlon that someone told my dad about. The first year he had two finishers in opposite directions due to rain washing away the course markings, but somehow my dad was able to keep his job and grow the triathlon into something sustainable and profitable. We celebrated our 35th anniversary in 2018 and it was such a blast to look back at the years and see the evolution, growth, and crazy stories we held from all those years.
How is the Wildflower Experience different from other triathlons?
Wildflower is a full weekend experience. I say it’s a three-day endurance festival that equates to one epic weekend. It’s one of the hardest long courses and Olympic-distance triathlons out there and on the bucket list of many. When you spend a weekend together around campfires and eating meals while experiencing new adventures you naturally grow close to others. It’s as much about the festival as it is about the race and that is unique in our sport.
How did Cal Poly prepare you to be a leader in the event industry?
Cal Poly is where I grew as a person to love the outdoors and to collaborate with others. I made some of my best lifelong friends there, and most importantly, I realized I was capable of a lot more than I imagined. I learned that leadership is a role of respect that is earned not just given and that true leaders would never ask of anyone what they are not willing to do themselves. The creatively, ingenuity, sharp-wit, and unity of working together can outdo any difference that separates us. Together we can accomplish greater things than alone, so why not have fun doing it with a massive goal in front of us.
The Wildflower Experience is coming back after a six-year hiatus. What changes can people expect? What will be the same?
The key point is that we are the same Wildflower Experience we have always been, but we have also evolved over the years. We have expanded the festival to bring in top entertainment, yoga classes, fitness and nutrition presentations, professional Q&A sessions, a full three-day expo, Thursday shake out rides, stand up paddleboard rentals and so much more so the entire family can come and enjoy the weekend. My youngest racer is 8 years old and oldest is over 90 years old, so it really is a race for everyone.
What roles do Cal Poly students play in the event?
The students are really the heartbeat behind the energy at the race. They bring 650-plus volunteers that cheer, chant, encourage, each and every athlete. I have had as many as 80 students on my organizing committee, representing 14 majors, collaborating on key areas of the event like start/finish, aid stations, course, festival, packet pick up and so much more.
How do you keep a reoccurring event relevant in changing times?
With events like this you must evolve. Even after 35 years we found ways to continue to improve the event experience. I also take lessons from several industries — from live concerts, football, marathon, golf, dance, hockey, televised events and so much more.
You mentioned that at the root of the event is the community it serves. Is this an important component of experiential event management?
Community is at the heart of our event. Once you race our events, we consider you family. We encourage people to train together, race together and celebrate together. It’s fun to watch the family grow. Community is about sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals and when you focus on that everything else seems to come together.
What keeps you inspired?
I always look at the start line and see thousands of people knowing that each one of them has a story in their life about what gave them the courage to race. I know training for an endurance event like this takes grit. I see finishers come across and know at that moment many lives will be changed and I get to be part of that. I see the tears at the finish line and am confident that someone nearby will be there to comfort and bring joy back to this moment. Life is too short to do things that don’t matter and I get inspired every time I hear a story, every time I am able to connect people and when I see all the amazing friends I have made along the way.
How to get involved
For more information on the event and volunteer opportunities visit: www.wildflowerexperience.com
Visit Cultivate Spring 2024 to read more stories.