Living the dream life with the dream job is no easy task.

You might think Chris Burkard is a renowned documentary filmmaker, decorated adventure photographer, and published author. And you would not be wrong.

But the 36-year-old man behind the camera is really an acrobat. That is, he’s a great balancer of responsibilities — an agile exploiter of opportunity and a seemingly effortless expert at the game of life.

You can’t throw a pebble in the outdoor industry without hitting some of Burkard’s work. He’s traveled to all ends of the globe, from sand dunes to glaciers, from mountaintops to ocean swells.

His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New Yorker, and countless outdoor brand videos, photo essays, and documentaries.

But he’s also a loving father and husband. And in this episode of the GearJunkie podcast, Burkard acknowledges that his is a dream life, but also one that not many folks are truly cut out for.

We discuss his work, his path to success, his challenges and, most importantly, his keys to making all of it come together in a great balance.