Anthony Porter says the best career move he ever made was following his curiosity instead of convention

• Environmental content creator Anthony Porter has turned his passion for nature into a full-time career.
• A hike, beach cleanup, and campout all in a typical day shows what adulthood looks like on his terms.
• The Toyota RAV4 Woodland carries the gear Porter needs for work, adventure, and everything in between.

"A lot of folks who start their careers really early and don't deviate in their career paths might not have that full scope of what their world could really look like."

Overlooking Lake Tahoe, there's no doubt that environmental content creator Anthony Porter knows what the world really looks like. His career as an online personality has taken him to 30 countries and all over the United States. If others see a successful adulthood as a stable job, a house, and a 401(k), that's great for them, he said. But for Porter, adulting looks different.

"My success is about understanding where I'm at in the world and helping people — not starving, making a living doing it — but also, just being happy."

The definition of adulthood is evolving, and Porter is a prime example. The environmental educator, content creator, and conservation activist's daily life might not look like a day in the office, but there's no doubt how much happiness it brings him — or how much it resonates with his hundreds of thousands of followers. Here's what a typical day for "Outdoor Anthony," Porter's online identity, entails.

Morning: Getting ready for the great outdoors

Porter's job may take him around the world, but the South Lake Tahoe resident doesn't have to leave home for a day of outdoor adventure.

"I've found a great sense of community up here in Lake Tahoe because everyone wants to go paddle boarding. Everybody wants to go rock climbing," he said. "Everyone wants to try new things."

Before heading out for a big day outdoors, Porter packs his Toyota RAV4 Woodland with all the gear he'll need to film video for his content channels on a hike near Lake Tahoe, do an afternoon beach cleanup, and meet up with friends for a campout.

"My version of adulthood is weird," he said. "I love to hike. I love to run around and find snakes, but I also work really hard to be a career-oriented individual who has an effect on the world."

Midday: A film shoot with a view

Hiking is both work and play for Porter. Filming content is an important part of his ongoing success. His popular Outdoor Anthony videos have propelled his career as an environmental educator and online personality.

"I was teaching and writing curriculum for environmental learning centers," he said of his life before his content went viral. "And now, instead of teaching a classroom of kids, I can teach hundreds of millions of people, which is just terrifying to think of the scope. But, it's a fun responsibility that I take seriously."

Porter moved to Lake Tahoe, in part, because it enables him to continually create incredible environmental content from home. His videos range from educational explainers and environmental advocacy to silly content made just for fun.

Afternoon: An impromptu beach cleanup

Porter's conservation activism centers on rolling up his sleeves to make the world a little better. So when his film shoot hike takes him to a beach littered with garbage, he springs into action. He always carries trash bags on his outdoor adventures for exactly this reason.

"I love nature. Part of that is just helping nature be who it can be," he said. "That means inspiring people to be better and making sure that they can find the goodness in themselves to help the world."

Finding friends to help isn't too difficult for him. "I'm up in Tahoe because I wanted to find like-minded people," he said. "We find solace in the forest, helping the world."

Evening: Community under the stars

Later on, as Porter sets up a campsite with his friends, it's clear that the lines between work and play are blurry for Outdoor Anthony. But that's just fine by him.

"I think to myself, I can go film a video outside right now, or I can just take a hike without my phone and do this for myself," he said. "Regardless, I'm outdoors doing what I love."

In Tahoe, Porter's community is full of people involved in nonprofits and conservation — do-gooders like him. "We all are kind of like blank slates, and we can do good or bad. And I just want to motivate more people to choose good."

For Porter, being an adult is about making a difference. Loading up his Toyota RAV4 Woodland and heading into the wilderness is sometimes about advancing his career, and other times it's about fulfilling himself. Thanks to his own definition of adulthood, most of the time, it's both.

Explore how the Toyota RAV4 Woodland fits your version of adulthood.

This sponsored post was created by BI Studios with Toyota.

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