Doug Bishop announced his departure in late 2026, and the official reason was family time. He mentioned needing to be home more, to reset and focus on his personal life. On the surface, that sounds wholesome, right? But for a team that was constantly traveling and diving into trauma, burnout was probably a real monster.
Imagine spending weeks on the road, staring into freezing water, dealing with heartbroken families. It’s heavy stuff. Maybe Doug looked at his calendar and realized he hadn’t seen his own kitchen table in months. Ever feel like your job is eating your soul? That might be the chillest way to look at it.
But Wait—There’s a Bigger, Darker Cloud
Here’s where things get interesting (and a little messy). Around the same time Doug left, serious allegations surfaced against AWP’s founder, Jared Leisek. Without diving into the grim details (you can Google that), the accusations involved serious misconduct. Doug didn't just quietly slip out—he issued a statement saying he was “heartbroken” and that he couldn’t support a toxic environment.
So, Doug’s exit wasn’t just “I want to watch more sunsets.” It was likely a principled walkout. Imagine you’re building a sandcastle with a friend, and you find out they’ve been kicking other kids’ buckets over. You’d probably leave the beach, too. Doug chose his integrity over the paycheck and the fame. That’s… actually pretty cool.
Adventures With Purpose Jared Leisek, Doug Bishop | Ex Member Sam Sam
