Do It In Nature

It is an unusually tough road being an inventor and trying to take a product to market. So many decisions, so much learning, so many sharks out there trying to take advantage.

Enter stage right - Carmine Denisco and Chris Guerrara. These two brothers from another mother have helped more inventors than they can count. They are two of the "good guys". Known as the "King of Manufacturing", Chris currently is President & CEO of PACE Systems, is the Vice President United Inventors Association, is the host of the Made in America podcast, and was on Shark Tank's Season 12 as the Grand Finale episode. He has been featured on Good Morning America and his resume is a mile long of high level leaderships positions at places like Ford and BMW. Carmine is a successful Entrepreneur, Inventor, Author, Podcaster, Investor and sought after business startup consultant. Entrepreneur Magazine picked him as one of its top 5 emerging entrepreneurs. Many of the products he has developed or aided in the design of over the years have sold in retail stores, TV shopping channels, online and infomercials some have gone on to be licensed by major corporations. Carmine is dedicated to helping inventors correctly navigate the invention and manufacturing process, giving each inventor their best shot at success. These two have hearts of gold and we are truly honored to call them friends.
 

If you've spent any time in the outdoor industry, you've likely heard of Kenji Haroutunian.

Kenji is an independent agent for change focused on events and the great outdoors experience. He has spent 33 years organizing outdoor events and expos and has been a teacher of outdoor skills (including advanced climbing and wilderness navigation courses) during/after completing his Geography/Environmental Policy degree at UCLA. Many of those years, he worked for Outdoor Retailer and helped grow it into one of the largest B2B outdoor expos in the world. Kenji has spearheaded multiple industry-focused programs, and has served on the board of several influential groups and nonprofits. Kenji's resume is impressive, to be sure, but what we loved most is how big Kenji's heart for change is and how he is spending his life making our world a better place. 

Over the last year, we've stayed in a bunch of RV parks. A lot of them are very nice, but there is something uniquely special about Poche's Rv Park & Fish-N-Camp.

When Greg and Devie bought and took over the management of Poche's, they wanted to build a legacy. Something they were proud of and could pass down to their children. And that's exactly what they are doing. Poche's sits on 100 acres, 50 of which are ponds. And these ponds are stocked with more fish than you can imagine. A perfect peaceful activity - to grab your rod and bait and snag a fish or five. We felt "at home" here in Breaux Bridge, LA with the crawfish, boudin, cracklins, and our new friends. If you're ever passing through, definitely put Poche's on your list! 

There are music festivals. And then there is FloydFest.

FloydFest is pure magic. It'd be inadequate to describe it any other way. If you know, you know. Located in the beautiful mountains of Floyd, VA, their mission is to be the best music festival experience of our time. And they accomplish this year after year by selling a limited quantity of tickets to the highest-quality event experience, bar none, celebrating music, art and life in an intimate, visually stunning environment. There are few places in this world that combine music - both rising and well-known artists, art, comedy, vendors, acceptance, and genuine love like FloydFest. Lucky us to get to have Sam and Brian on the mic for this episode. 

One of the worst parts of outdoor recreational activities for women is being able to find clothes that are made for women, by women. 

Until you discover Carve Designs.  The idea for Carve began on a surf trip to San Pancho, Mexico.  As two lifelong friends, Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester, lounged in a hammock waiting for the waves to roll back in, they lamented how hard it was to find boardshorts that could keep up with them – real women with real bodies and a real passion for adventure. And just like that, Carve Designs was born. It began as a surf apparel company selling rashguards and boardshorts in 2003, but has since grown into a complete beach lifestyle brand; offering surf, swim, balance, and lifestyle clothing.

The sustainable Carve Designs styles represent their spirit: fun-loving, hardworking, confident, and inclined to get where they want to go.

Have you ever been out on an adventure with your pet and forgot a water bowl, or worse yet, forgot water for your fur baby?

Yeah, us too. That's why we loved meeting and talking with Drew Whited, founder of Waggin Water. Coming from his own need to keep his fur baby, Mickey, hydrated while out and about, Drew came up with the simple, yet ingenious, idea of packaging water for dogs, but not only water. They also offer water infused with all the nutrients that your dog needs to stay healthy! And all of this for "on the go" adventurers. Drew and his team work closely with pet experts, veterinarians, and industry veterans when building their products so you know they are expert approved!

Lavender has a way of calming, healing, and soothing a body and a soul. Imagine what a whole field of it does for you.

Daniel Bashara was on a path to pursue his talents of acting in Los Angeles. But when his family's lavender farm, Purple Rain Lavender, needed him, he traded in the hustle and bustle of the big city for the healing powers of lavender. Mostly a self-taught farmer, Daniel and his mom, Gretchen, have harvested and processed fields and fields of lavender since 2013, and shipped their hand-made with love products all over the world. Purple Rain Lavender, in the beautiful town of Fallbrook, CA, uses 100% natural organic ingredients because they believe in using the medicinal benefits from herbs to promote wellness.

When nature calls, we must answer the call. But more often than not, we prefer a little privacy while taking the call.

Paul Mangum has come up with the solution with the ingenious InstaPrivy. And Paul is one of those guys who you can't help but just love. His company is an energetic startup company with an innovative new product that will greatly improve your next outdoor experience.  His product, the InstaPrivy, is a super compact, lightweight and functional portable toilet and privacy shelter system.  The difference?  The InstaPrivy is truly portable and sets up in seconds!  And the best part is it folds up super compactly into a backpack. It's designed for your adventurous lifestyle to provide you the freedom to get away from the city, campsite or smelly plastic porta-johns with comfort and confidence. Every car, boat, campsite, etc. needs an InstaPrivy for those "emergency gotta go" situations. 

“Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself the opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit” -Unknown

This quote sums Sasha Washut up perfectly. She lives in the PNW - Washington state to be more specific - and is a Family Services Coordinator in a school district, helping families who are struggling financially, foster care students, and students/families experiencing homelessness. But she's also an "influencer". Her love for hiking and being in the great outdoors has created a following that has led her to be an ambassador for Eddie Bauer. Whether hiking, skiing, mountain biking, running, or doing yoga, being in nature is her favorite place to be. 

Kellie and Brandon's like-minded desire to break out of typical “society’s box” drove them to go all in and pursue a dream that few others would consider.

Their unusual adventure began in May of 2020 when they met for their first date during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which due to COVID, was a hike. This two hour long hike turned into seven hours of tailgating in the parking lot of a Total Wine store with takeout sandwiches and a 6-pack of beer. Their second date was a weekend of camping. They connected deeply over the outdoors being their mutual place of freedom, calm, clarity and joy. As founders of BYOE Overland (Bring Your Own Everything), Kellie and Brandon have committed to living on the road full-time out of their pickup truck (“Tank”) with an off-road trailer (“Pigpen”) in order to experience the world in a way that not many would be brave enough to try - one backroad dirt trail at a time.