Do It In Nature

People say that once camping gets in your blood, it becomes something you want to do all the time.

Becky Wadley, owner of Whitewater RV Park, seems to agree with this. After buying a camper RV and spending many weekends living "on the road", Becky wanted to find a way to write her travels off, so she started a blog called Home Is Where We Take It. One thing led to another and entrepreneurs Becky and her husband, Glynn, then decided they wanted to make a living out of this adventurous lifestyle so they bought an RV park. After spending much time renovating the park, they now welcome campers from all over to stay with them in this quintessential small town America town of Mountain View, Arkansas. 

Sometimes inspiration for a new idea comes in the most unlikely of places. Such was the case for Natalie Van Dusen.

Natalie discovered the ancient craft of coffee roasting while traveling across Colombia on a motorcycle adventure. Driven by curiosity and a fierce love of coffee, she was inspired by her visit with a farmer, Don Eilas, who not only taught her about the growing process but also invited her into his home to show her how he roasted freshly harvested coffee over an open flame.

Fast forward years later, Natalie and her now co-owner, Deejay (affectionately referred to as her sister) own Treeline Coffee Roasters, a fully formed roastery with two cafes, in Bozeman, MO. But, all of this is about more than just coffee to them. It's a way to create community and be a part of telling lasting stories. 

Many founders build companies and create products to make money as their primary goal. Others build something great with a driving force of making a positive impact on this world.

Such is the case with Mission Meats. They are making the world a better place with every grass-fed beef snack that is produced and purchased. They give 10% of their profits to social good organizations, such as BonZeb who helps fight deforestation in Haiti, Perspectives Minnesota who works to transform the lives of homeless mothers and their children, Educate in Africa to invest in leaders and entrepreneurs, and 100+ Dream Centers across the country.

If you're a female and love the outdoors, you know that a BIG issue is what to do when you have to go to the bathroom. Do you bare your backside to the world? Do you attach a FUD? Both of these can be awkward and even embarrassing. We women know this is a challenge.

Kelly McCombs has invented a pair of pants that 100% solves this problem. Through Kelly’s own embarrassing experience and the shared experience of many others, she recognized the need to design a pair of pants that enabled women to discreetly, comfortably, and quickly answer the call. And that's when Elira Apparel was born. Kelly's mission is start a revolution of women who want to pursue Freedom, be Empowered, and Explore the Great Outdoors without hindrances.

Marci Nault, tried to buy her first dry-top from a brand name. When she looked at the sizing chart she realized that she was a small, medium, large, and an extra large measurement all in the same garment. How was that possible?

Researching the women's outdoor apparel industry, Marci found that the words "Shrink it and pink it". Take men's clothing... make it smaller, and pink. THAT's how they made clothes for women.

Marci is a go-getter, an adventurer, and risk taker, and doesn't take "no" for answer, so she set out to solve the problem herself with her company E2T. Realizing that she’s spent her life feeling as if she didn’t “fit” in the outdoor adventure world she set out to change an industry while inspiring more women to get out and explore. 

A good reality TV show is one that feels real and not scripted. Such is the case with A Fishing Story and its inspirational host, Ronnie Green.  

Ronnie was an all-American sprinter in college and an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He became very successful in corporate America selling a variety of medical devices for many years.  But his love for fishing started young as he reeled his first fish in at 5 years old with his Dad. Loving that thrill so much, he then could be found most days fishing with his great-grandmother who was an avid fisherwoman. The fishing bug bit him hard and he's grown quite the successful reputation within the BASS, FLW, and ABA fishing circuits.

Ronnie had a vision for a reality fishing show that would celebrate the small things in life. Things like catching a fish. Many said it couldn't be done and be successful. Ronnie has showed them otherwise by being featured on CBS Sports Network, Amazon Prime Video, World Fishing Network,  and Discovery Go, and the Outdoor Channel. 

When you are lucky enough to find that activity in nature that becomes "your thing", you've found a piece of heaven.

Such is the case for Heath Rowland and climbing. So much so that he's started his company, Ground Up, based on his love of the sport. A self-proclaimed hillbilly from Kentucky, Heath grew up in mining and construction, building things. He then was offered a job as a salesman for Rab USA as an inside sales rep. It was there that he learned business, and learned how much he loved establishing traditional rock climbs with a ground up ethic. After 3 years at Rab, he was offered a job at SCARPA which marks the beginning of his company. Heath passionately believes that a business should exist to support the local and broader community.  As such, Ground Up is a sales and marketing agency based in the Southeast that is heavily involved in local and regional climbing coalitions such as the SEC and the CCC and through those partnerships, they've raised ten's of thousands of dollars for climbing access. With a history in building things, Heath will tell you he's working on his biggest, and most exciting, build to date as he grows Ground Up.  

Some days there is nothing better than being outside and taking that first sip of a cold beer.

Chris Winn has made it his profession to help people do just that. As co-founder of an incredible brewery in Charleston, SC  called Tradesman Brewing Co. , Chris and his team consistently put out some seriously delicious beer. 

In addition to pouring beverages that make people smile, Chris is an avid bike rider. He's never met a bike he doesn't like - mountain, road, or a hybrid of the two. Chris' belief is that you ride bikes so that you can drink the beers afterwards. And, well, who can argue with that?

But one of the things we love most about Chris is that he is just genuinely a nice guy. He doesn't meet a stranger, and to be in his circle is to be loved. 

It's virtually impossible to get on AirBnB's list of Top 4 Experiences.

Unless you're Tia Clark, founder of Casual Crabbing With Tia. Just three months into opening her crabbing experiences to the public in Charleston, SC, she was named among the 4 top AirBnB experiences in the world. Quite an accomplishment and very well deserved, but no one is more humble and grateful for this honor than Tia. She started crabbing for her health, literally, and crabbing has provided her more than she ever could have imagined. 

The American flag brings with it a deep sense of patriotism and pride.

But too often the red, white, and blue flags we fly are cheaply made in another country, tattered, torn, mildewed and only last a short time. Katie & Wes Lyon wanted something different. They wanted a flag that would stand the test of time. One they could fly proudly on the front of their Charleston home. So they partnered with childhood friend, Max Berry, and set out to build a company that would manufacture exactly what they were looking for. With their company, Allegiance Flag Supply, they are committed to sourcing everything from the US and providing jobs for American workers making American flags. They take their flags seriously so that you can fly yours proudly.