Starting a company during a recession can be a real adventure Special

In the midst of a recession, two young men decided to start a new business. Walkabout Adventures, a Flagstaff, AZ-based company, is the destination for clients from across the U.S. and around the world.

In the fall of 2009, two graduates of Northern Arizona University decided to start out on a business adventure called Walkabout Adventures, LLC. Weston Miller and Taylor Sizemore established the company, headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ, which is dedicated to the following mission: Walkabout Adventures' mission is to allow you to take a break from everyday society while at the same time experience the beauty of the outdoors. Walkabout Adventures plans for you and for your Walkabout of choice. Join us for a stress free camping trip or day hike of your choice. Sizemore emphasized that “we hold true to this” mission statement and said: We cook and provide the best meals of any outfitter by far. All you have to do is contact us and say that you are interested and we will provide the full logistics of your trip. We have a vast knowledge of the Southwest...All of our trips are located on Native American Reservations: Navajo, Havasupai and Hualapai Reservations.

Courtesy of Walkabout Adventures

Havasu Falls

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The trips offered include day trips to Antelope Canyon, multi-day trips to Havasupai Falls, one-day white water rafting on the Colorado River, and the “Ultimate Walkabout.” The Ultimate Walkabout involves “six days of travel exploring multiple destinations in the Grand Canyon and the Navajo and Havasupai Reservations.” When asked about the ups and downs involved with the establishment of a new business, Sizemore replied: The ups and downs of our company are constantly changing, but the main down of our company is the cost of advertising to such a large market of people. We take people from all over the world and in order to reach them we are constantly changing/editing our marketing strategies. Sizemore also noted that language barriers are a challenge. “I need to speak close to 10 languages to really reach the market that I am after,” he said. “But that is in the works with translators.” One thing that Sizemore makes clear is that the ups far outnumber the downs. He states, “The ups of our company are by far the expressions of the clients' faces when we take them to our Walkabout destinations. I am able to meet people from around the world and after you spend three days with the clients on such a personal level you grow very close to them.” In the seven months since Walkabout Adventures was established, the company has had clients from all over the United States and from countries including Canada, Spain, Japan, Israel, China, England, and Portugal. Testimonials found on the Walkabout Adventures site and Facebook page speak to the reasons why this company is thriving in the middle of an economic downturn. Comments include “you had confidence in our abilities beyond what we believed in ourselves” and clients called Taylor Sizemore a “master of his trade.” Not only is Sizemore a co-owner of the business, but he is also the lead guide. Sizemore, who studied Parks and Recreation Management and Forestry at NAU, credits his success to his love of the outdoors, credentials (Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator, Backcountry Food Handlers Permit, and Open Water Rescue training), and to the preparation he received at NAU. Sizemore mentioned that one of the best things he took away from a Parks and Recreation Management class was “a small word with a very large meaning.” He directed me to the Wikipedia definition of the word “flow,” which reads: Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.

Courtesy of Walkabout Adventures

Havasupai Falls

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Sizemore states, “If I can have that person ‘flowing’ in our Walkabouts, I am doing my job.” This “positive psychology concept” appears to be working for Walkabout Adventures. Customers are flowing to the business and leaving their treks to “paradise” saying that it was an “incredible experience” and that they are looking forward to more trips in the future. For more information about Walkabout Adventures, visit the website or call 1-888-388-9998.