As I wrapped up my five mile hike in Hyner Run State Park and the surrounding Sproul State Forest, I ended my hike back at the outdoor recreation area of the state park. To my astonishment, the park was empty. Not a soul in sight. Not a body on the trail. We are talking about a Sunday afternoon, with perfect weather in July, and a free outdoor space at every single person’s fingertips. So I had a realization as I was driving into work Monday morning:

the outdoors are scary place and not as accessible as we think.

Most that grow up in the outdoors are accustomed to the nature of the beast. Unpredictable weather, bugs, being in isolation and even for some extremists, growing up building shelters in the woods with your survivalist dad (aka me). But for most, we didn’t grow up that way, or were barely introduced to the outdoors at all.

When the Office of Outdoor Recreation was founded in PA, and as I stepped into the space as a leader in storytelling for outdoor businesses, I noticed one key thing: creating an outdoors “for all” doesn’t just happen because we say it is accessible “for all”.

It takes strategic storytelling, hand-holding, and a need for creative thinkers as we expand this industry.

For most outdoor businesses, your paying clients are those who already know and love the outdoors, but who you attract most is actually what I call “curious” outdoor individuals. These folks are willing to slightly engage and maybe even pay for your products or services, but are facing some sort of psychological barrier. Someone sees an incredible vista online, or wants to challenge themselves in a new way, but something always holds them back. Whether they don’t have someone to join them on a new outdoor place, or feeling they don’t have the resources or confidence… people tend to see something and let it go almost immediately.

These potential “curious” customers are the turning point for outdoor businesses who want to grow and challenge their communities.

It is all about trust.

Trust in guiding someone who doesn’t know anything about the outdoors, to something they can trust and feel familiar with. That is where storytelling, consistency, and branding come in. Without all these elements, your curious customers are gonna just keep scrolling.

As a business owner, it is your team’s duty to make sure that your customer understands your story and as an expert in your field, guide them to make sure that they feel comfortable in your product, service, or mission.

That is why I love doing what I do: telling stories, guiding people to finally do what they have been meaning to do, and creating a safe space for individuals to connect to missions that make them tick. 

If you are an business owner, brand, or non-profit just missing those individuals who are extra curious, they might just need that extra push of confidence to get them engaged with your mission and outdoors. If you want to learn more about how you can tell your story, reach out to me. I would love to discuss the next season of growth and introducing more people to the outdoors.

Learn how my services can turn your extra curious customers into super-engaged in your community.

-Abbi