Summary:

Welcome back to the Startup Junkies podcast!

Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Matthew Ward sat down with Coleman Davis of Explore Eden to discuss how this startup is changing the way we experience the outdoors! NWA is known for its trails, rivers, and campgrounds, but with that comes some unknown barriers. Explore Eden seeks to provide the joy and adventure of the outdoors with the safety, ease, and privacy that many people hunger for. Whether you have never camped or go every weekend, Explore Eden seeks to get you off the couch and outside. Hear all about it in this episode!

Thanks for tuning in!

Shownotes:

(1:01) Introducing Coleman Davis of Explore Eden

(3:39) Building a Two-sided Market

(4:56) Acquiring Private Property, Good Ratings, and Warm Weather

(9:47) Three Types of Stays for Three Types of Campers

(10:30) The Nitty Gritty of Explore Eden

(14:11) Expanding Your Marketplace

(19:18) Origin Story of Coleman Davis & Explore Eden

(20:40) You Can’t Control the Weather!

(25:26) Transition from Bootstrapping to Outside Capital

(26:40) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks

Links:

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

Caleb Talley

Coleman Davis

Explore Eden LLC

Quotes:

“We solve the problem of uncertainty, and we get a lot of people out camping that normally wouldn’t go.” (2:01) – Coleman Davis

“If you own land, and have for years, it brings you to $0 in return until you sell it—unless you’re growing crops or have cattle. We tell landowners, ‘Hey, we can solve a problem.’” (4:20) – Coleman Davis

“How can we provide value to the camper? What’s going to help the camper?” (14:58) – Coleman Davis

Camping Made Easy

Living in Northwest Arkansas means that you are amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States. As the Natural State, we also attract many native and traveling campers. Camping can be one of the best ways to disconnect from the fast-paced, anxiety-ridden, screened world of the week and reconnect with yourself, friends, and family.  In theory, camping seems like an easy weekend adventure. Though, what we often find is after hammering out all the details and trying to adapt to unknown variables, a relaxing weekend can get stressful fast.

Explore Eden seeks to alleviate as many of those unknown variables as possible.  Coleman Davis, Director of Operations, explains that Explore Eden is an online marketplace designed to connect campers to private landowners. Their mission is to solve the problems of uncertainty that often take people away from exploration. 

Whether you are a novice or experienced explorer, the unpredictable factors that come with public land and even state parks can hinder the camping experience. Privacy, safety, and ease of mind are just some of the perks that come with camping through Explore Eden. Their aim is to get the inexperienced, anxious, or unprepared person into the grand outdoors. 

These entrepreneurs are solution seekers. Their two-sided market presents them with two core objects:

1. Get anyone into the outdoors by providing safety, privacy and ease.

2. Connect with landowners to provide revenue in exchange for renting out their underutilized private property. 

Getting Anyone Outside

The Explore Eden app can take anyone from a seasoned outdoorsman to a mother of three who would prefer indoors any day and give them both desirable options for their weekend stay. This comes with three camping experiences to choose from:

1. Primitive Camping

2. Mobile Camping

3. Cabin Camping

Their primitive camping feature is for those who want a private or new place to set up tents and live off the land. The mobile features give people access to private property with the benefits of campers and glamping to make your stay as comfortable and adaptable as possible. The cabin camping brings revenue to the owners’ under-utilized real estate, and gives families, couples, organizations, and more the opportunity to get outdoors without any of the fuss of forcing people outside. 

Connect with Land Owners

These objectives create a two-sided market that produces challenges to advertising and acquisition. Not only are they advertising to campers, but they want to reach out to the large pool of landowners beyond Northwest Arkansas. This does not stop their team from using personal relationships, social media, and local ambassadors to get the job done. 

 

“To enjoy the outdoors, you don’t have to be a survivalist. You don’t have to be some dude that showers in the Creek every day… You can find ways to experience the outdoors in a beneficial and private way for recreation, for mental health…getting outside is good for everybody.” (19:11) – Coleman Davis

Explore Eden is going to change the way we view and experience camping, and we hope you get outside and give it a try! Learn more by visiting their website. 

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