Growing an Outdoor Adventures Business in Arkansas with Austin Albers
This week on the podcast we are continuing our Business of Outdoor Recreation series with Austin Albers, President and Owner of the Buffalo Outdoor Center in Arkansas. Brent and Austin discuss the growth of Buffalo Outdoor Center and how Austin listens to customers to develop new offerings like mountain biking and backcountry aviation. Austin explains how outdoor recreation experiences improve quality of life and are driving economic growth in Arkansas. He describes opportunities for students interested in the industry, emphasizing the value of listening to customers, finding opportunities and following your passion.
Transcript
I would say my number one recommendation for
Austin Albers:anybody who is either in the industry or looking to get into
Austin Albers:the industry is to listen to the customers, because they'll tell
Austin Albers:you what you need to do. And then looking at opportunities. I
Austin Albers:mean, look around what what opportunities do you have?
Brent Williams:Welcome to the Be Epic podcast, brought to you
Brent Williams:by the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of
Brent Williams:Arkansas. I'm your host, Brent Williams. Together, we'll
Brent Williams:explore the dynamic landscape of business and uncover the
Brent Williams:strategies, insights, and stories that drive business
Brent Williams:Well, today I have with me Austin Albers, who is President
Brent Williams:today.
Brent Williams:of the Buffalo Outdoor Center in Arkansas. So Austin, thanks for
Brent Williams:joining me today.
Austin Albers:Absolutely. Glad to be here.
Brent Williams:Well, I'm really looking forward to learning more
Brent Williams:about Buffalo Outdoor Center, just, you know, your involvement
Brent Williams:in tourism in Arkansas. But first, you're you're a graduate
Brent Williams:of the University of Arkansas and the Walton College a finance
Brent Williams:major. Right.
Austin Albers:Yeah. 2008.
Brent Williams:Well, I hope it was a great experience. And I
Brent Williams:know you've created great networks from it.
Austin Albers:Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah the University
Austin Albers:of Arkansas was definitely a great time in my life. And it
Austin Albers:was a great experience all the way around, you know, a lot of
Austin Albers:fun, but then also a great education as well.
Brent Williams:Well, tell me a little bit about about you, you
Brent Williams:know, and just sort of like where you're from. And, you
Brent Williams:know, we know, you know, spent some time at the college. I
Brent Williams:think you spent some time in the finance industry, in the
Brent Williams:transportation industry. And have been at Buffalo Outdoor
Brent Williams:Center for close to 15 years, I think.
Austin Albers:Yeah, yeah. So I a little back history on me I
Austin Albers:actually grew up on a big horse ranch outside of the Ponca area
Austin Albers:over by Buffalo Outdoor Center, about five miles away, grew up
Austin Albers:on a horse ranch. I always told people that my parents were born
Austin Albers:100 years too late, because we did everything with horse drawn
Brent Williams:Well, for for those that may not know, well
Brent Williams:equipment and people thought we were Amish. So it was kind of
Brent Williams:fun. But so this little piece that most people don't know
Brent Williams:about me, so grew up there, left, went in to aviation, and
Brent Williams:went to flight school at Spartan School of Aeronautics, and then
Brent Williams:transferred to the University of Arkansas, and entered the Walton
Brent Williams:College of Business and with a focus on finance. And so
Brent Williams:graduated from the Walton College of Business with with a
Brent Williams:bachelor's in finance. And immediately went to work for
Brent Williams:Edward Jones. And this was in 2008. And so tough time to be in
Brent Williams:finance. Yeah, it was, it was a great experience, a very
Brent Williams:humbling experience. I'll tell you that so and then advanced
Brent Williams:from there. You know left there and went to work for JB Hunt,
Brent Williams:and then eventually moved over to the Buffalo Outdoor Center,
Brent Williams:started going over to the Buffalo Outdoor Center in in
Brent Williams:2009 and just working on the weekends helping out and just to
Brent Williams:just to get back into the outdoors, which was a huge
Brent Williams:passion of mine.
Brent Williams:one if you haven't been to the Buffalo River, you're certainly
Brent Williams:missing out. It's certainly a treasure in Arkansas, but maybe
Brent Williams:start there a little bit about the river and maybe some of the
Brent Williams:background of the company. I know you've helped really grow
Brent Williams:it really fast. I think you've grown the product offering
Brent Williams:fairly significantly. Love to hear a little bit about that.
Austin Albers:Absolutely. So the Buffalo National River was
Austin Albers:America's first nationally protected river, it was it was
Austin Albers:nationally protected in 1972 from being dammed, and there's a
Austin Albers:lot of history there and and a lot of information on that. But
Austin Albers:it was nationally protected by the National Park Service. And
Austin Albers:so as a National River it is operated by the National Park
Austin Albers:Service but it is not a national park. It is a National River.
Austin Albers:And so there is land on both sides of the river that is owned
Austin Albers:by the National Park but it or by the National River but it is
Austin Albers:like I said it's considered a National River. The Buffalo
Austin Albers:Outdoor Center was founded in 1976 by a gentleman named Mike
Austin Albers:Mills. Mike had a passion for the river. As a child growing
Austin Albers:up, he would go to the river with his father and his father
Austin Albers:was a military man. And so the only time he really got with his
Austin Albers:father was on these trips and they would go paddle and his
Austin Albers:father would fish and Mike would paddle him down the river. And
Austin Albers:so he grew this passion for paddling the river and
Austin Albers:specifically the Buffalo River. And so in 1976, he he's, he
Austin Albers:founded the Buffalo Outdoor Center. He had moved to Ponca
Austin Albers:before that and ran another outfitter for a little while but
Austin Albers:then decided that he was going to start his own and so with his
Austin Albers:passion, they founded it with five canoes and an international
Austin Albers:scout. And that's how they would would shuttle people and would
Austin Albers:put people in the river and so, obviously evolved from there it
Austin Albers:became the first log cabin resort in the state of Arkansas
Austin Albers:in the in the late 80s. And then from that we just continued to
Austin Albers:grow to what we offer today which we've got a wide offering
Austin Albers:from 28 cabins to lodges, large retail store and deli, gas
Austin Albers:highland and we've got canoeing, kayaking, rafting. ziplining,
Austin Albers:Arkansas longest downhill mountain bike trail system, we
Austin Albers:have backcountry aviation. So we have people will fly in to
Austin Albers:backcountry airstrip with their own aircraft. And we've got
Austin Albers:lodging on the airfield where people will stay there, we
Austin Albers:provide them with a Jeep to where they can go explore and
Austin Albers:adventure. And then we've also got an RV park, too. And so
Austin Albers:people bring their RVs and kind of camp and stay and go out and
Austin Albers:do anything from hiking to fishing to, to like I said
Austin Albers:canoeing, kayaking rafting. The Rocky Mountain Elk were
Austin Albers:reintroduced in the early 80s back to the Boxley Valley and
Austin Albers:back to that area. We we traded trout for elk with with Colorado
Austin Albers:and, and brought them back and so that herd has continued to
Austin Albers:grow. And so in the fall, they're they're really out and
Austin Albers:about and you'll hear him bugling and in rut, which is a
Austin Albers:very neat experiencing for this part of the country. And then
Austin Albers:also you've got the fall foliage, so a lot of people out
Austin Albers:to experience that as well. But again, anywhere from anything on
Austin Albers:the river to hiking to biking. Just even even rock climbing
Austin Albers:right there in the area as well with Horseshoe Canyon is a big
Austin Albers:draw. And so fishing, fishing is good on the buffalo as well.
Brent Williams:Well one, you know I see I see your hat, your
Brent Williams:Arkansas hat and you know it just reminds me of the great
Brent Williams:things happening around outdoor recreation throughout our state.
Brent Williams:And I'm particularly excited about just the it seems like the
Brent Williams:increased focus not not only in Northwest Arkansas, throughout
Brent Williams:the state on making Arkansas a destination, you know, for
Brent Williams:people to experience the outdoors. But when you think
Brent Williams:about the growth of Buffalo Outdoor Center and what's
Brent Williams:happening in Arkansas, what parallels do you see, what what
Brent Williams:synergies do you see?
Austin Albers:Yeah, so you know, like you said, you know,
Austin Albers:there's an increased you know focus on outdoor recreation. You
Austin Albers:know, our current governor's is really pushing outdoor
Austin Albers:recreation. The first gentleman is as well they've created the
Austin Albers:the natural state initiative to really focus and look at
Austin Albers:opportunity zones, look at opportunities that we can, can
Austin Albers:really help take outdoor recreation to the next level
Austin Albers:within the state of Arkansas, and compete at the top. And
Austin Albers:that's one thing that that our focus is is as a state, what are
Austin Albers:the opportunity zones, you know, where are we at in and, you
Austin Albers:know, you kind of hit on it a minute ago with the Buffalo
Austin Albers:National River being you know, one of the states Crown Jewels,
Austin Albers:the state of Arkansas is a crown jewel from the standpoint of
Austin Albers:outdoor recreation, and I mean, we are the natural state. And so
Austin Albers:there are unparalleled opportunities all across our
Austin Albers:state to, to get into whether you're a student looking at, you
Austin Albers:know, becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business or
Austin Albers:looking for something in the hospitality or outdoor industry,
Austin Albers:you know, as far as career outside of, you know, once you
Austin Albers:get out of college, there are so many opportunities and within
Austin Albers:that, I mean, you may be an entrepreneur, you may be working
Austin Albers:in finance, as, as a controller for an outdoor company, whatever
Austin Albers:it is, you may be connected with that you know with the outdoor
Austin Albers:industry or the hospitality industry. And so with that, I
Austin Albers:mean from again, from rock climbing to fishing, to hunting
Austin Albers:to paddling, you know, even ATVs you know, there's there's so
Austin Albers:many great opportunities across the state, aviation, backcountry
Austin Albers:aviation, we've grown that that area that most people don't
Austin Albers:realize how many backcountry airstrips there are in Arkansas,
Austin Albers:we've got people coming here from Idaho and Utah and Florida
Austin Albers:and Texas pretty much everywhere to come fly and experience the
Austin Albers:Ozarks and even Arkansas in general. And in all it's got to
Austin Albers:offer from the air and so that's something that's, that's really
Austin Albers:growing as well but the increase in the state, just just a push
Austin Albers:for entrepreneurism and just really helping empower people to
Austin Albers:get outdoors and then also create those experiences to
Austin Albers:share with other people too. And, and I tell people that all
Austin Albers:the time it's um, you know, we're in the business of, of
Austin Albers:providing and creating experiences and and, and
Austin Albers:memories and so, those experiences are what people go
Austin Albers:home with, and that's what they remember and you'll want to come
Austin Albers:back or share with their friends or whatever it is, and I hear it
Austin Albers:every day, you know, over in the Buffalo, people show up and, you
Austin Albers:know, for their first time and they'll go around, and, you
Austin Albers:know, their comment when they come back is we had no idea this
Austin Albers:existed in Arkansas. And so,
Brent Williams:You know, I think what's interesting about
Brent Williams:the Buffalo Outdoor Center that honestly I didn't fully realize
Brent Williams:was the breadth of the offerings, you know, so,
Brent Williams:mountain biking, you know, certainly I've always thought
Brent Williams:of, of the paddling and thought of fishing back, you know, back
Brent Williams:country aviation. Talk a little bit, if you will, about how
Brent Williams:you've developed those products, you know, and, you know, how you
Brent Williams:how you understand what the customers are going to want from
Brent Williams:you, and what kind of experiences they're going to want.
Austin Albers:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So, you know, big
Austin Albers:thing for me is, obviously, I love the outdoors, I love to
Austin Albers:travel, and I love to, to experience things. So having
Austin Albers:those firsthand experiences is, um, is one thing. But I would
Austin Albers:say my number one recommendation for anybody who is either in the
Austin Albers:industry or looking to get into the industry, is to listen to
Austin Albers:the customers. Because they'll tell you what you need to do. If
Austin Albers:you if you have people that show up. And I'll use this as an, you
Austin Albers:know, it's a perfect example. For 25, 30 years, we had people
Austin Albers:walk in the door of the original store that was there was a small
Austin Albers:building it was built in 1962 is the Tippie Canoe Cafe, it's 1000
Austin Albers:square foot, but we'd have people walk in, and then always
Austin Albers:ask the same questions. They say, where can I get gas, and
Austin Albers:where can I get something to eat? So when I built a new
Austin Albers:store, I put in a deli, and I'm putting in gas,
Brent Williams:By the way, the food's pretty good. I know
Brent Williams:firsthand at that deli.
Austin Albers:Yeah. So, so again, it's listening to your
Austin Albers:customers. Yeah, that's a big thing. And then, and then
Austin Albers:looking at opportunities, I mean, you know, look around,
Austin Albers:what, what opportunities do you have, you know, what is it there
Austin Albers:that's attracting people, or that people want to experience
Austin Albers:what could be an offering that people don't even know exists?
Austin Albers:And, you know, you know, another example, the zipline canopy
Austin Albers:tour, so we put in the first canopy tour within the state,
Austin Albers:true canopy tour, and we learned about it by traveling, we were
Austin Albers:in Costa Rica, and we experienced it there. And then
Austin Albers:the leadership group that were involved in, you know, we all
Austin Albers:discussed and we started putting them in. And, and again, it was
Austin Albers:creating those experiences, but then also getting out and seeing
Austin Albers:what what are the things that people may enjoy, or, you know,
Austin Albers:what's a way to incorporate the environment that we already
Austin Albers:have, into an experience. And so again, even with our zip lines,
Austin Albers:I tell people, it's a, you know, it's a ecotour, it's a comedy
Austin Albers:tour, and it's a zipline experience. And then at the end
Austin Albers:of it, it's an ATV experience, because they load you up and you
Austin Albers:know, on ATVs, and bring you back to the top. And so people
Austin Albers:love it. And again, it's those experiences, you know, the
Austin Albers:guides on those experiences are what really makes the
Austin Albers:difference. And so that team, whether it's at the front desk,
Austin Albers:whether it's, you know, the guides, that you know, our guys
Austin Albers:at the river, who are, are putting in the, you know, the
Austin Albers:guests, you know, on you, whoever it is, they're the ones
Austin Albers:at the end of the day that really make that experience.
Austin Albers:And, you know, I've often told people and, you know, in job
Austin Albers:interviews, you know, I'd ask him, you know, the question, you
Austin Albers:know, what is it that you think we do here, and, you know, a lot
Austin Albers:of times people would come back with, well, you rent canoes, or
Austin Albers:you rent cabins or you know, you do ziplining, or mountain
Austin Albers:biking, and at the end of the day, it's we provide
Austin Albers:experiences, and we create experiences. And so that's
Austin Albers:that's the focus is, is taking that world class experience to
Austin Albers:the top. And that's the focus not only in Buffalo Outdoor
Austin Albers:Center, but across the state.
Brent Williams:Yes, I totally agree. You know, we're fortunate
Brent Williams:here to have all of these natural assets you know and when
Brent Williams:we have students increasingly coming to the University of
Brent Williams:Arkansas, you probably know, our enrollment has grown
Brent Williams:tremendously, you know, over the last several years. For many, it
Brent Williams:is an opportunity to really get outside maybe for the first time
Brent Williams:or any, you know, a significant experience, maybe even on their
Brent Williams:own. So, when you talk to, you know, think about a student
Brent Williams:moving to the U of A, or maybe it's somebody moving in, you
Brent Williams:know, from one of the coasts into Arkansas for the first
Brent Williams:time, and they want to kind of get their foot in the outdoors.
Brent Williams:How do you guys help them do that?
Austin Albers:Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, information is
Austin Albers:key, you know, and so, you know, helping them understand what's
Austin Albers:out there. And, you know, as students are moving in, you
Austin Albers:know, there's a lot of you know a lot assets, you know, social
Austin Albers:media is a big one, and that's where people go to, to, you
Austin Albers:know, to find information about the area, about the offerings.
Austin Albers:And so, you know, one of our big focuses is, you know, is
Austin Albers:painting the true picture of what's there. And in, we get
Austin Albers:compliments all day long about, people just didn't realize that
Austin Albers:Arkansas was so beautiful. And, and you know, as a whole, I
Austin Albers:mean, all across the state, it is beautiful, there's different
Austin Albers:changes as we go, but there's different offerings, all the way
Austin Albers:across the state that are unique. And whether it's the
Austin Albers:Delta, or the Buffalo National River, or even, you know, here
Austin Albers:in Northwest Arkansas, on the mountain bike trail systems, you
Austin Albers:know, there's, there's so much here, but even rivers and
Austin Albers:streams, you know, they changed, you have to, and so different
Austin Albers:experiences across the state. So, you know, with that
Austin Albers:education, getting, you know, getting them introduced to the
Austin Albers:outdoors, helping them understand the best first step,
Austin Albers:I think is important, too, because you can get somebody in
Austin Albers:trouble if they're not experienced or ready to
Austin Albers:experience, you know, certain activity. And so, you know,
Austin Albers:being able to paint the picture accurately, being able to teach
Austin Albers:and, you know, and explain to them is very important. And,
Austin Albers:and, you know, with that, I mean, obviously, at the
Austin Albers:University of Arkansas across the state, you know, we've got a
Austin Albers:lot of diversity here. And so we've got a, you know, a lot of
Austin Albers:ethnic groups that are coming from areas where they're not
Austin Albers:used to getting outdoors, you know, they're not used to the
Austin Albers:outdoor recreation, and they love it, they want to do it, but
Austin Albers:helping them understand the risk, but then also the
Austin Albers:opportunity, and what's the best way to do it is to be able to
Austin Albers:create that positive experience.
Brent Williams:You know, when I, when I think about the
Brent Williams:outdoors and think about Buffalo Outdoor Center, and many of the
Brent Williams:other business participants, I would say, in the outdoor
Brent Williams:recreation economy, I think, I think there's at least at least
Brent Williams:two that I can think of ways where it really is going to
Brent Williams:affect us in the future from an economic development standpoint,
Brent Williams:and one thing you just said, reminded me of that, you know,
Brent Williams:people moving in to the area that haven't had a chance to
Brent Williams:experience the outdoors, like you can in Arkansas, that makes
Brent Williams:this place pretty sticky. But then also tourism, which you've
Brent Williams:mentioned in the past, so just as you're thinking forward for
Brent Williams:Arkansas, you know, for your business, of course, but for
Brent Williams:Arkansas, or broadly, what what do you what do you think we're
Brent Williams:gonna see in that respect,
Austin Albers:So, a big focus is quality of life. And so
Austin Albers:again, people moving here, you know, quality of life, so the
Austin Albers:cost of living the opportunities, as far as you
Austin Albers:know, as far as jobs and, and education, but then also, the
Austin Albers:experiences, and so, you know, with that, that, you know, those
Austin Albers:experiences are going to increase quality of life. And,
Austin Albers:and, and so, you know, from an economic development standpoint,
Austin Albers:or from an economic standpoint, you know, when you have quality
Austin Albers:of life, and that's what a lot of people really, I think,
Austin Albers:realized with COVID is, quality of life is really important. And
Austin Albers:being stuck at home in the middle of, you know, a high rise
Austin Albers:building, you know, for weeks at a time isn't, isn't fun. And so,
Austin Albers:you know, we're seeing a lot of people, you know, relocating
Austin Albers:from larger cities, and, you know, different areas, and
Austin Albers:they're, you know, they're relocating because of quality of
Austin Albers:life. And, and so, you know, with that, you know, there's
Austin Albers:opportunity zones for entrepreneurs, there's
Austin Albers:opportunity zones for just employment alone and, and with
Austin Albers:that, those experiences that anybody can create, and build a
Austin Albers:business on will continue to grow, and it's going to help the
Austin Albers:economy in the state of Arkansas, and the overall
Austin Albers:picture, people are going to continue to see Arkansas, you
Austin Albers:know, taking a step above and, and climbing that ladder of, of,
Austin Albers:you know, we are, you know, outdoor recreation, you know, we
Austin Albers:are that state, you know, we are the natural state.
Brent Williams:Absolutely. I could not agree with you more,
Brent Williams:and maybe I might dive in with you on on one specific area, and
Brent Williams:that is paddling, you know, it seems to me that it seems to me
Brent Williams:like there's growth really going to happen in that area in our
Brent Williams:future. I mean, from of course, what what you're doing on the
Brent Williams:Buffalo River, there's a park that's been built in Siloam
Brent Williams:Springs, I believe, and what momentum do you see there in our
Brent Williams:in our economy?
Austin Albers:Just just like I was explaining with with regards
Austin Albers:to quality of life, the paddling industry is an industry that is
Austin Albers:is changing, too. It's evolving, it's continuing to change. You
Austin Albers:know, 30 years ago, people would go get on the river, rain or
Austin Albers:shine. It didn't matter if it was freezing, or 90 degrees
Austin Albers:people were going and that's changed a lot over the last, you
Austin Albers:know, 30 years. You know, a lot of people aren't interested in
Austin Albers:being out there if it's a nasty day. And so with that, that's
Austin Albers:really kind of defined the direction of paddling to a point
Austin Albers:but we also deal with, you know, the weather so whether we have
Austin Albers:rainfall and with the Buffalo National River, again, it is all
Austin Albers:based on rainfall, there's no dam, there's no there's no
Austin Albers:tributaries at the top to feed it, it is its own tributary. And
Austin Albers:as you go down, I mean, there are other streams that feed in.
Austin Albers:But, you know, so the further down the river you go, you know,
Austin Albers:the longer you can paddle. But from a standpoint across the
Austin Albers:state, I mean, you've got the whitewater park in Siloam
Austin Albers:Springs, you've got the Illinois River, you've got several rivers
Austin Albers:in the bayou, you've got, I mean, there's opportunities all
Austin Albers:the way across the state for paddling. And from a state but
Austin Albers:then it also a region where you are focusing on opportunities to
Austin Albers:really look at locations where where we can add in more year
Austin Albers:round paddling versus just specifically seasonal. And so
Austin Albers:adding accesses, you know, dealing with with property
Austin Albers:owners, we're working with the Arkansas Game and Fish
Austin Albers:Commission, we're working with different individuals from
Austin Albers:across the state, who all have the same priority and in desire
Austin Albers:to help them grow that. And so there's going to be a wide a
Austin Albers:wide opportunity for getting out and paddling and it's from
Austin Albers:whitewater to leisurely floats and you know, floats through a
Austin Albers:bayou or through through a swampy area to experience how
Austin Albers:you know that but the rivers around here are just gorgeous
Austin Albers:and the streams are gorgeous, you know, and they all have
Austin Albers:something different to offer too, you know, if you're on you
Austin Albers:know, on the, you know, down on the Mulberry or you're on the
Austin Albers:Kings River, you're on the Buffalo River, you're on the
Austin Albers:Illinois, you're, you know, again, you're you're traveling
Austin Albers:around, every river is different, every, you know,
Austin Albers:every experience is a little bit different. And they all have
Austin Albers:different challenges as well.
Brent Williams:You know, might sort of shift gears on you just
Brent Williams:a little bit, we've talked about our students, you know, in terms
Brent Williams:of getting them outdoors, I think increasingly more are
Brent Williams:interested in working in the industry. And that is one thing
Brent Williams:that at the Walton College that we're standing up programming,
Brent Williams:allowing them to get experience around the outdoor recreation
Brent Williams:economy to see if it is a place where they could apply their
Brent Williams:skills, I'm sure there's some unique opportunities and some
Brent Williams:unique challenges to try to work in that industry.
Austin Albers:Yeah, there are, you know, with that, it's in the
Austin Albers:hospitality industry alone or the outdoor recreational
Austin Albers:industry, it's a seven day a week, you know, operation, you
Austin Albers:know, you don't close the doors, you know, Friday at five o'clock
Austin Albers:and go home, it's a seven day a week operation. And so it takes
Austin Albers:someone who understands that, hey, I may have to work on
Austin Albers:weekends. Or I may have to work, you know, lighter need, I may
Austin Albers:have to work early in the morning, you know, it's a, it's,
Austin Albers:you know, it's a year round, 365 day, you know, operation from
Austin Albers:the overall picture. Now you can do certain seasonal industries
Austin Albers:you can do, you know, like for us, you know, paddling is a
Austin Albers:seasonal thing, we only paddle the Buffalo on the upper
Austin Albers:district where we're at typically March, April, May and
Austin Albers:June. And then the rest of the year, it's too dry, every once
Austin Albers:awhile, you may get a you know, a summer downpour that
Austin Albers:eventually will bring the river up or even in fall, but it's
Austin Albers:pretty rare. But there are other rivers where, you know, you can
Austin Albers:still paddle pretty much year round. And so, you know, part of
Austin Albers:that challenge is going to be defining what you want to do,
Austin Albers:you know, as you know, your career or for an experience. Are
Austin Albers:you okay with working on weekends? Are you okay with
Austin Albers:seasonality? Are you okay with the hospitality industry,
Austin Albers:because that's really what it all ties into as well. And so,
Austin Albers:you know, whether it's lodging or restaurant or all that ties
Austin Albers:into, into outdoor recreation as well, because those experiences
Austin Albers:whether, you know, they're going out and experiencing an
Austin Albers:adventure for a day, doing a guided trip, there's a guide
Austin Albers:company here in Northwest Arkansas called 37 North and
Austin Albers:they do a lot of guided experiences. And you can go do a
Austin Albers:guided experience, but then you're coming, you're gonna get
Austin Albers:lunch or you're gonna eat dinner, or you're gonna go to,
Austin Albers:you know, go have a drink or something, you know, with your
Austin Albers:buddies afterwards. Like there's, there's different
Austin Albers:things that all come into play. And so it, it depends on, um,
Austin Albers:it's really a broad industry. That's why it's the number two
Austin Albers:industry in the state of Arkansas and there's a good
Austin Albers:opportunity to become the number one industry in the state of
Austin Albers:Arkansas because it it really is broad as far as what you can do,
Austin Albers:and where you can go to work. And two, from the standpoint of
Austin Albers:I mean, even somebody with a finance degree can stay in the
Austin Albers:financial side of it, because with every business, as you
Austin Albers:understand, there's I mean, it takes HR, it takes, you know, it
Austin Albers:takes benefits, it takes you know finance, it like there's a
Austin Albers:wide range of what goes into operating a business and small
Austin Albers:businesses is going to have fewer people, but the larger the
Austin Albers:businesses, then you're going to have more of those people
Austin Albers:fulfilling those roles as well.
Brent Williams:Well, something you said made me think of, you
Brent Williams:know, again, going back to your background, and maybe centering
Brent Williams:and concluding on our students. You know, you started in the
Brent Williams:finance industry, you you've worked in transportation, some,
Brent Williams:you pivoted, and it seems like you're in a spot that you truly
Brent Williams:enjoy. You've enjoyed growing the business, you told me,
Brent Williams:you've added technology to the business, but just as you
Brent Williams:reflect over the last 15, 20 years, and as you think about
Brent Williams:our students, and what advice you might give them, what's kind
Brent Williams:of a couple of nuggets that that you've learned that you think,
Brent Williams:that you think one of our students could benefit from?
Austin Albers:Yeah absolutely. So that's a great question. And,
Austin Albers:and there's a lot it's in, it's and, it's evolved over the
Austin Albers:years. In leadership, I always go back to this one nugget that
Austin Albers:I just reflect on, but in any, in any situation, always be slow
Austin Albers:to react and quick to praise. And there's a lot of I mean,
Austin Albers:just, when, when you're, when you're working with people, when
Austin Albers:you're working with guests, employees, whoever it is, you
Austin Albers:know, processing what's going on before you react is important,
Austin Albers:just because you just never know who you're dealing with what the
Austin Albers:situation is, I learned that actually from my finance
Austin Albers:background. And so with that, just, you know, reflecting on
Austin Albers:that, but then also follow your passion. You know, for most of
Austin Albers:us, we get out of high school, and we go to college, and we we
Austin Albers:may even graduate college, and we still don't know what we want
Austin Albers:to do. And I, you know, I went from aviation, to engineering to
Austin Albers:finance and like, kind of went around all of it and now I'm in
Austin Albers:the outdoor industry, do I use it? I use it all. But at the end
Austin Albers:of the day, I didn't know what I wanted to do until I got out
Austin Albers:there and started experiencing it and for me, it's the people
Austin Albers:it's, it's the working with, with our guests that have come
Austin Albers:in the door every day, and seeing the transformation on
Austin Albers:them from their experiences, and, you know, customer service,
Austin Albers:because we are in the customer service industry. Customer
Austin Albers:service is a big thing. And there's a wide range of customer
Austin Albers:service. And so dealing with people and you're fixing the
Austin Albers:problem, we're dealing with people who are on vacation, and
Austin Albers:so getting to deal with people who are on vacation, they're
Austin Albers:excited, you know, you see their stress coming off, you see them,
Austin Albers:you know, creating these experiences with you know, with
Austin Albers:their family with their friends. And so there's a there's a
Austin Albers:fulfillment there that you received from just helping
Austin Albers:create these experiences because you're helping someone better
Austin Albers:themselves, get a break, step away from whatever their
Austin Albers:stresses are in their daily life and experience something fun
Austin Albers:and, and, and exhilarating. And all in all experiences are
Austin Albers:perfect or great by any means. But they all come back with a
Austin Albers:story at the end of the day so.
Brent Williams:Well I love your I love your real intentional
Brent Williams:focus on customer experience and creating those experiences and
Brent Williams:leading your team that way and couldn't agree more about you
Brent Williams:know, when you can in the moment, slow down right you know
Brent Williams:and, assess and not react quickly. It was a great nugget.
Brent Williams:Well, Austin, I really appreciate you coming in and
Brent Williams:joining the podcast. We're thankful for you as a Walton
Brent Williams:College alum. So thanks for joining me today.
Austin Albers:Absolutely. Glad to be here and thanks for having
Austin Albers:me.
Brent Williams:Thank you.
Brent Williams:On behalf of the Walton College thank you for joining us for
Brent Williams:this captivating conversation to stay connected and never miss an
Brent Williams:episode, simply search for Be Epic on your preferred podcast
