Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Brown.
Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been drawn to water. As a little girl, my mom would take me to the lakes, springs and beaches all over Central Florida. I remember so many happy, sunny days playing with her and my siblings in the water.
As an adult, I also took my 4 children and their many friends to these same magical waterways. On spring break 2010, we went to New Smyrna Beach and my high-school-aged sons begged me to rent a Stand Up Paddleboard to use during our vacation. It was one of the first generations of paddleboards. It was 12 feet long and super heavy. But the kids were having a blast and invited me to try it. I was not successful at all in the waves. I paddled out hard and made it past the breakers. I tried over and over again to stand but kept falling off. I finally stood up with shaky legs and all these heads start popping up in the water around me. I thought they were sharks and that I was about to die. My son Trevor shouts out, “Relax mom, they’re dolphins”. I was mesmerized. I could hear them chattering. I started laughing because I could imagine how they were laughing at me. There were beautiful dolphins of all ages around me and I was hooked on paddling from that day on. I decided I was going to get good at this new sport and wander and explore on the water.
Not long after this first experience, I was invited by a group of girlfriends to go on a sunset paddle and wine tasting in Calalisa Creek in New Smyrna. I was going through a really rough time in life and I said yes. I was my friend’s Galentine’s date. Out on the creek we paddled into one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. We got off our boards on a disappearing island and enjoyed wine, cheese and great conversation. It was healing for me. One the paddle back, a dream was born on that water. “I want to make people feel just like this,” I thought as I gazed up into the oranges and vibrant reds of that sunset.
Not long after that, I bought a couple of paddleboards and started teaching friends and family to paddle. I got on the water any chance I could. I discovered a really easy way to teach people to stand up and paddle. I researched the most stable boards and formed an LLC. But it was still a dream. I talked a lot about creating a business, but it’s a scary prospect to put yourself out there in business.
II began dating an amazing man in 2016 after a beautiful morning meditation on the water. That is a great story for another time. I shared my dream with him and he thought it was an AMAZING idea. Over the next year, he kept asking me, “So when are you going to start? When are you going to make your dream a reality?” I told him all my fears and doubts. He told me all the reasons this was a great business model and all the reasons it would work. I still wavered. I asked him if he would like to be my partner in this. He has the most outgoing, kind spirit and I needed the support and help. So we jumped in and just started.
I didn’t know much about business but I knew I wanted to provide a quality experience on the water. My goal was and still is to have my guests leave feeling like they have a new skill and a new best friend. Our business has grown really fast over the last 4 years. We rebranded from Lake Life Paddle to Epic Paddle Adventures. We added kayaking to our tours because we realize not everyone wants to learn SUP but we still want to meet them and enjoy time on the water. We have had ups and downs but mainly ups. I get to be the dreamer, the creative partner and Richard gets to be the one who makes us successful on the business side. When we make decisions together, the magic happens.
We have gotten some awesome ideas from our guests. One day a sweet lady asked to paddle with my dog Sarah because she missed her dog so much and a new tour was born, Our Puppy Paddles. We get to teach people to paddle with their pups and it’s so much fun. I got my yoga certification and began teaching yoga on the water. It’s so relaxing and meditation on the water is life-changing! My partner saw pictures of glowing paddleboards and our Night Glow Paddle sessions became one of our most booked tours.
We have been blessed to grow an amazing team of managers and guides who support the idea of providing a 5-star experience for locals and tourists who want to experience the best part of Florida, our waterways. We have over 70 vessels and 15 tours operating 7 days a week. Just last weekend we hosted 140 sorority girls from UCF on Lake Ivanhoe. Richard and I are both UCF alum, so that was really special and the girls had a very successful event.
I still get the same feeling on the water that I did when I first experienced paddling. My best days are when a guest tells me they thought they wouldn’t be able to do it, but they are so happy and proud that they did. I always hope they carry that joy and sense of success with them into their everyday life. The water is a very healing and joyful place to spend a few hours or a lifetime.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business from the ground up is definitely not for the faint of heart! It has been challenging. The biggest struggle for me has been learning the business side. Permits, taxes, bookkeeping…those are not fun for me. I wish I had asked for more help early on with this part of the business.
I also feel that I struggled with a lot of self-doubt. I told myself stories that weren’t true. I thought “Who am I to have a successful business?” Sometimes the harshest critic you face is yourself. But over time, I began to believe what my support system had been telling me all along. That I was strong and capable. And smart!
We got a lot of pushback on our business model from the community we live in. They didn’t really want a paddleboard business on the lake there. It made me really sad. It was like having a child that you think is amazing and the kids at school and the teacher don’t really like them. It hurt pretty bad. But a really smart, successful friend said, “Just don’t give up!” It sounds so hokey but it’s so true. If you give up, it’s game over. But if you stay hopeful, your dream can become a reality. Now, we operate in a super supportive community, The Ivanhoe Village. We love it there and we feel the sky is the limit on success.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is so fun. Every day is different. Some days I get to lead tours or teach yoga on the water. Some days I am in the office doing admin. Some days I am at home caring for my mom. I was a stay at home mom for 20 plus years before starting Epic Paddle Adventures. So entering the entrepreneurial world was challenging but also pretty easy for me. I had multiple customer service jobs in college and I loved making people happy and solving problems.
We are known for creating unique, 5-star experiences on the water for guests from all over the world. I am most proud that have all 5-star reviews. It makes me the happiest to see the joy we create for our guests.
What sets me apart from others is that I have been able to grow a business from the ground up while caring for my beautiful mom. She has Alzheimer’s and lives with us. On hard days, I remember that I want to make my mom proud of me even if she won’t be able to articulate that. It has been challenging, but I feel like my priorities are in line. Take care of mom and family, take care of myself and my relationoship and then take care of business.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Oh wow! I have so many mentors, supporters and cheerleaders. My partner in life and business, Richard has been the most supportive and loving partner I could imagine. We would not have the scale of business we do today if it was not for his far reaching vision. I was pretty happy to grow slowly but the ideas we come up with together helped us to scale quickly.
My sister is a very successful CEO so it really helped me to have her guidance along the way. She has been a great role model on how to grow a successful team. Her kindness, generosity and intelligence are amazing. I watched my brother grow his passion of gardening into a very successful business and that inspired me as well.
Watching my own kids work hard in college to achieve their dreams has also inspired me to work hard. I want to make them proud of their mom.
I have also been incredibly blessed to have an EPIC tribe of supporters that came out to paddle with us and then became our best friends! Through ups and downs, these amazing people have built me up and given me so much encouragement, love and friendship. There are too many to name them all. But I love each one of them so much. Every year that tribe grows.
Pricing:
- Our paddleboard and kayak rentals are $33 for 4 hours.
- Our Night Glow in Paradise tour on Lake Ivanhoe starts at $75 per person. Call for local rates.
- Our Blue Spring Adventures starts at $65 per person.
- Our Bioluminescence tours start in June and they are $65.
Contact Info:
- Email: epicpaddleadventures@gmail.com
- Website: www.epicpaddleadventures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicpaddleorlando
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/epicpaddleadventures
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMVGTUoxwtIZcuHNL_SMaw
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/bHtFF6aMV1xBWiVurWPivA
