Business and Bug Spray: An Entrepreneurial Field Guide

Business & Bug Spray, that might be an appropriate title for a memoir someday. I’m an avid outdoors-woman; lover of nature, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and wondering deep into the forest where there is zero cell phone reception. My adventures have lead me to cross paths with foraging black bears, poisonous berry (accidental) consumption, and unearthing invaluable resources just feet below Earths surface.

While TrashN2Tees was born from my passion for environmental protection, I never truly recognized the valuable business lessons I learned (and continue) to learn as I explore the great outdoors. Today I’m sharing an entrepreneurial field guide that I hope will help you find your way in nature and in business.

Dealing with Discomfort: Camping and getting outdoors pushes many of us outside our comfort zones. I’m hard pressed to name an entrepreneur who never felt uncomfortable. Stop playing it safe and ask yourself, is comfort holding you back?

Pitching Your Tent: The placement of your tent is vital, you must take into consideration your surroundings. The same ideas can be applied when it comes to starting up your business- and its equally important to remind yourself that you’re anchoring in but in case of emergency you can still head for higher ground.  Read:  Build Your Nest with Intention

Pack the Essentials: Essentials for survival include: navigational support and nutrition, fire, protection, and water. Each and everyone of these can be directly related to the same essentials you need to succeed in business (and in life.) Camping helps you pare down to the essentials and learn to appreciate having less.  Read: Why We Don’t Need More

Jumping In: I recall some of my earliest trips to the lake. I would swim my little heart out to make it to the floating dock. Once there I’d spend the entire day jumping in. Sometimes I aced the cannon ball others left me with welted from an occasional belly flop. Occasionally I need that reminder, it’s much more fun in the water than just wading around by the shoreline. Read: How to Get Your Indie Business Noticed 

Sometimes it Rains: When the rain comes something magical happens. Everyone gathers under cover to stay dry and warm, together. Combining resources, sharing a meal and telling stories as new memories are built. Good things come from seeking shelter, regrouping, and pulling together. Eventually storms pass and the sun shines again, it always does.

Forget the Bug Spray: Now I hate bug bites as much as the next person, but one rule of thumb when you go out into the woods is to keep it natural. That means no frilly scented stuff. This is a great lesson when it comes to approaching your market too! Be yourself, glossing over your presence with ‘bug spray’ will send mixed signals and bring unwanted attention.  Read: 5 Principles for Being Authentic and Successful 

Leave No Trace: However you enjoy camping you should always aim to leave the outdoors a better place than when you found it. Imagine the environmental impact if we lived by this principle in our everyday lives, not just when camping. Read: Greening Your Handmade Business

What lessons have you learned from camping/nature/adventuring that have benefited your business? Post a comment below. Let’s grow this field guide together and as we venture into the woods, climb the highest mountains, or simply float down stream this summer we’ll have this valuable reference to guide + remind you of all the great adventures that await for you and your handmade business.