Perseverance

Welcome to issue 2 of Zip Zag! In the last issue I wrote about our Empower Adventures facility in Connecticut. That facility was the first Empower center to be created and is now thriving after 6 full seasons of hard work and dedication. Creating the first facility and brand had many challenges. We learned a lot about marketing, sales, adventure operations, cash flow management, HR and other business related tasks along the way. These are the nuts and bolts of any business but were considered “on the job training” for the Empower team as we stumbled through our first few years.
 

 
So after 5+ years of being a 1-location brand everything changed on July 4th, 2014. This is when Empower Adventures opened its second adventure facility in the heart of Middleburg, Virginia on the grounds of the spectacular Salamander Resort & Spa. Many figured we had all the answers and I was one of those many. One may have thought we knew everything we needed to know to build the second installment of the Empower Adventures brand right? Not exactly.
 

 
Building facility #2 has been completely different and although the products of both facilities are very similar, the settings, clientele and market are uniquely different. If you asked me to summarize my experience developing facility #2 in one word I would say PERSEVERANCE. From day one there have been hurdles, challenges and adversity. But success has not eluded us. Due to our “never say die attitude” and our ability to hustle and grind out each day, we have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time! In our first 10 months the team at Empower Adventures in Middleburg has accomplished the following:

• Designed and built a first-class adventure program that includes a 20-acre zip line canopy tour facility featuring 5 zip lines, 2 suspension bridges, rappelling tower and welcome center gazebo.
• Launched our brand in Northern Virginia — which is to offer powerful, uplifting programs that give families, teams, groups and individuals a chance to be adventurous, get outside of their comfort zone, build confidence, learn from nature and enjoy the experience of flying through the tree tops.
• Facilitated over 350 Tree Top Zip Tour adventures for 2000 people who have come to us from over 25 different states and 12 different countries.
• We have facilitated team development and leadership programs for over 25 corporate teams and groups.
• The Survival 101 Team Building Challenge was built and delivered for corporate teams.
• The Kiddo Zip Line experience was launched and allows children from 4 to 7 years old to enjoy the fun of zip lining.
• Empower Adventures was featured in Modern Luxury magazine, Bliss Magazine and other publications across the greater DC region.

 

 
As I write this – we are poised to do even better in season 2. Since Thanksgiving of last year we have done the following in order to prepare for our best season yet:

• Made business development a focus. We have strategically focused our efforts on developing group business.
• Created a comprehensive advertising campaign focusing on specific demographics.
• Formed strategic alliances with other area business people who share a similar approach and value system as Empower.
• We are preparing for success! We will not be surprised when we start filling our offerings and when our products start selling out. Our staff and operations systems are prepared to deliver the same level of exceptional service and utmost quality regardless of customer volume.
• The leadership has spent quality time together getting to know one anothers strengths and weaknesses. We have built solid relationships that will be the basis for our understanding and compassion on the hardest days.
• Each person in leadership has taken some time to enjoy a respite from the day to day exertion of “being our best.” It is this time that helps us to be our best when our season begins and we are “on stage” day after day

Throughout the process of building Empower Adventures in Middleburg, there have been numerous lessons learned and great strides made in our organization. We are positioned to have a spectacular season in 2015 with two locations primed for success and the groundwork for future growth being laid.
 

 
It is with great pride and a huge amount of gratitude that I thank all of our Empower employees in Connecticut and Virginia for their dedication and commitment to our mission and passion for showing our guests why adventures like those at Empower can truly make a difference. It is through this mission that we will leave our legacy on our communities and make this world a better place. Zip On!
 
Joe DeRing