We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Bredemus a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Anytime you step away from being an employee and into being the owner of a business, you take a risk. Prior to purchasing our summer camp, I was a mechanical engineer working in the panhandle of Florida. I had a high income and was quite comfortable. In order to purchase the camp from my uncle and go into business with my dad, we sold the family home, I quit my engineering job, and we put all of our eggs in one basket. It really was sink or swim. The success in question felt unstable, especially since our first year in business was 2020. We actually had to cancel our first summer due to the pandemic. In hindsight, that gap in business was a blessing because it gave us more time to prepare. In the moment, it felt like we had stretched too thin. Now, six years in, I see that becoming self employed requries a certain palate for risk-taking in the business world. The risk is integral to fuel the fire that propels you forward. Without the risk, there’s no room for grit.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been the co-owner and director at Birchwood Wilderness Camp since 2020, but the all-boys summer camp has been in my family since 1968. We are a small camp by design, housing only 46 campers maximum at any given time. You can consider us a boutique camp or a mom-and-pop business. Our campers come from all over the United States and occasionally internationally to spend two to four weeks in the great northwoods with us. We’re a camp for everyday kiddos who love being outside. Even boys who have never been camping before can come to Birchwood and feel at home. We teach all the life skills like paddling a canoe and cooking over a fire because we believe they’re fantastic vehicles for soft skills like communication and self-confidence.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

For us, that has always been word of mouth. When my grandparents started our sister camp in the 50s’, my grandfather went to the library and checked out “Who’s Who in America” and drove door-to-door marketing the camp. Today, we see grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those original folks. Over the years, that word has spread and grown into a massive web of camp families. Don’t get me wrong, our internet and social media presence are important, but nothing has ever been able to top word-of-mouth marketing for us. Never forget to ask clientele to share the word!

Any advice for managing a team?

My experience has been this: let your team see you in all areas of your business from time to time. For example, I have cleaned the bathrooms, done the dishes, and swept the dining hall floors. I am not above the simple care tasks. I want my staff to know that I value their work because I have done it. It also gives me the opportunity to listen to their ideas and commentary. If I volunteer to help the kitchen crew with dishes one evening, I can be available to hear what their experience is like. If my team feels like I’m in it with them, we work much more cohesively.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://birchwoodwildernesscamp.com/
• Instagram: @birchwoodwildernesscamp and @ashleybredemus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwc.bwb
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7AEQDnuJ7_cXrJLiFvjxw