We were lucky to catch up with Caroline Kotras recently and have shared our conversation below.
Caroline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?
Our 1st vacation in 3 years starts this week!
Caroline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into the kayak tourism industry after spending 5 years in the field I went to college for. I loved what I did immensely, however, felt the calling of the water. I eagerly took a tour guide position in Chincoteague Island. I soon found myself in the managerial position as well as guiding and honesty, the rest is history. I knew I needed my own kayak business someday.
Now, nearly 3 years in, we have found a groove. We have been voted the Best of the Best by the Tampa Bay Times People’s Choice Awards and find joy in getting each and every paddler on the water. Lately, we have had the honor of people trusting us to teach them the ways of the water with our Introduction to Kayaking and Safety courses. These future paddlers come to us seeking kayak confidence, rules and etiquette, and vehicle transportation. We have found major success and are especially proud of a recent student, in her 70s, gaining enough confidence to buy her own kayak and take it out every weekend!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
We are seeing more and more return customers and even new customers who feel strongly enough to paddle with us and no one else. Now we don’t mind if our paddlers kayak with someone else, so the fact that we are seeing this loyalty and belief in us is very meaningful. I can only credit this to our values of exceptional customer service and making kayaking accessible to everyone. We welcome all skill levels, total beginners, young, old, good joints and bad joints, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. We take the time on the phone during bookings to answer all questions, we trouble shoot all paddles and tours so they are as safe as possible so all our customers need to do is enjoy.
We also have a “no paddler left behind” direction, meaning if someone paddles slower, there will be a trained guide to make sure they get back. This opens the door to senior paddlers and those with physical conditions. All of our special events have at least 2 guides on the water who are not only safety and cpr trained, able to address panic attacks, cold water shock and overboards, but also have plenty of nature knowledge and even a few jokes up their sun shirt sleeves. An enjoyable experience is what we strive for every single time and that combined with our love and passion for paddling has helped us build our reputation.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I met Sophia while I was working as a kayak tour guide in the Florida Keys. She was there from England, volunteering at a group home for adults. She suggested I take her paddle boarding. While kayaking is my calling, I am a certified SUP instructor, so I thought I could teach her a few things while soaking in the tropical Keys water. We got along great and as we got to know each other better, we realized we both had an entrepreneurial spark.
I remember sitting with her on the step of my camper, watching the ocean and dreaming about starting a business together. We incorporated her background as an Occupational Therapist and mine as an Art Therapist and our shared love for the water and wildlife. I have dreamt many times and had those dreams simply float on. Not Sophia. Once she sets her mind to something, she manifests it and makes it happen. She is the reason we are here today.
Contact Info:
- Website: GokoKayaks.com
- Instagram: @gokokayaks
- Facebook: @GokoFL
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCA4m5gs8Jdw4Kl3hVk91Z0Q