We recently connected with Scott & Karissa Wright and have shared our conversation below.

Scott & Karissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I needed a change of career. The stresses of my job were really affecting my health in a very negative way .Kayaking and nature are so relaxing. We knew we wanted to go out every day, so choosing to start a kayak tour company was easy. Coming up with a plan and executing it was a little more difficult. How long to go out, picking a kayak route, what to say, how to present ourselves, all the while keeping the tour neutral and interesting. We just wanted our tours to be great so that every guest is left wanting to go kayaking every day, too. We hoped to share our love of the water and Florida’s natural beauty in a way so that others fell in love with it, too.

From growing up in the area, I knew the perfect spot…Shell Key Preserve. It had a lot to offer in the way of kayaking and wildlife. My family used to frequent the area when I was a kid, so I have a lot of history there. The beauty and diversity of the preserve truly has something for every nature lover…but how do I showcase ALL of its exceptional attributes in a reasonable amount of time? Because, really, everyone wants something a little different.

The perfect tour had to seamlessly flow from one highlight to the next. Honestly, there was a lot of trial and error taking friends and family along to get feedback on how much time to spend in the kayaks, how far to paddle, and which features of the preserve are the most (and least) popular.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we could take others along on our adventure, we had to buy more kayaks. We’ve rented, borrowed, and used all different kinds of kayaks over the years, and let me tell you that not all kayaks are made equally. We agreed pretty early on that we wouldn’t ask our guests to paddle in equipment that we wouldn’t use ourselves, so we bought the same quality brand sit-inside that we use. Even within our own family, one size does not fit all. And for that reason, we bought a variety of models to fit every person and their needs. After all, being comfortable in your kayak is the first, and maybe most important, step in having a great experience.

Speaking of our family, we raised three kids spread out over 7 years. When the kids were younger, family vacations often meant splitting up so the big kids could have their fun, while the little one got left with the other parent. Choosing to build our tour for the whole family was important to us. Preschoolers to great (even great great) grandparents are invited and welcome on our tour to make memories together.

There’s not much better than seeing both young and old faces light up when they learn or discover something new, and so much of the flora and fauna here on Florida’s gulf coast is new to visitors. Encouraging lifelong learning by making learning about the seemingly exotic marine life exciting is part of our mission.

It’s not just marine biology, though. There are skills involved in kayaking, especially tandem kayaking. We often joke that tandems can make or break relationships. For that reason, in addition to family fun, we decided to offer tours as skill building workshops. Figuring out how to communicate, work together, and delegate is integral to both successfully maneuvering a tandem kayak and working with others in the office. Not to mention that kayaking is typically a much more well received form of practice than a workshop hosted by HR.

We’ve made some tweaks over the years, but our basic formula has not changed. We treat our guests the way we would want to be treated and give them the tour we would want to have if we were the ones taking it. Put the experience, and the guests having the experience, first; the rest will fall into place.

Scott & Karissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up around the water gave me a love of and appreciation for nature. I’m also a bit of a history buff. Perhaps most importantly, I’m a people person. I love meeting new people, learning about them, and sharing my favorite things with them. My wife and I started Island Kayak Tours as a way to combine all of those interests. We provide kayak tours through Shell Key Preserve in Pinellas County, Florida as a way to share what it was like to grow up here and experience the water as a wide-eyed child would, with fun, adventure, and a sense of wonder. We pack the tour with information about the preserve, its wildlife inhabitants, and the history of the area as I experienced it as a kid in a relaxed, “out for a paddle with an old friend’ kind of environment.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being authentic is the best way to build reputation. When customers can see that you are honest, that you put their experience above your profit, and genuinely want the best for them, they will not only come back, but will tell others about you. Additionally, many more people live in Florida than are from Florida. Being able to incorporate stories from growing up here sets our tour apart from others who just give facts. It’s so much more special when someone shares THEIR home & history with you.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

COVID could have easily shut us down permanently. Infection rates and restrictions quickly rose in early 2020. Unfortunately, that coincided with our spring break tourist season in Florida. It’s the time of year when, seemingly, every family comes to Florida to escape the cold of the north and enjoy sun, sand, and beaches; the time of year we tourism based companies depend on to see us through the slow season. But, airlines were only flying at minimal capacity, if you were willing to fly. Hotels and activities were ordered closed by the state. We were not allowed to operate during our busiest month of the year. It easily could have put us out of business.

Fortunately, though, when the safer-at-home orders were eased and we were able to go back to work, we saw a surge of people who were so happy to be outside in fresh air with plenty of space to social distance. The warm weather and abundance of outdoor activities brought people to Florida in droves. Kayaking was the perfect outdoor activity. We are forever grateful to all the locals and tourists who kayaked with us that crazy, mixed up year.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://islandkayaktours.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/islandkayaktour
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IslandKayakTours
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/islandkayaktour
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/island-kayak-tours-tierra-verde
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@islandkayaktour

Image Credits
Island Kayak Tours