We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacey Simmons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stacey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?
The lodge that I manage is an Indigenous-owned business. The Alaska Native Corporation that owns it is called Koniag. Koniag is the regional corporation of our Suqpiat/Alutiiq people. The lodge is on Koniag land, meaning we have exclusive access to almost the entire lake. The area has a deep and rich history for our people. I wanted to incorporate our Corporation and culture into the lodge when I took it over. I did this by marrying my two positions with Koniag as a senior director of In-Region and Shareholder Services and the Director of Operations to the KBBC. To scale up, I created new programs highlighting our culture and training our Shareholders in KBBC positions. We created a Koniag Shareholder apprenticeship program at the lodge and worked with the Alutiiq Museum to start an archaeological dig into the bear viewing season.
Archeological Dig Program
https://the-past.com/news/
Stacey, 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?
My name is Stacey “Imaq” Simmons. I was born and raised on Kodiak Island and grew up in a village called Old Harbor on Kodiak. I am Sugpiaq/Alutiiq. Both of my parents are indigenous and raised in villages on the Island. I have two jobs with the Alaska Native Corporation called Koniag. I manage Shareholder benefits (Youth Scholarships, Elder distributions, etc.) for the Corporation, and I manage the Kodiak Brown Bear Center and Lodge, a subsidiary company of Koniag.
The KBBC is an eco-tourism bear viewing and fly fishing lodge on Karluk Lake. It is nestled on private Alaska Native land and is a testament to indigenous ownership and a commitment to luxury travel. This unique destination, proudly owned by the Alutiiq people of Kodiak, offers a one-of-a-kind experience that harmonizes with the natural surroundings. As guests indulge in the luxury of the lodge, they can take solace in knowing that every dollar spent contributes to programs that support cultural programs, scholarships, Elders’ distributions, and subsistence programs, to name a few. In visiting our lodge, our guests help to ensure that the cultural and economic programs are shared among our Alutiiq people, who have called this pristine land home for over 12,000 years.
Our service-minded mission and direct connection to our land and people set us apart from other lodges. Koniag owns most of the land around the lake where we view wildlife. The other land is all Alaska Refuge land. This means that we are the only lodge on the lake. A part of being good stewards of our land is operating our lodge with the land and environment in mind. We have two wind turbines as well as solar panels.
Our Kodiak Brown Bear Center clients arrive with the intention of seeing magnificent bears, only to discover that their experience extends far beyond, revealing a rich tapestry of wildlife and nature. Embark on an extraordinary journey to a remote destination, where you will witness incredible wildlife in their natural habitat and contribute to supporting Alutiiq cultural programs. This unique adventure promises a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I love my position and am honored to be working in this capacity for my people.
How did you build your audience on social media?
After completing his National Geographic special, “Alaska’s Grizzly Gauntlet,” at the lodge, renowned “Survivor Man” Les Stroud returned to the Kodiak Brown Bear Center. Inspired by his experiences, he crafted a captivating YouTube video, accessible at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qerl0ZhzUIY, which garnered over 35,000 views within the first weeks of its release. Stroud’s return to our lodge and the subsequent video showcased the remarkable encounters with Kodiak brown bears and highlighted the distinctive and mesmerizing essence of our wildlife haven. His storytelling prowess brought the Kodiak experience to a global audience, leaving an indelible mark on the enchanting tales of our lodge. He even used the trick I taught him about remembering the two different salmon names for each species!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
During COVID-19, we canceled our season. We used this time to rebrand ourselves, create training programs, and revamp our booking system and website. Since then, our training program has grown into an apprenticeship program, and we used it as an opportunity to find different trainings to bring to Kodiak that all community members can be a part of. An example is the captain license course.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kodiakbearcenter.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kodiakbearcenterak/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KodiakBrownBearCenter/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kodiakbrownbearcenter
Image Credits
Jake Lange with Middle Coast