Business & Entrepreneurship

As a grad student laid off in January of my last semester, I was confident I’d land a better career after graduation, so I took my time and enjoyed my final semester. Losing your job was a gut punch to my 27-year-old self: an arrogant, flashy, and cocky 27-year-old that needed to be humbled. I was angry at being let go and saw myself as a victim, but years later I realized much of it was my own fault and that I probably would have fired myself.

I always wanted to start my own business like my father or aunt, but was too afraid to lose the income and stability a career provides. But I also didn’t know how I’d finance it.

Unemployment gifted me with no excuses, and I thought that I’d start a new business with greater potential while I waited for lucrative job offers to come through. A friend who knew of my food tour told me of a business plan competition and encouraged me to apply. All I needed was an idea. I wanted to see what a ghost tour was like, having eerie unexplained experiences as a kid, so I went on one. My consulting mind saw areas for improvement as the rain brought a quick end to the experience, but I wasn’t sure I could work with that. Waking from a nap later that week, I decided there should be an app that turns someone’s mobile device into a tour guide, and that would be the business.

At the same time, I liquidated some of my savings to invest in a startup airline called PeopleExpress after one of my classes had the founder present to the class and invite investors. This ended up being one of many in a string of bad moves that would put me in debt.

I won the business plan competition in April, rewarded my interns with half the winnings, and with a foolish level of confidence decided to focus on it while still holding out for interviews and job offers, which never arrived despite my efforts. I sold my investments little by little to finance it, mostly apple stock I’d invested in before the iPhone release, Google, Broadcom, and Amazon positions that I wish I’d kept. I’d invested this money from when I worked in high school, through the marines, and through the jobs I worked in college and was already cashing it in.

The app released in October 2012, starting with ghost tours in seven cities, and it was not off to a good start. It did not secure many downloads or in-app purchases. The developers built it poorly ( everything would need to be rebuilt two years later). I struggled with how to market it to consumers, and the build and marketing costs were high. Hope remained in the potential for B2B (business to business) sales, which I pursued in 2013. But I didn’t have much capital to work with, so I rented my house, sold my car, and cashed in all of my stocks and savings. Over the next 18 months, I spent money in all the wrong places, spent all my money, worked insane hours, and went in debt. No job offers arrived. Waking up each morning during this period was the most difficult as I had failed, but I kept going.

I had a few clients and some b2b sales, but nothing significant. Things turned around when I tried marketing the app on tripadvisor. Their policy wouldn’t allow me to list unless I sold physical tour tickets, so that’s what I did. Sales in the app increased, and I ended up with in-person tours too.

I then started a nonprofit called Ignition to help other entrepreneurs in the area and formed a board. From there, I started two drink themed tour bus companies, a coffee company, a brewery, and a few small side projects while expanding the app and tour business. In 2020 during the pandemic, I decided I wanted to consolidate to focus on one industry, and so I worked to divest myself of everything else while growing the tour brand to new niches and locations. I created a line of products to add an eCommerce component, and in 2021 acquired the Lizzie Borden House, which added a new dimension in hospitality experience. In the years after, I acquired Brickhouse Inn and the Villisca Axe Murder House while continuing to expand the locations and types of experiences.

Blog

Defending Ukraine

Defending Ukraine

I’ve proudly given time and resources to help Ukraine, founding Ghosts of Liberty in February 2022, and completing three trips and two months in the country. It was a rewarding yet moving experience. The men I trained on my first trip were good people with no military background whose futures and lives were upended...

America’s Greatest Tragedy

America’s Greatest Tragedy

Growing up in Southern California, I didn’t see any Civil War statues or Confederate flags. I didn’t understand why there were still contentious debates about flags and statues. Sure, I learned about the Civil War and slavery in High School, but the arguments presented by the “lost cause” crowd muddied the truth. It was...

See all blogs and stories