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Why I Built It
Curiosity + Constraint = The Testbed
After selling my consulting firm, I was under a 10-year noncompete. I couldn’t keep doing what I loved — building growth systems for brands.
So I tried something new. I moved to a town of 5,000 where I knew no one, launched a walking tour business, and challenged myself to build something from scratch in a space I’d never worked in.
I wanted to see what was possible — not just with storytelling, but with systems. This became the field lab for what I now teach.
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Starting Conditions (The Challenge)
No Team. No Traffic. No Trust.
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Population: 5,500
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Tourist season: 7 months
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No brand recognition, no local trust
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OTA platforms charged 25%
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Locals initially dismissive, even territorial
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Knew nothing about tours or the tourism industry
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Zero direct bookings at launch
No email required. Instant download.
What I Built
(The Results)
What the Business Became
Growth Highlights
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42% average YoY growth
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#1 on TripAdvisor + Google (7 yrs)
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21% of guests left reviews
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99% of reviews were 5 stars
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27% of bookings from past guests
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277% increase in ticket prices
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Ghost tours became 62% of bookings
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Multiple seasonal tour formats
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Local partnerships & school programs
Systems & Proof
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41% website conversion rate
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Bounce rate: 38% + Avg. 5+ min on site
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Email & SMS lifecycle automations
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OTA reliance dropped to 18%
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Direct bookings grew via funnel & content
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Partnered with 90% of hotels, rentals, museum
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Quarterly nurture emails, triggered upsells
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Facebook-led content and community engagement
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6 published books, award-winning podcast & radio
What I Learned
What Tourism Gets Wrong — and How I Fixed It
After intense research into companies nationwide, I realized most tourism operators are brilliant at what they do, but not at how they promote.
I saw:
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Basic websites
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Weak or generic messaging
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No funnel flow or direct booking system
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No CRM, no reviews process, no retention strategy
What built my business was marketing — not product.
And those same levers are what I now offer to brands ready to scale.
34-page report on why agencies are slow, bloated, and built to bill — no email required.
What This Proved
This Wasn’t Just a Business. It Was a System Test.
I didn’t just build a tour company — I built a strategy system under pressure.
Every lever I now use — brand positioning, funnel redesign, review strategy, pricing models, partnerships, and lifecycle content — was tested here.
It didn’t start big. But it got results. And now I help other tourism brands do the same — with a roadmap I know works.