Meet Katie Dufort | Owner of Puzzle Rides

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Dufort and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Practice, practice, practice!

In a prior career, I spent over a decade as a sales person and sales trainer. I learned to give “presentations for profits” – remembering that every part of an experience can enhance the enjoyment. When the company I worked for closed, I saw the “golf cart as taxi” model as something I wanted to do something different with. It took me several years to figure out-but now looking back I can see all my prior experience has made me well-equipped to run an escape-style scavenger hunt on golf carts! Our team building platform is greatly built on the skills I developed in my prior career, and my expertise in what you can safely do in golf carts has been a bedrock we’ve built on. When you add in my lifetime study of history and appreciation of the arts…it’s easy to see all the years before were “practice” for creating Puzzle Rides!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to say I have a “Soundtrack Mind” – I have multiple tracks running simultaneously, and love to jump from one interesting thing to another. I knew the golf carts could be more than just a taxi service, but tours were already being done well with them-and I didn’t see a reason to try and compete. I also love small businesses-my early efforts with the carts reflect my desire to market small Mom & Pop stores-but hey! I adore history and art, too, as well as science. Now let’s add in the fact I knew I never wanted to work for someone else or have limits on my earning potential plus greatly desired to have fun….and that’s Puzzle Rides.

When I create a ride, I get to utilize many different loves, weave them together, and create a soundtrack for adventure. My first ride, Hijacked by Science, was created around one premise: I wanted to have people do a science experiment as a clue. Wild West Heist was developed to showcase Scottsdale’s different districts with an emphasis on local history and art. Our pub crawls were developed with local independent bars in mind: in the heat of the summer, why not create a win-win collaboration? Clues and objects in our Puzzle kits are increasingly vintage items; as a historian I love presenting actual pieces of history as part of a ride (while repurposing those items instead of them languishing in a thrift store!) By far my favorite “art” is utilizing local public art as a clue. I study the pieces over time-and amazingly some wonderful clues have emerged from the designs, well beyond using their descriptive plaque.

Along the way I’ve had to learn how to pull back (when I think I can offer more!) to focus on one quality product. Most challenging? Juggling so many balls; we’re still a tiny business in which I am forced to wear many hats (when I’d rather just create!)

We started Puzzle Rides in 2020, intending to open March 13th. On March 12th, everything shut down due to Covid. We lost our golf cart taxi season, and all of our income dried up. We didn’t qualify for the PPP, and I turned my attention to our second location: Prescott. We opened there very quietly, and slowly grew. We opened in Scottsdale in October, and grew a little more. By January 2021, however, I was out of cash. I had funded the entire business with my own credit cards, and there was no more credit line left. Then my mom died unexpectedly, and we brought my elderly dad to live with us. I sold my antique dishes and beloved collector Barbies and kept going…and it all changed in March 2021. We gained momentum, and haven’t looked back.

Never, never, never give up. Despite incredible set backs, I knew we had something that clicked with people. While we still struggle to get something’s right (our marketing!! Lol!! Imagine what we could do if I could hire an expert!!) we are doing the most important thing right: bringing joy and adventure to our customers. We all need a win- and Puzzle Rides is happy to give those!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I haven’t seen my best friends in Michigan since the pandemic started-and I’m hoping to have this visit soon!

First, we’re headed to Prescott. I lived there for 8 years and it’s where Puzzle Rides was born (and still runs year round!) I’d drag them up Thumb Butte for a hike, stay overnight at the Hassayampa Inn and eat at the County Seat and El Gato Azul. The next day it’s over Mingus Mtn to Jerome, with lunch at Grapes, before hitting old Main Street in Cottonwood.

Sedona is getting pretty crowded, but a quick trip up Schnebly Hill in our Jeep is hugely entertaining!! Maybe head up to Flag for some fun at Flagstaff Extreme, and head to the Canyon with a stop in Williams at the Pine Country Restaurant (just for the pie alone it’s worth it!)

Back in the valley, I’m taking them to old Town Scottsdale with my carts as our vehicles. We’ll head to Rack Pool Hall for the best bar food I’ve ever had (seriously!! The tots are incredible!) and the Sugar Bowl for dessert. A day trip to Gilbert so we can eat at Joe’s and shop downtown. Back at my house in Phoenix, it’s hanging out outside anytime but summer, that’s my most favorite thing to show off!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Holly Bentley, owner of Holly Morgan Media. Her dedication and hard work has been an integral part of our success! Her optimism and never-say-die attitude have helped me through many rough bits!

Website: http://www.puzzlerides.com

Instagram: @puzzlerides