Meet Robert Anderson | Professional Guide & Small Business Owner

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

Hi Robert, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a long time hiker, I explored what was in my immediate surroundings including lakes, mountains, and desert. Over time, and many adventures later, I decided to venture out to other areas like the Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Grand Canyon. Most of the time I would go alone due to friends and family members not being interested or it conflicted with their schedule. Over these years of hiking alone through mountains, rivers, and deserts, I met a lot of people. These people were your average person who is not familiar with the wilderness but wanted to experience nature. They would ask a lot of questions about the trail, or how far this was or that was, but eventually I realized that these people would benefit from a guide. A guide to lead you to where you want to go, plan the logistics, and set an itinerary for you to just relax while enjoying the trip. I tested this theory with my friends and family members. I took them on my adventures to see how they would react. Most of the time they absolutely loved the destinations, the experiences, and the feeling of accomplishing something new to them that seemed difficult. These outdoor companies exist but they seem to be more about packing up a cargo van full of people and taking them to scenic landscapes for photographs. My adventures are based more on your enjoyment of the outdoors, the bonding between people, and pushing yourself to the destination, a truly immersive experience. My adventures may seem much harder than the tours that are available today but not too hard to require technical skills like mountaineering. I have found a soft spot in the middle for all the regular people out there in the world to take a hike that may push you physically, emotionally, or both. In the end, it always creates a life lasting memory as you immerse yourself in the outdoor adventure.

What should our readers know about your business?
Lone Wolf Outdoor Adventures is an outdoor adventure company that focuses on an immersive experience to create a life long memory. A lone wolf is defined as being a very independent and solitary person. When I first tried to invite my friends to these long backpacking trips to remote areas, I was almost always turned down. So I changed my mentality so if I wanted to do something, then I will even if it is by myself. My business encourages you to do that trip or adventure solo and you may meet someone else, or a group of people who all share the same passion but do not have many people in their lives to share it with. My business focuses more on the enjoyment of the guests, the bonding, the striving for the same goal, the destination. I am not too concerned with pointing out every shrub or bush to you and reciting its name but more about how you are doing, why are you here, and guiding you to something that very few people get to experience. I learned that people need the outdoors. Families need the outdoors, It is such a rich environment that strips us down to our most primitive needs like food, shelter, water, and safety. As I tested the business model, it was very costly. To find out that national parks require strict guidelines for permits, as well as the insurance, it became overwhelming with the amount of money you would have to invest in this type of business. I realized that I would also need a level of safety training and acquired my Wilderness First Responder certification. I did all of this for the benefit of my guests so that they know they are in good hands. Eventually, I invested from my day job into my business as if I was working 2 fulltime jobs. I learned that not giving up and continuing to revive your passion for what you do is a key part of starting a business. Many times I have thought about quitting to pursue something much easier with a better payday but ultimately I do this for the people. The same hikes or adventures I have done countless times is more rewarding when I share it with someone new and see there reaction as if it was my first time too. The joy that these adventures brings to people is worth more than any amount of money I could ever ask for.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my main hiking partner, my co-host of The Journey is The Destination podcast, and a great friend, Luis Dantas. I met Luis over 3 years ago at a Travel Company where we were working at developing new excursions. I took Luis on a relatively easy hike to the Arizona Hot Springs. Soon after, he asked to summit the highest mountain in Southern Nevada, Mt. Charleston at 11,916ft. He was not physically prepared or had the experience, but we made it. His sheer determination pushed him to his goal of reaching the summit. Since then, we bonded and started to explore other areas of interest to hike, camp, or explore. Luis helped to remind me of why I was doing this. Each time we would go on an adventure, it would reignite my passion for this business even though I was not seeing the results I desired. We continued to push ourselves by learning new skills, participating in training courses, and testing gear. We learned how the permit system works for prestigious hikes like Mt. Whitney and Half Dome. Over the course of 3 years, Luis even guided me on some adventures. It is an amazing experience to see someone who shares a similar passion evolve to becoming proficient in the outdoors. He has always been my main hiking partner for any adventure, whether it be something very easy to the very difficult where we may risk our lives. He is part of the Wolfpack.

Website: www.LoneWolfLasVegas.com

Instagram: @Lone_Wolf_Outdoor_Adventures

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoneWolfLasVegas

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoneWolfLasVegas

Other: Podcast: https://media.rss.com/lonewolfoutdooradventures/feed.xml