Meet Mariah Miller | Recent Graduate & Future Entrepreneur

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

Hi Mariah, how do you think about risk?
I think risk is a made-up word. The only way an activity can be risky is if you do not know the outcome. Because of this, you are only risky if you’re inexperienced or stupid. For example, people think that rock climbing is very risky. And it can be, because you can never predict life 100%. But rock climbing really only seems risky to people who don’t rock climb. Real climbers know the possible outcomes of a climb and they do everything they can to mitigate any possible negative consequences. They choose the right gear, only climb with a trusted belayer, and carefully calculate the routes they’ll take and the moves they’ll make. They also know their own limits and act according to them.

Entrepreneurship is exactly like this. People who don’t understand risk or entrepreneurship believe that you have to be a very big risk-taker in order to start a company. But, this is not the case at all. In fact, entrepreneurs can be very risk-averse. They simply make big moves because they know what the outcome will be. Putting $100,000 into cars that you are going to fix up may seem really risky to an outsider. But not to the entrepreneur who is an experienced mechanic and already has people lined up to pay $250,000 for them.

Risk is a word that inexperienced people use as an excuse not to go after their dreams. Sorry if that’s harsh, but I really believe it to be true. You just have to be smart about the decisions you make and try to mitigate the negative outcomes.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It’s a bit hard for me to talk about because I feel that I am still standing on the starting line in terms of creating a business. However, I have a lot of passion for the world and a lot of ideas that I am really excited about. I think the thing that sets me apart from most people is my excitement for life. I have big goals and big dreams and I am just dying to get out into the world. I have a hunger for life, adventure, and excitement. I have a bucket list that is probably over 500 things long at this point, and I am very proud of it. It’s on a spreadsheet and has pictures and sub-lists, the whole deal. I think that it, more than anything else, represents who I am to my core – someone who simply wants to experience everything that life has to offer.

Professionally, I am just beginning. I have just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, and have not yet had the opportunity to begin my professional career. However, I studied Tourism and Entrepreneurship and hope to use my knowledge of both in order to create a business that will help others travel and see the world. I believe that tourism has the power to benefit lots of communities throughout the world, especially when done the correct way. I hope to use my knowledge and excitement for life to get others excited about the world, and hopefully change host communities for the better.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the Phoenix area. The city is really cute, clean, and has lots to do. So, I would probably spend a night or two walking around downtown Phoenix. I went to an outdoor market at night in March and would love to show that to a friend if they visited. We would spend time listening to the live music, dancing, eating from the food trucks, and shopping at the stands.

I am a very outdoorsy person, so I would probably spend most of my time outdoors. I recently fell in love with the Superstition Mountains, especially when it was in full bloom this year. I would definitely take my friend on a sunset hike up there. I think it’s the perfect mix between green/flowery and red rock/cactus-y.

I think I would spend most of our time in Sedona. Because I’m a very outdoorsy person, Sedona is my dream spot. We could probably spend a whole week here, but I would definitely take at least a few days to hike around, camp, and enjoy the incredible views.

Lastly, I would take my friend on a horseback ride near the Navajo reservations. I have done this before and loved it. I felt like I got to see a lot of the culture out there and see the landscapes from a very different point of view. It was a really cool experience and I would love to share.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout Corbin Church and Ralph Little. Both are very successful entrepreneurs, mentors, and BYU professors. They have taught me everything I know about entrepreneurship, and have given me the confidence to go out and do it. They both focused more on our growth as humans and developing the character traits needed to succeed as an entrepreneur rather than on grades or strict knowledge. They encouraged us to go out and learn by doing, which is the best way to learn business, in my opinion.

I also learned a lot from the Nail It then Scale It book as well as the Ed Mylett and How I Built This podcasts. All of these have helped me crave learning and self-improvement. I think my desire for knowledge will help me tremendously for the rest of my life.

Website: wildlilytravel.etsy.com

Instagram: wildlilytravel

Other: Personal instagram: mariahlily00