Julie Singh, Co-Founder at TripOutside, recalls that her husband Reet and she spent a combined 25 years in Corporate America, most recently leading teams of Merchants, vendors and service providers. They spent their spare time outdoors on our bikes, kayaks and snowboards. They found that it was difficult to plan adventures – most people in large cities have no idea where to start for an outdoor adventure, and they were the ones their friends turned to for help. In 2017, they decided to leave their Corporate careers, move into our RV and travel the country, building TripOutside as they traveled and collaborated with outfitters. They launched with 2 destinations in 2018 and have been growing ever since. They are proud to have reached a milestone of 800 outfitter and adventure provider partners in 2022.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before the venture/ corporate journey?
After graduating with a finance degree and getting my CPA, I spent 15 years in Corporate America working first for food & beverage companies in Finance and Internal Audit, and then spending 10 years in Finance and Merchandising at Home Depot Corporate. My last role was running a $1B business as the buyer for Water Heaters for all 2000 stores. Through these roles, I gained a ton of valuable knowledge and experience that has provided a great foundation for me to start my own business.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
TripOutside was founded by myself (Julie Singh) and my husband (Reet Singh), out of a shared enthusiasm for outdoor adventure and travel. We are passionate about exploring this incredible world on our bikes, kayaks and skis. After many frustrating experiences wasting valuable vacation time trying to find and book adventures, we decided to build a platform for outdoor enthusiasts to discover and book all of their adventures on one site, saving them time and effort and letting them enjoy more of their vacation time.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
TripOutside’s goal is to get more people outside to connect with and love our outdoor places, and as a result work to protect them. We feature only human powered adventures on the platform, and we are passionate about leaving our natural places better than we found them through Leave No Trace principles and supporting conservation organizations.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
In 2022, TripOutside reached an incredible milestone of offering over 5000 adventures in 350 destinations across North America through partnerships with outfitter partners like Vail Resorts, Black Tie Skis, Christy Sports and many others.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
Don’t shy away from challenges and obstacles within your business – this is probably why you started the business to begin with! The challenges are usually where the big “aha!” moments come from, and where you can make the most difference. It will not always be easy, but that’s also why it probably hasn’t been done before. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to figure it out!
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
I’m excited about all of the inspiring women leaders, even in the outdoor industry. There are things that women just do better than men (and vice versa) and it’s important that we bring all voices to the table – not just with women, but also including voices from all over the spectrum with regards to diversity.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
Take more risks. Take up space, don’t be afraid to speak up and have a voice. Develop your purpose and shout it from the rooftops.
