For any small business, each birthday is a milestone. So the fact that Her Wilderness has grown into what it is today in just two short years is a testament to the support that it has received from each and every one of you! At our core, we know we wouldn’t have gotten this far without the overwhelming support we’ve received. As we celebrate year two, we’d like to thank all of the women who have ever joined us on a trip, the guide services who have taken the time to facilitate our adventures, and the women who have put in countless hours planning and coordinating our events. It’s from these collective contributions that we’ve managed to stay true to the Her Wilderness mission.
In 2019, Her Wilderness was started out of MacKenzie Thompson’s desire to participate in hunting and fishing activities while surrounded by like-minded women. She began gathering her friends and planning outdoor activities for them to enjoy, and that’s when Her Wilderness accidentally began. Thompson had posted on social media photos fishing with a large group of girlfriends, and suddenly her inbox was flooded with more women asking how they could join in on the next outing. “It wasn’t ever supposed to be what it is today, and I’m so grateful [that it is],” she says. Of course, when asked, she’s the first to say that neither her nor the rest of the Her Wilderness team members are experts at running a business. Instead, the success it’s experienced has grown purely out of passion, and that’s made all the difference.
From its start, the Her Wilderness mission has been to provide experiences that encourage women to get outside and enjoy the outdoors in new and exciting ways. While aiming for that mission has included the coordination of many hunting and fishing trips, we know that getting women involved in the outdoors can go beyond those activities to include camping, hiking, social events, really anything you can image! What’s most important to us is to provide an inclusive space in which to be in the outdoors alongside like-minded women. Our hope is that we can inspire women from all walks of life to try something new and strive for a lifestyle that emulates passion.
While Her Wilderness was born in the Midwest, today it reaches far beyond that region. In attrition to its leadership team, Her Wilderness now has trip coordinators in eighteen states. From paddle fishing in Montana to spearfishing in Florida, we’ve seen hundreds of women check items off their bucket lists, try new things, and form the bonds of lifelong friendships over shared experiences in the outdoors. Above all, it’s the growth of this community that has been the biggest reward for our efforts.
Of course, we won’t say that it’s always been smooth sailing! In these couple years, we’ve been incredibly impressed by the tenacity of women, and their ability to maintain a positive attitude in even less-than-ideal circumstances. We’ve had frigid temperatures while ice fishing, crazy storms while deep sea fishing, and all matter of challenges faced by our attendees—from delayed flights to forgetting essential gear. Regardless, we continue to see our community uplift one another, celebrate each other, and be able to have a great time in the outdoors regardless of whether they’ve harvested anything.
While there is much to take away from the lessons learned in these two years, to those who feel like they’re destined for more in their life, Thompson would say, “You are in control of your destiny, you're in control of your future. And I would just hope that you stay true to yourself in that pursuit. The only reason why Her Wilderness is where it is is because I stuck to my passions and what I actually enjoy doing and it turned into a business. Now, I get to do what I love almost every single day.”
Looking ahead, we’d love to see Her Wilderness expand to more areas of the country and even take trips beyond its borders. Already, Her Wilderness has proven that it’s capable of accomplishing more than anyone initially thought. We will continue to strive for growth, adding more activities that empower women to get outdoors in the company of women with who share their passions. In addition, we hope to incorporate more budget-friendly trips into our calendar, to make these experiences more attainable. The more women we can reach, the strong our community becomes, and demonstrating the value of a strong female community is invaluable to us all.
Since our start, we’ve set out on a mission to support you in your pursuit of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and the support you have shown us in return has been truly humbling. It’s been our pleasure to witness the memories being made, the bonds of friendship that have formed, and the skills our trip attendees have walked away with from each event. From all of us at Her Wilderness: thank you for helping us get to where we are today. Not only are we excited for where we’re headed, we’re grateful that you’re joining us on the journey forward.
Written by Samantha Simma