AGA Member Spotlight: Life InTents
Brandy’s story is a familiar one; he was successful in the corporate world but yearned to create his own brand and business. Over the course of 15+ years, Brandy worked in brand management and innovation for Mountain House Adventure Meals, The WD-40 Company and Chicken of the Sea. He launched dozens of new products and helped to orchestrate marketing campaigns and sales tactics to successfully grow various product lines during his various roles.
It has been 6 years since Brandy left the corporate world to focus on sustainability growing Life Intents. Product improvement, innovation, and customer service remain at the forefront of his priorities to help ensure a comfortable camping experience is had with their luxury glamping tents and camping gear. Today he lives in Portland, Oregon with his talented wife and their two kiddo campers.
Q: Tell us a bit more about why you started a company in the glamping industry.
I owe so much of the inspiration behind Life Intents to my wife, Alice-Kate (who happens to be the other co-founder). Prior to getting married, she encouraged me to join her during a year-long travel adventure (I jumped at the opportunity). During that trip, we got into #vanlife while touring the East coast of Australia. The adventure bug has remained strong since that experience (that bug is called Fernweh, in German). Shortly after we married, we relocated to Oregon with our first child and bought a VW Westfalia so we could explore the PNW. We decided to share the van on with others on Outdoorsy. From there, our rental fleet of camping vehicles grew, along with our joy of helping people to camp in style and comfort.
A couple of years later Alice-Kate’s sister was planning her East Coast wedding and was trying to come up with a way to have overnight guests stay onsite after the reception - instead of heading out to a hotel after the festivities. A-K suggested that we invest in fancy tents and create a glamping experience so guests could stay onsite and feel comfortable sleeping outdoors. Long story short, canvas bell tents were procured, and our first glamping event was a screaming success! From here, Life Intents glamping events service was born! The first Life Intents branded tent, The Fernweh, followed soon after that.
Q: Tell us a bit about where your glamping business is today? Where do you see your business in the future?
We divested our glamping event business in 2022, but it is thriving under the stewardship of Cascadia Glamping. This transition has allowed us to focus on manufacturing and marketing Life Intents branded camping gear. It also provided us with more time to listen and learn from our customers. We’ve seen great growth over the last few years, and attribute it to our ongoing commitment to improving the durability of our tents to withstand long-term use, tireless product innovation and dedication to customer support.
We have several new tents in the pipeline that will not only be transformational to the glamping industry, but also some unique designs for weekend warriors that don’t want to lug around a 100 lb. tent. Plus, we’re steadily releasing unique glamping furnishings for people to help make their tents function and look more fabulous on the inside and out!
Q: What are you most excited about within the glamping industry moving forward?
Glamping offers a unique experience that combines the best of both worlds: the excitement of camping and the comforts of home. This transformation helps to encourage many more people to get outside, without the need to sacrifice creature comforts.
As more people glamp, it will bring with it even more innovation. Structures will become more unique, functional, durable and sustainable – this even holds true for outdoor showers and restrooms!
Q: Do you have any advice for those that are just starting out?
Start small and network big. The first year of business will bring with it a fire hose of learning moments. You’ll inevitably make large pivots in year 2, and these changes are easier done prior to finalizing infrastructures, employees, and processes. The largest learning moments are going to come from your County, Customers, Community and your Comrades – so try to avoid being insular during your journey.
