Tristan Hamm: The Future Of Travel In The Post COVID World

The new movement I am working hard on pushing is “Explore don’t Exploit”. We want everyone to get out there, but there will be nothing to get out to if we destroy it. Leave every place you enter better than you found it. Clean up after yourself. And if you take photos, Don’t Geotag! Allow others to do the exploration themselves, its half the fun.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tristan Hamm.

Tristan Hamm is an adventure guru marketing expert based out of Los Angeles, CA. Living in Hawaii for 4 x years inspired him to bring each of his dreams jobs into a reality. He blew up on Instagram, then applied those methods and every battle he faced along the way to form his 3 x companies that build into multi-million dollar business’ in the first year of each launch.

Born and raised in Canada, starting work on the pipeline at 16 years old, to working his way up the tears of the company in running his own crew (in charge of some of the largest projects in Canadas history) followed by migrating to the United States, launching 3 x companies, packaging up and selling one within its first year, Tristan is what most would call a true entrepreneur. Tristan has always had a nonstop drive to not just get what he wants out of life, but to LIVE that life. Which leads us to our next point. Tristan literally built each of his companies based on his desires that make him feel alive everyday. A dog company, an adventure company, and a film production /marketing company.

To date, Tristan’s different outlook on entrepreneurship has manifested into 3 x companies that truly stand out from the pack. His adventure company has innovated the retreat business by actually changing lives through exceptionally heart pumping adventure experience. His media/marketing agency cuts out all the extra added costs to bring clientele high calibre products/results at wholesale pricing up to 5x lower than average agencies, and his dog company, well he sold it but it was good while he had it.

Tristan is a large nature, fitness, adventure advocate and entrepreneur. He has been recognized across the globe for making numerous appearances on national TV, the web and social platforms for his mental health efforts and inclusive adventure retreats that guide both new and experienced adventurer’s of all ages. His goal is to bring people together in an adventure community to share their love for nature. To-date, he has guided 3000+ new people through his company and community Revived Outdoors he continues to spread more health awareness each day via his various efforts online.

Thank you so much for joining us Tristan! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Everyone has a dream, and it was my dream to make that dream become a reality. Growing up in a small town in Canada, I believed in putting in the hard work and taking the necessary steps needed to level up my career path from a very young age. I worked as a welder in a fabrication shop, transitioned to the pipeline industry, worked my way up, and built enough courage to finally start my own company. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at first, but I trusted my inner entrepreneur to guide me in the right direction.

I soon found that sharing my passion for extreme adventures in the wilderness and documenting those experiences to share with the world was just that. Once I figured what I was literally made for, everything else fell in alignment with the success of my adventure company Revived Outdoors, Media Agency Revived Media and film production company Hamm productions. Literally all 3 were my dream careers and I made it happen by just taking the leap of faith into following what I loved, which leads me to today!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The most interesting story would be our transition as a company during COVID-19. When we were set to have our biggest year for adventure trips to-date, the COVID-19 storm clouds showed up and put a screeching halt to the travel industry. As I sit here in this interview, the world is still largely effected, but not us. We adjusted. You see, when I started my company, we didn’t have the initial capital that some startups have. This left us with no choice but to form multiple revenue streams to kick off. To do this we leveraged my eye for creative film productions and marketing knowledge. It opened up the opportunity to have brands sponsor our adventure trips from the beginning. Today it has grown into our team of highly skilled professionals in everything from paid media, to my RED camera operators and DOPs and an outstanding team in the editing room to name a few.

When COVID hit, this didn’t mean laying everyone off like most adventure companies were forced to do, it meant that we now had the TIME to go back to our roots at the beginning and start offering our services in the media world to hurting agencies and companies. We mastered the art of cutting the fat from traditional high budget productions and designed a system on the fly to wholesale to the companies that need help to make their products stand out now more than ever. This pivot has lead us to greater success than we initially anticipated our company to do before the pandemic.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I guess my funniest mistake would be how easy I thought it would all be to launch a dream company! I thought that success would fall on my lap one day and all would be okay. The cold hard facts are the only things that fall on your lap are failures! The only way to keep moving forward is to learn how to adjust, keep sight of your vision, and realize that entrepreneurship isn’t a marathon, its actually a series of sprints. Those failures are really what create success.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

From the outside perspective I would say its that when you join a Revived Experience, you join a finely tuned extreme adventure that isn’t available anywhere else. From skydviving to scuba diving and exploration of new lands by local guides, our trips really shock you physically and mentally no matter your skill level.

But from an internal level..

It’s the Revived Spirit. We welcome every single guest in like family and it radiates. Where most adventure companies are stacked with rules, regulations, and closed off opinions, We actively push hard into going further in our adventures and diving deep into the interpersonal relationships we have with each and every one of our guests. Our goal is to make sure you see and do the things you have always dreamed of, and leave home with new connections with the new lands you just roamed, the guides, trip leaders, and other guests you just spent a week with. You are family, our Ohana for a lifetime. That’s something money can’t buy.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

We take people off the beaten path. When I say it, I mean it literally. There are millions of acres across America that are yet to be explored. We are innovating this industry by ditching the tour buses, welcoming our guests in as our own family and challenging them to do the things they have always dreamed of. No matter if you are an experienced backpacker or first timer, there are places and things you have always wanted to do / see and have just never made the plunge. We make that plunge easy but doing it together with a community of like minded adventurers that are all in it for a good time. But that plunge isn’t going to be the local watering hole, its going to be jumping 30 feet off the hidden waterfall at the backside of that mountain those tourists just passed that can’t be found on google maps.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

Crushing fear is a major goal of ours. Adventure sports gives people a drive to conquer, but often it is fear that stands in their way. Once you learn how to manage fear and harness it to your advantage, it becomes YOURS and you become unstoppable. Your world opens up brighter than ever before! Crushing that fear is a large focus on our trips, which is why we incorporate things like climbing mountains, rock climbing, skydiving, heli-skiing and even heli-mountain biking!

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

People are always looking to get more out of their experiences. I think we are setting the bar so high that people will realize that they are paying a high price to “Miss out” by riding in that tour bus they just stepped foot on. But thankfully, that’s where we step in. Very often our guests come to us with the issue that their last vacation or adventure trip left them to false expecations, leading them to wanting to see even more. Which brought them to us!

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

1 — The focus will adjust from location to experience. People are much more likely today to want to spend money on the things they do on their travels rather than the places they stay. Companies are really gonna need to re-adjust their budgeting to fit this new demand.

2 — COVID-19 has raised some concerns for larger group travel. From our research at Revived Outdoors, the next 5 years will be drastically affected by this. People are going to be looking for more remote excursions in smaller groups that get them away from the crowds. Companies like us at Revived Outdoors are a great fit for anyone looking to see more in a smaller more intimate group. Travel companies are going to need to learn how to reduce the number of guests traveling together, while increasing the level of connections between their hosts and guests to account for the lack of mixed personality you would see in a larger group settings. Guest to Guest connections are extremely important for group travel and this will be a direct hit for anyone dealing with larger groups. For example: Its much easier for guests to find someone to connect with someone in a large than a small group, so this is something companies will really need to focus on to stay competitive and excel through these coming transitions in the travel industry.

3 — COVID-19 has assisted in a change of perspective for travelers turning to domestic rather than international. Instead of the focus of a traveler looking to join a tour in Mexico, or go backpacking in Europe, you will begin to see more focus in domestic travel in place such as Lake Tahoe, Sedona, or Yellowstone national park. COVID and the rise of the Adventure industry with the rise of companies such as REI, has shined a bright light on the beauty we have in our very own country! We at Revived Outdoors have seen a large influx in interest in our more local backyard retreats that are much more accessible for people and realistic to an average work schedule. Local tour companies are already seeing an influx in sales in some areas, but travel companies are really going to need to focus to this market if they want to survive the next year, let alone 5.

4 — Adventure travel is booming and will dominate the travel market. With the rise of Instagram, and tiktok, the average attention span is slimming further and further down. This has lead to an increase of demand for travelers to want to see even more and go even further. They want to make those dreams they saved in their phone become a reality. Its now more than ever that you will begin to see more and more people taking to the trails and getting a little more risky in the outdoors. With this, companies are going to need to focus on applying “experiences” to each and every one of their trips. But these experiences need to blow the socks off of their guests to reach that expectation they hold in their hands.

5 — Diversify. Despite all the changes ahead of us in the travel industry, travel companies need to learn how to diversify what they offer. The drastic demand for putting their dollars into the experience’s over a luxury condo doesn’t mean that the luxury customers aren’t out there. Companies are going to really need to focus on diversifying what they offer to ensure their services are appealing to every brand of adventurer or traveler that steps foot on their path.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

The perfect travel experience for me is one that gets my blood pumping but also gives me the opportunity to relax and reflect. I may jump out of airplanes and climb mountains, but to those who know me know im actually a pretty classy guy. I like to take in the moment and relax. Give me mountains, water, and a comfortable bed away from any crowds. Toss in a skydive or a secluded hike and I am set. As long as I get to see something new, have time for myself, and get the blood flow moving, I am beyond happy! However, the ultimate vacation for me would have to be a sailing trip, nothing will ever beat the open ocean and a full sail for me.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

The word success to most means money. To me it’s the amount of lives I have positively impacted. Money is just a bi-product of that. The more money, the more lives we can positivity impact. That being said, our retreats, motivational videos, and my public speaking has lead to thousands of people breaking out into the outdoors which is an impact in its own. Nevermind the steady flow of people coming to us sharing how our trips got them off hidden addictions they struggled with for years or depression they battled their entire lives.

The consistent feedback we receive on a daily basis of the lifechanging effects we have had on our guests, listeners, and followers, has inspired me to work towards the launch of our very own wilderness rehab wilderness program and underprivileged children’s program to continue to bring these success stories to more lives.

The facts are simple, everyone is battling with something. Adventure and the outdoors is a direct form of cure for many. We are just trying to shine light on that by sharing our perspective.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Revived Outdoors is already a movement to get people to turn to the outdoors to find that inner peace, and adventure to improve their physical / mental health.

The new movement I am working hard on pushing is “Explore don’t Exploit”. We want everyone to get out there, but there will be nothing to get out to if we destroy it. Leave every place you enter better than you found it. Clean up after yourself. And if you take photos, Don’t Geotag! Allow others to do the exploration themselves, its half the fun.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can follow me personally on Instagram @Tristan.Hamm and can watch my weekly adventures on Tiktok!

If you are an adventure enthusiast and want to be apart of our exclusive adventure crew, you can request the private phone number by DMing me personally on my Instagram!

To stay up to date on what we all got going on at Revived Outdoors you can follow our company Instagram @revived.outdoors

If you are an agency or company looking to bring a new look to your customers through video you can checkout our media / marketing company @RevivedMedia