Meet Adam Passarelli | inspiraHike Founder

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

Hi Adam, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Since a young age, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I like creating things, challenging the status quo, and pushing boundaries. Starting a business is always a risky thing, but for me, taking chances is what life should be all about.

When it came to the creation of inspiraHike, in my prior professional life, I had really developed a passion for wellness. We live in a time right now where mental health and taking care of yourself is more important than ever. And today, everyone is so on the go, so connected to their phones, that we really don’t have any time to be with our own personal thoughts to think about the most important things in our life. So I wanted to tackle that problem and couple it with one of my other passions which is the outdoors because there are incredible things that happen when we connect out minds to nature.

So my entrepreneurial spirit and passion for wellness really drove me to officially launching this new concept.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
inspiraHike is a brand new wellness concept and category that was founded in Lone Tree, CO in October 2022. Our mission is to get communities active in nature and give people an outlet to truly disconnect for 75 minutes to improve their mental health and wellbeing. At our core, we want to create awe-inspiring experiences that help people feel alive!

We do that by leading groups of 5-20 people on a beginner to intermediate, 75-minute sunset hike. Everyone receives a set of wireless headphones and is asked to stay silent for the duration of the experience. There is expertly curated music to match the pace, landscape, and mood of the terrain and the live hike leader provides inspirational commentary to go with it. This creates a transformational experience where each participant can be with their own personal thoughts, but feel a part of a community doing it with others. It is meant to be a very relaxing, mindful, and calming experience. We operate two locations in Denver today and have plans to open two more up in the Spring of 2023.

Creating a brand new concept that didn’t previously exist is never easy! Because it is so new, we spend a lot of marketing and time educating the public on what exactly the experience is like. And we do that through good photography and videos.

I have been blessed to work for some great organizations in the past, most recently as the President and Chief Operating Officer of a large health and wellness franchisor here in Denver that oversaw 900 stores across the country. And during that time, I was able to learn a lot of great skills across all facets of business that I have been able to apply to inspiraHike today. But there is certainly a big change from leading a large company to being the solo founder of a new start-up! There can be many ups and downs. But I have always enjoyed challenges so it’s been a rewarding experience and I truly believe the service we are providing can help change lives and our communities over time!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well being a hiking company, I would definitely be taking them on a good trail! I love Mt. Falcon West. It has some of the best views of the Rockies and it’s the right amount of difficulty for someone who is visiting.

Taking in a show at Red Rocks is a must if it’s in season! My favorite Red Rocks shows in recent memory were Jimmy Buffett and OAR. Both are incredible entertainers who can put the crowd in a good mood!

Being the Dad of two young toddlers, we’d likely end up at the Denver Zoo at some point with guests! I find it extremely relaxing to walk around the zoo with a beer and watch my kids faces light up as they see some of the animals.

And finally, I’m a big golfer so would likely find sometime to get out on the course! Lone Tree Golf Course is my favorite.

If you can’t tell, all of my suggestions are about being outside which is where we love to be!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Starting a company takes a village! It wouldn’t have been possible to launch the business without all the help of close friends and family. I’m sure a few of them chuckled when I said, “Can I use you to help be a photography model in this new wellness concept I’m launching?” We had friends helping with photography, logo creation, and getting the word out. So I’m very thankful for the great friends and family who have helped us get to this point!

Website: www.inspirahike.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirahike/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspirahike/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077766421054

Youtube: https://youtu.be/sCzcrcUq1Tg

Image Credits
Victoria Francis