Meet Brooke Mooney | Mobile Glamping & Outdoor Experiences

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

Hi Brooke, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe risk, and even failure, are catalysts for growth, change, and opportunity. I recently had a conversation with a friend who has stayed in a corporate job his whole life and is now approaching retirement. He told me that he wished he tried something different, something that challenged him and brought him more joy and purpose. This challenged my thinking on risk and regret. Risk is a powerful thing! It stirs up a myriad of emotions which is terrifying but also beautiful in that it brings new thoughts and creativity to the surface.

Risk is a sexy thing to talk about and find cool quotes about. However I’m finding the more I dive into my business the more “risk” really doesn’t sound sexy or brave to me anymore. With the realization that I may lose a lot of hard-earned money on an idea, or be rejected as many times as I’m accepted, or that my paycheck truly rides on my hustle, risk becomes an attitude of perseverance that must override my emotions. Perseverance sounds sexy, but never feels it.

I’ve realized that life is SHORT, and I will never truly know what I’m made of or capable of if I don’t take risks! So far, starting a new business has taught me more than any course, class, or book could ever teach me. That is success to me. I believe risk will always equal success as long as I define success as growing, changing, and encountering new opportunities.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Discover Durango provides unique Colorado experiences with luxury glamping and customized outdoor experiences.

Our luxury glamping setup is mobile! We deliver and set up fully equipped glamping experiences; with high end bedding, rugs, chairs, a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, and a shower if requested. Our glamping experiences are perfect for people who want to experience the outdoors in comfort, without all the hassle. Our glamping set up is perfect for romantic getaways, girls trips, elopements, and birthday parties!

Each experience we create is customized to our clients interests and abilities. We work only with individual groups making the experiences intimate and memorable. We offer a wide variety of outdoor activities from site-seeing, hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Every experience includes a history of the area and a gourmet picnic of local fare.

We’ve created itineraries and activities for family reunions, couples getaway, girls weekends, wedding photo shoots, and more.

On this journey I’ve become lit up about seeing people come to life in the outdoors and feel alive and inspired! What I’m most excited about is making the outdoors approachable for people who haven’t grown up in the mountains, who don’t know where to start or where to go. I love people and I love the outdoors. The combination of both feeds my soul.

Getting to where I am today has been a simple task of putting one foot in front of the other. The whole big picture of starting a new business is so overwhelming it can almost make one feel paralyzed. I started by simply taking one task a day. My goal has been to work on my business every day. Some days it’s hours on end, other days it’s as simple as sending an email or making a social media post. As long as I am moving, even small movements, I’m protected from being paralyzed. Movement creates momentum and in that I can find some rhythm and it’s not so overwhelming.

In my experience, there is nothing easy about starting a new business. However, my recent adoption of “slow growth” has helped me tremendously. By growing my business slowly, I can build on an intentional foundation. I am able to put more thought and purpose into each decision and action I take.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned along the way is; community and partnerships are vital. Durango is a small mountain town with a great deal of brilliant entrepreneurs who are helpful and desire success for you and the community. The more I’ve put myself out there the more I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my community and how helpful everyone is to each other. I have met such wonderful people in Durango I never would have met if I hadn’t started a business and if I hadn’t reached out to other business owners to collaborate.

Discover Durango prides its self on providing high quality, personal experiences in the outdoors. We especially have a passion for creating life long memories for families that don’t have access to the beauty we do everyday. As Durango locals of 18 years and avid outdoorsmen (and women!), we bring something unique to the tourism industry of Durango, giving people an intimate mountain experience were we combine luxury with nature. Every experience is complete with gourmet food and drink, plush picnic settings, incredible views, and knowledgeable guides.

Our Glamping experiences are one of a kind, and unique in that they can be set up in just the perfect location for our clients. Another unique attribute to our mobile glamping is that it offer literally everything you need for camping in total comfort. If you desire to have the full experience, to cook outside, have a campfire, and paddle board on the lake? Then you’ve got it! All you need to do is show up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is what I might put together for weeklong itinerary for a friend visiting Durango during the summer months.

Day 1- Take a walk along the river trail, pop into White Rabbit Books along the trail. Then visit Esco Terra Cider for charcuterie and cider tasting and lastly, watch the sunset from the rim trail.

Day 2- Spend the day at lake night horse paddle boarding, sunbathing, and picnicking. In the evening head to Fox fire farm for live music and wine.

Day 3- Start the day early, stopping by Bread Bakery for a spicy chai, delicious scone, and a sandwich to pack for lunch. Then begin our journey over Coal bank and Molas pass stopping at all my favorite spots; lime creek road for photo op, continuing on to Andrews Lake for a stroll and a fantastic spot to picnic. From there we would stop at the Molas Pass summit for sprawling mountain views. Then finally ending the journey in Silverton and visit my favorite shop there, the Silverton Soap Box.

Day 4- Spend our day in Downtown Durango, making sure to grab coffee and baked goods from Still Life Cafe, visit the Smiley Cafe’s local artist market, shop Durango Sustainable goods, Durango Antique market, and Nomad Consignment. After our shopping is complete, we’d sit on the back patio of Carvers and share a flight of beer.

Day 5- Hop onto the river at Oxbow Park with our paddle boards and float down to 32nd street. Afterwards we’ll grab lunch at RGPs and enjoy music in the park.

Day 6- Spend a day hiking in the Mountains! Perhaps climb Sharks Tooth in Mancos with a stop at Absolute Bakery for some goodies, then popping into Fenceline Cidery after our hike to relax and listen to the river.

Day 7- Finish off the trip with a soak at the Durango Hot springs and dinner at Kennebec Cafe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so blessed by the people in my life and how they encourage and spur me on. I give a huge shoutout to my most supportive and loving husband Travis who always believes in me! To my sisters Jessica and Emily who pushed me to take the first steps in my business and continually walk alongside me. And lastly, a big thank you to my dear friends Elisha and Karen who give me wonderful, honest advice!

Website: discoverdurangoco.com

Instagram: discoverdurangoco

Facebook: Discover Durango

Image Credits
Ginger Moose Photography