Meet Jana Mayer and Julie Fischer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jana Mayer and Julie Fischer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jana and Julie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
While we (Jana Mayer and Julie Fischer) started up HERizon Adventures in 2025, our origin story dates back to 2021. In February of that year, Jana posted in a Colorado Springs hiking group looking to connect with a few women around age 50 to hike with on a regular basis. That post blew up, with over 100 comments from women in the same age group who were all interested in getting together for hikes. The response was overwhelming (clearly there was a need that wasn’t being met!) so Jana created the CO Springs Hiking Gals group to get 50-ish women out on the trails together. Julie joined the group a few weeks later, and we met on the second hike. Long story short, we’ve been co-leading this women’s hiking group together for the past 4+ years. The group has grown to over 9,300 members and has organized 900+ group hikes, connecting countless women for hiking adventures and friendship. It’s been life-changing for us and for so many others!

Women over 50 crave community, adventure, and outdoor experiences tailored to their age group. So we thought, why not take what we’ve learned over the course of leading hundreds of hikes and start a business offering curated hiking experiences to adventurous midlife women? While we continue to run our hiking group for locals, our business caters to women visiting Colorado and we’re in the process of expanding our offers beyond guided hikes to include backpacking trips and hiking retreats as well.

We are part of the demographic we serve, which has been really helpful as we’ve launched this business. As two women in our 50’s who love to hike and spend time outdoors, we understand the concerns and potential barriers (whether real or perceived) that might prevent women our age from participating in outdoor recreation. We also share our clients’ needs and preferences, which allows us to tailor the hikes and other outdoor experiences we offer.

One thing we’ve learned from leading women on hundreds of hikes over the past 4+ years is that while the hikes are the initial draw, the connections we’re fostering and the community we help women become a part of are the real value we provide. A shared love of hiking and the outdoors has proven to be a wonderful – and powerful – source of connection. While we love guiding hikes, sharing our favorite trails and viewpoints, and helping women build their confidence in the outdoors, creating community is the most important part of what we do. We’re excited to continue exploring new ways of creating connections and community in this venture!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a women-owned guided hiking and outdoor adventure company.. What sets us apart is our focus on curating outdoor experiences for adventurous midlife women. As two women in our 50’s who love to hike and spend time outdoors, we don’t just know our demographic – we are our demographic.

Our business is still very new (created in January of 2025 and we just received our first commercial hiking permit in May). That said, we’ve already encountered quite a few challenges. While we get to do what we love, whenever you turn your passion into a business you run the risk of diminishing your enjoyment of that activity, especially when the going gets tough. It’s important to both of us that the business doesn’t have that effect. One lesson we’ve learned so far is that we need to regularly check in with each other to ensure we’re maintaining a good work/life balance and that we’re continuing to enjoy the process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You mean, in addition to hiking? 😉 It’s easy to play tour guide in the Colorado Springs area. There’s so much to see and do! Hiking would (of course) be a part of the itinerary. We’d hit all the best trails in Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon, and North Cheyenne Cañon (and maybe the Manitou Incline too). In terms of sightseeing, we’d spend time in Manitou Springs browsing the eclectic shops, playing games at the famous Penny Arcade, and sampling all the mineral springs. An afternoon in Old Colorado City (for the shops and breweries) would be on the agenda too. A ride to the top of Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway (unless we decide to hike it!) is always fun with visitors. And we’d likely include some sightseeing outside the Springs (e.g. Cripple Creek, Royal Gorge, etc.). as well. Love sharing our beautiful city and state with friends!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to give a heartfelt shoutout to our incredible families and friends – thank you for believing in us, cheering us on, and helping us transform HERizon Adventures from an idea into reality! Your encouragement and support have meant the world to us. From helping us brainstorm business names (special shout-out to our friend Charity Bell-Burke for coming up with the name HERizon!), to test-driving our booking process, sharing our posts and events, and all the other ways (big and small) you’ve supported us, we appreciate it all so much. We couldn’t have launched without you!

We’d also like thank the CO Springs Hiking Gals! This amazing group (now 9,300+ women strong) has given us the opportunity over the past 4+ years to explore hundreds of trails, learn from so many experienced outdoorswomen, and hone our guiding skills, Your camaraderie, encouragement, and shared love for the outdoors have shaped and inspired us more than you know!

Website: https://herizonadventures.net/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572310499154