Meet Reed Woodford | Guide Service Owner

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

Hi Reed, how do you think about risk?
I think we have a pretty skewed vision of risk management here. Taking people into the mountains every day, there is inherent risk in that right? So we are used to it. The risk that comes with taking out a huge loan to buy a business feels a little different, that’s not a risk I’m used to taking every day so it feels scarier. Most people would probably just view that as part of life, for me though going rock climbing or skiing or even going for a long solo run in the mountains that feels more secure than a big loan with a variable rate. I guess risk is always on a scale and we are more comfortable with things that we do on a regular basis.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own KMAC Guides in Estes Park with my business partner Dustin Dyer. Together we run a local guide service that specializes in taking youth Rock Climbing. We partner with several summer camps and run their rock climbing programs. In addition to Rock Climbing we have two Via Ferratas that make a great point of entry to the mountains for people who may be intimidated by rock climbing. In the winter we offer avalanche education courses, as well as private snowshoe and ski tours. For a couple of years now we have had our office in the Stanley Hotel, which has also been a great partnership.

I think what sets us apart from other guide services is that we focus more on the soft skills of working with kids and clients to give them an enjoyable experience and meeting them where they are. That’s one of the things we are constantly working on, how do we hire people for their soft skills? There are a lot of strong rock climbers out there with impressive guiding resumes. I’ve come to realize though that being a strong climber doesn’t make one a strong instructor/guide, so as we’ve grown we’ve really tried to hire for those soft skills and look for staff that are good with people first.

All that being said, I’m very proud of the guides that have worked here and have chosen to return year after year. We have amazing staff and it’s truly impressive to watch them grow throughout their careers. Picking up different techniques and methods of instruction, they really do give our clients amazing experiences.

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.
Living in a tourist town, this is a pretty common scenario! I’d take them up our Via Ferrata, then spend the afternoon rock climbing. We have a great site that we lease on private land with dozens of climbing routes, in addition to our Via Ferratas. It’s a great place to spend a summer day for sure. After that, we’d probably hit the pool/hot tub that’s at the Aspire Building, it’s where our office is located at the Stanley Hotel. All our clients get to use the facilities after an adventure with us. Once we’re refreshed a bit, we may hit up Rock Cut Brewery. That’s been the spot that our staff goes for happy hour the last few years. For dinner in Estes Park I like Nepal’s Cafe. Great Nepali food spot, run by a family that immigrated to Estes Park from Nepal. That’s a pretty full day, it’s also one that I’ve enjoyed several times with different friends who’ve come to visit!

If we had more than one day though, we’d definitely spend some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. Depending on their level of fitness I like to take people out hiking or climbing. I have some great spots in mind, but you’ll have to hire me to get to them 😉

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?
My sweet wife, Cara Woodford. She’s astoundingly supportive of me. She calms me down when I’m all worked up, she picks me up when I’m feeling down, and she gives me the confidence to get through difficult times.

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