Ep. 14 | Spirits and Startups: A look at the business side of Lanier Ghost Tours

www.LanierGhostTours.com for 10% off at checkout through October, enter code: LGTHalloweenThings!

Wicked Atlanta Marketing
The Unseen Paranormal Podcast - *I'm a guest on Season 5, Ep. 172
Southern Gothic Podcast
Leadership School Podcast
Kyla Cofer, Leadership & Self Care Coach
Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce
"Blood at the Root" by Patrick Phillips
"Lake Sydney Lanier, A Storybook Site" by Robert David Coughlin

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Digital artwork by Laura Horne
Theme song written/performed by Elizabeth Grimes
Theme song mixed/mastered by Billy Gewin

Transcript

Episode 14 Spirits and Startups: A look at the business side of Lanier Ghost Tours

Elizabeth: [00:00:00] Imagine, having a business idea ruminating in your mind for two years. An idea fueled by curiosity and adventure seeking. Waiting for the right moment to come to life. Then one day, you take that first step and begin to turn it into a reality. Now you're deep into the journey of making it happen, but there's still a long road ahead.

Today on Spirits Uncorked, we're pulling back the curtain on the business side of Lanier Ghost Tours. From the early spark of inspiration to the complexities of running the tours, we'll explore how the vision of blending Lake Lanier's mysterious history with an immersive experience has become a reality.

We'll talk about the logistical challenges, the controversies And the moments of triumph and gratitude for those who have helped along the way. So let's get to the bottom of building a business. Dive in with [00:01:00] us. Hi everybody. And welcome to spirits and court. I am your host, Elizabeth, and I am here. So low today.

We are missing Erica, my cohost and my sister. She's a military woman. She's very busy. She's got things to do and it's okay. So we are going to miss her today, but, uh, I am not above drinking alone. So here I am. I still got my glass of wine. It's a Moscato, and I hope you'll pour a glass and join me. I thought this would be a great opportunity since my sister's not here today.

Just take a moment to talk about the small business side of Linear Ghost Tours and the journey that I've been on up until this point creating this business. It's brand new. We only started this summer and now we're in October and we've got plans for next season already. And I've just been really excited about it.

A lot has happened. And if you are [00:02:00] interested in the business side of things, this episode is for you. So first I just wanted to talk about my inspiration and the origin for for this idea, linear ghost tours. Um, I have lived in Atlanta with my family for about 10 years and we've always gone to Lake Lanier for swimming, for weekends, camping, fishing, boating, and um, it's always been a beautiful and special place.

I've always loved going to it, even though I'm not a local, even though I didn't hear the local stories when we first moved here. I just felt like it was a beautiful place and I felt a connection to it. And then about three years ago or so, um, my husband who is a park ranger, he got a job with the U. S.

Army Corps of Engineers. And so now he is a park ranger at Lake Lanier. He works for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. And so he is there every day. And since he's been working there, we've really ramped up our visits, [00:03:00]um, to the lake to go swimming, to go boating, to take the kids. And that's when I really started hearing the legends and lore.

behind this area, Lake Lanier. And once I started hearing those from locals and I would start reading more about it, I just became obsessed. And it just seemed like, wow, we have this huge mystery right here, right in my own backyard. It's this, this enigmatic body of water that holds so much mystery. And I just felt lucky to be, to be there all the time, wherever I go.

When we go out of town on vacation. I love going on walking ghost tours. I don't know about you, but I think it's such a fun and unique way to learn the local history and the local culture of the area that you're visiting because the folklore is so unique to wherever you are. Um, and so that's just a great way that I, I [00:04:00] love exploring new places.

with ghost tours. I think they're so much fun. And, um, I just started thinking, I don't think that I've ever seen a ghost tour by boat. I've maybe seen historical boat tours, but I'd never seen a, you know, specifically a ghost tour by boat. Once I kind of thought of that, it just felt like, It kind of felt like a no brainer.

Like there needs to be one of those at Lake Lanier. Why isn't there one at Lake Lanier? I couldn't really find one. So I set about exploring this idea to see if it was something that maybe I could make happen. I did not put a lot of pressure on myself initially. I just gave myself permission and freedom to think about the idea and how it might look if, if I did that one day and, uh, give myself, you know, the freedom to think about different ideas.

to be creative with it [00:05:00] and just let my mind wander with it. I did file for the LLC and for the name Linear Ghost Tours in October, exactly one year ago, October 23. And once I did that, that made it, obviously made it more real. Uh, when you file for an LLC, you may or may not know that, uh, you have to have a business phone number.

You have to have a business street address. And if you don't have a brick and mortar building, then you have to pay for those things. Uh, so I was now, I now had a monthly expense for this business idea. And once you, once you're paying, It's not a, it's not a large monthly expense, you know, it's a small phone bill and a small fee for mailing address, but once you're paying that, then it becomes more real and it felt like I needed to really make steps to, to get this going.[00:06:00]

So while I had been thinking about what, what this tour might look like, my mind had really gone. to crazy places because I started thinking I want to do underwater sonar imaging. I want to do VR. I want to have like a video produced about it. And, uh, I had to rein it in, um, because once you start developing a product, you really have to start with bare bones, especially if you don't have outside funding.

So then I had to start thinking about what is the bare bones idea of this ghost tour. Well, it's putting people on a boat and taking them to the authentic, historical places of witness hauntings and apparitions and telling them the story behind it, and making it as entertaining as possible. As respectful as possible, as safe as possible.

And that's really what the Ghost Tour was gonna be about. So to help move things forward, I [00:07:00] decided to do a beta test. Just set a date for the very first Bare Bones Ghost Tour. And from there, just work really hard to make that beta test the best tour that I could. The test consisted of some really trusted friends and family.

And that's where the logistics start. That's where I had to find a boat to use. That's where I had to do the exploring of the lake myself. And the research to find out where these places are, where are our main stops, how are we going to fill this tour. I got reading material like, um, Robert Coughlin's book, Lake Sidney Lanier, a storybook site.

I got Patrick Phillips book, Blood at the Root. I did a lot of reading, a lot of research. And I started creating this narrative that's informative, respectful, and entertaining, authentic. And we did that very first beta [00:08:00] test just to see, is this a product that other people will want? Is this a service that people will be interested in paying for?

And then I had to kind of overcome this fear of the risk I was taking because all of these things cost money. And when you're starting business, you're not making any money. You're just putting money into it. Not knowing if it's If it's going to pay off ever, it's like, it might never pay off. It might all be for nothing.

So, uh, when you're a small business owner, you have to decide, are you willing to. Take that risk or not. And we're also investing time, just so much time, uh, sweat equity. And I've got a family. I've got an office job Monday through Friday. I do part time gig work as a musician. My husband works full time.

We've got two kids. And so starting something else when [00:09:00] you're doing all this, it's a lot. I just had to decide if that was something I was going to do or not. Well, the first beta test went really well, so I decided, yep, we're going to keep moving forward. And so we just took the next step. The next step was making this a repeatable event.

And one of the first things that I needed was a website where people could book. Well, before you have a website, you have to have the graphic art. Well, these are things that I'm not capable of doing on my own. So I had to find people who were talented and good at what they did and people who I trusted and people who that, who I worked well with.

And I did, I was so lucky. Um, I found the graphic designer who does the artwork for spirits and court. She also did the logo for linear ghost tours. Her name is Laura horn. And then I found an excellent, uh, digital marketer. in Wicked Atlanta Marketing. And they designed a fantastic website, [00:10:00] easy to use, easy for me to use, which is great because I'm not website savvy.

Quick story about the graphic designer, Laura Horn. The way I found her was actually my son in fourth grade. He was, he had a graphic design project for a science tech fair, and he needed help with this project. I don't know anything about graphic design. And so I literally cold called or cold emailed.

several graphic designers in the Atlanta area. And Laura Horn responded and said, I would love to help your son with this project. It sounds so cool. And so she did. She gave her time to help my eight year old, nine year old son with his graphic design tech fair project. And, uh, so she's definitely good people and very talented too.

Then I set about, um, improving the tour because that beta test, while it went great, everybody had plenty of suggestions and I was so thankful for their suggestions. So I set about implementing some of those suggestions. I mean, [00:11:00]just everybody that you know is full of creative things and it was important to create a safe space where they felt.

They could give me their honest feedback. Uh, my sister, Regina, she was a guest on this show before. She said, why don't you look up historical articles and print those out and have those laminated for people to look at? So I thought, well, that's a great idea that adds some authenticity. So I took that suggestion.

We stop at an island and explore the island and somebody said, Oh, why don't you name the island? Give it a spooky name. So we named it Skeleton Island. And then everybody just had different thoughts on the length of the tour. Was it too long? Is it too short? Does there need to be more narratives? Do there need to be less narratives?

So all of those things were really important because we did a couple more beta tests after that, and all of those suggestions were so important. So once we got the tour finalized and repeatable. We knew what it [00:12:00] was, what it was going to be every single time. Then we had some more logistical challenges.

For one thing, we were not in a place that, that I could buy my own boat. So I had to find a, a boat that I could rent on a consistent basis. And that was full of challenges. This was, this was probably the hardest thing that I came across was discovering that some other local businesses in the area. A few, a very, a very few, uh, did not want me operating this kind of a business.

They let me know, very vocally, that they felt that they did not care for the lake's reputation of being haunted. And they felt that it was bad for their business. I disagree with that. I disagree because, uh, I was actually there to do business with them, consistent business. So for that reason alone, I would think it would be good for their [00:13:00] business.

The reputation of Lake Lanier being haunted is nothing brand new. It's not something that I created, and it's not something that I'm exploiting to make a quick buck. Um, I'm not making any quick bucks on this. The lake's reputation exists. And it exists for a reason. I think it's important to talk about that reason.

Some of it is uncomfortable. A lot of historical events that happened, especially in the United States. It's not fun history. And I'm not making light of it. I'm telling it accurately. And I think that's important. And you can't talk about Lake Lanier without talking about Oscarville. And so we talk about Oscarville.

And we do so accurately and respectfully. And it does lead people to question, has that cast a lingering curse on this area? And I [00:14:00] think that's a reasonable question. You don't have to believe in that kind of thing. A lot of people do, and a lot of people are interested by it, and I am, for sure. And so that's where we are coming from.

Some people don't agree with it, and that's fine. But I, I also disagree with, um, the idea that what I'm doing is bad for other local businesses. From what I've seen, tourist attractions are very good for the local economy. Uh, we had a group on the ghost tour. There were five ladies. They were so much fun.

They were in their fifties and they traveled together and they said everywhere we travel, we like to go on a ghost tour. They're just like me and they were, they came from Texas to do this ghost tour and all weekend long they're eating at local [00:15:00] restaurants, they're staying at local Airbnbs, they're filling up gas, they're using transportation around this area, they're shopping, they're buying souvenirs for their grandkids.

So. To say that it's bad for local businesses, it's just incorrect. So if you're coming at this from a business point of view, from an economic point of view, I believe that small businesses do better when they help each other. They're just stronger together. And yeah, there might be some competition there too, but everybody's all working to put something back into the local economy.

And so while everybody's entitled to their own opinion, I'm looking at this from, from a business point of view. And that's just what it is. It's good for the local economy. Yes, I'm trying to make a living. I'm not getting rich by any, by any stretch. But, uh, it is something that I think, I feel it's important, um, [00:16:00] recreation is important, local storytelling is important, and this lake has an important story to tell.

But that was by far the biggest, uh, challenge. If you're a people pleaser like me, it's not a good feeling to feel like you're hated. It's, it's not, it's, it's a bad feeling. So it's hard to, to shift your focus. Uh, one of the things that I did do to combat that was, I started going to the Forsyth, uh, Chamber of Commerce networking events.

And I went to one that was just for women because, I don't know about you, I mean, women own businesses, women relate different. To other women, and that was actually a safe place for me, and I had a great experience. And so again, it just goes back to like finding people who you work well with and who you have a mutual respect for.

While networking has never been a strength of mine, [00:17:00] I do know that it's necessity. And so I've made that to, uh, just as a small business owner, I've got to make that a priority to do more networking events like that. All in all, the, the ghost tours, this is our first year in operation. We started our very first one in July and it's October.

And I've had such like encouragement and some really great highlights. In fact, every. Single tour that we've been on. We've got nothing but five star Google reviews, and that's extremely validating for me because I work very, very hard to make sure that our guests have a phenomenal time. I want guests to feel safe.

I want them to feel like they're having a nice time. I want them to feel like they're getting a good value for the money that they're paying. And I want them to feel like they have learned something. We incorporate wildlife and we [00:18:00]incorporate history. And so I think it's a one of a kind tour. It's a, it's a beautiful day on a boat.

If nothing else, if you don't believe in haunted things, if you don't believe in spirits, it's just a beautiful day on a boat in a beautiful place. So, um, I've been really fortunate to get consistent bookings all the way through October, although we do have a few left. We have a few spots on a few tours left.

If you are listening and you do want to book one, you can go to our website, Linear Ghost Tours and see what we've got for availability. And we've got a bright future ahead. Uh, we do plan to take a break during the winter months and pick it back up in the spring. And we've got So many new fresh ideas.

For one thing, we'll have our own boat, we'll have more tours, we'll have more merchandise, we'll have evening tours, um, we'll include special events like [00:19:00] corporate events and private parties. So there's going to be, there's going to be a lot next year with Linear Ghost Tours and I'm so excited about it. I do have to take this moment to say thank you for the support that we have got.

You cannot start a new business in a vacuum. It takes so many people to help. My husband is the captain of all of these tours. He's driven every single one of these, and there's nothing more important than our guests safety. He also knows so much about the lake that. you know, trivia, things that, things that you don't find on the internet.

And so he's always got something interesting to add to the tour that I would never have thought of adding. But, um, because he works there and he's got the inside scoop, so to speak, it's, he's always got interesting things to say. Um, I also have to say thank you to my parents. My dad is a small business [00:20:00] owner himself for many, many, many years.

And I have just talked his ear off about every aspect of this. And he's always got great advice. You know, just a great way to, you know, when you're feeling so overwhelmed about what to do next, you've got great advice about how to move forward and things to think about and just weighing the pros and cons of different things.

And he's also really creative person. So he's always got good ideas. He's also got a really good business head. And of course my mother, she is so supportive. She's even coming out with We don't have family where we are and so it's been hard with kids because you don't have grandma and grandpa to just, you know, throw the kids at while you go run off and do a boat tour.

And uh, she's, she's coming here for a couple of weeks to just, just help with what I need while, while we, Focus hard on these last few ghost tours. Um, I also have to thank all of my friends and family who came on the, the initial beta tests. [00:21:00] They know who they are and they all had amazing suggestions. And I just want to thank each and every one of them.

Again, Amy at, uh, wicked Atlanta marketing, her team did an amazing job with the website. She comes up with. All kinds of ideas for me that I didn't even ask for. She figured out how to do the Google ad campaign. I could have never figured that out. Analytics, all of that. It's, it's so much. So I feel really fortunate to have found somebody who I trust and who has my best interest and my business best in best interest at heart.

It feels, it makes me feel really lucky. Uh, Laura Horne, I already said who did the artwork, Billy Gowen, who produced the theme of our podcast. Just a note, while we're talking about the podcast, I had no idea how to do a podcast either. And the way I learned was through a very close friend of mine, Kyla Cofer.

She's a leadership and self care coach, and she has her own podcast called Leadership School, and it's excellent. And she literally [00:22:00] told me everything that I need to know about how to start a podcast. I absolutely had no idea where to begin. So I want to say thank you to her. And I know she, I know that she would help you too.

If you're looking to start a podcast, you can go to kyla cofer. com and I'm going to put all this in the show notes. I was also really fortunate enough to link up with a couple of other podcasts, uh, Southern Gothic. I don't know if you've checked that podcast out, but it's amazing. Uh, I've been a big fan of that for a while now.

And uh, another one is the unseen paranormal podcast and they actually had me a guest on their podcast. So you should check that episode out for sure. It aired October 16th on the Unseen Paranormal podcast. And of course, I want to thank my co host, Erica. She has really helped me. I could have never done this without her.

So I want to say thank you to Erica for her help and her support [00:23:00] and all of her ideas and her witty banter and everything that she adds to the show. Um, I just want to leave with a couple of tips. If you are a budding entrepreneur or a small business owner, or you've just got an idea for something and you're not sure about what to do next.

I've got a few suggestions. I'm by no means an expert, but I would say the first thing would be to think long and hard about the risk that it's going to take because you are going to put hours of your own personal time and many, many, many dollars of your own personal money. You need to think about If I never get a return on this, am I going to be okay with that or not?

Because there will come a point where either the business is going to work or it's not going to work, and you just don't know where it's going to go. [00:24:00] So you may be spending hours and hours, you may be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you may never get that back. So if you're okay with that, You have to be okay with that before you move forward.

The second thing I learned from a speaker at one of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce networking events, and she said, it hit me really hard. She said, learn how to say next when you're not vibing with a potential customer or a potential business partner or a potential business opportunity. If you're not vibing, if you're not feeling it, just say next.

And that's okay. Because again, when you're a people pleaser, like me, you can really get hung up on, well, what, what is this person? Why are they not raving about my services? Why are they not chomping at the bit to work with me? Why are they treating me like that? And I really got that way when, [00:25:00] um, as I said before, some of these local business owners made it very, very clear how they felt about me.

And it felt personal. Okay. Not just about my business idea, but about me personally. And that's very hard to deal with. It's very hard to move on from. So, you have to learn how to say, Next, and move on to a healthier place. Because there are times if you're feeling negative energy from somebody, you're going to feel like throwing in the towel.

Just like, okay, fine. That's okay. I just, I quit. I give up because, because you don't like feeling like that. Just know that those moments are going to happen and know how you're going to handle them and know who you are. It's a lot of not taking things personal. And then the last thing that I would say is if you're a budding entrepreneur is if you don't know how to pivot and be flexible and uh, get things done quickly, then [00:26:00] you have to get used to that.

There were times on this journey where I had a ghost tour scheduled for that day, and I didn't have a boat for that day. It's all about stretching your brain to the max to figure out how to get this done. Instead of, you know, instead of canceling, we're not going to cancel the tour. No, we're going to find a boat and we're going to do this tour.

Somehow magically, it has all worked out every week, even though I feel like I'm putting out fire after fire. And it's a lot of stress sometimes. But, you know, when that tour is over and we get a five star Google review, it just. it makes me, it validates this journey that I'm on. So, get comfortable with pivoting and figuring things out last minute, because as a brand new business, that's probably going to take up the majority of your time, I would venture to guess.

So that's my [00:27:00] advice for budding small business owners or entrepreneurs. And, uh, I would just like to encourage everybody out there, wherever you're listening, to support your own local small businesses. They're everywhere. And it doesn't take much to support them. I'm not saying you have to spend a lot of money.

Sometimes even just a little bit. Liking them on social media and interacting with them on social media feels encouraging. Sometimes just telling somebody else about them. Like maybe you, you wouldn't buy a product from them, but you know, somebody who might, you know, all that is actually really, it means so much to small business owners.

And if you are in this Atlanta Metro area, I would love for you to book your own tour on Lanier Ghost Tours and come see what we're about. We do have a few spots left and then we're going to be taking a break all winter long. And so you're not going to have another chance until [00:28:00] next spring. And I'm so looking forward to next spring.

I'm looking forward to what Lanier Ghost Tours is going to do. And I'm really looking forward to the next season of this podcast, Spirits Uncorked. We are going to be back with Erica next week for our season one finale of Spirits Uncorked Under the Water. Erica is also going to be on the Halloween tour of Linear Ghost Tours, so that would be a really fun one for you to come on.

It's not sold out yet. Please like us on social media @LanierGhostTours on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and book a tour on linear ghost tours.com. And tune in next time to Spirits and Cork for the season one finale. Thank you so much for joining us. Bye.