How did you land in Cook County?  What journey led you here?
Grant worked at Seagull Outfitters for a summer back in college. Years before that, he had also taken a month-long trip into Woodlands Caribou Provincial Park through a high school program. The northern wilderness was a captivating place from those formative experiences and finding a way back in some more permanent manner was a dream ever since. When another former staffer reached out to Grant and let us know that Deb was putting Seagull back up for sale, we knew we had to explore the opportunity, and the rest is history. Seagull Outfitters is a special place that facilitates opportunities for so many people to experience a one of kind wilderness, and we are so excited and grateful to be a part of Seagull’s story. 

What has been the biggest challenge that you have encountered during this new phase of your lives?
The logistics of transitioning to business owners of a place hours away from our current home-base with a young family is no small feat. The day-to-day business operations are their own adventure, but on top of that we have been juggling the many jobs needed to take over a business and get it running under a new umbrella while also balancing the end of the school year; we had to divide and conquer, with one of us running the business and the other running the house for the first month of the season. This was certainly a challenging introduction to our new chapter at Seagull. Getting to all be back together with things fully up and running now for the summer is a point we are really glad to have finally reached.

What hobbies do you enjoy when you are not busy working?
We enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting and just about anything that gets us outdoors. Seagull would not have been a good fit for our family if we didn’t! Hobbies that help our kids develop a love and appreciation of nature are important to us, and we are excited to find even more ways to do that here at Seagull.

What excites you the most about your new business venture?
There are so many exciting aspects for us. One is to continue Seagull’s story and to be a part of it. Seagull Outfitters has been able to provide lifelong memories for so many people, and we look forward to being able to continue that on. We look forward to getting to know all of our customers, new and returners alike, and helping them have the best BWCAW/Quetico experiences possible. Another exciting thing is the change of lifestyle for our family, and the opportunity to let our kids have slower summers where they can explore on a daily basis. And a third is the ability for us to run a business and work together, in a place and with a purpose that resonates deeply with both of us. While the adventure takes work and has its challenges, it is a labor of love that we are fortunate to take on as a team.

Were your friends and families surprised to hear that you were purchasing Seagull Outfitters or were they cheering you on?
Some were surprised only by the timing, and many considered it a natural fit once the initial shock wore off! Our family and friends are cheering us on and have been so supportive ever since we first began exploring this opportunity and they continue doing so. 

Any family details that you would like to share (human or 4-legged)?
We have three young kinds and a pup who has adjusted well to outfitter life.