Meet Andy Demetriou of Advantage Grand Canyon Adventure Rafting in East Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Demetriou.

Andy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2012 I had a feeling that it was time to reinvent myself in terms of my career. Working in hospitality downtown Chicago for years had taken its toll, and after accruing about 10 days worth of PTO, I decided to travel to Thailand for a couple of weeks. On a beach one day juggling a soccer ball, I met a fellow American and an Australian who had been living on the island Koh Samui for 2 and 3 years respectively. I was puzzled at how they were able to do so, knowing the grind I had to endure for just 10 days of vacation per year. I learned how they both owned their own businesses and had the luxury to work remotely. After hearing their story, I decided right there on that beach that I was putting in my 2 weeks notice. Shortly thereafter, I reconnected with a long-time friend of mine who had moved from Chicago to Scottsdale to start a business, and it was he who recommended we raft Grand Canyon. At this time I had no stream of income, so spending nearly $2,000 on a trip wasn’t exactly the first thing on my to-do list. However, my friend had never steered me wrong and always had great ideas so I decided to go for it; and I am so glad I did!
We hiked down into the canyon to start a 5 day lower trip with a group of 20. Among them was a family made up of 3 generations. The incredible sights, attractions, rapids, waterfalls, hiking opportunities by day, and camping under the stars on a sandy beach by night is still (after almost a dozen raft trips later) something hard to explain. Magic is the only word that comes to mind, and it is still very much alive each time I visit the canyon.
On the fourth night on that first trip in May of 2012, my friend Kenric and I were talking about how great it was that 3 generations were able to experience a trip like this all together, and the perception of who can and can’t partake on these Grand Canyon raft trips can often times be misunderstood. I felt compelled to help change this perception and play a small role in ensuring more people experience the magic of a Grand Canyon raft trip. And that’s how I started my company, Advantage Grand Canyon.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing good comes easy, and this journey back to entrepreneurship is a great example of it. Once I came to terms with accepting the unknown, I focused on the very goal with which this whole venture was built upon; making it easier for people to check this trip off their bucket list and experience rafting the Grand Canyon.
The first hurdle was to get accustomed to a commission-based income from a comfortable salary. Often times you won’t get paid for services rendered for up to a year or more, so planning is essential.
Next was the challenging yet very gratifying part of the process; tapping into your own creativity. For example, learning and building a user-friendly website (and project managing developers who are working for you), producing content, making and editing videos, and basically everything it takes to advertise and market your own brand. However, the most time-consuming aspect was learning the logistics of the many trips offered by the outfitters. There are literally hundreds of different itineraries we have to memorize and be able to explain on a whim to clients; be it on the phone or by chat/email. Becoming an expert in this takes time, and finding the right employees is crucial for success. This all takes patience, commitment, and a will to never give up and always be striving for improvement!

Advantage Grand Canyon Adventure Rafting – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a central reservation service for the 16 commercial outfitters (licensed and authorized concessionaires who are granted permits by the national park) to take people down the Grand Canyon on rafting/hiking/camping adventures. Advantage Grand Canyon’s mission is to make it easy for people to book a Grand Canyon raft trip based on their preferences, date range, etc. Prior to finding us, we’ve heard from past clients that they had spent entire weekends mulling over the many pages of information on the different websites, only to be more confused than they’d already been when they had started; and that’s no fun! We want to make it easy for our clients by providing real-time availability (a sort of concierge-type of service) for free!
Having a finger on the pulse of these trips and having built such great rapports and relationships with the outfitters over the past eight years, Advantage Grand Canyon is often times their first call when seats become available due to cancellations. This has helped us find adventures for people with just a few months in advance of a trip launch! This may not sound like a big deal, but because there are a finite number of permits issued annually by the national park, most trips book one year in advance. In addition, and to make things even easier, we have a TripFinder (sort of like an Expedia for GC raft trips if you will); which hosts all of the launches from all of the outfitters right on our website. You have the ability to select your date range, trip duration, raft type, and it filters results instantly. This alone can save anyone hours of research, and Advantage Grand Canyon is happy to offer this as a free service to all.

What were you like growing up?

Hmmm, with being the baby of the family, my older brothers would likely tell you I was annoying (:
But the truth is, I learned so much from them, as well as my hard-working parents. And I owe much of who I am today – to them. Looking back, I realize I got my drive from my dad and my customer service skills from my mom.
My parents immigrated to the US from Greece with very little education. With them being a tailor and seamstress by trade, my brothers and I often spent weekdays and weekends at the family dry cleaning business; learning and absorbing lessons of entrepreneurship in our subconscious without even realizing it. My father who is a hard-working, self-taught, and dedicated family man would stop at nothing to ensure the day’s work was completed in its entirety. No job was ever too big for him, and I remember on one occasion watching him tirelessly tool around in an effort to try and figure out what was causing a machine’s malfunction. Although rare, he ended up having to call in a technician for help, but dad was right there watching and learning. I may have seen two technicians in the shop in the 35 years it was in business. I am lucky to have had my father as a role model, and my admiration of him is something that can’t be put into words.
My mom was the “front of the house” expert if you will. Her charisma, social intelligence, and heartfelt sincerity was something to witness. Her smile and inviting personality welcomed each customer, earning their loyalty; many of which remained customers for life of the business. I remember there was an issue once where an ink pen somehow made it into the dry cleaning machine. Unfortunately during the cycle, it exploded and ruined a number of garments. Typically, this would result in some very irate reactions from people. However, the loyalty my mother earned due to her excellent customer service throughout the years, retained all of these customers.
These countless lessons I witnessed from my family no doubt helped build a foundation that I accredit much of my personal and professional success to.

Pricing:

• 3-5 Day Raft Trips start at $1,435/person
• 6-8 Day Full Canyon Trips (most popular) start at $2,685/person
• 1/2 Day Trips start at $88.85/person

Contact Info:

• Address: Advantage Grand Canyon
  7707 E Acoma Drive #103
  Scottsdale AZ 85260
• Website: www.AdvantageGrandCanyon.com
• Phone: 888-244-2224
• Email: info@advantagegrandcanyon.com

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