Meet Laurel Darren of Wild Bunch Desert Guides

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurel Darren.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I worked as a day tours guide for another outfitter here in the valley as a senior mountain bike and a hiking guide for close to 4 years. I had the opportunity to take out small groups, families, kids and solo guests on amazing and fun adventures. I was allowed to be eccentric and flashy while guiding and I had the chance to give people the best time ever every time I was out on my mountain bike or hiking.

Throughout my journey, I had many people tell me they thought I had what it took to run my own small adventure company and quite honestly I had many, many return guests that I had retained on social media requesting me each year to take them out again. I made the decision to leave the cooperate company and start my own boutique adventure company and that was when Wild Bunch Desert Guides came to be. I am in my second year of business and we are doing way beyond my wildest expectations. So grateful. The simple act of friending people on Facebook, taking pics and posting them on social media places is totally what helped me get started.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been smooth sailing due to Bill. Bill takes care of all the permits, insurance, deals with the bike shops and reps –that is huge for us. Bill also orders everything we need in terms of water bottles, marketing materials etc. The tough part for me personally is when my guides give their all and people don’t know that gratuity is a great way to show them how well they did. I take care of all of our concierge interactions and that is really fun to meet them and get to know them.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Wild Bunch Desert Guides was born in the imagination of a couple of people who love the desert and all it has to offer. What better way to share this with the countless visitors each year than to take you ourselves and show you around! Our gang is made up of guides with years of experience here in the Sonoran Desert that has a passion for exploring and a genuine commitment to making adventures safe, fun, and unforgettable.

We specialize in small group tours in which we do not combine other people. Each group gets their own guide(s). We take the time to speak to all guests directly and get a feel for their expectations and do everything we can to ensure an amazing, safe and ultimately fun adventure here in Arizona.

What sets us apart is we are genuine and true to ourselves when it comes to how we take care of the guests. All my guides are amazing in their own way and I would never want to take that from them. We do not charge extra for private trips and we provide excellent guest service. The communication is the biggest part of it for us–ensuring we give the guests what their vision is and keeping them safe and smiling.

What were you like growing up?
I was a complete tomboy- I loved sports and helping others. I was that girl who dressed up in costumes and tried to make people smile and have fun. I was generous and giving and still am. I wanted to make everyone’s dreams come true.

Contact Info:

• Address: 14545 North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd
  Scottsdale, AZ 85260
• Website: www.wildbunchdesertguides.com
• Phone: 6026630842
• Email: Laurel@WildBunchDesertGuides.com
• Instagram: WildBunchDesertGuides
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildbunchdesertguides/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wild-bunch-desert-guides-scottsdale
• Other: Trip Advisor–https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31350-d10159481-Reviews-Wild_Bunch_Desert_Guides_LLC-Scottsdale_Arizona.html

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