Outdoor Adventure Meets Growing Venture Capital with Logan Meaux

Key Insights & Timestamps:

• [00:00]: Podcast begins
• [02:52]: Waitrapp, customer service, & the spark for entrepreneurship
• [06:50]: Mallard Bay tackles the Rice Business Plan Competition
• [13:12]: Experiencing the Softeq Venture Studio cohort
• [21:09]: $1.8 million fundraising round & Houston’s investment in Mallard Bay
• [29:39]: Bringing tech solutions & selling techniques to a non-tech outdoor industry
• [36:31]: Social media & customer connection in online communities

Guest Spotlight:
Logan Meaux, Co-Founder & CEO of Mallard Bay Outdoors
Beginning his career as a delivery driver for his father’s business, Waitrapp, Logan Meaux caught the bug for entrepreneurship early. Working in customer service and data intelligence as his career progressed, Logan developed a fascination with using data to identify operational inefficiencies and better the customer experience. Today, as Co-Founder and CEO of his own company, Mallard Bay Outdoors, Logan unites his professional tech expertise and customer service background with his personal love of the outdoors to draw in qualified leads and drive bookings for guides, charter captains, and outfitter owners.

Key Takeaways:

• Mallard Bay garnered the attention of Softeq and other investors through their participation in the Rice Business Plan Competition. Logan describes that experience as invaluable to their startup’s success, not just because of the investors that later contributed financially to Mallard Bay, but also for the experience of pitching and networking about their business to a variety of individuals, business owners, founders, and investors.
• The selling process for Mallard Bay Outdoors involves a heavy emphasis on in-person relationships. Logan and his team work at trade shows and travel to outfitters to meet their customers where they are and develop a personal relationship. The outdoor industry is relatively non-tech and non-digital compared to other industries, and Logan believes that a non-tech relationship that’s solidified with in-person discussion develops trust with their customers.
• Behind other industries that have already made that change, the outdoor adventure industry is now focusing on human interaction in advertising and social media engagement. Logan explains that companies aiming for relevance in today’s shifting industry are tapping into content like podcasts and YouTube videos to speak to their customers as directly as possible, instead of just showing clips or photos of a travel or hunting experience.

Resources Mentioned:
Mallard Bay Outdoors | mallardbay.com