Former adventurer succeeding in the business field in Calgary after life of expeditions
Jamie Clarke has traded in the experience of being on the side of a mountain battered by bone-chilling winds for the steady confines of a warehouse and office.
After adventures in over 40 countries, Clarke finds himself indoors as he works between his two flourishing businesses in Calgary: Out There and LiveOutThere.com.
“I learned early on that to be a successful adventurer, you’ve got to be good at business,” Clarke said. “You have to figure out a way to pay for your adventures. At an early age, I began to realize I have to figure out how to fund my trips, so I had to learn the business of adventure.”
An “adventrepreneur” is someone who creates or runs a business that focuses on adventure gear and experiences. Clarke clearly fits into this mold.
After climbing Mt. Everest and journeying all around the world, Jamie Clarke now runs Out There and LiveOutThere.com in Calgary. Produced by Neil Hilts and Landon Wesley
His businesses expanded as his adventures slowed, and after the success of Out There, which launched in 2003, LiveOutThere.com was launched in 2009. It has seen great amount of success in the short time it’s been around.
Despite being such an energetic person who was constantly challenged during his travels, Clarke said he had no problems keeping busy and concentrated while working with his businesses.
Clarke’s store manager Tyler Kosaka, who called himself the first employee at Out There, said Clarke’s passion for the outdoors is a main reason why the companies are having huge success.
“Not too many people in this world can say they have taken their passions and turned them into careers,” Kosaka said. “I think a lot of people work at jobs they are good at, but not necessarily passionate about. So to have him passionate about what he does is certainly contagious.”
Clarke most recently summited in Mt. Everest in 2010, but after being urged by his family to stop the long trips, he quit. Now, the only adventures Clarke will go on will involve his wife and two kids.
“I want to adventure with my kids,” he said. “I don’t want to leave them behind.”