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Wilderness Adventure Guide

Outfitter: Rogue Wilderness Adventures, Merlin, OR
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Do you want to be a Wilderness Adventure Guide?

Would you like to be in the business of selling “fun”? Are you a self-starter who is willing to work long hours, handle the expected and unexpected and smile all the while, knowing you are creating memories? Are you ready to trade the sound of horns and smell of exhaust on your daily commute for the roar of the river and the smell of the great outdoors? If so, Brad Niva, owner of Rogue Wilderness Adventures, has an exciting opportunity for you to learn and experience what it takes to become a white water rafting and hiking guide on a VocationVacations® adventure on the beautiful Rogue River in southern Oregon.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Brad Niva’s dream job was to work in the ski industry. He pursued a degree in public relations, and realized his dream when he got his first job in the marketing department for Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor ski resort. He stayed in the ski industry for a number of years. “It was a fun lifestyle, but I realized it was a career that wasn’t going to pay the mortgage,” laughs Brad.

Brad took his marketing and sales expertise to the corporate world as a pharmaceutical representative for GlaxoSmithKline and built a successful ten-year career in sales. “Although I made good money, I yearned to be back selling something fun,” shares Brad. Fate intervened. After hosting a Rogue Wilderness Adventure rafting trip for some of his clients, Brad quickly hopped on a plane for a sales meeting, still thinking about floating down one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. When a motivational speaker at the meeting reminded the group they only had one life to live and there were no second chances, Brad knew what he had to do.

Brad contacted the owners of Rogue Wilderness Adventures who were thinking about retiring to discuss buying their business. It was a big step for Brad. “I kept thinking about the security I was leaving behind and asking myself ‘what did I think I was doing?’," remembers Brad. While Brad was trying to make his decision, his father passed away. Again, he realized how short life was and knew he needed to seize the opportunity to follow his dream. Brad bought Rogue Wilderness Adventures in 2006. It was the right choice for Brad. In the first year he doubled the business and has seen steady growth since then.

One of the top twenty outfitters in the country, Rogue Wilderness Adventures is a full-service, top quality outfitter providing everything from transportation to and from the airport, to top-of-line equipment and gourmet meals. The level of professionalism and customer service has made Rogue Wilderness Adventures a favorite with Fortune 500 companies, families and individuals (ages six to ninety) from all walks of life - including former First Lady Laura Bush. “Mrs. Bush and five of her life-long friends who call themselves the ‘Midland Five’ took a rafting trip with us. It was them and 14 Secret Service men,” laughs Brad.

Rogue Wilderness Adventures is unique in its choice of experiences and options. People can choose rafting or hiking adventures, or a combination of both; fishing trips; half, one or multiple day trips; and tent or lodge accommodations. Hiking trips are available
May – July; rafting, May – September; and fishing, September - October.

“Ours is a seasonal business so you need to manage staff and budgets carefully to deal with cash flow issues on the down months,” cautions Brad. You also need to be ready for long hours during the busy months of June – August. “We have 400 – 500 guests, seven days a week during those months.” But Brad and his staff love what they do. “We encourage people to check out of their day-to-day life and ‘smell the roses’, put away their cell phones and car keys and enjoy the beauty of nature while we take care of all the details.”

What should you know if you want to get into the business? “Realize both the financial and personal demands of owning your own business – the costs and time commitment,” explains Brad. Any skills he would have liked to have had before he bought Rogue Wilderness Adventures? “I got a “D” in accounting in college. I wish I would have had the chance to retake the class so I wouldn’t have to pay accountants now.”

While on your Wilderness Adventure Guide VocationVacations® career mentorship with Brad Niva at Rogue Wilderness Adventures, activities will include some or all of the following:
  • Learn the ins and outs of being a white water rafting guide
  • Learn the ins and outs of being a white water raft company owner
  • Learn to measure risk management and how to set up a risk management
  • plan
  • Assist in customer safety orientation
  • Conduct equipment inspections and rigging
  • Review State and federal guide requirements
  • Understand challenges in managing a seasonal business
  • Book and schedule guests via phone and internet
  • Understand challenges of multi sport tours and operations of each sport
  • Get an overview of marketing campaigns and the budgeting of each
  • Learn how to handle creative financing of seasonal businesses

The Wilderness Adventure Guide VocationVacations® career mentorship with Brad Niva at Rogue Wilderness Adventures:
  • Three days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as a Wilderness Adventure Guide
  • The opportunity to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post- VocationVacations career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
  • A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job coming to reality
  • Light lunches with your mentor

Available: All year based on mentor's availability

Price: $1349 Per Person

Book This Career Mentorship



Suggested Accommodations

The Lodge at Riverside

Weasku Inn
(Not included in the price of the VocationVacations® holiday)

Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® adventure:
 Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:
Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.