Today we’d like to introduce you to Tosh & Kaysie @ exploringnotboring.com
Hi Tosh & Kaysie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
You can learn more about our story here:
Our Origin Story
Our Kickstarter Video
THE SHORT STORY:
Never did we ever say, “Let’s build a community marketplace for local experiences!” The idea grew out of necessity.
In 2020, with the world shutdown, it became clear that life is too short for boring—a philosophy born out of countless late night talks along the pathway to our favorite ocean view under the Eucalyptus trees in Dana Point, CA.
Frustrated by a toxic work culture, disappointed by a lack of community, and inspired by an ill-fated Adventure Jar that revealed how hard it is to find unique things to do near you, we knew it was time to take action.
We believe a meaningful, connected life is full of enriching experiences.
Studies show the more we cultivate new & diverse experiences, important vehicles for social connections and positive emotions, the greater our brain activity, well-being, and life satisfaction.
So, we started exploringnotboring.com to make it easy for anyone to create shared, meaningful experiences.
. . . with friends, family, riding solo, after work, every weekend, anytime, anywhere.
It was always clear to us WHY we had to do it, but it wasn’t clear HOW until 2021.
December 2021, we set off on our 411-Day Mega Roadtrip to connect with our Partners across the United States who provide uniquely local experiences. On this trip, we learned about the challenges our Partners face, their unwavering passion for their craft, and the pressing need to elevate local experiences to the forefront in every city.
That experience and insight inspired us to move back to our hometown of SLC and double down on our mission.
Our goal is to shape a happier world, one where we’re connected to our authentic self, our highest potential & truest freedom, connected at our roots to the rhythm of the planet, and one where we’re deeply connected to each other.
We believe the best way to better the world is to connect the people in it through shared, meaningful experiences that empower our collective happiness with an inevitable stretching of our individual skills, knowledge & achievements.
Four years later, we’ve gone from dreamers to doers, partnering with over 100 local experts and creators of unique Activities, Events, and Products handcrafted by real people in your own neighborhood & beyond.
exploringnotboring.com is a community platform that aims to inspire and connect people through uniquely local experiences.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like riding the White Rollercoaster at Lagoon, our journey has had its ups and downs, and things have been mostly uncomfortable, yet we can’t help but smile from ear-to-ear with our hands in the air 🙌
One of the biggest challenges we’ve overcome (aside from launching into entrepreneurship during the 2020 pandemic when we realized how crucial meaningful experiences are for our well-being), was in March 2021 when we hit a snag.
Building a “double-sided community marketplace” was a new adventure for us, and so we looked for an easy boxed solution as the answer. But existing marketplace solutions were binary and forced us into a mold and cooker-cutter User Experience, stifling our vision for what exploringnotboring.com could be. Not to mention the limitations and complexities of booking functionality on the market, which made it impossible to find a viable integration.
So, following 9 months of intensive research and 48 interviews with booking system executives, we made a bold choice that demanded we swallow our fears—our path forward required us to build from scratch, limitless & unique.
Fast forward almost 2 years later, we launched early access to exploringnotboring.com April 20, 2023 — blazing a new trail with the world’s first-ever online farmer’s market for uniquely local experiences.
We’ve been impressed with EXPLORINGNOTBORING, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
When you’re after something cool and different to do, Utah has a new connect for that.
Don’t waste your time combing through Google or doom-scrolling social media.
Find outdoor adventures, creative workshops, social impact experiences, and more on exploringnotboring.com ✨
Homegrown in Utah, we have that good-good stuff you want to tell all your friends about. What sets us apart is we prioritize local flavor over corporate chains. We cherry-pick wildly unique Activities, Events, and Products handcrafted by rad locals in your neighborhood & beyond.
Perfect for friends, families, date nights, team-building, parties, and individuals looking to connect over fun things to do that are ACTUALLY fun, authentic, and unforgettable.
So, next time you’re bored, think exploringnotboring.com—your connect for uniquely local experiences.
But what readers should know is exploringnotboring.com is more than a community marketplace for fun things to do; it’s a movement for more living, less boring.
We believe in the power of shared experiences to elevate happiness, well-being, and life satisfaction. So, we invite everyone to join us in celebrating the richness of local culture and creativity on exploringnotboring.com ✨
Check us out! Newer & richer experiences await you.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
TOSH: To be real, despite growing up a poor kid with 4 stripes on my Adidas shoes haha, my childhood was one of the best. Sooo many memories stand out to me—from digging tunnels that my mom was terrified were going to kill us, to sneaking fruit from the neighborhood orchards, from building robots out of K’NEX and DC motors pulled from our toys, to hustling our own popsicle money selling parking spots for high school plays and football games (ask me about this story sometime, it’s hilarious!)—the common denominator between all of these memories though is the awesome group of friends I grew up with, they made my childhood unforgettable!
KAYSIE: There’s loads of childhood memories that are my favorite, but the one that always comes to mind first is when I was about 10 years-old. My neighborhood friends and I loved riding bikes and one of them just got a new bike ramp. We would ride from a ways down the street to pick up speed and launch ourselves off the jump. One time, my friend’s mom just happened to start gardening where we set up the jump. So, I went racing as fast as I could down the street and hit the jump at full speed, unexpectedly, I flew over her head like Evel Knievel, landing the biggest jump I’ve ever done. It was so thrilling and freeing, I will never forget it.
Pricing:
- We have free events $0
- Things to do under $20
- And experiences for every budget!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://exploringnotboring.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/exploringnotboring
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/exploringnotboring
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@exploringnotboring
- Other: https://discover.exploringnotboring.com
