Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Vogel.
Hi Joseph, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well, my story has had kind of an interesting plot twist. I was on a successful path in higher education. I’d just gotten tenure, become chair of my department, published multiple books and articles, and even had pizza with filmmaker Spike Lee in New York. But the Covid-19 Pandemic and some personal trials really awakened something in me. I’d been away for almost fifteen years, in New York and Boston. Both of my parents almost died. I missed my brothers and friends. I realized you only have so much time with the people you love. I started to also just feel this magnetic pull back to the landscape. I missed the mountains especially. That was the inspiration for Timpanogos Hiking Co. — it was a way to reconnect with the landscape I grew up in. It was a coming home, I guess.
And I saw the business as serving a similar purpose for others. I’ve talked to so many people who have gone through difficult times and getting away from the noise, getting outside and moving and sweating and smelling the trees and seeing wildflowers and waterfalls and rivers — there’s something very centering about it. You feel a release. You feel like yourself. So even though we are an outdoor apparel store, I see my business more as a kind of a vehicle for that transformative experience.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There’s definitely been a learning curve. But I’m really enjoying it. I’d always wanted to start my own business and I’m pretty impulsive when it comes to following my passions. I get obsessed with things and pour my heart and soul into whatever it is. I think the biggest challenge with starting a business is just making the leap. I’ve found in life that ultimately you just have to jump in if you want to accomplish anything. You have to just go for it and try not to let the doubts or risks erode your confidence and determination. You learn by doing and inevitably you face obstacles and make mistakes. We’re still in the early phases, but I think the potential for our brand is enormous.
I learned with writing books, though, it’s one sentence at a time. It’s putting in the work every day until the vision becomes reality.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Ummmm, I’ve done a lot of writing on pop culture, including books on Michael Jackson, Prince, James Baldwin, and the Netflix series Stranger Things. And I have a novel in the works, which I’m sometimes very excited about and sometimes want to burn. The book publishing process has actually been really helpful though in my pivot to business in terms of storytelling and branding.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There was obviously a huge shift to online shopping during the pandemic. That was a trend that was already well underway but the pandemic further accelerated it. In terms of our particular niche, there has been an explosion of interest in hiking. I think the pandemic gave us this collective cabin fever — it reinforced people’s desire to get out and move and do things kind of outside all the strictures and noise of society.
I also just think people are realizing that staring at screens all the time gets old. People want something more authentic. They want adventures. And they want an escape. So I think the outdoors industry is going to continue to boom as a kind of countercultural movement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.timpanogoshiking.com
- Instagram: @timpanogoshiking
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timpanogoshiking
- TikTok: @timphiking
- Twitter: @timphiking
Image Credits
Timpanogos Hiking
