First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Lauren Seo: Great! I’m pretty introverted, so I enjoy having a built-in excuse not to meet people so often. 

Tell us about you and how you founded Experience Stuff.

Lauren Seo: I was born in South Korea and majored in Journalism at university. I have always enjoyed learning languages, so I lived in California for a year. After working in PR for a while, I decided to open up a translation company with an American partner. We made it a remote business and slow traveled the world for 5 years.

While staying in a rainforest in Fiji, we saw a makeshift town of 40,000 climate refugees who had been flooded out of their homes. We wanted to help with this growing problem. So, we decided we could help reduce the effects of climate change by sharing activities that leave behind a minimal carbon footprint.

We really enjoy having new experiences over buying things, so we will use what we learned as digital nomads to create a new site that highlights local experiences in the U.S.A.

How does Experience Stuff innovate? 

Lauren Seo: We focus on convenience for the user. People are busier than ever and are flooded with info every day. It’s important to give the “cliff notes” when it comes to new ideas and make it easy for them to make a decision.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Lauren Seo: People are definitely traveling less. We decided to focus on local experiences to minimize risk and impact on the environment.

You’d be surprised at what your town has to offer in terms of activities. 

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Lauren Seo: Yes, we stopped living the digital nomad life because it’s not a good idea during the pandemic. I learned that nothing lasts forever, and change is necessary and can lead to better things.

How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

Lauren Seo: My favorite way is starting the day right with a proper home-cooked breakfast and coffee. I take a full hour to enjoy the time and set the tone for the day.

And, of course, quick yoga sessions every few hours help a lot too!

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Lauren Seo: are many travel sites that are huge and impossible to compete with. I feel the best way to stay in the game is to offer a different perspective on travel by focusing on local experiences that are more sustainable and realistic. 

Your final thoughts?

Lauren Seo: Life is never predictable. But with change comes new opportunities.