I鈥檇 toyed with all sorts of businesses and in 2005 found myself working with a nanotechnology 颅research group. On a flight to Boston for a conference, I was sitting next to this guy who was pretty close to retirement age. We had the same laptop and our Wall Street Journals. I was going to be that dude in 30 years. The plane landed, and I went to the conference and resigned. I gave away everything I owned that I couldn鈥檛 ride with and took off on a bike trip across 颅Europe, then a dive trip to Australia. I was underwater swimming with bull sharks when I had the idea for a travel 颅company, and I spent two months sitting under a banana tree working out the 颅logistics. I launched in early 2008. We partner with local outfitters to offer remarkable close-to-home experiences鈥攁balone diving paired with a seafood feast, cycling and wine 颅tasting, hang-gliding to a beach picnic. We now have offerings in 19 cities in two countries and are 颅growing rapidly. I feel like we鈥檙e having a positive impact on people鈥檚 lives, which is very 颅satisfying.
HOW YOU CAN DO IT: Your path depends on your 颅objective. Aspiring adventure-travel guides (salaries start at $25,000) require specialized training in fields like natural history or anthropology, but you can land positions in sales, marketing, and other areas without any background in the industry. Get informed and search for jobs through the 国产吃瓜黑料 Travel Trade Association () and the International Ecotourism Society ().