IAM1064- Founder Provides Custom Trip Planning Service

Paige Muller is the founder of Curious Caravan, a custom trip planning service that curates one-of-a-kind adventures and itineraries for curious explorers seeking the unexpected in Washington, DC. With 100% fresh new ideas and suggestions by local experts, Curious Caravan specializes in hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path wonders, hand-picked and personalized to you and what you love. After growing up in South America, Japan, and the United Kingdom, Paige has called the District home for over 20 years. Infinite curiosity and a perpetual wanderlust keep her on the go, exploring places locally and across the globe.

• CEO Hack: Notes App
• CEO Nugget: (i) Live life without perfection (ii) Say yes more
• CEO Defined: Following and sharing my passion

Website: https://www.curious-caravan.com/

Instagram: @curious_caravan
Twitter: @curious_caravan

Full Interview:

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00:09 – Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:37 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today, Paige Mueller of Careers Caravan. Paige, it's great to have you on the show.

00:46 – Paige Muller

Hi. Thank you so much for having me, and happy Friday.

00:49 – Gresham Harkless

Happy Friday to you as well too. I'm super excited to have you on the show. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Paige so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Paige is the founder of Curious Caravan, a custom trip-planning service that curates one-of-a-kind adventures and itineraries for curious explorers seeking the unexpected in Washington DC. With a hundred percent fresh new ideas and suggestions by local experts, Curious Caravan specializes in hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path wonders, handpicked and personalized to you and what you love.

After growing up in South America, Japan, and the United Kingdom, Paige has called the district home for over twenty years. Infinite curiosity and a perpetual wanderlust keep her on the go exploring places locally and across the globe. Paige, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:37 – Paige Muller

I am. Hey, everybody.

01:41 – Gresham Harkless

Well, let's do it then. So to kick everything off, what I want to do is just rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you guys started, what I call your CEO story.

01:50 – Paige Muller

Sure. Well, my CEO story, I mean, it sounds grander than it is because I never set out to be a CEO. It was very much accidental. You know, I'm someone who's super social. I love, you know, exploring, you know, wherever I happen to be. I wanna know what's out there. What can I do? What can I see and experience? And, you know, I just started, like, planning weekend adventures with my friends here in DC. And we would do, like, fall trips. And so I was kind of like the Julie Stubing, like the cruise director on Love Boat. And it grew from there because my friends would tell other friends, like, oh, I'm doing this great thing this weekend. My friend Paige found out about it.

And then random people would start connecting me like, hey. Can I join your list? And I'm like, what? What? There's no there's no list or anything. So that's how it started, just people hearing about adventures that I was planning and wanting to be a part of. And it didn't turn into a business until maybe two years after that because it was just a fun thing to do. But a friend of mine had family coming into town, and they were like, I don't know what to do. And I was like, you know, I'm happy to plan something. And she's like, oh, that'd be so awesome. She's like, how much how much? And I'm like, or you know? So I just, like, threw out a number. And she's like, awesome. And that's really how my business started.

03:20 – Gresham Harkless

That's so funny. But I love the organic nature of that. And I think so many times I'm a big believer that when you're in your zone of genius, you're doing whatever comes naturally. That's sometimes where the best opportunities come from. Because a lot of times, these businesses and organizations that are doing phenomenal things didn't exist, like, like, five or ten years ago, but it's just people that lean in on their passion, the things that they do well, and then next thing you know, the business comes from there.

03:44 – Paige Muller

Exactly. And that's certainly true in my case. And it's, and it's funny because I feel like everything I kind of had been doing up to that point was driving me to this point even though I didn't realize it and I didn't have a destination in mind at all. But because my mom's a teacher and always introduces us to new people, new places, and new things when we live overseas. My mom taught the military, so it was always like we're gonna go off base and explore and go to museums.

And I mean, everything was a learning experience, which as a child was, you know, drove me crazy. Cause it's like, I didn't learn anything. Like, I didn't wanna go. That laid the foundation for her asking questions like, well, what did you think about this? And we tried this. What did you think? And now I have become my mother because all of those questions are things that I like seeking on my own, and that's what I want to give to people who are coming to DC. I want them to experience, like, the things that I love, and I want them to have the best experience, you know, and try new things. So yeah. Thanks, Mom.

05:06 – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. I'm sure she's super happy to hear that. And I think so many times when you figure out and see a person, especially in there, I was gonna say, natural habitat. The thing that they do that comes so naturally to them, you don't sometimes realize that it didn't just happen on that day. It did just happen when you started the business.

So I appreciate you sharing that because seeing how those seeds were planted when you were younger and now you're doing a lot of the same things and have the same interest in the same natural gift, that is huge for people to kinda understand when they're even building something where sometimes you look at the things that you did maybe when you were younger that you got exposed to that was your interest sometimes lead you in the direction of where you should go.

05:45 – Paige Muller

Exactly. And I yeah. I mean, because if I had tried to dream up a business for myself, it would not have been this. You know? I think I would have tried to be practical. I wanna invent an app or I wanna do something in IT even though I have zero talent or skill in that area. That's what I would have thought a business should be. But, yeah, I think it's better when it's something that you're passionate about. Because, you know, being your boss, your CEO is hard. So if it's not something you love it's gonna fizzle. I mean, the fact that I love doing this and I'm always out and about anyway, that's what keeps me going because it is my passion. I mean, whether I had this business or not, I would still be doing those same things.

So times when I'm like, oh well, everything's closed. What am I what am I gonna do? Or I'm too tired. I don't wanna go out and do this or, you know, I don't feel like writing this blog post. The fact that this is fun for me. That's what keeps me going. So I'm really glad that it kind of came together because, yeah, if I had set my sights on doing what a business is or should be or what I thought a business is or should be, I mean, that would have fizzled in a month.

07:11 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Well, I appreciate you, sharing that, and I appreciate you, you know, landing on Carrie's Caravan Caravan landing on you, however, that was, chicken and egg. Yeah. But I think so huge, to remind ourselves of, like, you don't necessarily have to be passionate about the business that you started to start it. But if you can be passionate about it, why not do that? It is hard because it is experiencing ups and downs, highs and lows. It takes a lot of hard work, so you might as well align as much of that as possible with what it is that you do. And so I wanted to, drill down a little bit more, and hear a little bit more about Cureus Caravan. Could you take us through how the process goes? How do you work with your clients and how exactly do you provide that exceptional experience?

07:51 – Paige Muller

Sure. Well, it all starts with a conversation. I specialize in really trying to marry a person's curiosity or what their interests are with available attractions, hidden gems, and things like that. And I'm trying to show people the real DC, beyond the monuments and memorials. That's well known. That's what DC is known for. But DC is a city of neighborhoods, and I want people to experience the things that make me call it home. You mentioned in my bio how I've lived in so many different places. This is the first place I've ever lived for any length of time. This is the place that I chose to call home and I never thought I would be settled in a place. I always thought I would just be a nomad. So pretty DC called to me. It's very special. And so I want people to be exposed to the things that make me love it.

And so I try to I try to map their interest to different neighborhoods, different events, different hidden gems. But I also try to push people because one of the things that I discovered in my journey is if you had told me, like, let's say five years ago, what are you interested in? I, in my head, had a very set idea of what those things were. Well, that's because I hadn't tried so many things. Luckily, I have friends who were just as adventurous, and I learned to say yes even to things that I was like, I don't think I'm gonna like this, like, that doesn't sound like anything that I would ever want to do.

But because I did that, it exposed me to so many things that I love now, like hiking. You know, back in the day, I was like, oh, no. I don't hike. Like, I don't like being hot. I no. That is not for me. But I went with a friend, and it's like, oh my god. This is amazing. So I wanna push people beyond what they think they know they like to maybe something like you we don't know that you like this because you never knew that it was a thing you could do. So I just want you to try it. Like, I'm gonna make I'm gonna point this out to you. So that is really how it all starts. It's, finding out people's, like, travel preferences. You know, some people want a schedule. They wanna know, okay? I wake up. I'm gonna have breakfast. I'm doing this, doing that. Or I just need some suggestions. I don't know how to get started.

So that's how it all starts. Like, planning, kind of how they want their adventure to be and then putting together that itinerary, or or city guide. That's another service that I, provide. So I customize your experience. But, you know, I also have city guides that I do, which are usually focused on a certain topic. Like, I just did one for spring in DC, and it's all these great things that that you can do in DC, during spring. I'm working on a family guide right now because I have nieces and nephews. So, what do you do when you have kids? They're not all gonna be interested in museums, you know, because ironically, my first trip to DC is when I was ten and, you know, did the whole FBI building, Mount Vernon, all that kind of stuff. Can't say that that was my favorite ship, but, again, I was ten. You know, so how do you kind of make DC accessible to families with maybe young kids or, like, a young child, someone who's older? How do you navigate that? And what is available beyond the museum?

So that's really what I kind of bring to bear. It's my local knowledge. I have a passion for random facts. So I always love sharing these little weird factoids with people because everything that I see and experience, like, there's a story behind it. And I love those stories so much because you could look at something and be like, okay. That's cute. But knowing more about it, then you're like, oh, and it changes your whole perception. So that's another part that I try to bring to people's experiences. It's the story behind some of the things that they're seeing. And then the other aspect that I love and, is music. My, family is very musical.

My cousin is Eddie Grant. And I had another cousin who wrote for Billboard for a long time. And music just music makes you see things differently, makes you experience things differently, can elevate your mood, and can enhance your experience. So that's another thing that I like to bring to people's experiences is curated playlist. I don't do that all the time. Again, it depends on the person, but that is another, thing I like to provide. And it's local artists. Everything I do is focused locally DC, DMV, so that people's all of your senses are engaged.

12:57 – Gresham Harkless

Truly appreciate that. And I wanted to, switch gears a little bit. I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

13:09 – Paige Muller

Okay. So I have two, and they're both on my phone. I use the notes app. That is my ride-or-die. You know? Because I see so many things, and I'm like, oh, I wanna remember that, or I'll see something and it'll spark an idea for, you know, maybe a guest on a podcast or a blog post or, oh, I wanna come back here and spend some time to check that out. So, you know, if I didn't write this stuff down, my mind would be a sieve. It would just be a poof. So I use that, to keep myself on track. And, like, when I'm out at events, it allows me to take notes about it very quickly. I can embed photos. I can embed sound bites. So it's just a very handy tool. It's always with me and I can access it from anywhere.

13:59 – Gresham Harkless

I love those hacks. And what about a CEO nugget, which is more of a word of wisdom or a piece of advice? It might be something if you were to hop into a time machine, you would tell your younger business self.

14:08 – Paige Muller

It's something about, like, living life fiercely. And I think that's something I'm trying to embrace more and more because I'm someone I say that I'm not a type of person, but that's a lie. I'm lying to myself about that because I am. So I'm a perfectionist. And, you know, a lot of times I spend a lot of time doing my Canva post or writing articles and I'm like, oh, I want this to be perfect, and a lot of times that can hold you back. Like, waiting for perfection stops your forward progress because you're so focused on this one thing, but then these ten other things that you could be spending your time on that are gonna get you more in return. So, yeah, trying to live life fiercely and saying yes more.

15:01 – Gresham Harkless

Truly appreciate that nugget. And so now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping our different quote-unquote CEOs are on the show. So Paige, what does being a CEO mean to you?

15:12 – Paige Muller

Being a CEO means following my passion, and it means getting to share my passion with others.

15:21 – Gresham Harkless

Paige, truly appreciate that definition, and I appreciate your time even more. What I want to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best they can get hold of you and find about all of us and things you're working on.

15:34 – Paige Muller

Sure. Well, you can find Curious Caravan online. My website is, curiouscaravan.com, and you can follow me on Instagram at, curious_caravan.

15:46 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. We'll have those links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow up with you. We truly appreciate you, for all the awesome work you're doing and being an ambassador to the DC area as well too. So thank you so much again, and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

16:01 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.