Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Sullards.
Shane, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started Lake Lanier Canopy Tours (LLCT) in November, 2010 – we have just finished up 6 full years of operations. Starting LLCT was really an act of desperation….I have another business, Lapdog, Inc., a corporate development and team building firm, that was suffering due to the recession. Therefore, I had to do something to support my family…..and I’m not a very good employee I guess, so ‘getting a job’ vs. ‘trying to make it on my own’ was not very appealing. Thus, the motions of starting LLCT were put into action. Right from the beginning, LLCT was busy! People were, and continue to, look for exciting adventures that will last a lifetime – and that is one thing LLCT provides….memories that last! LLCT operates on the property of Lanier Islands Resort, and we operate in partnership with the resort, but we are privately held. The partnership with Lanier Islands has been, and continues to be, instrumental to our success. The resort offers a full array of opportunity for visitors and LLCT has been a welcome and an inviting compliment to the services provided. Our zippers have been amazing and our guides are out of this world! In fact, our guides are our number one compliment….not zip ling over Lake Lanier, not the spectacular lake views, not the wildlife you see on your canopy tour, not zipling at night…..nope, our number one compliment, hands down, are our guides! An LLCT Guide will rock your world with awesomeness!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
A smooth road….is it ever?? We’ve gone over some speed-bumps, but nothing so operationally challenging that we could not continue. We’ve adjusted our designs/layout of our tours to better meet customer demand and to enhance the overall experience – that’s never an easy task. We have a re-design in the works right now on our Legacy tour due to tree health….we are trying to be proactive versus reactive to our environment. LLCT is also open year round, but not a lot of people want to zip line in February! But we are here, so managing cash flow can be tricky in the ‘off season’.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lake Lanier Canopy Tours story. Tell us more about the business.
At LLCT, our mission is to provide an unforgettable eco-adventure experience for people from all walks of life. LLCT will do this by focusing on the training and development of all guides/associates of LLCT and by having multiple Zip Line Canopy Tour options.
We are absolutely known for our guides and for zipping over Lake Lanier! We are most proud of the experiences we have the privilege of creating for our guests and the level of and the style of training that LLCT requires for all staff.
Our founder is actively involved in our industry specific trade association and even works as a trainer in our industry to train other canopy tour zip line guides. He is passionate about the industry and is actively involved at every level in the operations of LLCT.
LLCT is also bent towards adapting and adjusting operations to have people with some sort of level of ‘disability’ come out and have a zip line canopy tour experience – we’ve had people call and say “I’m sure its a no, I’ve been turned down multiple times, but I’m turning 25 and I’ve already out lived my life expectancy and I want to celebrate by going zip lining! We have a protocol we put into place that has allowed us to provide a zip lining experience for these guests….and it has been fantastic!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Hmmmm, don’t really give ‘luck’ much credit for anything. I have learned that ‘good luck’ is usually because of hard work, resiliency, relationships and networking, and a willingness to fail and that bad ‘luck’ is usually lack of preparation, bad decision making or judgment and a willingness to blame others or circumstances for unwanted situations. lol, well, I just reread my response above….probably not what you are after, but it’s what I’ve got at the moment.
Pricing:
- $40 – $100 per person
- Reservations Required (made online or over the phone)
- Minimum of 8 years old and 50 pounds and max weight of 250 pounds
- 7 different zip line canopy tour options to choose from
Contact Info:
- Address: Mailing address is PO Box 7277 Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502Physical address is 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway Buford, GA 30518
- Website: www.lakelaniercanopytours.com
- Phone: 770-828-7654 or 678-622-3990
- Email: info@lakelaniercanopytours.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lakelaniercanopytours/
- Facebook: facebook.com/lakelaniercanopytours/
- Twitter: twitter.com/zipllct
- Yelp: Search Lake Lanier Canopy Tours on Yelp and Trip Advisor
- Other: #zipllct
Image Credit:
Matt Forbes
