The Guide Network
In today’s Member Spotlight, we’ll hear from Ethan Whitson of the Guide Network to learn more about how they’re working to resolve the issue of finding it difficult to locate a guide or fly shop in a particular area.
“We offer guides a seamless way to run their business and connect with clients. We provide an easy to use tool that covers all of their needs. Our software is built directly with outfitters, so most of the features we’ve built come directly from issues outfitters have asked us to solve.”
Introduce yourself - What is your role at The Guide Network?
Ethan Whitson: My name is Ethan Whitson and I founded The Guide Network. I started the company coming up on 6 years ago and we have been working to help guides, outfitters and lodges ever since.
How did you find yourself working in the fishing industry? Do you fish yourself?
Ethan: I’ve always been obsessed with fly fishing from a young age. My grandpa used fly fishing as a hobby after he got out of the marines and it has been in my family ever since. I started working in the fly fishing industry when I moved to California to play baseball in college. It was really hard for me to find guides and came up with the original idea of The Guide Network. I have fished my whole life and it has been a massive piece of my life since I can remember. I am obsessed with the outdoors and outside of fly fishing, I love to backcountry ski, climb and hike as well.
What is the history behind The Guide Network?
Ethan: The Guide Network was started when I moved to California from Golden, Colorado to play college baseball. Fly fishing was always important to me and it was hard to find fly shops and guides in a new area I was living in. I set out to try to solve the problem and started working with my business partner, Brandon Hyland. After a couple years of trying to solve the problem over wordpress, we decided to code the whole platform from scratch. Since, we have been making software that improves the lives and operational processes of guides, outfitters, and lodges.
What does The Guide Network offer guides in the fishing industry?
Ethan: We offer guides a seamless way to run their business and connect with clients. We provide an easy to use tool that covers all of their needs. Our software is built directly with outfitters, so most of the features we’ve built come directly from issues outfitters have asked us to solve.
What makes The Guide Network unique?
Ethan: Our business is 100% built with guides and outfitters, so every feature is designed to make your life easier. Additionally, we have put a lot of time into making the software simple and easy to use so it is friendly to non-technical users. Our ultimate goal is to help guides spend more time on the water or with their families, and less time running their business.
What issues have you witnessed the industry facing and how are you working to resolve them?
Ethan: The industry is slowly evolving and transitioning to younger demographics. We are excited to help both business owners and recreational anglers. We hope to help outfitters navigate this transition and adapt their operations to use up to date technologies without taking away any of the personal connection that makes guiding so special. Additionally, we are hoping to teach young recreational anglers the principles and etiquette of fly fishing.
What initiatives are you currently working on and excited about?
Ethan: We are excited about being able to serve lodges this season and a wider client base. We are excited to continue to iterate and improve our product so we can better accommodate the needs of guiding operations. We’ve now introduced a full lodging suite and suite of online booking tools to open our resources up to more operations and empower them to sell trips online. Perhaps the most exciting is the upcoming launch of our marketplace that will make finding guides easier than it ever has been, which only adds to our value proposition of servicing not only guides, but the guiding industry as a whole.
We are blessed to work in such a wonderful industry filled with community and strong values. We are looking forward to seeing the industry continue to move forward and evolve. We want to see the gift of fly fishing passed down through generations and know that by empowering outfitters to succeed and expanding their audiences, we can contribute to that growth in a beautiful way that benefits everyone and positively impacts peoples lives.