This year has been a great year of growth for me and for clients of Beetle Press.

I have been expanding my media work, collaborating with clients who have a broader reach and also working for my brother Allan, who runs a restaurant and is a philanthropist and activist in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

It’s quite fun for me to see headlines popping in Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington; and Gilford, New Hampshire.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech

In partnership with Clarke, last year and in 2018, I have prepared—and in some cases, distributed—releases sent to media located near Clarke campuses in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville, Florida, as well as in this region.

Last year, we got some great coverage about Clarke Boston from The Patriot Ledger and in other print publications in eastern Massachusetts.

This year, we’ve made some great headlines together in Philadelphia. In July, I prepared a media advisory that went to media in Philadelphia; the focus was a music teacher from New Jersey who owns a dog who can’t hear. Chris Hannah visited Clarke with his dog to talk about differences, acceptance, and inclusion and to read from a book he penned called “The Adventures of Captain Cochlear and Maestro Mutt.”

The media response to the advisory was tremendous. ABC, NBC, and KYW Newsradio covered the story.

In August, I wrote a media advisory about Clarke Philadelphia’s graduation, featuring young students singing the Philadelphia Eagles theme song, “Fly, Eagles Fly.” This prompted NBC and CBS to cover the event. Clarke also saw coverage on One News Page and MSN.com.

Zoar Outdoor

This summer, I also prepared and distributed press releases for Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont.

One focused on women in the adventure industry—specifically two women at Zoar, Vivian Black, a rafting guide, and Rachel Maestri Hailey, Zoar’s canopy tour manager. It was picked up across the country by The Seattle Lesbian; see their coverage here!

A second release I prepared for Zoar, on its thorough training of five new guides who now lead the canopy tour experience, triggered gonomad.com to visit Zoar and write a feature story about the canopy tour.

Patrick’s Pub & Eatery

About a month ago, I began writing blogs for Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, New Hampshire, which is owned by my two brothers, Allan and Jeff Beetle.

I repurposed one blog about a local businessman who sets up shop near the Winni Scenic Trail and the WOW Trail and sent it out to New Hampshire media. In the release, Brian Baxter, the owner of BB’s Hot Bites -N- Cool Delights talks about the boon that the bike paths are for the local economy.

Last week, a new colleague I’ve met at WEMJ in Laconia, New Hampshire, radio personality Pat Kelly, put Brian on his morning show, Good Morning New Hampshire, and talked with him about his business, the bike trails, my brother’s business, and other local topics. It was great fun to hear; Pat is a very engaging journalist.

And on Aug. 23, The Gilford Steamer, a newspaper in Gilford, New Hampshire, picked the release up in full, in print on page A6, complete with a large photo of Brian.

I will continue this expanded work and would be happy to talk with you, if you think you have a story that might be worthy of a broader reach. Feel free to start a conversation!

The post Expanding My Reach appeared first on Beetle Press.

About five years ago, I was hiking in New Hampshire and stumbled on a zip line on the summit of Gunstock Mountain. I watched for about 20 minutes as people came off the chair lift with a handful of gear—harnesses and helmets—and got into a single-file line.

One by one, they put their gear on and were clipped, via their harness and carabiners, onto a single cable. Once secured, they sped down the mountain in what I could clearly see was a straight shot from top to bottom. I was partly terrified by the pitch and long descent, and, also, aside from the view, which I can get free while hiking, I did not find the course interesting.

In my mind, I crossed zip lining off my bucket list.

Fast forward to this spring, when I began to do some writing for Bruce Lessels, the president of Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont. Rhyme Digital of Easthampton was helping Bruce to gain visibility online, and Bruce wanted me to add some PR into the mix.

As part of my work, I had the opportunity to observe a training in June of five new guides—who are now cleared to lead the canopy tour. From the moment I arrived at a platform near the top of Warfield Mountain to listen and learn, I have wanted to try the Zoar experience.

Zoar’s zip line does not follow a simple top-to-bottom course. It is intricate, unique and set entirely in the treetops, with 11 zip lines that connect to one another and to two sky bridges; participants must also rappel three times as part of the challenge of the experience.

It takes about three hours to complete the Zoar canopy tour. The whole time, guides offer visitors an education about the forest they’re in, its history and the trees they’re zipping through. It’s a complete experience that goes well beyond a simple adrenaline rush.

The training I observed was incredibly thorough and impressive; the trainers passed on knowledge about safety and technique, but they also educated the trainees in how to assess a visitor’s state of mind and how to be encouraging—without pushing too hard.

Zip lining became popular in countries such as Costa Rica and Jamaica, where it evolved as a way to study the otherwise inaccessible forest canopy. Around 2007, the first tours opened in the United States, and Zoar built its course in 2009, after Lessels and his family experienced a canopy tour in Chile while on vacation.

The Zoar experience follows the original model. I can’t think of it now as a zip line; it’s a canopy tour. When you zip with Zoar, you’ll ride up the mountain in a Polaris Ranger, and from the moment you begin to ascend the mountain, you’ll be under a heavy canopy of maple and beech trees.

Two guides will lead your tour, often with a group of six or eight other guests. One guide leads, moving to the next platform first; then the two guides together communicate with guests and lead them from one platform to the next, with one guide on the receiving end and the other sending visitors off.

The group’s movement from platform to platform allows guests to gather together, bond, discuss the experience and build relationships.

Zoar also models relationship-building in the way it partners with its staff. Each day, Zoar provides lunch for employees. The philosophy is that happy guides provide for happy guests.

Impressive.

In my mind, I have zipped easily from “I will never ride a zip line” to “I can’t wait to try Zoar’s canopy tour experience.”

The course is open through November for the 2018 season. I plan to get back there to check it out. I’ll tell you all about it, but I hope you go learn for yourself firsthand too!

The post Zoar Inspires with its Authentic Canopy Tour Experience appeared first on Beetle Press.

CHARLEMONT—Zoar Outdoor recently trained five new guides to lead its canopy tour experience in a 40-hour process that covered topics from safety to assessing the guest’s state of mind.

All five guide candidates aced written exams and technical drills on June 15, the last day of the training. Hired for the remainder of the season, which ends in November, were: Brian Schempf, 28, of Northampton; Matt Drazek, 20, of Athol; Haley Rode, 18, of Heath; Abby Schlinger, 18, of Montague; and Tynan Hewes, 18, of Ashfield.

All of the trainees had previous experience riding a zipline, and they all also had outdoor experience that ranged from hiking to mountain climbing.

Rode, a recent high school graduate from Mohawk Trail Regional High School, lives in Heath and will head to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams in the fall. She was inspired to train for a Zoar job because three older siblings have worked at Zoar; she and her older brother Sam, 20, will get to work together.

Schlinger, 18, of Montague will attend Skidmore College in the fall. As she trained, she said, “I’m trying to be more conscience about learning the procedures—paying attention to those small details that might be overlooked as a guest.”

All the trainees said that, while training, they felt the sense of responsibility that would come with being a guide.

“I’m focusing on learning how to be a good guide,” said Tynan Hewes, 18, of Ashfield. “I want to learn how to communicate with guests and ensure they have an awesome trip.”

Zoar currently has 43 guides for its zipline canopy tour, which was the first zip tour in southern New England and one of the first in the country; it is intricate, unique and set entirely in the treetops, with 11 zip lines, two sky bridges and three rappels.

Morris, 25, of Dalton, said he gets as much out of training guide candidates as the guides themselves. “I learn about how people learn, how to build a rapport, how to break the experience all down into the parts.”

“I love being a part of the new guide’s experience,” added trainer Ruben Perkins, 21, who lives on-site as the assistant lodging manager. “I love to see them work.”

Conversely, Rachel Maestri Hailey, Zoar’s canopy tour manager, said she enjoys watching guides like Morris and Perkins lead their first training.

“Zoar is about empowering staff to take on more responsibility and empowering them in their careers and lives,” she said. “It’s satisfying to watch them grow.”

For more information about Zoar, visit www.zoaroutdoor.com/ or call 413-339-4010.

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Zoar Outdoor’s course modeled after original tours in Costa Rica, Jamaica

CHARLEMONT, MA — Rachel Maestri Hailey sees the Zoar Outdoor brand of canopy tour as an exploration—both of the outdoors and of the self.

“In the literal sense, we zip through the area, but more importantly, there is an exploration of oneself,” said Hailey, Zoar’s 35-year-old canopy tour manager. “Questions come up: Where does your comfort zone end, and your stretch zone begin? What does courage look like to you? There are multiple levels of personal discovery.”

Zoar’s guides are trained to get into that personal realm, said Bruce Lessels, the president of the adventure outfit based in Charlemont, Massachusetts.

“We take pride in the way we train our guides,” he said. “The course is progressive and designed so that guests get comfortable with it as they go.”

About Zoar

Zoar Outdoor has two guides for every eight guests on a zip tour. The guides are chosen for their love of people and their engaging personalities. “This makes them especially good at connecting with guests, which makes a big difference in the quality of the guided experience they offer and that sets Zoar Outdoor apart,” said Lessels.

Zoar developed the first zip tour in southern New England and one of the first in the country; it is intricate, unique and set entirely in the treetops, with 11 zip lines, two sky bridges and three rappels. The course is open from April through November for the 2018 season.

“It takes about three hours to complete our canopy tour,” Lessels said. “The whole time, our guides are offering visitors an education about the forest they’re in, its history and the trees we’re zipping through.

“It’s a complete experience that goes well beyond a simple adrenaline rush,” he added. “In fact, what people remember most about our canopy tour is how they connected with their guides and how their guides helped them overcome their initial anxiety.”

Zip lining became popular in countries such as Costa Rica and Jamaica, where it evolved as a way to study the otherwise inaccessible forest canopy. Around 2007, the first tours opened in the United States, and Zoar built its course in 2009, after Lessels and his family experienced a canopy tour in Chile while on vacation.

“Our tour follows that original model,” he said, noting other, newer courses have a few zip lines that focus entirely on adrenaline and don’t involve the participants except as passive riders.

Guided exploration

Hailey said Zoar guides are adept at discerning the difference between someone being outside his or her comfort zone and being panicked. “If someone says they’re done, we get them down,” she said. “That interaction between guide and guest is critical.”

Hailey said two dedicated guides lead each canopy tour, often with a group of six or eight guests. One guide leads, moving to the next platform first; then the two guides together communicate with guests and lead them from one platform to the next, with one guide on the receiving end and the other sending visitors off.

The group’s movement from platform to platform allows guests to gather together, bond, discuss the experience and build relationships. “That doesn’t happen on a single line,” Hailey said.

“Also, while they’re up in the canopy, our guests are also learning about natural history,” Hailey added. “We offer factoids as we go along. We talk about the hemlock grove along the course and the trees’ intertwining root systems. We point out the 1812 home of the founder and pass through a neat, pre-Civil-War area that serves as a family memorial ground.”

Guides make all the difference

Johanna Bates took her son on the Zoar canopy tour for the first time when he was 10. Cautious by nature, he kept a positive outlook throughout the ground school experience, during which he, his mother and father, Colin Mitchell, and others were fitted for harnesses and learned how to ride the lines and brake.

Then, as the group rode up Warfield Mountain in a Polaris Ranger, Bates’ son saw the first platform and zip, lost his nerve and wanted to leave, but one of the Zoar guides helped him conquer his fear.

“She was very reassuring and calm,” said Bates. “My son was anxious and tense, but he eventually agreed to do it. He did one short zip, and he completely changed.”

Bates added, “He was thrilled that he was able to do something he was so scared to do, and his father and I were thrilled that he was able to break through that wall. It’s a really unique and well-designed experience that you are not going to have somewhere else.”

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Female guides at Zoar Outdoor account for nearly half of the staff team

CHARLEMONT, MA / WILMINGTON, VT—Kelsey Henderson was a teenager the first time she went whitewater rafting with her father, Huckle May, at Zoar Outdoor in Western Massachusetts.

Not one who was particularly familiar with nature, Henderson was nervous—especially when she got out on the rapids on the Deerfield River. She realized she wouldn’t just be floating downstream; the game was about staying in the raft and learning what to do if you fell out.

Vivian Black guided Henderson’s group that day. May says Black took control and exuded confidence as she led and mentored. “Kelsey had never done anything like that,” May says. “There were a lot of female raft guides there. It was a good thing. It sent an important message.”

Henderson is a nurse in Lansing, Michigan, now. At 21, she works hard and already owns her own home. Her father says that adventure sports helped her to understand she could be strong, successful and confident—like Black.

Striking a balance at Zoar

Bruce Lessels, the president of Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Massachusetts, and Wilmington, Vermont, well understands that female guides make the best role models for the young girls and women who visit Zoar. After all, he has two daughters in their 20s who have worked at Zoar and were positively influenced by the many female role models they interacted with while growing up.

Likewise, Lessels understands the importance of staff diversification in general and has always worked to maintain a balanced ratio of male-to-female guides as well as a blend of ethnicities.

Currently, Zoar has about 55 male guides and 45 females who lead rafting, kayaking, canoeing and zip line tours; the goal is to continue to keep things even.

“It’s important that all of our clients see themselves in our guides, which means we work hard to represent various minority groups, and, likewise, genders,” Lessels said. “We have many young girls visit with their parents. It’s important for them to see women here in leadership roles.”

May said if Zoar had had all male guides on those times he and his daughter visited, it would have sent a strong but subtle message that only men can be adventurous. Instead, the outdoors experiences, “Helped to round out Kelsey’s views of the world.”

Rachel Maestri Hailey, the 35-year-old canopy tour manager at Zoar, is in her third season there. She said not only is she a woman, but she is also Congolese and British, so she breaks all the stereotypes.

“Zoar is doing a great job of bringing in women to be female role models who are doing the work and bringing in people with more ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds,” she said. She’s excited about Mother’s Day on May 13, when many women come out with their children.

Smaller, but just as mighty

Black, Henderson’s guide, is 30 and lives in Shelburne Falls. A dual citizen of the United States and Bogotá, Colombia—where she visited frequently as a child—she recently offered white water instruction to business owners and guides in Bogotá, all in Spanish.

She has worked with Zoar for 13 years and leads day-long rafting trips in which she might be in charge of 130 people as they travel along a 10-mile section of the Deerfield River.

Often, she said, before a group sets out on the water, she is mistaken by customers as a cashier or equipment manager. “I’m five-foot-five,” she said with a smile.

“When they understand I’m their guide,” she adds, “at first they don’t know what my abilities are going to be like. Usually by the time we’re hitting the top of the first rapid, though, everyone in my boat understands exactly what I’m capable of and why I’m the one in charge.”

Hailey said many Zoar guests know that she has a daughter, and they jokingly ask her when 2-year-old Aria will be a zip line guide.

“I have a happy giggle about it,” she said. “To share this industry with her would be magical. I love that she gets to grow up at Zoar and see diverse women doing this stuff. It’s really empowering. I think she’ll become all the more amazing because of it.”

Because she has some minor fear about kayaking, Hailey added that it will be poetic justice if Aria becomes a paddler. “I’ll get payback for the stress I’ve caused my mom,” she said.

How they got there

Hailey has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and spent 10 years in the food and beverage industry before she got into rock and ice climbing as a way to blow off steam. Then, she followed her passion.

“The adventure sports became more than a hobby,” she said. “It became something I loved to do. I started to understand also that I really love to share it with other people.”

Black got hooked on the outdoors by spending time as a child at Camp Howe in Goshen, Massachusetts. At 16, she got hooked on adventure after her brother inspired her to do a 40-day Outward Bound trek.

“Being 16 is hard, and I was really glad I had that experience. It gave me a lot of physical power and presence,” she said, noting Zoar later seemed like a great choice as a place to work.

What they give

Black is excited to have introduced her five nieces to rafting on the Deerfield River, but she said the girls live in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, on a mountain, with chickens roaming around and parents who encourage them to connect with nature.

It’s Zoar’s young female guests she feels she has the most impact on—pre-teens and teenagers who come in questioning their own capacity. “They’re apt to say, “I don’t know how to paddle. I can’t do this,” she said.

Those young women test Black the most. “They roll their eyes at you. It’s hard to direct them, but I secretly love them,” she said, noting she tends to quietly focus on the girl in the raft who she knows will experience the most growth.

Black said it’s all about teaching the girls what they need to do with their bodies to be safe; once they know this, they feel a sense of power and control, and they can achieve. On a trip, after they’ve gone down the rapids for the first time, Black has what she calls “the Jesus talk” with them.

She tells them what she needs from them and explains how they’re going to get down river.

“I motivate them and remind them we’re a team, and we need to work together. I keep it fun, but serious,” she said. “I teach them how can they connect in their body and really be present. When they are present in their body, they’re less likely to react to their scared impulses.”

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