Daily Inspiration: Meet Lisa Eick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Eick. 

Hi Lisa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved being in the outdoors. After graduating college in 2016, I traveled to California to explore and go hiking and stumbled into a job guiding sea kayak trips just north of the Bay Area. I hadn’t done much kayaking at the time, but that company was willing to train. That area of California has world-class sea kayaking opportunities and I was lucky enough to be able to learn from some incredible paddlers. I was able to have some great experiences during those years, including joining a well-known paddler for a five-hundred-mile self-supported kayak trip from Malibu down to the middle of Baja, guiding mule pack trips in Mexico, living in New Zealand for a few months, and guiding multi-day kayak expeditions on Lake Superior. 

My roots are in Michigan, and after a few years of travel, I wanted to be near my family and work on building something myself. That’s when I started Maiden Voyage Adventures, to help people experience the incredible outdoors that Michigan has to offer. I currently lead several small group backpacking trips each year, both near the Alpena area and in the Upper Peninsula. These trips are a great way for people to gain confidence in the backcountry and have a great time! I dehydrate the food for the trips myself and provide equipment as needed, and I am also a Wilderness First Responder. I also teach kayak classes on Lake St. Clair for those who want to be safer while paddling. There is so much to learn about being on the water, and my class Kayak Essentials is a good intro and a fun way to try out sea kayaks. 

But that’s not all. Of course, I love the water, and that includes being IN the water: snorkeling and scuba diving. I do on-call recovery diving during the boating season, primarily at marinas. I can do metal detecting for smaller items, but I am often called out to retrieve things like phones and keys, or to cut off tangled ropes from propellers. A lot of boaters don’t realize this is an available service. Southeast Michigan has such a vibrant boating community; I dive anywhere between Port Huron to as far south as Monroe and really enjoy visiting the different marinas. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I first moved back to Michigan at the tail end of 2019 with the seed of the idea to start Maiden Voyage Adventures. Covid was of course challenging for everyone, and it was certainly not the ideal time to start a business. 

Winter is also always a challenging time for the outdoor recreation industry as a whole. I have work that I love and excel at for a lot of the year, but during winter everything slows down, and staying busy can be difficult. I try to use that time to plan for the upcoming season and keep my blog updated. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love the work that I do and feel I bring that passion into every service I provide, whether it’s leading a group of backpackers, teaching someone how to self-rescue in a kayak, or helping someone find a lost set of keys at their dock. I’m also proud of the varied experiences I’ve had and always strive to keep trying different things and integrating new ideas into my work. 

How do you define success?
Being able to do what you love! 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@maidenvoyageadventures.com
• Website: www.maidenvoyageadventures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maidenvoyageadventures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaidenVoyageAdventures
• Other: https://maidenvoyageadventures.as.me/schedule.php