Interview with Maia Josebachvili, CEO of Urban Escapes NYC

Maia grew up watching too many Indiana Jones movies and decided at a very early age that she was going to try everything in the world once. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s making a dent. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in mechanical engineering (that comes in handy when rigging up bear bags in the woods) and went on to be a derivatives trader on Wall Street for two years. That wasn’t much fun compared to her side job though—Maia is a professional skydiver with over 650 logged jumps. She’s also a sponsored mountain-bike racer, marathoner, triathlete, and SCUBA enthusiast with some 200-odd dives.

It really came as no surprise when she quit her trading job to travel around the world for a year. Her journeys have taken her to over 40 different countries on six continents. Highlights include hiking to Everest Base Camp and summiting Kala Patthar (19,208 ft) in Nepal, running an adventure marathon race in New Zealand, extensive backpacking in the Andes mountains in South America, cycle-touring throughout Eastern Europe, and hiking expeditions throughout the Middle East.

Maia has recently returned to New York City to start Urban Escapes and share her love and passion for the outdoors with fellow New Yorkers. She has been guiding outdoor trips for the past six years and is excited to finally be able to do it as a full-time job.

Hello Maia, a pleasure to have you here.  You are the owner of Urban Escapes, which does adventure trips outside of NYC.  Can you tell us a little bit more about your company, and how it differs from other firms which offer hiking trips?

Hey Dave. Well our company really focuses on the social aspect of the trips. We don't just provide a van and guide--we facilitate friendships and are actively trying to build a community of Escapers.

What was the defining moment when you decided this was what you wanted to do?

Just one moment?! I mean, I've always known I wanted to do something like this, but I suppose I really realized on a trip I led for friends. Everyone was having such a great time and I thought 'I think I might be on to something...'

How were the early days with Urban Escapes?  Looking back, what was the biggest mistake you made and/or what would you have done differently?

Honestly, I don't think there are any mistakes or things I would have done differently. Sure, there have been growing pains, but I think I'm learning from each one  and I'm happy with where we are today.

I scout them! It's a tough job, but someone has to go down a few months in advance to test out the zip lines and make sure the dolphins we swim with are friendly. But seriously, I go down to the destination for a couple of weeks to scout all of the trails, activities, and hotels to create an itinerary. I make sure to pick great partners down there and then I show up a few days before the trip to double-confirm everything.

What’s a normal day in Maia Josebachvilli’s life?

There's no such thing! Some days I'm in the office from 8 am to 10 pm, and other days we're scouting trails and I'll be on my mountain bike taking phone calls about upcoming trips. The only thing I can say is that no day is ever the same!

Do you run this company yourself, or do you have staff?

My partner and I both work full time and we have interns that come in throughout the year. Our guides are also a huge asset and really helpful in the day-to-day stuff.

What do you think is the best event you’ve had up to this point?

We did a 100-person ski trip for Crunch Gym last year. I'm really proud of that one because we were still a very young company and I think we made a great impression on a bunch of new Escapers--many of which came back to join us time after time.

You’ve sky-dived naked.  Wasn’t that just very weird and surreal?

Ha. Ah, the infamous naked skydiving question. You'll have to come on the trip to hear the full story.

What would be the be-all trip you would like to run?

New Zealand ! I lived there for a bit and absolutely loved everything about the country. And given that it's the "be-all" trip, of course I'm planning on running it. Stay tuned--12 days in February.

Looking back on stories you can laugh about, what is the worst disaster you’ve had?

Well it was one of our first overnight camping trips and we had a huge group. In the morning we were packing up the van and in all of our excitement, we left the entire cooler of food in the driveway! We didn't realize until we had gotten to the trailhead, and had to devise a clever (and long) icebreaker game while one of the guides drove to a local grocery store and replenished our supplies. The best part? Not one client even realized!

You’ve managed to land some very impressive partnerships, including Crunch Gym.  Can you describe to us how you did that?

I'm always talking to people. I think there are partnerships everywhere and you never know who knows who. Plus, I think there are some great synergies between Urban Escapes and Crunch and it was only natural that we partner together.

Going forward, where do you see Urban Escapes in 3-5 years?

We expect to grow in a lot of different ways. We'll be the major provider of outdoor trips in the local area and we're looking to expand into other cities across the country.

What’s the motto you live by?

Carpe Diem. Definitely.  

Urban Escapes NYC