Meet Kristin Benton | Founder, Adventure Alchemy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristin Benton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always been in business for myself in some form or fashion. As a brand new college graduate, I decided to start a business in stead of working for someone else. Primarily, I never could find a company that offered what I was really good at AND what I loved doing, so rather than settle for a paycheck, I chose to challenge the status quo and create my own perfect-for-me job!

That was nearly 20 years ago! And, here I am, now an owner of 2 thriving businesses and happier than ever to be charting my own course.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
After having kids and managing a stressful corporate job, I underwent a huge health transformation that led me to start a local fitness company (using a Hula Hoop). That business saw so much success that in just a few years, I left my high-paying corporate gig and founded a national women’s fitness brand…using a Hula Hoop! I spent five years building a thriving business, traveling the United States as a standing expert presenter at fitness industry conferences, appearing in every major TV market, including national spots like CNN’s MSNBC, and building a community of more than 10,000 empowered, self-loving women! That chapter ended as a result of investor disagreements and I was left directionless.

I realized that what I loved most about my work was helping women see through their insecurities and find their innate worth- fitness had merely been the vehicle. The next move was clear – I launched a life and business coaching practice, along with a podcast. It was incredible walking alongside women who were taking an active role in transforming their lives. Even so, this chapter wasn’t completely fulfilling.

Along the way, I learned about the idea of surprise travel – where you hire a company to plan a trip for you but you don’t know where you’re going until the day you leave. As I looked deeper into it, I became disappointed with the lack of personal touch and personalization. All my friends kept telling me I needed to build a Mystery Travel business but I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on a new business endeavor…the last thing I needed was another business to build. What I also knew is that something was missing – the FIRE I had for my previous work just wasn’t there. My nomadic spirit missed the frequent traveling of my former life and I missed building something spectacularly unique.

I couldn’t shake the idea and on the last day of our family vacation in July 2019, I woke up and told my husband, “I’m going to do that mystery travel thing.” And that’s what I did. By the time I landed back home at the Nashville airport that very same day, I had company name (Adventure Alchemy), five clients, and another 12 phone calls scheduled with potential clients. I got home, filed the LLC and built the website. It was all done within three days of deciding to do it! Adventure Alchemy took off and was doing so well! I even landed a feature in the Boston Globe at the end of February 2020 and had high hopes for what was to come. Then, COVID happened. Travel stopped. My business bottomed out. I had no idea what I was going to do.

I picked up a little work here and there but then, in the ULTIMATE twist, an Adventure Alchemy client posted a video on TikTok leading up to their trip and it went viral. I mean… REALLY viral – 3 million views in 3 days, which resulted in 10,000 trip inquiries! I immediately brought in 10 of my friends to help me handle this instant volume. That chaos has leveled out some; but I now have five full-time contractors and a booming travel business! Shew – what a ride.

Can’t wait to see what the next decade holds!

While Adventure Alchemy didn’t invent the idea of mystery trips- I do believe we do it the best. A lot of care goes into getting to know each client and planning the perfect, personalized trip for them! It’s such a special thing to be part of the memories people make.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m pretty lucky to live in Nashville – home of some of the best food, a thriving and world-class live music scene, and overall well-rounded city. I definitely have some of my favorites that are MUST-DO’s in Nashville:

1) Monell’s is a Nashville dining legend. Southern food served family style in a Victorian house in the Germantown neighborhood really can’t be beat. Everyone sits around large tables – seating up to 20 people at a time – and food is passed around the table, just like it would be at a big family gathering. The food keeps coming until you’re full…the only rule is “Pass left and keep it moving.” Fried chicken is a staple on the menu, but the main meat varies each day of the week. They don’t take reservations and the wait can be long at peak times, but it is WELL worth it!

2) Broadway. Home of Nashville’s most famous live music venues, it is NEVER dull. Every bar has live music and the musicians are truly the best in the world. Wandering in and out of the famed “honky tonks” is a Nashville bucket list essential. My favorite? Robert’s Western World where you can enjoy classic country with a fresh twist, buy a pair of boots, order a fried bologna sandwich and moon pie with a nice, cold beer.

3) TOURS! I am a softie for guided tours of all sorts and Nashville has plenty of these! I am partial to the haunted walking tour that tells the stories of some of the more infamous deaths/murders that have occurred in Nashville along with historical context. It’s a really unique way to learn about the city and take in the amazing architecture all around. The Nash-Trash bus tour is another legend in these parts. Hop on the pepto-pink bus for a HILARIOUS comedy duo that gives you all the goods about Nashville and its famous residents. Nothing else like it.

4) The Nashville Zoo is up there for my favorite zoo in the country. Animals are in natural habitats and the entire grounds are really well maintained. If you love a zoo, this is one to put on the top of the list

5) Get outside! There are so many gorgeous hiking trails and opportunities for outdoors around Nashville. Radnor Lake is about 10-15 minutes south of downtown and is an amazing way to spend an entire day hiking and enjoying nature. Kayaking on the Harpeth River (about 20 minutes west) is a summertime favorite for a long, relaxing day. There are countless other spots of incredible hiking and waterfall chasing that it’s really hard to narrow down! If you want to keep it close to downtown, Centennial Park is a lovely urban park with a life size replica of the Parthenon in the middle. It was constructed for the world’s fair and is a Nashville icon.

6) Museums. Nashville isn’t short on museums of all kinds from The Country Music Hall of Fame, to the Frist Center for the Arts, and everything in between. It really depends on what you’re interested in. Ryman Auditorium, The Discovery Science Center, The Hermitage, Hatch Show Print, the list goes on and on and on!!

7) Nashville has become a mecca for rooftop bars and White Limozeen, atop The Graduate Hotel, is a unique, charming, and VERY Nashville experience. It has a WAY larger than lifesize Dolly Parton statue, a fun and flirty decor, and unmatched views of Nashville. It has made its mark.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe a lot to my family. While working for myself has allowed me to be part of a lot of things in my kids’ lives, it’s also taken me away for business functions. They have always been supportive of what I do and proud of me for pursuing and working hard to achieve my goals!

Website: www.adventurealchemylab.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/adventurealchemy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adventurealchemy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHf9sCAoaZXJF3qyEdUMs6aVAAqRa_HdY

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@adventurealchemy

Image Credits
Main Image: Maria Robertson Segway image: Taylor Brannon Horse/Mule photo: Kayleigh Ryder Sedona Card image: Alex Winslow