Meet Haley Cottey of ExploreMore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley Cottey. 

Hi Haley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Haley and my husband is CJ. We met in college and quickly bonded over our love and shared experiences in the outdoors. We had both been on extended backpacking trips (I did 40 days in Wyoming with Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries and CJ did 23 days in Colorado with Outward Bound) 

One year later, we got married. We have had 2 beautiful daughters, Adeline Rayne (Della) and Anya Lawson (Yaya) who both love being outside just as much as we do! We spend as much time as we can hiking, running, mountain biking, climbing as a family, and with friends. I (Haley) have also started hiking and trail running as well as practicing yoga and prayer in an effort to handle postpartum depression after my second child. That is a whole other story that I’m happy to share with anyone who wants to know more but I’m passionate about helping others who are stressed, depressed, etc find freedom through unplugging, slowing down, and getting outside through yoga and hiking. 

A few years ago we realized we were always reaching for our next vacation to the mountains and had never truly taken advantage of the beautiful outdoor spaces available to us right here in Dallas Texas. We knew we couldn’t live our life wishing we were somewhere else, especially when there are tons of beautiful trails, rivers, lakes, and outdoor climbing available all around us. We just had to explore a little more to find them. We also realized people don’t always want to go outside because they don’t feel knowledgeable or equipped for certain activities. We get told constantly “take me with you next time you go backpacking”, “how do I hike with a toddler”, “what kind of hiking shoes do I need” etc 

So in true entrepreneur fashion, we started a business. The goal of ExploreMore is to train and equip people to experience the fun and freedom found in nature. Our most popular event is our hike, yoga, and brew where we combine a short beginner-friendly yoga practice with nature and a group hike followed by a “brew” which is usually a drink ticket to a local coffee shop, brewery or restaurant near the trail. We are also huge proponents of supporting and exploring local business so we are partnering with small businesses as much as possible. 

Don’t get me wrong, we still go to the mountains as much as possible and I still want to take people backpacking in the mountains and trying new experiences but I also want them driving 10 minutes down the street and hiking in their local park. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Not at all. We have really been trying to build something that doesn’t exist. For the longest time, we only had bits of the picture in our head so we were just going through the doors that were opened. We finally feel like we have a better picture of what we are trying to build and we have an amazing team of like-minded people who are helping and patient with us as we figure out what this whole “ExploreMore” thing is. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
ExploreMore has the goal to train and equip people to experience the fun and freedom found in nature. 

We are passionate about encouraging people to get outside and explore their own backyard through local trails and parks and realize that their backyard is bigger than they thing. 

We also love helping people slow down, try new things, and support local businesses and artists. Our most popular event is our hike, yoga, and brew where we partner with local yoga instructors who have gone through out Yoga in Nature Workshop and we partner with local breweries or coffeeshops to get people outside, unplugged, and building community. 

We also have local trail Bingo cards for multiple cities in addition to DFW. These Bingo cards help support local trail maintenance and help people discover new trails they maybe didn’t know existed and rediscover their local trail in a fun way! 

Lastly, we are avid backpackers and provide Backpacking workshops and guided backpacking trips to help people have the adventure of a lifetime. 

Check out more at exploremoredfw.com 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in the country and I always loved playing outside, exploring the woods behind my house and I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I sold things and house sat and babysat as soon as I was old enough. I loved creating experiences for people and encouraging people to try things they may not have tried otherwise. 

Contact Info:

• Website: exploremoredfw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploremore.fun/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exploremoredfw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@exploremore4165
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSrW55OroiY&t=185s