Welcome to AD Outdoor Consulting!

HEY YOU 👋

I’m Allison Deschaine—founder and consultant behind AD Outdoor Consulting, and I’m genuinely glad you’re here. Not in a “marketing voice” kind of way. Truly. You made it, and that counts for something.

Here’s the long and short of it: I started this business because I’ve spent years collecting a frankly unreasonable amount of outdoor industry knowledge, and at some point it occurred to me that letting it sit quietly in my head was a bit of a waste. So…here we are.

Along the way, I found myself mentoring friends and colleagues, helping them make sense of the industry, sidestep the usual nonsense, and build something of their own. And, somewhat unexpectedly, I loved it. That spark turned into something more structured, more intentional, a real business. Life has a way of doing that if you let it.

If you haven’t wandered over to the “About Me” page yet, consider this the extended edition, the slightly less polished version.

Before I officially entered the outdoor industry in 2013, I was, for lack of a better term, untethered. In 2011, I sold everything I owned, packed up my car, and drove from Michigan to Valdez, Alaska… simply because I could.

I lived in a very inexpensive Coleman tent (no taped seams, which felt like a bold choice in hindsight), slept on a squeaky pool floaty from Safeway (which I cannot recommend), and stayed in a backcountry campground run by a retired fireman. It was a rotating cast of characters, people passing through, working whatever jobs they could find: dishwashing, fish gutting, bartending, cannery work. Honest work, if not particularly glamorous.

There were also bears. An unreasonable number of bears. What I assumed would be a rare, awe-inspiring sight became a daily, fairly casual occurrence. And rabbits, far too many rabbits. I named one Chip and fed him cookies, which I’m fairly certain was not best practice, but we all make choices.

I learned how to cook over a fire, catch salmon roughly the size of small dogs, and throw axes, skills that remain impressively niche but deeply satisfying. Eventually, winter arrived, the campground closed, and it became abundantly clear that my uninsulated float and I were not equipped for what came next.

For a brief period, I lived in what can only be described as a utility closet inside a broken-down school bus parked in a shipyard. It was cold, profoundly so, but the view out the back door was ocean and mountains, which almost made up for the rest.

That winter carried me to Colorado, where I worked as a lift operator. If you’re ever curious how to develop both physical endurance and questionable eating habits, I recommend a steady diet of peanut butter, microwave noodles, coffee, and inexpensive beer while shoveling snow for nine months. You’ll gain back muscles you didn’t ask for and, if you’re not careful, a set of bangs cut with kitchen scissors at an emotionally low point.

Then it was back to Alaska, this time Juneau, working with cruise ship tourists (an experience I do not intend to revisit). The tradeoff, however, was access to some of the most extraordinary landscapes imaginable. One morning, I woke up on the beach to a humpback whale bubble-feeding just offshore. That sort of thing stays with you.

After that, Colorado again….because apparently I thrive on a certain level of instability. More lift operating, more snowboarding, more moments of wondering how one can be both deeply fulfilled and financially confused at the same time. Still, I became a far more confident rider, and there’s something about dropping into untouched powder that makes everything else feel briefly irrelevant.

By 2015, I found myself back in Kalamazoo after meeting my husband, and for the first time, I decided to stay put. I began working at Lee’s Adventure Sports, and that’s where things truly shifted.

I learned the business, really learned it. Gear, materials, construction, pricing, durability, assortment strategy. I moved into a sales manager and buyer role, attended trade shows, and began to understand not just how products are sold, but why they matter.

More importantly, I found a sense of purpose in the work: supporting brands that care about protecting the outdoors and keeping this industry accessible. Because if access to these spaces disappears, the rest of the conversation becomes irrelevant.

After 2020, as it did for many of us, things changed. I transitioned into a sales rep role, worked with different agencies, and learned a great deal about how not to run one. Which, in its own way, is an excellent education.

Eventually, I started my own independent agency, partnering with established outdoor brands and working with retailers across the Midwest. Over time, I refined how I show up, how to sell with empathy, build real relationships, and support businesses in a way that goes beyond simply moving product.

Because the truth is, it’s never really about the product. It’s about helping people build something that lasts.

Along the way, I also became deeply committed to supporting and elevating women in this industry, creating space where it hasn’t always existed, and pushing for something better. There’s still work to be done. There always will be.

And now, we arrive here.

This is where I take everything I’ve learned, the chaos, the missteps, the occasional good decision, and use it to help you build something meaningful. Your brand has a story. Your products have value. The goal is to connect those things with the people who need them, while strengthening the purpose behind it all.

This blog is part story, part strategy, and part gentle warning about the consequences of impulsive life decisions. Ideally, you’ll come away with something useful, and maybe a bit entertained.

If you’re ready to go further, you can book a consultation and we’ll take a closer look at your brand, identify what’s working, what isn’t, and build something stronger from there.

The only constant, as they say, is change. And the fact that you’re here suggests you’re already willing to listen to that quiet voice telling you it might be time to take the next step.

~ Allison Deschaine
Founder & Consultant