Life in the Woods
David Willis has never sold a spoon-whittling experience, yet his customers love their newly whittled spoons.
This is the third in my new series of interviews with business owners who are innovating and making a real difference to the local visitor economy and their customers. They inspire me and I hope they will you.
Meet David, owner of Bushcraft with David Willis
I first met David when he attended one of our popular networking meetings and was intrigued with the bush bag he had brought with him. We invite businesses to bring brochures, David brought leaves, pebbles, tree bark and some wooden spoons. He stood out from the crowd and so I asked him to tell the network about his business.
Let’s have a brew
We sat around his campfire drinking tin mugs of rooibos tea - now that takes me straight back to my childhood. Gathering around a campfire speaks to our origins doesn’t it? It’s where we gather to share stories - even tell tall stories, learn new skills, prepare and cook a feast together. David’s immense bushcraft experiences can make these ancient experiences real and hugely enjoyable too!
Gazing around Hangers End woodland, the bluebells nodding in the spring sunshine streaming through the fresh green tree cover. It felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere, but the gentle rattle of the Met Line Tube in a nearby cutaway was the reminder that the Chiltern Hills are a green lung for Londoners.
It’s impossible to take the woods out of the man
David is a professional bushcraft leader, but first of all, he is a teacher. Switching from a long career in IT, he has been running his Bushcraft Experiences since 2010 from his beautiful woodland in the Chilterns Chalfonts. He has travelled extensively, always learning from others in different environments, facing their own challenges. Closer to home “the sharp practices along Tottenham Court Road in the 1990’s stood me in good stead” he says, “buying and selling camera’s between a network of shops taught me much about human behaviour’. A childhood building camps and exploring in the woods at Burnham Beeches set his path. So it’s logical that woodsman Ray Mears has been a huge influence on David’s career as he was deciding how to change tack and return to his woods.
A second life hack
Changing careers is daunting, but the tourism industry has a track record of appealing to second careers. Learning from others may seem like the bleedin’ obvious, but we could all avoid the pain and expense of not listening, looking, even going back to the classroom to figure out (or reaffirm) that what we are doing is right. This is what our industry is good at: sharing knowledge. The final nudge for David came from an unexpected source who identified him as a teacher before he realised he was in fact one. Powerful stuff!
It’s no wonder David also teaches special needs, focusing on provision for teenagers requiring alternative education and adults too, who have additional needs. Where better that outside in nature?
We agree on the importance of sourcing from local suppliers including Native Beef, Brookleas Fish and farmers markets for the rest. This comes at a high price for small business as it’s cheaper to source imports from who-knows-where...but it never tastes the same and your customers know. Especially if they don’t like fish.
Underpinning this is the ability to actively collaborate, supporting, sharing, learning and celebrating all that is local and special with visitors and business community which then becomes a virtuous circle. This is not easily replicated online, a necessary space to speak to customers, but not to colleagues. We have to get out of our offices and workshops to chat over a cuppa and if that’s around a fire, even better.
Who is doing the glue work in your business?
David is a huge supporter of the local Chilterns Tourism Network, and recognises the hard work and frustration when businesses don’t respond, don’t get destination marketing, don’t get involved. And when they do, it’s hugely rewarding as new opportunities for communicating and attracting new customers who are looking for local and special experiences in our countryside. We had a good moan!
He has never sold a spoon-whittling experience, yet his customers love whittling spoons. He sells space, silence and reconnecting with nature. If you spend the day with David, you can lie in a hammock watching the clouds, or you can bake bread on the fire you have learnt to build - and then comes the whittling.
Long after I returned to the office, I was reminded of the campfire from the pleasant smell of woodsmoke on my jacket, thank you David. Go and see David and chew over the challenges. You will be glad you did.
Links you will need
Find out more about what you can experience in the Chiltern woods on a day of Bushcraft with expert David Willis.
Before that, I spent time with Philippa Sanders, an entrepreneur whose brilliant countryside experiences really refresh the parts that others simply don’t reach.
Before that, I spent time with James Mackellar, an entrepreneur who wants his customers to visit Buckinghamshire because there’s lots to do there, not just because it’s convenient.
Do you know a business owner to recommend to be profiled here? Someone who is quietly getting on and making positive changes to our industry? Get in touch.
My popular Power-Hours are available to you to iron out any marketing comms wrinkles, that can be resolved when another pair of eyes is on your website and socials. Get in touch in the usual way.
Be ‘in the know’ and surprise and delight your customers with what’s local and special across the region. Subscribe to my weekly Micro Travels with Mary. Sponsorship opportunities are also available if you have something special you wish to share.