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To say that entrepreneurs Jhoanna Trias and Mitchell Langon provide a world of offerings to their customers is no exaggeration. Indeed, in their enterprise Nomad Tactical and Survival, they specialize as top-level travel outfitters that can take clients to locales as far-flung as the verdant jungles of the Philippines and the rugged outback of Southern Africa, places where extreme situations like being waylaid by ragingly mad bull elephants are everyday challenges. From helping customers select top-notch survival gear for challenging environments to booking the most glamorous of “glamping” vacations in remote destinations, the couple has developed a burgeoning and diverse adventure travel business. Along the way, they’ve incorporated reality TV into their business mix, and plan to grow their global enterprise with boots on the ground and cameras in hand.
Dynamos with Diverse Backgrounds
There are few obvious mileposts on the road to creating a successful adventure travel business, but Trias and Langon have a set of uniquely complementary backgrounds that serve them well in helming Nomad Tactical and Survival. Both hail from Northern California. On her side, Trias grew up on a farm near Sacramento and was more than a bit of a tomboy, but she was also artistically drawn to modeling, acting, and film producing. She also has extensive experience in the retail world.
“I’ve invested a lot in my training—interning, assisting, and educating myself both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I’m obsessed with the whole process of the entertainment industry,” says Trias.
Langon’s experience encompasses training and deployment in the U.S. military, where he honed his survival preparedness skills including fire making, shelter building, navigation, and mountaineering. He also gained extensive life-saving skills in wild food foraging, something he later enhanced with a culinary arts degree.
Their unique synergy—something they’ve been capturing on video and sharing on YouTube for years—led them to appearing on the Discovery Channel’s “Men, Women, Wild.” On the series, they survived brutal conditions in the rugged Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa. They now make their “Nomad” headquarters in Las Vegas, Nev.
Sharing the Message Visually is Essential
The travel industry, especially in the extreme niche Trias and Langon traverse as entrepreneurs, is inherently visual. They need to share images with their customers that convey the beauty of their travel destinations, like the rugged Kalahari Desert.
“We just came back from Southern Africa. We were there for a month,” says Langon. “That’s part of our outfitting business, but it’s also a part of the entertainment side, where we’re filming me giving survival instruction. We discuss the politics and culture of the region. We talk about the indigenous food and the whole experience of what it’s like to live in that region.”
When not in the field, in-person appearances are also essential for the two. They frequently attend travel conventions and other gatherings where they share their knowledge and expertise, all while booking new tours and selling additional gear. This level of personal contact is important for people attuned to adventure travel.
“We also have lots of friends and client relationships that were forged from so many travels around the country and the world,” he says, stressing that staying in close communication with their clients is a core component of their success. “This year, we’re going to be traveling throughout the United States to tactical-survival shows, firearms events, and outdoor retailer events. One of the famous ones we visit is the International Sportsmen’s Expo.”
Mapping Out Extreme Credibility and Authenticity
As Nomad Tactical and Survival adventure voyages are frequently in remote and wild areas, the business is frequently a matter life and limb. Trias and Langon’s clients must put total faith in their expertise and knowledge, and videos and in-person appearances are key in achieving pre-travel buy-in.
“We went to Africa to map out what we can do,” says Trias of the recent video footage that will be shared with past and future clients throughout 2019.
And to further leverage TV coverage as they’ve done with the Discovery Channel already, the couple has an eye to spreading the word about their business by getting cast on upcoming reality shows.
“The whole entire video is also a pitch to networks and producers saying ‘wow, these guys did this on a super-low budget,'” adds Langon, noting that being economically efficient and self-sufficient is a key selling point in the world of extreme travel entertainment.
And, their travel videos convey the extreme authenticity of their travel adventures and their credibility as guides.
“When we went to Africa, that wasn’t a movie. When there’s spitting cobra, that’s not “Indiana Jones” CGI; that’s a real spitting cobra in the road,” adds Langon. “When we’re in the truck and there’s a bull elephant trumpeting us and flapping its ears like it wants to flip it over, that’s real.”
To follow them on their adventures, you can like Jhoanna’s Facebook Fan Page by clicking here.
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