In traversing the well-worn paths of his memory, Clement Cullens continuously finds common ground. Here, he repeatedly returns to the wilderness—woven into his childhood through hunting and fishing, painting broad brush strokes on his young adulthood as he ventured into the pursuits of hiking and kayaking, and sculpting where he is today: launching a short-term rental platform revolving around outdoor lifestyle.

The platform, Outdoors by Owner (OBO), aims to connect outdoor enthusiasts of every bent with accommodations that fit their pursuit of choice. Aside from the general search function of place, OBO users can search by recreational activity or by species—for birding, hunting or fishing opportunities.

Cullens on a fishing trip. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

With a keen eye toward curating their user experience, OBO has built in an educational section to their website to provide information for users about the geographical regions where listings are located and ranking recreational opportunities therein. This is in addition to the tips, information and editorials that their blog disseminates. 

All of this is in an effort to streamline the planning process for outdoor adventures, thereby enabling OBO users to spend less time on research and more time on recreation—which is at the heart of OBOs mission.

Genesis

The inspiration for the platform came to Cullens while on a waterfowl hunting trip in Apalachicola, Florida. He and six other friends had hauled their boats to the area and were looking forward to getting settled into the house they had rented as their homebase. 

Upon launching their boats and motoring over to their accommodations, where they had expected to be a dock, they found a pier upon their arrival. While to many the nuance may seem negligible, as Cullens waded his boat through the shallow water, he couldn’t help but think that there must be a better way to synthesize accommodation amenities, such that they are more tailored to outdoor enthusiasts. 

Preparing to launch for a day on the water. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

In a recent interview with Kinute, Cullens reflected on that moment of inspiration and the path it has taken him down.

“I thought, there's got to be people out there that are looking for houses to be characterized, not [only] by the number of bedrooms and whether they have a full China set in the house, but by its outdoors friendly amenities,” he said.

Since that fateful trip, Cullens has launched himself headlong into building Outdoors by Owner. Upon returning home, he quit his job and hasn’t looked back since. 

Thus far he and his team have secured listings in the Southeast and are already poised for expansion in that region. As many entrepreneurs are, Cullens admits that he’s a dreamer, but also believes in the service OBO provides.

“I think that our platform fits a need throughout the entire United States, and I would like to see it expand that far,” he said. “There's a million steps to get from here to there.”

Blazing a new trail

This is in addition to the innumerable steps that have already been taken on this journey. In designing the website alone, he watched it be built to completion, before dissolving it prior to launch because he didn’t feel it was representative enough of the brand he set out to build.

Cullens recognizes the expansive groundwork that’s already been laid in the short-term rental sphere and the ability to learn from these well-won successes, however, OBO is determined to be distinct. 

Gator sighting. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

While continuing to optimize the platform for both users and hosts will inevitably be an ongoing process throughout OBOs lifetime, rigorous thought has gone into establishing practical metrics for users’ convenience.  

Beyond proximity and access to nature and outdoor activities, OBO has taken into consideration amenities such as cleaning stations for fish and game, year-round versus seasonal accesses, dock specifications, and maps or gear provided by hosts.

The goal of collating such a vast amount of information, of which has only been touched lightly upon here, is to condense the click journey for travelers. If a user comes to OBO with one data input established, whether that be region, activity or species, OBO can help guide the user the rest of the way. 

View from Acadia National Park, on one of Cullens’ many outdoor adventures. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

“The solution that we aim to present is, regardless of where you are in your knowledge base or your experience, we want to facilitate the execution of your adventure,” Cullens said.

Another way that OBO is trying to distinguish themselves is by not only focusing on known hot spots and high traffic zones but broadening their reach into more rural areas where hidden gems abound. One way the company is doing this is by establishing partnerships with outdoor outfitters and non-governmental organizations that are doing conservation and environmental work in the more rural areas where OBO has listings. 

Cullens sharing his love of fishing. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

Cullens believes that this holds the potential to revitalize small towns that are currently going by the wayside and is one way that OBO can leave the short-term rental landscape better than they found it. 

He says that the proposition has been met with enthusiasm, highlighting that “We're in this to be a part of a community. We want to give, give back and proliferate these outdoor experiences—make them accessible for everyone and preserve them for future generations.” 

Adding in his calm Georgia drawl, “I think that's a message that most folks just generally agree with.”

The tenets of community and stewardship are foundational values to OBO. Cullens notes that the community of outdoor enthusiasts is a welcoming one and that the best way of giving back to this community is by giving back to the Earth through conservation efforts.

Since their inception, OBO has pledged to donate all money from merchandise sales and 5% of profits to conservation efforts—a bar they’re rising to meet in their very first year in business. 

A fly rod waiting for action. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

Cullens credits a member of the OBO team by coining the phrase “Turning every vacation into an act of conservation,” which succinctly summarizes the elevated role stewardship holds within OBO and Cullens’ own life. In using business for a broader benefit, he hopes to be a part of shepherding in a new era of a more positive corporate culture.

Country roads take me home

This value for stewardship comes from a deep appreciation for the outdoors—one that has been shaped by a lifelong and continuously maturing relationship with the natural world. Of this relationship, Cullens reflected, “What I enjoy most about the outdoors at this stage in my life is it's familiar, it's peaceful, it's somewhere that I can go to recharge, reenergize and reflect.”  

Cullens’ introduction to the natural world came from his family. His father has always been an avid hunter and fisherman, which he too gravitated toward from a young age.

During college he began to explore silent sports more thoroughly, delving into hiking, backpacking and kayaking—which eventually led him to a stint guiding for an outfitter in coastal Georgia. With these newfound skillsets Cullens was emboldened to take on the outdoor adventure that he cites as his most important. 

Soaking in serenity. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

Nearing the end of his time as an undergraduate, he and two friends set off in kayaks in Athens, Georgia, and paddled the 450 river miles to Saint Simons Island, where Cullens is from. The trio spent 26 days on the water paddling, meeting people interested in their journey, and taking in the scenery.

Throughout their adventure, Cullens took in many scenes of beauty, but also witnessed natural areas that had been exploited or altogether trashed—an experience he credits with altering how he moves through the world and informing his attitude of stewardship. 

These days, he tries to craft his time spent in nature to include several of his beloved modes of outdoor recreation, when possible. When out fishing or kayaking, he has his binoculars along to do some birding as well; while hunting, he always ventures for a hike—perhaps to scout an area to hunt another time, or merely to move after an extended period of quiet observation. 

Cullens building community through fishing. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

Where some may find division in the outdoors world between those who gravitate toward silent sports and those who place themselves more firmly in the hook and bullet camp, Cullens’ appreciation for a panoply of outdoors activities gives him a different perspective—viewing the many facets of outdoor recreation as merely different sides of the same coin.

“People have very similar interests regardless of what their end result is, and everybody's generally working towards, maybe not the same goal, but at least a common goal,” Cullens said. 

In expounding upon his connection to the natural world and the power contained within it, he reflected that, “It's a place where likeminded people can go to have an experience together and I think more importantly, it's a place where people that don't necessarily see themselves as being likeminded can find common ground.”

Cullens out for a hunt. Courtesy of Clement Cullens

While at first glance this viewpoint may seem novel, so is Cullens’ approach to his business—one that he is counting on setting OBO apart in the best possible way. 

Endeavoring to build a short-term rental platform from the ground up and elbow into a market arguably dominated by juggernauts has been an enormous undertaking. “[It] takes everything I thought I had plus a little,” Cullens said.

However, he is focused on his goal of connecting people with the outdoors. In looking to the year ahead, Cullens says, “My main goals would be to provide full and valuable information about every area that we have listings in, to provide listings in a geographically dispersed area … and to make sure that every single person who transacts with us has a good experience.” 

Though Cullens’ passion is unwavering, his enthusiasm has been bolstered by the team he has surrounded himself with—whom he credits with breathing new life into his vision, making every day good in some way, and helping to carry him through the inevitable challenges of starting a business.

Another beautiful day spent outside. Courtesy of Clement Cullens