Meet Mike O’Donnell | Tour Guide & Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike O’Donnell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I used to think of work/life balance strictly in terms of time: how many hours I was working, and how many days off I had. Gradually I began to realize that it’s not as much about how many days or hours off you have, but about how much you are actually living & enjoying them. And as I have moved my work into something I enjoy rather than just something I do to earn a paycheck, it has been a pleasant surprise to not really have to even think about or work towards balancing the two.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Asheville is such a diverse city with so much variety to offer, it seemed like the perfect place for a company to offer flexible tours for small groups. I found myself thinking more & more frequently “why doesn’t someone offer……” and “if I were running those tours, I would…..” and eventually got to the point where I realized it was time to put up or shut up. It still doesn’t feel as if tourism has settled back to “normal” since the pandemic. So rather than worry about getting back to something which may never happen anyway, I stay focused on moving forward with the understanding that flexibility is the key. And my goal is to have EVERY tour end up so that EVERY person on it has a great experience. Happy customers are the best advertising there is!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Too much for just one visit, so always plan on having to come back again! Tubing on the French Broad River; shopping at Sugar Britches; books, champagne, and pastries at Battery Park Book Exchange; taking it all in at Marquee in the River Arts District; beer at Burial or Catawba or Green Man or Wicked Weed or Highlands or …. or…. or…..; amazing food at Nine Mile or Curate or White Duck Taco or RosaBees or… or… or….; live music at The Grey Eagle; old time jam at Jack Of The Wood; Biltmore; waterfall hikes; winery tours; climbing the Frying Pan fire tower on the Blue Ridge Parkway; buskers on the streets; art galleries galore; the list goes on for days!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Literally EVERY person I know when they found out I was considering or had started my own business was supportive & encouraging. It’s actually a little bit crazy that not once did I get ANY hesitation of any type from anyone. It was always “of COURSE you can do that!” And surrounded by such positivity, how could I possibly fail? 🙂

Website: www.ashevilleexploretours.com