SURFCE
Let's talk

Below the Surfce / Episode 08

He Quit the 9-to-5 for Canoes. 25 Years Later, It's an Empire

Scott Green/Oct 8, 2026/32 min

Scott Green, Lake of the Woods: Scott Green turned canoe trips on Lake of the Woods into a 25-year tourism business. Systems, seasonal demand, and protecting family time. Episode 08 of Below the Surfce, the Surfce podcast.

Watch on YouTubeSubscribe to Below the Surfce

About this episode

Scott Green left the grind of working for someone else to build a business of his own. It started with canoe trips on Lake of the Woods—and over the past 25 years, grew into a tourism business spanning outdoor adventures, a marina, a bar, and a winter golf simulator.

In this episode of the Below the Surfce podcast, Scott shares how he got started, the remarkable story of his first customer, and the systems he had to build as the business grew. He talks about managing seasonal demand and harsh winters, using technology to understand his business, and setting boundaries so entrepreneurship doesn’t come at the expense of family.

Scott’s story is about more than building a bigger business. He explains why his goal now is to create a great place to work, share success with his team, and get more of his time back.

About Scott Green

Scott Green runs Lake of the Woods.

What we talked about

  1. 00:00Welcome and introduction
  2. 00:28How Scott got started
  3. 01:35Expanding into a marina and building year-round tourism
  4. 03:02Choosing to build his own dream
  5. 03:34The story of Scott’s first customer
  6. 04:45Marketing the business online
  7. 05:54The unseen work behind a great customer experience
  8. 07:33The challenge of growing without systems
  9. 09:13Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
  10. 10:59Mentorship and learning from others
  11. 12:06Challenges of running a seasonal business
  12. 14:31What the business does through the winter
  13. 15:53Scott’s path from school to entrepreneurship
  14. 18:08Balancing business, family, and personal life
  15. 20:14Family priorities and work boundaries
  16. 21:53Using technology in the business
  17. 24:27Overcoming skepticism about new technology
  18. 26:22Using new tools thoughtfully and checking their work
  19. 29:02Scott’s goals for the next five years
  20. 30:20Where to find Scott and Lake of the Woods

Sound familiar?

See where your hours go.

Running a seasonal business? Bookings, staffing, and off-season admin pile up fast when every hour of the busy season counts. We find where your hours go and where revenue slips through, then build the software that fixes it, so you can take on more work and still get your evenings back. The discovery call and demo build are free, so you see it working before you commit.

Every build comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Be on the show

Run a business? Tell your story.

We're always looking for founders and owners with a story worth hearing: how you started, what went wrong, and what you'd do differently. Recording takes about 30 minutes, online.

More episodes

All episodes