Outside Magazine Once again, Natural Habitat Adventures has topped Outside Magazine’s best places to work in America. The core values that make NHA such a unique place include genuine respect for personal and professional growth – and what better way to grow than travel! All members of our staff are encouraged to explore the amazing destinations we visit –from our classic polar bear tours to Antarctica– and everywhere in between. Because we have seen and felt the wonder of these exotic locales, our authentic passion to share these experiences with our travelers keeps us inspired.

But to really understand what makes NHA different from other travel companies, we decided to ask a few of our employees what makes a day at the office so special. Here are three responses from the NHA crew:

Wendy Klausner - Natural Habitat AdventuresWENDY KLAUSNER
ADVENTURE SPECIALIST
Every day people tell me “you have the BEST job in the world” and I have to agree. After 14 years at Natural Habitat, I never tire of talking to people to help them plan their adventures. For every client it is a trip of a lifetime and they are always very excited to make plans and go. I love speaking to guests upon their return when they gush about what a great time they had and how the trip has forever changed them. We run amazing, unique trips led by preeminent guides so I can feel utterly confident their experience will surpass expectations. Destinations I help plan for include everything from the polar bears of Churchill (our most popular trip),  the Galapagos Islands, US National parks, Monarch butterflies, Costa Rica, Africa, Antarctica, India, China and much more.  We cover all seven continents and I have been fortunate enough to get to all of them during my tenure here. My role is to get to know people to help them find the right trip for them.  For some people, being part of a group of like minded animal lovers is part of the fun. For others, planning a private custom itinerary for a family or a group of friends is what they are looking for.

On a more personal note, when I started I got my job on the spot after a short interview from the owner, Ben. I got to work right away and never left. I then met my husband and now have two children. Natural Habitat has been very flexible to allow me to spend time with my family, I work school hours and take Wednesdays off to volunteer at school. But, if it is a powder day, you will find me on the ski slopes. The people here are incredible, I came from the corporate IBM world and this is completely different. We work hard so we can play hard; we do check e-mail on the weekends, but can also be found at the company gym working out in the afternoons or sipping wine on Friday afternoon happy hours. I think that is part of why our guests have so much fun, we balance fun and work and that translates into our trips. This is truly the BEST place to work.

Rick Guthke - Natural Habitat AdventuresRICK GUTHKE
ADVENTURE SPECIALIST & GENERAL MANAGER
Working for Nat Hab is really not just about a job and a paycheck – it is a lifestyle. And I believe we make that very clear on the rare occasions that we perform interviews for open positions, so that we are sure to get the right personality type to join our team. It is really more like welcoming in a new family member! Getting into our industry is certainly a challenging proposition, as we are flooded with resumes–and for good reason.  More and more bright people are putting more emphasis on finding a job that they will love, a company whose product they respect and which will allow them the chance to explore wonderful wilderness areas of our planet.

We also try to offer advice and assistance with a personal touch, as if we were helping an aunt or uncle find the trip experience that would suit them best. Our clients regularly comment in their evaluations about how much they enjoyed working with their adventure specialist, and how they will always consult with them anytime they are thinking of a trip –whether NatHab offers it or not!

We are a family; we treat each other with respect, take our jobs seriously but ourselves – well – not very seriously!

James Dziezynski - Natural Habitat AdventuresJAMES DZIEZYNSKI
ONLINE EDITOR / SEARCH ENGINE SPECIALIST
Working behind the scenes at NHA may not seem nearly as exciting as guiding an African Safari, but as an avid adventurer (and admittedly, a bit of a tech nerd) NHA’s Colorado setting is the first piece that makes my job so rewarding. Everyday I can take my border collie Fremont to our dog-friendly office and look forward to lunchtime romps with spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains in the open space behind our offices. Every week I get to look at breathtaking photos from our global adventures and hear from my co-workers about the amazing trips they’ve experienced. And because I get to work with people who share my passion for exploration, there is a common thread that unites all of us no matter what our professional roles.

Despite the fact my job is not on the front lines, NHA offers me the same travel perks without hesitation. Last year, I got to spend three weeks in Antarctica where I was immersed in a world of peaceful penguins, majestic whales and stunning natural landscapes. As a former guide and active mountaineer, NHA has been incredibly flexible when I’ve asked for time for personal trips to big mountains. This encouragement of the individual makes the long hours and hard work that sometimes come with the job more than worth it. As Rick mentioned above, the NHA family goes beyond the office. After work summer mountain bike rides or our famous company ski parties remind us that life is all about balance.

Because we truly integrate our passions into our jobs, NHA continues to lead the way in our industry, specifically because of the people who make our team so unique. Some may call it an “intangible” but the balance between our professional jobs and passion for travel makes NHA the perfect environment to share our love of the natural world with our clients. And our dogs!