Hi, my name is Kelly.
I didn’t have a particularly nature-y upbringing. As an adult I took up running, started teaching an outdoor workout class, and started really enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. But it wasn’t until I had my daughter, Cece, that I became truly fanatical about being outside and connecting with nature. A few years late, Parenting Off The Beaten Path was born.
More about kelly & Cece
When Cece was born in May 2020 (the very start of the pandemic), being outside quickly became our everything. With no baby classes, coffee shops, museums, or story times to escape to, we filled our days with babywearing loops around the neighborhood and stroller walks on the American Tobacco Trail.
As 2020 turned into 2021, the outdoors also became our connection point - meeting other moms on blankets in the yard, walking with old friends, and starting to visit playgrounds. I discovered the 1000 Hours Outside movement, which gave us language and a goal for what already felt so right. We spent the year hiking local preserves, berry picking, exploring botanical gardens, wading in lakes, and still logging countless stroller miles. Even as indoor activities reopened, we stayed outdoors.
By 2022, our adventures took us further from home. We picked up a North Carolina State Parks passport and set a goal to visit them all before kindergarten. That meant longer drives and eventually - camping! The first attempt was a flop (she wouldn’t sleep! we bailed), but with a bigger tent and a little persistence, it clicked. That year Cece and I logged our first five camping trips together.
It feels like we hit the ground running with that first season of camping and have never looked back. Now we enjoy at least ten camping trips per year either just ourselves, with friends, or leading Parenting Off The Beaten Path guided trips.
It would be a disservice to paint this picture as nothing but effortless joy in nature. It is hard work, heavy work, emotional work - for both of us! But the payoff is worth the effort.
What began as more of a necessity in Cece’s first months has grown into our way of life. The outdoors isn’t just where we go - it’s where we connect, explore, and become more ourselves every day.
(Side note - Almost all of our outdoor adventures, big and small, and just Cece and me. But I do have a husband at home! He is just more of an “indoor cat”, as we call him, and works, tends to the house, and takes care of our cat while we are doing outdoorsy stuff.)
-
Bachelor of Arts - English, Longwood University (2010)
Master of Arts - Teaching, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (2011)
Certification: ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification (Valid 2014-2016)
Certification: American Red Cross Adult & Child CPR, AED, and First Aid Certification (Valid 2025-2027)
Certificate of Completion: Share The Lands by The Outdoorist Oath & Leave No Trace (2025)
More About Parenting Off The Beaten Path
Friends, old and new, started asking how I was able to camp solo with my 2 year old, take her on long hikes, and spend so much time outside. Many expressed wanting to take their toddler camping but feeling reluctant without some in-person support. So with the help of my newest outdoorsy friend, Erin, we planned a group camping trip and invited families with kids under age five to join us. I spun up the idea of Parenting Off The Beaten Path, and on July 7 2023 we hosted the first Tots in Tents campout at Falls Lake State Park! We hosted three Tots in Tents campouts that year, helping dozens of families take their young children camping for the first time.
The goal of Parenting Off The Beaten Path is to inspire and support as many parents as possible as they get their kids outside in nature from birth. I hope this organization will continue to grow and support families by providing resources and education, sharing personal anecdotes, building community, and hosting in person events.
Why a business?
Why not a nonprofit?
This isn’t about profit over purpose—it’s about building a model that truly supports the work, the families I serve, and the future I envision.
When I launched Parenting Off The Beaten Path, one of the first big decisions I faced was whether to structure it as a nonprofit or a business. Many people assume that mission-driven work like this must automatically mean pursuing nonprofit status. But after a lot of reflection, I realized that building this as a business was the right choice not just for me but for the community and for the sustainability of the work. Here’s why:
1. Full ownership of income and reinvestment.
As a business owner, I have the freedom to decide where the income goes. Sometimes that means paying myself, but other times it means intentionally choosing not to take a paycheck so I can reinvest funds into resources, programming, or future growth. In a nonprofit, those decisions are far more constrained.
2. Agility and responsiveness.
Parenting is a living, breathing experience, and the needs of the parenting community shift quickly. Businesses are designed to grow and evolve without needing outside approval for every step. I can pilot new offerings, collaborate, expand, and respond to community needs in real time - all while keeping the heart of the mission intact.
3. Fair compensation that reflects real work.
If I were to stucture as a nonprofit I could form a board and hope the board would vote for me to be paid a salary as the director. This salary would be a traditional annual salary, which certainly would be lovely. But by choosing a business model, I can honor the worth of my work with flexible pay: less in slower months, more in busy ones. That seems the most fair to me.
4. Independence from grant cycles and fundraising.
My time is limited as I am also actively parenting a young child. I wanted to avoid spending valuable time chasing funding that could be better used to actually serve parents. Running a business means I can focus on creating value directly for families instead of sustaining endless fundraising efforts.
5. Direct accountability to the people I serve.
In a nonprofit, accountability often leans toward boards, funders, and state/national governments. As a business, my accountability flows directly to my community - the parents who invest in what I offer. That alignment feels honest, transparent, and sustainable.
At its core, Parenting Off The Beaten Path exists to support parents in a meaningful, flexible, and evolving way. Choosing a business structure gives me the tools and freedom to do that sustainably, without burning out, compromising the mission, or getting bogged down in bureaucracy.
(Wondering why you can’t easily find me on the North Carolina secretary of state business lookup? I’m registered as a Sole Proprietor which has no registration in North Carolina. But you can still find Parenting Off The Beaten Path as a registered ‘doing business as’ name!)