Professional Builder Profile Interview: Kim Christian of Natur-Projekte in Germany
Over the past several months, I’ve had numerous conversations with trail builders from around the world. What is remarkable is that while there are similarities in the actual craft and building trails, many of the differences lie in local governance. Not only is each country different, but the nuances of each local state/province or city/town are also unique. Then there’s the conversation about whose land the trails are being built on. Reflecting on my time at the International Trails Summit in Reno, talking with trail builders who live and work outside of the U.S. was fascinating.
That’s why I enjoy this series, where we interview trail builders from around the world. We all learn something new. In this next interview, we feature and chat with Kim Christian of Natur-Projekte in Germany. Let’s jump into this!
Sean: What are you currently doing?
Kim: I am doing work on several projects at the same time. A few big trail parks are in the pipeline for this year, and some planning is to be done right now. I also work on a jump/pumptrack park through the winter. Unfortunately, I had to take a little break on this job site due to the bad weather conditions. It simply became too muddy. Besides this, I also work on hiking trail projects and build benches out of logs that we cut in the woods close to my home.
Sean: What prompted you to take the plunge in launching out and starting your own trail-building company?
Kim: I always loved working outdoors and with my hands. As a passionate mountain biker, it's always been a dream to do this kind of job for a living since we started building trails as kids. While studying landscape architecture, I started working as a landscaper, but I never made my way into an office and just kept working in the field. After a while, I started my own business and managed to get more and more trail-building jobs. By now, I can say I have created my own dream job. ;-)
Sean: What’s been the craziest story or a-ha moment so far?
Kim: Realizing that success comes by itself if you do something with passion was a big aha moment for me. Crazy stories are many to be told next time (haha).
Sean: What was the biggest obstacle you faced when starting?
Kim: The German bureaucracy, for sure.
Sean: What is one thing you wish you knew when you started?
Kim: There is more work than you think there is. When starting my business, one of my biggest fears was not having enough work. But since I started, I always had more work than I needed.
Sean: What advice would you give to someone thinking of venturing out to start their own trail-building company?
Kim: Networking is everything! I work a lot as a subcontractor, and many subcontractors work for me. The better your network, the easier and safer your business situation is. It's also good to spread your business fields a little so you don't depend on single clients.
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That concludes our interview. If you have a story to tell, click the button below and drop me an email.
Interview by: Sean Benesh Photos: Fabiolas Fotografie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
