Group Therapy Bike Tours encourages everyone to “ride their way to happy!” It is their belief that taking one two-hour tour will help anyone experience maximum stress relief. Drew Philippi is the owner of Group Therapy Bike Tours.
Tell us a little about your business. – Simply put, with Group Therapy Bike Tours, we strive to make people happy one session at a time. And we do so by bringing them together – friends, family, strangers. We take them out of their busy, stressful lives and submerge them into the therapeutic outdoors. We then familiarize them with their local surroundings and project fun with every ride, whether one is on the bike or watching it pass by. The 15-passenger bike, powered by the “patients” themselves, takes you all over downtown Lincoln, stopping at local pubs and/or other local landmarks (depending on the tour). But no matter the age, no matter the occasion, you’re sure to leave your Group Therapy session feeling happier, rejuvenated and, of course…ready for another Group Therapy Bike Tour!
How did you get started in the business? – I saw my first pedal trolley in a video on YouTube. If I remember correctly, it was roughly 2 a.m. and I couldn’t sleep. The video was shot by a tourist in Amsterdam where this “Bier Bike” was cruising through the streets and it seriously looked like the best day of these peoples’ lives. I was drawn to the laughter and enthusiasm of both those riding the bike and those watching in public.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – Convincing those around us that a social event which involves a lot of actual pedaling (exercise) was going to be fun. Turns out, it’s a lot of fun!
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – I started working for Landscape Curbing of Lincoln in 1998 as a 16 year old kid. I was a laborer for 12 years until opportunity met preparation and I bought the company in 2010. With the proceeds from Landscape Curbing, my wife and I were able to launch Group Therapy Bike Tours in 2013. We are very proud of this!
Tell us a little about your family. – I have been married to my wonderful wife, Katie (Swarts) Philippi, for five years. We have the most interesting and entertaining 2 ½ year old son named Nash. Katie is a farm girl through and through and she has shown Nash the joys of animals from a very early age. Nash doesn’t know it but he was riding horses well before he was even born. Katie and Nash enjoy taking care of their horses, goats, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits, sheep, cats, dog and donkey. We also have another baby on the way, due in October.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – The single biggest turning point in my adult life came in July of 2010. Katie and I both lost our jobs simultaneously and we were expecting a baby. With Katie’s support, I didn’t even start looking for a job. Instead, I focused on the intimidating process of becoming fully self-employed. We can proudly say that we haven’t looked back; not even once.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Day off? What’s that?
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Fun!
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Lazlo’s
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – You can contact me directly at (402) 968-2305 (Group Therapy, LLC – www.GroupTherapyBikeTours.com) or (402) 499-2872 (Landscape Curbing, LLC – www.HuskerCurb.com).