RIDE THE MOUNTAINS WITH MICHELLE EVANS
Would you like to ride through stunningly, beautiful scenery? Are you tired of dangerous bumper-to-bumper traffic? Well we have the answers for you! Escape to the beautiful northeast Georgia mountains and north Georgia’s best motorcycle resort, the Copperhead Lodge in beautiful Blairsville, Georgia!
It’s 47 acres of biker heaven with special amenities geared to bikers who want the best in accommodations, food, entertainment, and of course, some of the best motorcycling roads in the country. Smooth blacktop, minimal traffic, challenging curves, valleys, and twisties that seem to be made especially for adventuresome riders. Waterfalls, lakes, mountain streams, quaint villages and towns it’s all here. The central headquarters of this motorcycle mecca is the Copperhead Lodge!
Beautiful cabins and rooms are just the beginning of this delightful stay at Copperhead Lodge—making sure that your stay is something you will never forget and guaranteeing that you’ll come back time after time again. So we’re headed for the mountains to have a chat with Michelle Evans.
Hey, this is Debbie with Born To Ride TV and we are here at the Copperhead Lodge in Blairsville, Georgia. This is Michelle Evans, the owner of Copperhead Lodge. I’m going to coin you on this trip—The Biker Den Mother! You’re looking out and taking care of everybody. So Michelle, just give us the geographic location of Copperhead Lodge. Where are you located?
Michelle: We are about an hour and a half north of Atlanta, Georgia, tucked in the very northeast corner. In 25 miles you can be either in Tennessee or North Carolina. We’ve got 47 acres total. The Lodge is located in the center of the resort. We have 20 acres on the front side of the resort and 27 acres in the back where the creek is. It’s a bit more private and woodsy set up. We have 28 cabins on the property right now. When we’re done, we’ll have 52.
Debbie: So you’ve got the cabin atmosphere, the lodge atmosphere, the swimming pool, the amphitheater; you’ve got everything! What we’ve really been impressed with is the catering you do for the biker.
Michelle: Absolutely! This place was built with all of that in mind. That was the vision. We’re the second owners. We have a vision where motorcycling enthusiasts can come but also people who are not on bikes. We have a great mix of folks here. We do cater to the bikers. You will see that when you walk in; a big rock fireplace with a motorcycle set inside of it. That really sets the true vision. There are a ton of amenities that the bikers love. For example, last night we had a great band, we have guided rides all week long that our local folks do for us. It’s just motorcycle euphoria here!
Debbie: Michelle, you have created something very special at Copperhead Lodge. When you took it over what changes did you make?
Michelle: Mostly “lipstick and rouge” to the building to make it more welcoming. We also altered the model to welcome everyone—not just motorcyclists. Of course the built in amenities are still geared toward them, but we have expanded in to hosting many others as well.
Debbie: The vision to build and the development stages have continued to grow. Was that your plan and did you have a time line on the growth?
Michelle: Yes, the plan was to build out the resort. Our original time line was 5-7 years, however, the area was saturated with foreclosures for the first few years and stifled our growth in the beginning. We’ve sold 8 units over the last 18 months.
Debbie: It seems like it’s more than just a business to you. I know first-hand how people love you because of how special you treat them and personal you are to your clients.
Michelle: When you are a business owner, I believe it has to be more than a business to you—this is what sets you apart from the rest.
Debbie: The personal tours you give on your motorcycle to guests are amazing and it really makes a special bond for future sales networking and long lasting friendships.
Michelle: The guided rides are the favorite part of my job since it allows me to actually get out and ride. Our guests love the rides and it gives them an experience in the Mountains they wouldn’t have on their own.
Debbie: Those are things you don’t have to do but you do them. Is that your special customer service or is it just natural?
Michelle: Customer service comes natural to me, but our “brand” focuses on making our customer feel like they are at home. We understand that people work all year to spend their vacation with us, and we want to be sure they make many memories with us.
Debbie: Everyone I know who has been to Copperhead Lodge want to come back; how does it make you feel? The one thing I hear from them is it’s an unbelievable place and that extra special customer service is awesome. How did you create that brand loyalty?
Michelle: This is the thing that makes me the most proud. I take exceptional pride and ownership in our customers and their experience. The motorcycle community is a tight niche one, and the brand loyalty we’ve built has spread through word of mouth—this has allowed us to grow year after year during a tough economic time while others didn’t fare so well.
Debbie: How has the marketing with BTR worked for you; it seems together we have a super relationship?
Michelle: BTR was willing to “get out of the box” and do creative marketing with me, not just paid ads that look like all the others. The exposure from BTR has brought us many more new customers than I’d ever imagined. I would recommend them without a doubt to any business that is looking for a media partner to not only help them get their message to a target audience but also to get quick results.
Debbie: Michelle Evans, thank you for taking the time to share this with us; is there anything else that you would like to say?
Michelle: I’d like to thank every person who has visited us, and to welcome them back. This isn’t the end, it’s simply a new beginning!
