Meet A.D. Ross | Founder of Novi Outdoors

We had the good fortune of connecting with A.D. Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi A.D., what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Most take life too seriously. When starting something new, it’s easy to get frustrated and move on to something else when things don’t go the way we imagined. In 2020, life took a turn in a direction none of us had ever been before, and it required us to try new things to occupy our time. As a father of 4 with a love for the outdoors, I decided to embark on a journey that would bring our family closer to nature and all that God created.

Growing up, I did many things outside, but fishing and hunting weren’t as frequent as I would have liked. After spending time in the military, I grew fond of all things pertaining to survival, skills, tactics, and a mentality to overcome obstacles that could stop you in your tracks if you let them. I decided to pick up fishing and learn skills that would assist in the survival of my family and me in the event we couldn’t rely on anything or anyone else. Thus, Novi Outdoors was established.

Novi is short for “Novice” meaning I had no idea what I was doing when I started doing it. Much is true for others taking a similar path to either engage with a new hobby in the outdoors or seek to improve their survival skills much like I intended. The truth is, no matter how many questions I asked it often seemed it was met with some resistance. Rightfully so, not everyone is willing to give out their family secrets on how to catch fish, when, and where. With Novi Outdoors, what we learn is what we teach, nothing is held back.

I noticed we were onto something when the little ones grew more and more excited for our next big adventure. At that point, Novi became more about instructing them all the things I wish I knew and then some; we just so happen to share our experiences with others along the way. Since then we’ve grown a community geared towards learning, having fun, and enjoying the success of one another as we increase our skills and build connections with other like-minded outdoorsmen and women. In this community, there is no fear of rejection, being made fun of, or hindrances that hold people back from striving for what they wish to achieve.

Life is too much fun to be taken so seriously, and we fully intend to continue sharing our passion for the outdoors with others because there’s too much fun to be had, experiences to enjoy, and memories to be made to have it any other way.

In the beginning, we all had to start somewhere!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always gone against the grain. Those who know me know that’s no secret. Truth is, there’s too much going on in this world to be anything other than your true and authentic self. God made us all a certain way for a reason, and He doesn’t make mistakes.

Nothing worth anything in life is easy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I took a path that many artists travel, developing in my education and professional experience, and running through any and every door God opened with a full head of steam, trusting that His plan was far better than my own. Did I seek perfection? More often than not, but that pursuit is tiresome. Did I make a lot of mistakes? Absolutely. Get comfortable with making mistakes, and know that with each failure you grow one step closer to success. Stop worrying so much about the approval of man and watch just how nicely all the pieces of life fall into place. Again, it’s God; more of Him, less of me.

The Novi Outdoors story is not perfect, nor does it strive to be. Remember, I gave that up a long time ago. We embrace the process, make mistakes, and learn as we go. It’s a lot more fun that way, and it’s something we don’t plan on changing anytime soon.

That said, you’ll just have to stick around and find out!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Beaches, lakes, ponds, and streams. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it. I’m the type that lets the adventure unfold as we go. That way, plans can’t be interrupted if there aren’t any to begin with!

Everybody has their own likes, dislikes, and interests, so I find it best to improvise, adapt, and overcome at a moment’s notice. That’s another one of those skills we learned in the military, and it hasn’t failed me yet!

The point of it all? Get out there, have fun, and enjoy your time with one another because we’re never promised tomorrow.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s One person who should receive all the credit and glory for my story and that is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, nothing in my life would be possible, and I am beyond grateful for all that He has done for me and continues to do in my life and the lives of those I love. It is because of Him that I have a family to love and cherish along my life’s journey, and the influencer of my mission to win others over to Christ so they may see all that He is capable of. If there’s ever been any doubt in your mind or sign you’ve been looking for this is it; Jesus loves you and cares about you and will be there for you whenever you’re ready to accept Him.

Website: https://novioutdoors.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novioutdoors/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayydeearr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novioutdoors

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoviOutdoors

Image Credits
All images are property of Novi Outdoors