We're coming up on three years now, and I'm proud of where we are.
Optimal Outdoor Oasis started as a side business — something to bring in a little extra money so I could take my own kids on vacation. That's actually part of why we ended up selling what we sell. Once I started thinking about vacations, I thought about the people building them for others — short-term rental hosts, the ones turning a backyard into somewhere guests don't want to leave. That's who we set out to serve, with permanent, built-to-last outdoor structures: grain bin gazebos, pergolas, fire pits, the things that turn a property into a destination instead of just a place to stay.
Somewhere along the way, this stopped being a side business and became something I actually care about. Building it is a real challenge, and I love that. There are days it's hard, and days I've had to figure out things I never expected to learn. But I haven't quit, and my four kids have watched all of it — the struggling and the not giving up.
They're all part of this in their own way. Grady's the oldest — he's a licensed journeyman electrician, so he's my go-to any time I have a wiring question I can't answer myself. Jadyn graduated from cosmetology school and keeps both my hair and my ideas fresh. Brynleigh, my teenager, keeps me honest — and if you can't find me, check the spot next to her, because she's probably got a book open. And then there's MJ, the baby of the family. If you call and I don't pick up, there's a decent chance I'm at one of his baseball or football games. He's getting into social media too, so don't be surprised if a video with his name on it shows up on our Instagram or Facebook one of these days.
Having them see all of this matters to me more than almost anything else about this business. For the past 25 years, I've been a Registered Nurse — it's the only career I'd ever known. Starting something this far outside my comfort zone has meant learning new skills from scratch and giving up things I used to make time for. It hasn't been easy. But if the only thing this business ever teaches my kids is what it looks like to try something hard and keep going anyway, it's already been worth it.
We're a small, family-owned business, and we run it that way — no call centers, no scripts, just us. Whether you're outfitting a rental property or your own backyard, you can call or text with a question about your order and get a real answer from a real person.
Thanks for being part of this with us.
Toll free: 1-800-914-0074
Call or text: (352) 274-6387
Notice: Optimal Outdoor Oasis previously operated under optimaloutdooroasis.net and is now fully consolidated under optimaloutdooroasis.com. This is the same business, ownership, and product offering — now operating under one domain.