Building a business is hard work, but for Chelsea McGuire it’s an adventure that she never wants to end. McGuire, a Tulsa native, graduated from the Oklahoma State University School of Broadcasting and Journalism with a degree in advertising. After graduating, she knew she wanted to start her own business.
It wasn’t long before McGuire started, Take Heart Tulsa, a membership–based company that allows its members to network while doing pre-planned events in Tulsa. The events, called excursions, can be anything from hiking to cooking.
“I started looking around and realized that there are so many amazing things to do in Tulsa that people should be out doing, but people don’t know how to seek them out,” McGuire said. “The biggest demographic of people wanting to go out and explore these things are singles, so that’s how I came up with the idea. It was all about connecting those two things.”
Take Heart Tulsa is centered on passion. It’s a business that creates opportunities for its members to find friendship and chemistry in their own city while meeting people with the same passion for life. McGuire’s goal for Take Heart Tulsa is for people to find that passion.
“I’m passionate about my city,” McGuire said. “I love Tulsa and want people to love it just as much as I do. I’m also passionate about having an adventure everyday and seeing your world like you were a tourist, because that way it’s never boring. I want people to have an adventure, meet new people and have a mini vacation through this in their own home. It makes what you’re doing in life and your city way more interesting.”
Take Heart Tulsa isn’t just for singles looking to have fun, however.
“I talk about Take Heart Tulsa like it’s a journey and an adventure,” McGuire said. “You can decide if you want to do this to meet other single friends or if you want to meet other singles to date. It’s a way to network that you don’t necessarily have to do for business or for dating. It is what you make of it.”
McGuire runs her business solely and loves being involved in every process. She enjoys creating the service and seeing it through. Although,her love for people is what drives her business.
“I love working with people,” McGuire said. “I try to get to know my members so I can guide them down the right path by knowing what they want. I still talk to people I’ve met through the business and even if they’re in a relationship and no longer needing my service, I’m still curious to see how they are doing and how their relationship is going.”
McGuire has big plans for the future of Take Heart Tulsa. She has noticed that there are several people in relationships that still want to explore Tulsa. McGuire would like to open up an excursion group for couples.
“When people are single they want to hang out with other singles, because their lives are similar,” McGuire said. “Couples want to hang out with other couples. It’s not much different. It would be a way for couples to have a date night and meet other couples. There wouldn’t be the dating factor, but there would still be the romance factor between those in relationships.”
McGuire would also like to expand to different cities, allowing more people to explore their hometowns.
The hard work McGuire has put into her business has paid off, and it showed in 2012 when she won a Tulsey award for Take Heart Tulsa in the young category. The Tulsey’s are a large part of Tulsa Global Entrepreneurship week.
“My internship as an undergrad was with the people who created the Tulsey’s so it was amazing for me,” McGuire said. “They were who inspired me to be an entrepreneur and promote other entrepreneurs. I started out helping with the Tulsey’s and it inspired me to create my business, then I won one.”
McGuire said that Tulsa is going through a renaissance period right now. New local businesses are booming and Tulsa residents are excited about their city. McGuire is excited to see where her business and Tulsa take her in the future.
To learn more about Chelsea McGuire or Take Heart Tulsa visit takehearttulsa.com.