Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Rawley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born and raised in Florida we (Daniel and Carina) always loved to be in the outdoors. In 2019 we moved to Orlando Florida to attend the University of Central Florida (UCF). There we met Justin Buzzi, who founded Get Up And Go Kayaking, where he was speaking at an event. As time went on I (Daniel) had the pleasure to work for Justin and help with some of his locations in Florida. Once we graduated from UCF, we made the move to just outside of Nashville TN to get a change of scenery and start our own franchised location, Get Up And Go Kayaking – Old Hickory Lake! We opened in Summer of 2023 and were ecstatic to provide an outdoor activity to locals and those guests visiting the Nashville and surrounding areas. Since opening, we have loved providing a fun unique experience, helping people enjoy the outdoors on the water. As of September of 2025 we’ve gained great feedback from our guests paddling with us, surpassing 300 five star reviews!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with any business, you run into hurtles, but we have been very lucky in building connections with the local community and have a great state park (Bledsoe Creek State Park), and park Manager that we work with.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Get Up And Go Kayaking Old Hickory Lake we are proud to offer a luxury kayaking experience in our 100% clear kayaks in Gallatin TN. Whether your a seasoned kayaker or it’s your first time, we love having guests out for our day tour, or our fan favorite, sunset / glow tour! Since moving to Tennessee we’ve been very involved in the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce and networking with the community to get our name out there. We strive to bring tourism to Gallatin and a fun outing for locals to enjoy a peaceful activity right in their backyard. We are very proud of the positive feedback on Google reviews and strive to give every tour the best experience possible!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Consistency. Our consistency to be involved in the community, post on social media and continue to provide every tour the best experience possible has been our key ingredients.
Pricing:
- Day Tours & Sunset Glow Tours are $59 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getupandgokayaking.com/locations/old-hickory-lake/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getupandgooldhickorylake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetUpAndGoKayakingOldHickoryLake/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1U0WrtFTn9KZ-RTNlMjWRA
