Beach Sherpa is here to make your beach day better.
Better Beach Days.
That’s the whole point, after all. It’s why I decided to start this journey and create an app that puts Beachgoers and their needs first.
Oh, and hi there – I’m Mack Linstead, the founder of Beach Sherpa. To celebrate our launch this Memorial Day weekend, I want to take some time to share more about the process. We’ve shared the evolution of our logo, and now it’s time to give you a little insight into the journey as a whole.
So… curious to know how this all came about? You’re in the right place!
What We Do at Beach Sherpa
In a phrase: we carry your stuff!
It may sound simple, not quite as exciting as a robot that delivers your groceries, or as revolutionary as self-driving cars, but think about it. Beach days are supposed to be relaxing, yet there is one main part of the experience that is just the opposite.
You know what I’m about to say because you dread it as much as me… and everyone else, for that matter.
Lugging your chairs, coolers, shade, and games, across the hot pavement, over the splinter-filled boardwalk, and through the uneven soft sand.
Carrying a surfboard or Spikeball set while you have a bag slung over your other shoulder and a towel that is sliding off your arm.
Transporting not just yourself and your things but also having a kid (or few) saying that they’re tired of walking and asking when you’ll be at the beach. (Though this one does not apply directly to me, I am sympathetic to parents going the extra mile to create their own better beach days!)
Whatever word you want to use, you’re certainly no stranger to getting beach gear to the beach and, even worse, back again at the end of the day when you’re tired from the sun (and potentially some drinks. 👀)
So, let us take that burden off you. Enjoy your beach day, and let it be truly relaxing. Beach Sherpa’s got you covered.
We are launching in Wrightsville Beach and we couldn’t be more excited!
The area is the perfect balance between small-town beach vibes and an influx of vacationers, local food spots and the ever-famous beach bars, young families and seasoned old-timers.
Let us enhance your trip to WB this summer and for every summer in the future!
How We Began: The Inspiration Behind Beach Sherpa
Over the years, I have worked on beaches all over the world. I’ve seen the problem we’re solving more times than I can count and solved it more times than you can count… being a decent human being and all. 😉
Yeah, I’m talking about the beach equivalent of helping little old ladies cross the street: carrying sweet older couples’ bags, grabbing an extra surfboard for someone struggling to balance their load, and helping families grab that last folding chair they were struggling with. This idea was close to me, surrounded me even, and it’s important to note that it was dreamt up on the beach itself not sitting in an office spitballing hypotheticals. Not to say those kinds of foundations don’t have their place but, well… this is personal.
I debated launching this solution for a long time, but the wanderlust was calling and I couldn’t not pick up. So, after visiting dozens of countries and hundreds of beaches, I decided it was time to solve that problem for real. One beach at a time.
Lucky for y’all here in North Carolina, Wrightsville is the first beach I chose to tackle.
Surfing Through Development
It has been a crazy year since I decided to do this.
I wrote the business plan in April of 2024 and worked my ass off to save for a few months and be able to go full-time to build this to what it needed to be.
In September, 5 months later, I went full-time and started building for real.
They tell you that the life of a founder is characterized by the highest highs and the lowest lows, and man can I tell you that is the truth.
I can confidently say there are more highs than lows, but those lows are no joke. It’s really hard to build something from the ground up, but when you believe in it so deeply, it’s one of the most gratifying things you can do.
On the beach, there is nothing worse than feeling like you’re wasting your time, getting frustrated that you can’t grab all of your beach essentials in one go, or knowing that you have to struggle all the way back to the car later.
In business, it can be tricky to remember why you’re working toward a particular goal.
On the beach, weighed down with your surfboard, backpack, and fighting kids (or adult friends, we all have ‘those guys,’) it can be similarly difficult to remember why exactly you’re there. You know, you’re sweaty and haven’t had a chance to reap the benefits of that cooler that is dragging in the sand behind you. It may be a fleeting feeling but the point is that sometimes you just want a clear path!
We all want to feel independent and capable, but that can be easier said than done. Sometimes there are just too many supplies, your favorite beach access is within walking distance of your parking spot… but just barely, or you can’t find your friends and you wish you could just step back and not deal with all your belongings.
I get that, especially after traveling so much and seeing this problem repeat itself across cultures, time zones, and beaches of every shape and size.
It Takes a Village: Our Team
I am a non-technical founder of a tech company (yes, that’s supposed to make you laugh.)
Because of this, I started building a team around me early. I couldn’t build the app myself and I sure as hell wasn’t going to get locked into a year-long $100,000 contract with a dev team that ended up yielding something that wasn’t good enough. Or, worse, a team that would yield nothing at all (check out Thrive Market’s journey – RIP their $250k)
I had no idea what I was getting into when I first started out and, honestly, I don’t think my team did either. Well, except for Thomas. That man is our Sherpa lord and savior.
Thomas came on as our consultant and guided the rest of the team for an hour or two a week. In early April of 2025, though, he transitioned to a more hands-on role and I thank my lucky stars for that every. single. day.
We would not be here today if it weren’t for him and the rest of our amazing team. They turned my vision into a reality.
There was a stressful period when I wasn’t sure the app would be ready for launch, but they did it and I couldn’t be prouder. A great idea only goes so far without people bringing it to life.
Testing the Waters
Our app officially hit the app store last week, and we are excited to see how it continues to gain traction.
One thing that we know for certain?
This is going to revolutionize beach days by helping to make them more accessible for everyone involved!
It’s early days, but once you get used to pulling up to the beach and calling a Sherp, you won’t go back.
Launch Day & Looking Ahead
Our first day of service was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Here’s what we learned:
- Offering our users a free first trip was a great move!
- It gets our Sherps out there and in action, while letting you all get a sense of how useful our service really is. We get it, taking a chance on a new platform is always a leap, that’s why we’re gifting you our time, sweat, and a literal hand to give you a better beach day!
- Fourth of July weekend is going to be here before we know it.
- With another huge beach weekend coming, locals can (and should) take advantage of slightly smaller crowds of tourists this next month. Let us give you the relaxing, staycation vibe that you deserve and make your day as easy as can be.
- It’s time to give back to YOU, Wrightsville Beach, for embracing us.
- Now that our launch has happened and we’ve had a chance to host our first beach cleanup event, we cannot wait to do more! Think constant mini cleanups and beach events tied to our big monthly cleanups that double as meetups for WB locals, and giveaways coming soon…
Download the Beach Sherpa app & join in on the fun. Don’t forget, your first trip is ON US.