We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Cox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We started Traveler in 2016 as a place to more comfortably get in and out of the ocean to surf, swim and standup paddle. The Surf Club offers board storage, so that if you ride a longboard you don’t have to deal with the hassle of tying it onto the roof of your car every-time you go to the beach. There are nice changing rooms, personal lockers and a hot shower, so that you can get clean and warm up after swimming or surfing in the ocean, which is just a few steps away from the club in Malibu. We also really wanted a space to build community and to allow people to be able to get work done between sessions before or after getting in the water. Now with so many folks working from home, our little wifi lounge area has become a popular spot for members to get out of the house more enjoyably and efficiently.

 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Julie and Rel are the Co-owners of Traveler Surf Club and Coastal Outpost and are also a married couple. Being partners in both business and life brings plenty of challenges as well as benefits. It’s great to always have someone to bounce ideas off of and be accountable to especially now that so much is changing so quickly for small businesses. We both get a lot more done when there is always someone there to help pick up the slack, and we both have our areas of expertise. Also since we are both around the surf club so much, we’ve had the good fortune to really get to know many of our members well and to connect and learn more about the amazing people and community of ocean and outdoor lovers that surround us. Our surf club members are the best and seeing them, brings us such joy every day. Also keep an eye out for our new camper van rental program that we’ll be bringing online this winter!

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.
Now that so much is closed down, our world has become quite narrowed to the LA beaches and hiking trails close to Malibu. Of course we are at the beach every day at Malibu, but also love going up to Leo Carillo State Park and hiking the shadier trails in Topanga Canyon and Malibu Creek State Park. We always take visitors to the Malibu Farm at the Pier for amazing views and food. We also recently tried the omakase take-out at Brother’s Sushi and it was an incredibly special experience. And of course our gift shop and Coastal Outpost has great outdoorsy souvenirs and gear.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Textured Waves is a rad organization that is helping to bring visibility to black and brown women in surfing. https://www.texturedwaves.com/ the Gnar Gnar Honeys are also a rad collective of young women in film and action sports. https://www.thegnargnarhoneys.com/ Grlswirl is an amazing group that is making skateboarding more accessible to young women. https://www.grlswirl.com/

Website: www.travelersurfclub.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traveler_surf_club/?hl=en
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/traveler-surf-club-and-coastal-outpost-malibu-2

Image Credits
Ian Zamora 1-3 Suzy Demeter/Malibu Surfside News photo 4 (Rel & Julie in the door frame)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.