BRIAN JENNINGS, CEO
(Camper, Explorer, Outdoorsman)
"What climbing the corporate ladder looks like now"
I always had a passion for adventure and the outdoors, and like many fellow veterans, that passion led me to join the United States Army. After my 20-year military career, I started working in the defense industry and climbed the corporate ladder to an executive-level position. In 2018, I started working remotely and living a more transformative and natural outdoor lifestyle in search of a better work-life balance. I self-funded Bundokin, a company that helps others struggling to find that work-life balance I desperately needed.
I chose the company name Bundokin to symbolize achieving work-life balance by spending more time exploring the great outdoors and less time climbing the corporate ladder. It originated from the word bundok, which means mountain in the Tagalog language. It was introduced in America by soldiers returning from the Philippines, and the slang word "boondocks" quickly became a common expression referring to a remote area in the mountains. Today, "boondocking" is a term used to describe off-grid camping in remote areas without being connected to water, electricity, or sewer.
I traveled over 20,000 miles around the country for the next few years. I visited our National Parks and surrounding areas in search of the ultimate property to develop into an off-grid primitive campground where people could immerse themselves in nature. In 2022, during a fall hiking trip to the Shenandoah National Park, I finally found what I had been looking for! A beautiful 50-acre mountain property in Etlan, Virginia, with amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains that was untouched, completely off-grid, and off the beaten path. It has been a journey, and I still have a lot of work to do, but I am committed to helping others experience this unique experience.
I founded Bundokin with a straight-forward vision:
My goal is for Bundokin to foster a healthy work-life balance culture by encouraging others to experience eco-friendly off-grid camping, getting outdoors, and out of their comfort zone! Our approach encompasses everyone searching for a better work-life balance, and I hope my story will encourage others to make positive lifestyle changes. So, no matter where you work, your job, where you come from, or where you are going, you will benefit mentally and physically from your Bundokin experience.