May 1, 2017

Meet Cindy Brown of Boston Duck Tours in Back Bay

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Brown.

Cindy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started in finance with an Economics degree from Franklin and Marshall. When Andy Wilson (my boss in banking) decided to open Boston Duck Tours, he asked me to join him as Marketing Director. The company started operations in October 1994 with 4 Ducks, 15 employees and one location. We quickly grew in size and we now have almost 200 employees, 28 Ducks and three departure locations.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road by any stretch of the imagination. Every time we feel like we have a good formula, something changes. For example we built a ramp into the Charles River in 1994. After some time the State decided to develop the area around the ramp and we were forced to build a new ramp which cost over $1 million dollars. We also have been forced to move our primary departure location 4 times due to construction and real estate development. Although frustrating, each challenge has made the company stronger.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Boston Duck Tours – what should we know?
Our company give historic tours of Boston on the streets and into the Charles River in replica WWII amphibious vehicles. Our goal is to introduce the city to visitors and share local history, famous firsts and little known facts about Boston and Massachusetts. What I’m most proud of is our philanthropic efforts. We support three causes – Clean Water, Education and Veterans. Not only do we give money but also time for these worthy causes.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think being able to work with others has been critical in my success. So much of our business is based on personal relationships – sales, politics, regulations, etc. Networking in general has proved to help us grow, make strategic connections with others and support our local community.

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