Exploring Life & Business with Amber Lewis of Glamberous Adventures and Camp Off Duty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Lewis.

Hi Amber, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a very small town in Oklahoma with very little. I didn’t grow up with wealth, so being able to say I’ve started two businesses means a lot to me.

Glamberous Adventures began after I had my oldest son, Clayton, during a difficult postpartum season when I needed something creative that was mine. I started creating teepee sleepovers, spa parties, and styled picnics. I loved taking an idea and turning it into a whole experience where someone could feel celebrated.

As my family grew to include my twins, I kept thinking about how often women are the ones making everything happen for everyone else. As a mom, I might get an hour or two away, but I’m still down the road, still thinking about what needs to happen. When I get home, I’m right back on duty.

Even getting away doesn’t always feel like a break. I remember a girls’ trip where we were constantly asking, “What are we doing next?” At lunch, at the hotel, before we’d even finished one activity, we were planning another. I was drained. I wanted a weekend that felt like an exhale, where someone had already thought through what we would need.

Summer camp has a personal place in my life, too. One of my closest friends and I met as counselors at a camp in New York more than 20 years ago. We live on opposite coasts and usually see each other when one of us travels, but we’ve been through so many highs and lows together, and our friendship is still strong. It made me think about that feeling of going somewhere, meeting people, being silly, and having fun. Why shouldn’t we have that as adults?

Those ideas came together in Camp Off Duty, the women’s summer-camp weekend I’m creating now. Women’s camp isn’t a new idea. What I’m bringing to it is my love of creating experiences and my understanding of how tiring it can be to always be the person making the plans. Glamberous Adventures gave me a way to create special moments for other families. Camp gives me a way to bring that same care into a whole weekend for women.

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?
Oh no, the road has not been smooth. One of my biggest challenges has been managing my health after having my twins while still trying to keep a business afloat. Running a business and being a mom is hard, and those responsibilities don’t take turns.

Finding consistent help has been another challenge. I’ve brought in contracted workers to help with events, but people’s circumstances change. They graduate, move back home, or realize the physical work involved isn’t the right fit for them. There’s a lot of lifting, loading, setting up, and breaking down behind those pretty pictures. When the team changes, I still have to figure out how to deliver the experience I promised my clients.

There are seasons when business is really hard. I have to step back and ask, “Okay, what can I do differently?” I keep thinking outside the box because I believe in what I’m creating and want to find a way to make it work. I’m still learning and adjusting as I go.

My faith is a big part of what keeps me going, and I’m grateful for my husband’s support. There are nights when he’s stuffing pillows and helping me pack everything for a party. When I leave to do a setup, he’s taking care of our boys. His belief in me shows up in those practical, everyday ways, and it means so much to have that support.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder of Glamberous Adventures and the Founder + Curator of Camp Off Duty. Glamberous Adventures creates thoughtfully styled celebrations and gathering spaces in Southern California, including teepee sleepovers, spa parties, picnics, bell tents, and lounges. I love taking a theme or an idea and thinking through the details that make it feel personal.

I want people to walk in and feel, “Someone really thought about me.” I think about how they’ll feel when they arrive, what they’ll enjoy, and what will help them feel comfortable and celebrated. There’s a lot of work behind a setup, but that work is ours to handle. Guests should get to see the beauty and enjoy what was created for them without having to make it all happen themselves.

Camp Off Duty carries that same care into a women’s summer-camp weekend. I’m planning experiences such as Mahjong, Pilates, the Craft Cabin, pool time, Color Wars, lip sync, and our Disco Cowgirl-themed Camp After Dark. I want women to arrive, take their suitcases to their rooms, and feel taken care of. The lodging, meals, and activities are being planned together so guests can settle in and choose what sounds good.

Fun is the point. Be silly, try something new, laugh, or rest. You can join as much as you want, and if what you need is a weekend in your room sleeping, that’s okay, too. You get to choose what off duty means to you. You can come with friends or come on your own. Motherhood helped inspire the idea, and I’m creating Camp for women in all kinds of seasons of life.

For women nearby, I wanted an escape that doesn’t require a flight. For women traveling in, I want the thought and care throughout the weekend to make that trip worthwhile. Do it all. Do a little. You choose. You’re Off Duty.

What I’m proud of is that these two businesses represent different sides of me while sharing the same heart. I get to use my creativity to help people feel celebrated and taken care of, while also trying to be the best mom I can be. My boys get to see me working toward something I believe in, even when it doesn’t look perfect.

My faith is at the center of all of it. I’m not doing this on my own. I’m doing this through the grace of God, and I want my boys to see how important it is to keep their faith through uncertainty and hard days. Getting to build these businesses and show them that through my own life means a lot to me.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I hope sharing my story reaches someone who thinks her beginnings put certain dreams out of reach. If a young girl reads this and thinks, “She didn’t come from much either. Maybe I could do something like that,” that would mean so much to me.

I’m still figuring things out, raising my boys, and keeping God at the center along the way. It may not look perfect or happen exactly how I envisioned it, but I keep moving forward. I hope seeing that imperfect, ongoing journey helps someone believe there could be room for her dreams, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: Glamberous Adventures website: https://glamberousadventures.net, Camp Off Duty website: https://campoffduty.net
• Instagram: Glamberous Adventures Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glamberousadventures/, Camp Off Duty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camp.offduty/
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/amber-lewis-b40a28440/