Today we’d like to introduce you to Ephraim Badea.
Ephraim , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started as an Educational tour guide for a local tour company working with fourth grade children,teachers and chaperones. As a guide you have to know our Cities history, so this is accomplished by studying the provided history material that the City provides. Once you feel confident that you know the material you needed to take a test. If you passed the test you were given a license to tour for the company that hired you. I worked for about five years before the Covid pandemic hit our Country. The children were no longer able to travel to our town and it all came to an end. It was a wonderful and rewarding job shaping the minds of our youth to enjoy learning our history.
I now needed to find other work and since I already had our history down, I decided to start my own ghost tour business, all I needed now was the ghostly history of our town.
I spent a few weeks putting all my material together along with a website and Early Haunts was born. With folks being stuck in the house all day business would boom in the evening by those wanting something to do outdoors.
During the daytime hours I provide a walking history tour as well.
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?
The obstacle for any business is getting it up and running successfully from day one as it’s very hard to come back from a failed opening especially when your guest can make or break you by the reviews they leave about your business.
When you’re a one man operator of a small business the challenges can be daunting, did you do it right, am I questioning my ability to make it happen, and how overwhelming and intimidating your creation can be that at times it doesn’t feel real; then you fall into a rhythm and it all comes together and you don’t look back.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Not only am I the owner, I’m the tour guide as well. It’s my job to ensure that my guests have a great experience; and that experience includes playing a part of the past. What I mean by that is I dress in authentic eighteenth century costume and carry a flame lit oil lamp. Our walk consists of stopping by local historical buildings and or cemeteries with a discussion of there haunted past. And sometimes,that past comes to life.
I’m known for my ability to make everyone feel included, my story telling and my special connection to the children that come on tour; I love including them. I believe what sets me apart from the others is that my tour groups are small roughly fourteen people for a much more intimate tour. And depending on who you ask, I’m known as the best dressed tour guide in town.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Doing a ghost tour should be fun and entertaining. With me I explain that is what their experience is to be with me. I tell my guest that even if they’re some who believe, I’m not there to convince anyone of the other side. I do my job by luring them in with my knowledge and experiences leaving them to decide for themselves.
You will have a better experience on a walking tour as you get to spend time at all the locations of the tour.
Join me for a walking History tour a City overview in the mornings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.earlyhaunts.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheManabouttowne/
