About Us
The Awesome Outdoors Group is a full service sales and marketing agency servicing the Southeast. We bring together awesome retailers with awesome brands and provide unequaled support to our relationships. Founded in 2013, we focus on the outdoor specialty, run specialty and active lifestyle markets. We service the best retailers in in DC, Virginia and West Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Awesome Outdoors Group was born in the retail world and so most of our time is spent in stores, equipping sales associates to ensure sell-through. We are fully committed to making sure that our retailers and their employees have every tool required to sell every piece that they order from our brand partners. We spend significant time each month traveling to stores and conducting clinics and demos for all of our brands, but we also follow-up throughout the season to ensure that these tools remain sharp and that in-season needs are being met. Awesome Outdoors Group is actively involved in 360AC (formerly the Eastern Outdoor Reps Association) and has a large presence at each of their shows. In addition, we regularly attend Grassroots Outdoor Alliance shows, The Atlanta Shoe Market, Surf Expo, the Shot Show and Outdoor Retailer.
Mady Smith - Raleigh, NC
Mady Smith is an Eastern North Carolina native who has had a passion for the outdoors and exploring for as long as she can remember. She spent several years as a sales associate and then buyer for one of the Southeast's iconic outdoor specialty retailers. In her free time, Mady can be seen relaxing in a hammock on local NC beaches or exploring the Western NC mountains. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones, is one of 7 siblings, and has 1 rescue dog who she adores. Mady is a lover of music and was classically trained as a vocalist, guitarist, and pianist during her studies for her Fine Arts Degree in Vocal Music. She enjoys traveling to local concerts to see her favorite musicians, has participated in local community music and theater productions, and continues to create original music as a hobby. In recent years, Mady’s love for the outdoors led her to pursue studies in environmental science where she hopes to learn more about conservation efforts to protect our coastal wetland ecosystems and our beautiful Earth as a whole! Mady currently resides in Raleigh, so she is able to complete her degree at N.C. State.
Her contact info is:
The Awesome Outdoors Group was founded by David Link who brings nearly 30 years of relational sales experience to the agency. David is originally from the Washington, DC area and started his career on Capitol Hill working as a fundraiser and political director for a US Senator. After politics, David worked with Legg Mason and Merrill Lynch as a discretionary portfolio manager for 8 years.
In 2001, David and his family relocated to Alabama and started an award-winning entrepreneurial career that included roles as Managing Partner of a Gold’s Gym franchise, a restaurant franchise and lawn care franchise. Divine intervention and stress eventually brought him back to his passion – the outdoors. Working with one of the largest outdoor specialty retailers in the Southeast, David dove head-first into the outdoor retail world and shortly thereafter launched the firm. Awesome Outdoors Group is focused on being on the road and on the retail floor. Because of this mentality, the agency has developed great relationships and experienced tremendous success. David is married and has 3 daughters and one son. He enjoys getting away to the mountains of North Carolina and the Gulf Coast beaches with his family, where they have family properties. Local hikes with his 2 rescue dogs and kids are also a passion. Each summer David can be seen hiking around Birmingham in an effort to raise money for Hike for Hope, in support of Mountain Child, a non-profit that serves the needs of Himalayan children. David is also active in youth lacrosse – coaching, officiating and even playing – and serves on the Board of Directors of US Lacrosse, the National Governing Body of lacrosse.
David Link - Birmingham, AL
