Midlab, ISSA President Hits the Trail in Search of Bigfoot

Nearly 3 million hikers visit the trails in Tennessee every year. Some search for the beauty of the mountaintop vistas. Others seek the quiet tranquility of a hidden waterfall. Both are attractive to Matt Schenk, but he also quips that he’s keeping a keen eye out for Bigfoot.  

As the president and CEO of Midlab, Inc., Athens, Tennessee, and the 2024 president of ISSA, Schenk has a lot on his plate. But when he’s out on the trail, he can truly disconnect — no phones, no metrics, and no dashboards, just nature.  

“Being outdoors helps me balance a busy life,” he says. “I typically work out in the evenings, but I would much rather get my exercise hiking with my wife, Maureen, versus working out inside a gym.” 

Schenk stresses that he and Marueen try to hit a trail every weekend. They are fortunate to live in the vicinity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which provides vast options for hiking to picturesque views, countless waterfalls or the occasional small town. The pair also prioritizes hikes when vacationing, noting that it’s a great way to truly appreciate a new location.  

Hiking along a beautiful trail can help a person unwind and destress, but Schenk advises other interested parties to start small.  

"Make sure you have plenty of food and water on hand,” he emphasizes. “Realize you’re out in the woods. And have a good trail map of the area.”   

He also warns that there are plenty of things that could go wrong on a hike. It's easy to stray off the trail and get lost, encounter wildlife, be bothered by insects, experience bad weather, and there’s always the threat of Bigfoot. 

Bigfoot — also known as Sasquatch — is a fictitious, ape-like creature that some believe lives in the forests of North America. Schenk shares that he says he’s looking for Bigfoot, but it's really just a longstanding joke and a reason to enjoy the outdoors.  

“Looking for Bigfoot is kind of a goofy thing that I talk about, but it’s not something that I actually go out and do,” he says.  

It started when Schenk got a T-shirt at a Bigfoot festival in one of the parks. When people saw him wearing the shirt, they thought he was a fan and started to send Bigfoot stickers and other paraphernalia. Things just escalated from there.  

Schenk emphasizes that Maureen thinks that the Bigfoot stuff is ridiculous. 

“She just shakes her head when I talk about Bigfoot,” he says, and she’s not alone. Schenk says he knows that when he talks about finding Bigfoot, there are some people who wonder, ‘What is that guy talking about?’ 

“When I think about ‘my second act’, I would like to have a purpose,” he says. “So, my joke is, while I’m in my ‘second act’, if I say that I’m a Bigfoot researcher, I can do all the outdoor things I love to do. It’s kind of a lighthearted way to be outdoors.” 

Gretchen Roufs, a 25-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns a marketing and public relations company in San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “Freetime,” contact her at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com.