Welcome to this “episode” of 67 Designs Customer Spotlights, where we share the stories of some of our customers. In this spotlight, we get to know Hawk Miller. Miller, from Sedona, Arizona, is the CEO of Make Your Expedition (MYE), a Jeep rental company also located in Sedona. Four years ago, the passionate overlander recognized a lack of authentic Jeep tour companies... the rest is history!
Proud owner of: 6 hard top 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JLs. He has retired his original 2012 Jeep Wrangler, which he used to rent out at the start of MYE.
Featured upgrades: Hawk’s Jeeps are decked out with the following...
- Interior
- 67 Designs JL Rail System
- Exterior
- Fifteen 52 Turbomac HD 17" Wheels
- Rigid Industries 50" Pro Series Light Bar
- TeraFlex 3.5" Spring lift kit
- TeraFlex Track Bar
- TeraFlex Falcon Shocks
- TeraFlex Underbody Armor
- TeraFlex HD Tailgate Hinge
- TeraFlex HD Tire Carrier
- General Tire Grabber Red Letter 295/75/17
- Rigid Industries Dually XL LED Lights
Customer of 67 Designs since: April 2017
Inspiration for buying Jeep/starting MYE: Hawk grew up outdoors—camping, rock climbing, kayaking, biking and hiking. He got into racing rally cars in the Rally America Series and then eventually bought his 2012 Jeep after his first adventure described below. He explained that it only made sense to make his passion a full time job—”working your passion is a game changer.”
First adventure with vehicle: Winter 2015. His first offroading adventure was actually not with his own vehicle. Hawk’s brother Lear is a professional photographer who was hired by the Sedona Tourism Bureau to take a model family into the deserts to photograph. He asked Hawk to drive the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon out for them because of his rally racing experience but it was not Hawk who did the favor for his brother. It was his brother who did the favor for Hawk because the rock crawling and dirt roads were a turning point for him—he realized that overlanding was “something I want to do every day.”
Most recent adventure/COVID-19 adventure: With the free time, Hawk has been able to get out locally and explore the vast network of trails outside of Arizona and Flagstaff. He, his girlfriend and some friends were able to hop in some of the company vehicles and get about 40 out to the Mogollon Rim, where they saw some “incredible views.”
Most memorable adventure: Hawk’s most memorable offroading trip was out to The Wave on the border of northern Arizona and Southern Utah. A good friend of his, who has done aerial videography for Lord of the Rings and Marvel, was involved with a large scale videography project and asked Hawk to help out with the transportation. So, Hawk loaded up some company vehicles with the camera equipment and camera crew and headed out. During the nights, he watched as the videographers set up drones with LED lights to capture aerial footage of the massive rock structures. You can check out the insanely cool video, “The Dying of the Light,” below.
Upcoming trips: As the owner of MYE, Hawk does not get to get out as much as he’d like during the summer but he hopes to head over to Colorado during the winter.
Dream trip: An off roading adventure through Africa.
Advice for those who are just beginning overlanding: “Get involved in the [Jeep] community with online forums and local groups—people are willing to take people on rides and show them the ropes;” “[There are] infinite resources on how to build vehicles;” “Don't be afraid to ask questions or say ‘hey can i come on your next trip’;” and “Go to an expo.”
#1 place he has camped: Jemez Spring, New Mexico. There are a massive amount of trails and tons of hiking and biking. Best of all, you can jump into the hot springs at the end of the day to relax. (This is especially good when you have not showered in days…)
Fun fact about Hawk: At 16, Hawk was the youngest professional rally car racer in the racing series, going up against drivers such as Ken Block and Travis Pastrana.
Jeep club memberships: None, but he is a contributor, writer and reader of trailsoffroad.com.
Notes from the writer: After speaking with Hawk, I am feeling the strong urge to head out to Sedona to rent one of his awesome vehicles! Business has been busy, though, because many are itching to get outside after being cooped up this Spring—make your reservation now! When you get there, you may even see his Golden Retriever, Cudi, who loves being tossed around in the back of the Jeep.
Check out Hawk’s work here: Below you will find Hawk’s adventures, his company website and the amazing short film he helped produce out in The Wave.
- @myejeep
- https://www.myejeep.com/
- The Dying of the Light: https://vimeo.com/243399864
© 67 Designs, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Spotlight by Kate Della Pietra