Embracing Entrepreneurship: A Journey of Struggles, Successes, and the Courage to Go All In
In this week’s newsletter, instead of focusing on tactical strategies to grow your business I want to dig a bit deeper into what it means to be an entrepreneur and the struggles and joys that can bring, and the mindset needed to succeed.
First, let me share a bit of my story. Back in 2019 after having my 3rd child, I was working in various part-time jobs opposite my husband’s schedule so that we didn’t have to pay the high costs of childcare when I learned about the opportunity of renting our RV for some extra cash. My husband was working a corporate job and had limited PTO and with 3 young children, and we weren’t camping very often, like many RV owners. We put our camper 2012 Jayco bunkhouse up for rent and had a successful first season. If got my entrepreneurial mind turning, what if we purchased another RV and started renting it out? Would it allow me to quit my part-time job and get us the financial freedom we needed? After much research, I found out about the company Fireside RV rental which teaches you how to rent out other people’s RV’s.
We decided to buy into the opportunity and took the training Fireside provided and were able to sign up 10 units throughout the winter. May came along and although we had 10 units, we had no rentals, I reached out to Garr, the CEO of Fireside, and was ready to throw in the towel. I remember saying “This isn’t going to work,” and my husband and I stressed about our investment. June came along and we started getting several last-minute bookings which brought its own sets of stresses, learning how to do walkthroughs and deliveries, and finding time to do last-minute cleanings. Things picked up in July after school got out, and we had nonstop rentals for July and August and added 5 additional units to our fleet. I was no longer working part time but my husband was still working his corporate position and it began to get hard to balance both. We had to make the tough decision to go all in on the business or scale back on the business and keep living the lives we had been living.
After much deliberation, we decided to go all in on our RV rental business. All of our family thought we were crazy, my husband was leaving behind a career that he had for the last 16 years. We would no longer have a 401K, no health insurance, no “security”
But what we gained from that decision was time freedom, and moments with our children that we would have never had if we worked a traditional 9-5 job. We were able to travel to 18 states with our kids while homeschooling them and plan to visit 10 more this fall. We have been able to attend several business conferences and met many amazing like-minded entrepreneurs there. Ones that we never would have been able to attend with corporates’ limited PTO days and approval processes.
We have continued to have setbacks along the way, having to back out of a campground purchase last year, after selling our house and franchise. However, this led us to other another opportunity of becoming a partner in Fireside RV Rental and our next adventure of going full-time rving with our kids.
I share this because if I had let my fear overtake me in May of 2019 or even last year we would have never gotten to where we are now. I have learned that life does not happen to you, life happens for you. My husband and I are closer to each other and our kids than ever before. We share our dreams and work together as a family, we have made lifelong connections with other business owners, and learned that we can do it all on our own.
I hope this story resonates with you and allows you to overcome the fear of failure that lies inside of you. Have faith that you can do this. And if you need help along the way I am here along with several other RV rental business owners cheering you on.
RV Industry News
What’s Happening at Fireside
As the busy season approaches, Fireside is gearing up with a weekly Q&A session for our Fireside family. This is an opportunity for us to dig deeper into daily operations and address questions from both new and seasoned franchisees. One aspect franchisees truly value about Fireside is the sense of community it fosters, and these weekly Zoom calls serve as a hub for camaraderie and expertise. Entrepreneurship can often feel isolating, making the connection with a supportive network of fellow business owners indispensable. Take a sneak peek into our meeting here, with our Fireside RV Rental CEO, Garr Russell:
Win of the Week
Fireside RV Rental - Lansing, MI just finished their onboarding and already signed up their first rental unit which they picked up this week.
RV Rental Secrets
Unfortunately, there wasn't a new episode released this week, but fear not!
There are over 20 captivating episodes available for your listening pleasure on RV Rental Secrets. We'd greatly appreciate it if you could spare a moment to leave us a review. We're always eager to tailor our content to suit your interests. What topics would you like to hear more about on the podcast?
What I’m Listening To
This week, I've taken a detour from my usual business books and podcasts to immerse myself in the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast. With the weather warming up here in upstate NY, I've found myself in daily debates with my three kids about stepping out into nature after school. It seemed like the perfect time to seek guidance from experts on how to inspire outdoor adventures for the whole family!
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, along with its website, offers free trackers and books with creative ideas to entice kids into the great outdoors. Here are some of the exciting activities we're planning to enjoy more of this spring and summer:
Hiking
Biking
Kayaking
Outdoor scavenger hunts
Swimming
Fishing
Cookouts
Visits to local playgrounds
Quote of the Week
“Before great success comes, you will surely meet with temporary defeat. When people are overtaken by these feelings, the easiest and perhaps most logical thing to do is to quit. Quitting is exactly what the majority of people do.”
― Sharon L. Lechter, Three Feet from Gold
If You Liked This Newsletter…
…and you’re ready to take your RV rental business to the next level, here are a few ways we can help you:
1. Get a FREE copy of ‘My Wheel Estate Story: From Lawnmowers to RV’s, My Entrepreneurial Journey Filled With Faith, Failure and Fun Times’ by Garr Russell, CEO of Fireside RV Rental
2. Take our new Fireside RV Rental Discovery Course to learn more about the Fireside RV Rental Franchise Opportunity.
3. Listen to the RV Rental Secrets Podcast for more tips for starting, running, and growing an RV rental business.