What does it mean to be an RV Entrepreneur? Did you know that if you run a business or work from your RV you might be considered an RV Entrepreneur?

The perception that full-time RVers are retired people who travel the country in their golden years is changing. Emerging is a new culture of non-retired, hard-working people running businesses or working from their RVs.

And even those retired RVers are getting into the action–starting and running businesses from their home on wheels.

If you want to learn more about working remotely from your RV click this link to access my FREE remote work training.

What The Heck Is An RV Entrepreneur?

Heath Padgett, the author of The RV Entrepreneur, says in his book that he and his wife Alyssa are part of a growing trend of people who “live in an RV and run a business from the road.”

I asked Alyssa if she could expand on the definition. Here’s what she told me:

“Being an RV entrepreneur is more about creating a mobile business that allows you to travel full-time and work from anywhere. Some people would classify themselves as “RV entrepreneurs” without actually owning their own business, which almost makes the word entrepreneur a misnomer. A good portion of the people in our community still work full-time jobs or do mostly freelance work. They don’t all necessarily own or want to build their own businesses. Being an RV entrepreneur is really more about the freedom and the lifestyle that allows you to work from anywhere, regardless of how you make income.”

People have been working from their RVs for a long time. But it took the imagination of Heath and Alyssa to give them an identity, and in my opinion, inspire a culture of RV entrepreneurialism.

That’s really freakin’ powerful: Two twenty-somethings ignited an entire culture of RV Entrepreneurs.

Mic drop.

Ugh, I sound forty-something. Anyway…

Is this why the RV Entrepreneur movement is taking off? Yes and maybe. Let’s explore this more.

Why The RV Entrepreneur Movement Is Taking Off

The RV Entrepreneur movement is taking off for multiple reasons. It helps in Google searches when you’ve coined a phrase like RV Entrepreneur, and have a book, podcast, and blog about it. But there are other reasons that make this lifestyle more attainable.

Technology has made the biggest impact. Chris and Cherie from Technomadia, talk about how the internet was more challenging when they started out in 2006. The lack of internet was a literal barrier to working from the road for many people.

Now with multiple carriers, plans, wifi, boosters, and cafes, Internet access is making remote work more attainable than ever. This shift is going to have a huge impact on employers, something I’m researching and will write more about.

Other reasons for its popularity are social media (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc.), infinite online business options, and sites like Flexjobs and Upwork. These platforms and the ability to freelance or build a virtual business, empower people to live a “Flex-Life,” a life with more flexibility and freedom than ever before.

Here’s what Drew Bensen, fellow RV Entrepreneur, and empowerment coach said when asked about his definition of RV Entrepreneur:

“Being an RV Entrepreneur means having the freedom to plan my days and my life. Once I started RVing, worlds opened up to me. I realized I had more options; I wasn’t tied down to one place, job, or plan. I could change my mind or path any time I wanted. So I did. I kept my company in Seattle while becoming a published author and certified Empowerment Coach. I can literally create whatever I want and follow the sun at the same time. I don’t know how long I’ll RV, but I do know I’ll be forever changed because of it.”

Drew is an amazing person with an inspiring story, who has motivated me in so many ways. We were chatting one day about his book Positive Minded People when he said “I’m an open book,” and boom–this image of him holding his book open came to me. Check him out at drewbensen.com.

What It Takes To Be An RV Entrepreneur

It takes a whole lot of Chutzpah to be an RV Entrepreneur (Yiddish term for “Guts”). Freedom and flexibility come at a cost sometimes. You trade in security and stability for some highs and lows. All of this can be magnified by the emotional swings of running a business–especially if you’re a new entrepreneur like me.

There are a lot of things to grapple with as an RV Entrepreneur. RVing on its own takes a lot of adaptability, flexibility, and patience. Being an entrepreneur takes much of the same along with courage and unrelenting commitment. You’re on a constant roller coaster of emotions. If you like a challenge, then congratulations, welcome to the RV Entrepreneur Club!

Eric and Brittany Highland, fellow RV Entrepreneurs and online marketing consultants who run Knektion said this:

“An entrepreneur is someone who creates a product or service to solve a problem and has the drive to endure the desert between idea and release to market. An RV Entrepreneur is a special kind of crazy, adding in the challenges of nomadism: finding connectivity, your home on wheels breaking when you least expect it (and when you have a client call in 10 minutes), building a community out of isolation. Here’s the good news: Community is out there and we’re all about crazy!”[/caption]

You can check out their adorable family and travel stories at RV Wanderlust.

So what’s an RV Entrepreneur to do with all these emotions? Lucky for you there are great resources to help you.

For full-time RVing check out:

• Full-Time RVing-The Emotional Journey – A group dedicated to discussing the emotional aspects of being a full-time RVer.
• Xscapers – A club catering to active RVers. They offer resources and community events.

For RV Entrepreneurialism check out:

• Remote Work School™️ – A coaching program and online course led by yours truly on finding remote work. More details below.

The point is that if you want to be an RV Entrepreneur, you can. There are resources and support for this lifestyle. If you really want to go deeper into the traits to be successful, read this article written by my close friend and business collaborator, Liz Wilcox.

The RV Entrepreneur Summit

The RV Entrepreneur Summit is in a class of its own. This is a unique event that caters to people in different phases of their RV journey. You might be new to RVing or haven’t purchased an RV yet. Maybe you already run a business or want to start a business. Or you just want to hang out with cool people and eat brisket. Whatever your motivation, the RV Entrepreneur Summit has something for everyone.

Topics range from building a business from the road, creating content, getting internet, road-schooling, self-publishing, and more!

Bryce and I attended the very first RVE Summit before we would call ourselves RV Entrepreneurs. We attended again the second year and it was exciting to see how much it had grown–both from an attendance and content perspective. A year later I was even speaking at the summit! Hellooo Chutzpah!

From left to right: Lindsay McKenzie from Follow Your Detour, Julie Chickery from Chickery’s Travels, Camille Attell from More Than A Wheelin’, and Liz Wilcox from The Virtual Campground. Photo credit: Joe Hendricks. https://joehendricks.com[/caption]

My Blog Mastermind Group and I led a session called Blogging For Business to teach people how to make money from their blogs. We carefully planned and executed a really valuable session. I’m not being very humble about this, but it’s because we worked our tushies off (aka Yiddish booty) and made sure that every minute would be useful. We got rave reviews and many people started a blog or put a plan in place to monetize their blog shortly after.

One of the best perks of the Summit is connecting and collaborating with others. You can hang out in the co-working space and brainstorm, create things, and heck even launch a business right on the spot!

I was having some website troubles that week and was able to sit with Teresa Ott, fellow RV Entrepreneur, and website guru, who helped me figure them out.

Here’s Teresa’s definition an RV Entrepreneur:

“Being an RV Entrepreneur is the willingness to put long-term freedom above all else–even if it means short-term term discomfort or sacrifice to get there. Pushing ahead despite fear and unknowns. Continual cycles of learning and then adapting based on that new knowledge. Not only being willing to change but recognizing when I need to change and acting on it.”

You can check out Teresa and her wizarding website abilities at The Fearless Venture.

Let’s Talk About Remote Work

“But we’re not RV Entrepreneurs,” say my full-time RVing friends. Ok cool, it’s not for everyone. But maybe you’re just not sure if running a business is your thing.

That’s OK too. There are so many avenues in this lifestyle. When I first started out, I wasn’t an RV Entrepreneur, in fact, I still struggle with calling myself that at times. Just like RVing itself, this entrepreneurial lifestyle has to be flexible and fluid. Just because I’ve worked for others or freelanced, doesn’t mean I’m not (or wasn’t) an RVE. It took some time to find my footing and learn the ropes of earning money remotely. And if I’m being totally honest, I’m still learning.

Click here to see the many ways I’ve earned money since leaving my corporate job and how you can earn money remotely too!

My definition of an RV Entrepreneur is this:

“An RV Entrepreneur is someone who’s willing to let go of security and stability to pursue a life of flexibility and freedom. She tries new things, lives outside of her comfort zone, and moves forward in spite of fear.”

My definition has nothing to do with running a business (or even living in an RV) and is more about designing a life on my terms. It’s like Alyssa said in the beginning, the term RV Entrepreneur might be a misnomer.

Frankly what you call yourself isn’t important. How you design your life is.

Work, Live, and Travel Where You Want

If you’ve decided that you want to work remotely and not necessarily run a business from the road, then check out the Remote Work 101: Work, Live, and Travel Where You Want course. I provide support and resources for the following.

• See remote work opportunities you didn’t see before
• Identify companies that hire remote workers
• Identify jobs that can be done remotely
• Build more confidence in your skill sets
• Expand your thinking about your qualifications

If you’re nervous about the remote work job market, that’s okay. I’m here for you and can help you navigate it.

There are more remote jobs than there are people to fill them. I know this because of research and experience. As a former manager and corporate trainer, I have written many job descriptions and hired many people.

Here’s the secret that employers don’t want you to know–no one is ever truly qualified for those job descriptions. Employers write them to describe the perfect candidate, but finding that candidate is like finding a purple unicorn. So they look for people with skills that are close enough, transferable skills, or people they like and feel can be trained.

The trick is to position yourself as a flexible and likable candidate. I can help you do that.

Conclusion

The beauty of this lifestyle is that you get to choose how you live, work, and spend your day. You can camp and hike and make money, and not call yourself an RV Entrepreneur–or call yourself one–whatever works for you.

However, there are some benefits to being part of a like-minded community, where people know your name and accept you for who you are. Y’know like a rolling Cheers bar, without the witty banter–ok, ok, with the witty banter.

If you need some extra motivation, check out what Britt Densford said about being an RV Entrepreneur:

“I have been an entrepreneur for 40 years. My choice to be a full-time RVer only means I focus my passion for business in a new way. An entrepreneur is a person who is willing to risk loss in order to make money. The challenges and risks of business and RVing are similar. Both call on your creativity and test your resolve to reach your goals. I will be an entrepreneur until I die!”

There you have it: RV Entrepreneur. Two seemingly unrelated words that when put together define an entire movement. Don’t let the movement pass you by. Stick out a thumb and we’ll pick you up on the way to freedom.

Are you looking to work from your RV and travel like me? Click here to check out my FREE Remote Work Training. I have had the honor of helping over 1,000 people since 2017 navigate this lifestyle!