What I Learned in September

I’m only two months into these monthly public reflections; they’ve already been a gift. Sitting down to write the reflection on business in September has felt empowering and encouraging. I hope it feels the same for you as you navigate this process in your newsletter, journal, or even just in your mind as you walk outside. 

In starting this particular newsletter, I was struck with a memory of a poem my grandpa wrote years ago called Remembering. Here it is for you. 

No one really dies 

until he is forgotten.

Memory can resurrect 

a living presence.

Not only of events 

places and happenings

but feelings and experiences

can surface in remembrances.

So we have that mystic power

to bring alive again

through the simple act

of remembering.

This poem was read aloud at his funeral as a reminder that we’re never quite done, no matter how final the situation feels. In September, I lost two incredible people. One was a friend of mine who had battled cancer for years. The other is my uncle Pete Kozachik. 

Only hours before my uncle’s death, I held my final coaching call for Roadpreneur School, the group program I recently closed the doors on after over a year of showing up and helping other outstanding entrepreneurs build a life full of happiness and freedom. 

While all of this sounds very somber (and it is), that finality has had me thinking quite a bit about the work we put into this world. It also has me thinking about how we’ll be remembered through the content we create. That bigger picture is enough to shed the hamster wheel feeling we often have when creating content, and see that with every newsletter, every social media post, and every email, we have the opportunity to leave a tiny little breadcrumb of a legacy. 

In addition to what I shared above about what happened in my personal life, this has been another full month in my business world, and that business world is what you’re here for! To get ideas of how a Roadpreneur business is run. To get ideas for designing a business that lets you RV more often.

To offer you that glimpse into my business world vulnerably and transparently, here’s a peek behind the red velvet rope:

1. Officially closed Roadpreneur School

Last month, I announced the decision to close Roadpreneur School. This month was our final coaching call and my final month of showing up consistently inside the group to answer questions and fuel the community. I’ve gifted the students an unmoderated, peer-led mastermind where they can continue to schedule coworking events, share ideas, collaborate, brainstorm, and link arms as they continue this journey. What a gift they all have been. I will absolutely miss them!

2. Leaned HARD into wholesaling

I’ve had the big-picture goal of owning a product line for years. 6-months ago, I started that product line at Cruisin’ + Campfires, and this month, I started my serious strategy of wholesaling.

Why wholesale? Because, frankly, I’m selfish.

Since the beginning of this idea, I have dreamt of seeing my products on campground store shelves. I wanted to make it easier for people to hit the road and experience the RV lifestyle, yet so many I’ve heard from hesitate to get outside and exhale around the campfire because they feel it’s too hard. Packing is hard. Travel is hard. Meal prep is hard. But it doesn’t have to feel hard. It can feel beautiful.

But I also know that that lifestyle is what I want for myself. To relax, unwind, and BE with my family and friends without worry about finances or answering to a big boss man. Wholesale feels like the means to bring both of those worlds together. I can fulfill larger orders while we’re home, hire help while we’re out to fulfill those orders and scale the brand faster with this approach. 

For now, all the real work has been behind the scenes, but in mid-October, the pedal is going straight to the metal as I accelerate my revenues in the wholesale route and direct-to-consumer space.

3. Finalized the Edits on My First Book!

Have you heard? I’m writing a book with three other amazing women. This month, I did some final edits on it all, and re-reading it after having some space from everything for a month hit me hard in a good way. This. Book. Is. Phenomenal! I’m so impressed at how we collaborated to share ideas, how easily those ideas gelled, and how easily the 4 of us gelled! Writing this book has been an incredible experience, and I’m thrilled to bring it to the world on November 21, 2023 — National Entrepreneur’s Day! We’re hosting workshops, giveaways, and coffee chats leading up to the release of this book. If you want to join us, we’d love to have you here.

4. Took 2 Weeks Off

My sister-in-law got married last weekend, and we’re strolling back into town now after two weeks away. We camped our way up to her wedding and have camped our way back down. Gosh, this lifestyle is amazing, isn’t it?!

Interwoven in the accomplishments, there were a lot of lessons learned along the way. 

1. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. 

I could’ve kept going with Roadpreneur School. I could’ve also immediately whiplashed myself into creating new products for Roadpreneur (because God knows, I have lots of them brewing inside of me). But just because I can do it doesn’t mean I should. That’s been my mantra for this month. Perhaps it would serve you to adopt it as well. 

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Just because an opportunity presents itself doesn’t mean you must take it. Sometimes, opportunities are tests. They’re challenging our idea of how we want to live our lives to see if we’re dedicated to the fullest feelings and pursuit of freedom. 

Lesson Learned: It’s okay to say no to something, even if you CAN do it. Letting an opportunity go for the sake of another opportunity is okay. You don’t owe anyone that, yes. You owe yourself the chance and right to say no when something feels good yet distracting from your ultimate goal. Stay focused. Keep your guardrails up. 

2. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to another

I’m a chronic people-pleaser. It’s led me down many paths, trying so many projects and saying yes to many volunteer positions. I’m finally learning the beauty of simplicity. I’m finally learning that when I say yes to one thing, I’m saying no to another.

We all have 24 hours in a day. That’s a cliche and obvious statement. Yet, we often forget that time is finite, and we need to be more choosy about where and how we spend our precious lives here. 

Lesson Learned: It’s time to say yes to more of the things that make that fire inside of me flicker and permit myself to say no to the things that aren’t serving the ultimate big-picture goal for my family.

3. Connections are powerful, beautiful, and so needed in this otherwise lonely lifestyle

Entrepreneurship is lonely. So is the RV lifestyle. We meet online, connect briefly around the campfire, and rarely keep close enough contact to deepen our relationships. 

When I started writing this book with my fellow co-authors, Mary, Kristin, and Casie, they asked me to meet once a week. I cringed. Meetings are my nemesis. I feel so empowered by an open calendar. A standing meeting? Eek! 

Little did I know that standing meeting with the same people in a casual setting was exactly what I needed. Being with them on Zoom while stuffing my face, taking a walk, and just being me (no professionalism required) felt so good. 

Lesson Learned: Finding a mastermind is crucial in this lifestyle. That’s why I left my Roadpreneur School students with an open group for them to connect and collaborate. Having a space to come together and get to know your people more casually lets you feel less alone, more connected, and increasingly creative. 

Every month in the Roadpreneur School, I asked my students to reflect on what they were stopping, starting, and continuing for the month ahead. You’re invited to do the same and post it below. Here’s mine.

Start

Next month, I will get out of my head about this product-based business (it’s all so new to me) and more out into the community and campgrounds. I’m reaching out. I’m making those big asks. I’m stepping out in faith that this is where I need to be. I’ve felt so tugged in this direction, and now it’s time to walk the staircase to that next level. Are you with me?

Stop

October will be the month I stop saying yes to every little thing. I’m building higher boundaries in a healthy way for everyone. My goal is to be less stressed and more successful in the areas that matter most to our family. 

October is also the month I stop letting other people’s opinions weigh me down. As much as I wish I could say I show up unapologetically, I do feel like I need to shapeshift a bit at times to meet the expectations of others. I’m human. You're not alone if you’ve felt that people-pleasing tendency, too. Let’s commit to shedding it together this month. 

Continue

I’m going to continue charging forward with this new stationery line. I have so many ideas. I have so much enthusiasm for this new direction. And I’m SUCH a believer in what Cruisin’ + Campfires will do for others. I picked up the pace from a crawl to a perfectly paced jog last month, and I will continue that speed going forward. 

Thank you for being here. I love being able to share this space with you. As always, I’ll see it and respond if you comment below. Let’s continue the conversation and support each other in these new ventures.

~ Kimberly