Allie turned to me and mentioned, “I need to begin a small enterprise.” We had been sitting on the shallow grey couch collectively, after solely about two months of studying learn how to dwell full-time in our new RV. Movies and blogs can solely inform you a lot with regards to the day-to-day duties of dwelling in a tiny rolling residence and we had been nonetheless catching our stride!
Earlier than she even completed her sentence, I shortly jumped to my ft and bought a pocket book from our small desk drawer. We started writing down ideas and concepts about how we may start a small enterprise whereas touring full-time. We’ve got no previous schooling, background or expertise in enterprise, however we had some strong goals we needed to pursue. We knew we may be taught to do absolutely anything, particularly since we had been navigating the challenges of dwelling and touring in an RV collectively!
Once we started Wander Free and Queer, we knew we needed our enterprise to characterize who we’re and what we had been doing. We think about ourselves a artful, queer couple who’re touring the nation in our RV, visiting totally different landscapes and getting outdoors to discover nature via mountain climbing trails, taking scenic drives, and rafting rivers. Once we aren’t out adventuring, we’re lounging in our residence on wheels, crocheting the whole lot from rainbow keychains to cozy cowls.
How may we carry all of those elements of ourselves collectively?
We figured we may combine our love for RV dwelling, ardour for visibility and illustration within the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, in addition to handcrafting crochet merchandise which are travel-inspired. We began our Etsy store in 2018.
We went to a couple native farmers markets throughout that yr and offered our unique Wanderer Headband in over 20 colours. We spent our first winter studying learn how to {photograph}, market, and package deal gadgets that may ship everywhere in the nation!
We left the east coast in late 2018 and traveled to Florida for our first heat winter in our RV. We attended a couple of native markets and festivals whereas increasing our crochet gadgets and placing collectively a couple of casual get togethers for LGBTQ+ RVers. We started growing our first little rainbow that may turn into one in all our staple gadgets over time. We needed an merchandise that would offer LGBTQ+ illustration, however would even be sufficiently small to suit into vans, campers and RVs. This little rainbow is offered as a keychain, decoration, and automotive appeal to point out your pleasure or ally-ship to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
We had intentions of increasing our enterprise to contain extra neighborhood occasions in 2020, however COVID had different concepts. We put all plans for in-person occasions on maintain and refocused on learn how to construct and develop our Etsy and Instagram communities. Allie has been in command of our social media from the very starting, and he or she does an unimaginable job showcasing our travels, RV life, crochet, canine content material and our queer love (@Wander.Free.and.Queer)! We started working with a couple of choose corporations that align with our mission and worth bringing variety and inclusion to the RV and journey neighborhood.
With a rising viewers got here a rising product line and our first large pleasure occasion in Denver, Colorado. We bought a tent, tables, chairs and show gadgets to arrange for a bigger arrange than we had been used to and we crocheted until our arms harm! We additionally commissioned a fellow traveler to design a brand for us throughout this time that we placed on stickers, magnets and keychains for the Denver pleasure occasion. Having a brand was an enormous deal for us and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.
With all this progress got here some challenges. We realized that dwelling in beneath 250 sq. ft whereas working a small enterprise meant we had been continuously looking for area saving and organizational choices for storing all of our yarn, show gadgets, and merchandise! We shortly stuffed our cupboards within the RV, after which moved to the skin bays for storage. We started by utilizing bins, however realized that vacuum-sealed baggage saved room and stored our yarn contemporary and new. We started labeling all of our bins and baggage of merchandise in order that we may simply open a bay and know what was inside. These tips have continued to save lots of us a lot time over time.
Past studying about learn how to logistically run our small enterprise from our small area, we additionally needed to be taught to work collectively. As we developed our line of physique care merchandise, we bickered over colours and patterns. We bought on one another’s nerves when contemplating learn how to go about storing our chunky cowls. We needed to discover ways to talk about working our small enterprise in our small area, however this took some follow. Many RV {couples} will inform you that dwelling together with your companion in shut quarters means you be taught to cope with points shortly and effectively, however that may be a ability that we nonetheless must follow repeatedly.
Over the previous couple of years, we have now settled into our small enterprise roles. We work collectively, take turns, or use a divide-and-conquer methodology with others. Allie is the creator, the visionary, and the eagerness behind Wander Free and Queer. She develops all of our merchandise from scratch and works diligently to excellent them earlier than instructing me learn how to make them on the market. Allie can also be the voice of our social media. She spends hours on daily basis creating content material, chatting on-line, and providing details about journey, LGBTQ+ neighborhood and RV dwelling. She additionally has turn into a part-time photographer, crochet teacher, and advertiser. I, Danella, work extra on behind-the-scenes duties resembling taking good care of authorized and monetary duties, making use of to markets and festivals, and dealing with logistics of quick and long run enterprise planning. I additionally make the merchandise Allie has created for on-line orders and upcoming occasions.
We hope to continue to grow our small enterprise over time. Final yr we started providing RV consultations for individuals who needed to speak about RV dwelling or life on the highway. We love any alternative to share our expertise and supply schooling and sources to our journey neighborhood. This yr we have now simply begun providing on-line crochet workshops so to be taught the abilities your self to make the coaster or cowl of your goals! We hope the following couple of years will embody extra neighborhood occasions and alternatives to carry collectively our love for journey, RV dwelling, and crochet particularly to our LGBTQ+ family and friends.
Our mission states, “Visibility, illustration, and inclusion are on the coronary heart of our mission and model. We don’t see the LGBTQ+ neighborhood adequately represented in out of doors and journey areas. We try to alter that. We see you.” Our merchandise and handmade items are a reminder to everybody to wander with pleasure or to sign your allyship to our neighborhood!
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Need to be taught extra from Allie and Danella? Listed here are a few of their Street Diaries:
Discovering a Homebase Campground with Wander Free and Queer
Adorning in Small Areas with Wander Free and Queer
Touring with Two Canine in a Fifth-Wheel RV: Wander Free and Queer