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Twenty years ago people lived in an RV for one of two reasons:
- They were retired and traveling around the country.
- They couldn’t afford anything else.
It was rare– almost impossible, to find anyone who was living in an RV full-time who didn’t fit one of the above criteria. As technology and the internet has moved us forward, a new generation of RVers have emerged.
For the first time ever, a generation of RVers are starting companies that are actively making a large-scale impact in our economy and culture.
I’m not just talking about some kind of freelance development or design business that’s being run from the road, but I’m talking about companies that are changing industries and the way we approach our lives and work. People who have intentionally chosen to downscale their life and live from an RV are contributing in a major way.
Last week I interviewed a couple named Technomadia, who have been traveling in their 1964 vintage bus conversion for the past ten years. They’ve launched several popular apps, written a book on mobile internet, and been a vital part of two successful start ups in the RV community – Xscapers and RVillage.
And this week, I interviewed a full-time RVer named Kevin Holesh who’s app called Moment has been downloaded over 2.5 million times.
Kevin not only earns a full-time income through his app downloads, but his Moment app is literally helping millions of people be more intentional about how they spend the time on their phone. We live in a culture of people who are addicted to their iPhone; Kevin’s app forces you to realize the exact amount of time you spend on your phone, allows you to create daily limits, and even coaches you on how to spend less time on your phone.
Kevin is tackling a huge need in our country’s economy, and people have noticed. His app has been featured on Good Morning America, The New York Times, TechCrunch, Buzzfeed, USA Today, Fast Company, Men’s Journal, Huffington Post, and many more.
Kevin and his wife Mandy chose to live in their 5th wheel, not because they couldn’t afford any other kind of lifestyle, but because they realized the shift that is currently happening in our culture. For the past 50 years our country has been focused on accumulation of stuff (it shows in the fact that the self-storage industry is over 32 billion dollars). Now we are beginning to pursue freedom over things.
Our generation is realizing that “the dream” of buying a bunch of crap, putting half of it in storage, and signing your life away on a mortgage is a terrible way to live. Plus, we no longer have to choose between meaningful work and a geographic location– we can now have both.
We can create companies with remote teams that reach millions of people all over the world, and do it all from our RV, tiny house, or AirBnB from some foreign country.
What We Talk About on This Episode of The RV Entrepreneur:
- Why Kevin decided to live in a 5th wheel and run his app development business from the road
- Why Kevin decided against living in a city like Silicon Valley or Austin (where a lot of tech people live)
- The 10 apps that Kevin launched before Moment
- How long it takes to learn app development and how soon you can release an app of your own
- The story behind why Kevin launched an app that helps people get off their iPhone
- How he makes a living off his app business
- How he got his first freelance client
- Why Kevin and Mandy decided to hit the road, even though they still have a bit of lingering student debt
- Lou, Ted, Kevin, Doug, Benjamin, Bethany, Tracy, Somer, Gabe, Jedd, Michell, Billy, James, Matt, Eric, and Paul — Thank you guys so much for leaving reviews! Y’all rock! (I would add more names but iTunes only shows me the user name and some aren’t actual names)
Links and resources mentioned:
You’re awesome! Thanks for tuning in:
Each week I release a new episode of The RV Entrepreneur podcast. If you want to binge-listen to the first ten episodes, you can head over to iTunes and download all of them. While you’re over there you can subscribe to the show so you’ll be notified each time I release a new episode.
Also, a huge thanks to everyone who has left me a review so far in iTunes. (if you want to leave a review for the show, go here in iTunes, make sure you’re signed in, and then click on “ratings and reviews”)
See you next time!
Heath
P.S I’m working on a new blog post about all of the biggest takeaways I’ve learned during these first ten interviews. Keep an eye out for that post!
[…] RVE 0010: Why Kevin Holesh Moved Into a 5th Wheel After His iPhone App Was Downloaded 2.5 Million Ti… […]
Great episode, really enjoyed it!
Thanks for listening Mark!
[…] RV Entrepreneur episode 10 […]
Most of the iPhone users are like to use these apps and they like to get more software in this device. So i think this is good tips for us to use more technology in our smart phones.
[…] jewelry designer. Mandy travels in a 5th wheel with her husband Kevin, who I interviewed back on episode 10, as well as Grizzly, Nimbus, Luna, and Foxey, the furry friends of the Holesh […]
Absolutely he is so brilliant and he has more attraction about technology. This is so difficult job for any one to download iPhone App so more time. I think he is now genius in here now.
A genius and a good guy! 🙂
Aw shucks, yinz are too nice. Quit it!