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Kyle and Olivia Brady spend a Tim-Ferris style amount of time on their weekly amount of work as they travel around the country in their Casita RV. In episode 6 of The RV Entrepreneur, Kyle and Olivia share the tricks and tips on how they’ve created a thriving Vintage Etsy store.
What I think is most cool about Kyle and Olivia, other than their sweet Etsy store, is how they made the transition into living full-time in their Casita RV. While they were getting their Etsy store off the ground, Kyle was playing gigs as a musician and Olivia was waiting tables. Not only were they able to save up enough money to hit the road as a waitress and musician, they started their side-business Etsy store that has allowed them to continue traveling from the monthly income.
Most people complain about not having enough money to travel full-time, yet Kyle and Olivia did it while working two jobs that are notorious for not paying extremely well.
Bam!
In this episode we talk about:
- How the decision to sell a vintage map lead to starting their Etsy store
- Their strategy for saving up before hitting the road
- Why it’s a terrible idea to start an Etsy store and sell knitted hats (everyone and their mom is selling knitted hats on Etsy)
- How to take awesome photographs for your Etsy products
- How to create a brand for your online store
Rapid fire Q&A with Kyle and Olivia:
What do you use for internet on the road?
Read the full blog about internet we use here our blog.
Straight Talk Cellular Service (AT&T Towers)
- Monthly Cost: $100 for two plans
- Data: 10 GBs (5 per phone plan)
- Access: The AT&T towers are almost everywhere. We’ve been pleased with the connectivity.
- Speed: 4G & 3G at most places.
- Overview: We’ve had the most success with this cellular data service. The only issue is that 5GB can get eaten up rather quickly. Once we’ve used this data, the service is throttled to a snails pace.
T-Mobile Hot Spot
- Monthly Cost: $60
- Data: 9GBs
- Access: The T-Mobile service has its focus in urban settings. We have access to this hot spot about 20% of the time. However, it has been extremely robust when connected.
- Speed: 4G or nothing
- Overview: When we’re connected to our T-Mobile hot spot we can do some seriously fast web surfing. It’s great for uploading data to our Etsy store, streaming Netflix, and connecting multiple users. When we have the connection we make sure to use it.
How many hours do you typically work per week?
“We like to exaggerate the number, but two hours is the number of hours we spend doing the “work-like” things like sending off packages. We love going to shop for vintage items and don’t really consider that work.”
What kind of RV did you choose and why?
“Once Olivia & I decided to live a life on the road, one of our first challenges was finding a camper suitable for our needs and finances. We also wanted something we could tow with our 2004 Ford Ranger Edge (4×4, 4.0L, 6 cylinder, manual, with upgraded towing package). This meant the camper had to be under 4000lbs, and no more than 20 feet long. The majority of campers that fit these requirements were the fiberglass, eggshell style – Casita, Scamp, etc…”
Read the full blog and see the casita renovation here.
What is your typical monthly income and budget on the road?
“Our budget is set around $2,000 and that’s aligned with how much our Etsy store typically brings in.”
A photo posted by Drivin’ And Vibin’ (@drivinandvibin) on
Resources and links mentioned in this Episode:
- The Wooden Earth Etsy Shop
- Say hi to Kyle and Olivia on Facebook
- Kyle and Olivia’s website: Drivinvibin.com
You’re Awesome! Thanks for listening!
This whole podcasting world is super new to me, so thanks for joining me in this little experiment! If you have any constructive feedback for me about the podcast (or just want to ask a question), leave a comment below and I’ll respond to all of them!
If you enjoyed the show, it would be awesome if you went to iTunes and left a review for the Podcast!
Also, I want to thank Kyle and Olivia for taking the time to be with me on the show!
Until next time,
loved the podcast! started following drivin’ and vibin’ a few weeks ago and was wondering about their etsy story.
Hey! That’s awesome! Haha, glad you enjoyed the podcast. 🙂 They definitely are an awesome couple and living a really cool life. If you have a quick moment, I would love a review from you for the podcast (at least from your first experience with this episode :)). Here is a link to leave a review in iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rv-entrepreneur-heath-padgett/id1085300491?mt=2.
This was fun to listen to. And very inspiring! I love the idea of an Etsy shop selling unique stuff as an RV income possibility. It’s got me thinking…
I totally agree Lisa! Pretty crazy, had never thought of running an Etsy shop while on the road. If you have a minute and would be so kind, I would love a review from you in iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rv-entrepreneur-heath-padgett/id1085300491?mt=2). For a new podcast, reviews are everything so I’m shamelessly asking everyone who has enjoyed the podcast to leave one:). You can just click “Ratings and reviews” in iTunes. Thanks so much for listening!
[…] decided to catch up with their journey – both on the road and as Etsy sellers – I stumbled on a podcast the Drivin and Vibin couple did with Heath Padgett. One of the most interesting bits of information […]
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