Where's Willie?

Melissa Paris is an impressive athlete who consistently takes the male-dominated motorsports world by storm. In today’s episode, Melissa tells us about her background and upbringing and tells the story of how she was able to start racing professionally. She goes on to share insights about the challenges she has faced with imposter syndrome and why being a mom is the craziest thing you’ll ever do. Melissa also describes her pandemic experience, starting with a state of emergency being declared at the Daytona 200 and ending with unexpected camping and RV adventures. Next, we talk about the value of female support in a male-dominated space, Melissa lets us in on her predictions for 2021, tells us how to go about trying to become a sponsor, and how the nature of sponsorship is changing. Melissa Paris is an inspiration in motorsports and in life. Tune in to hear more about her journey and find some fresh inspiration of your own! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re traveling through Nashville, Tennessee, you may find an all-black trolley with gold font lettering, giving folks over the age of 21 a memorable experience that transports them back in time: boutique cigars, a shoeshine, and a conversation with a true gentleman, today’s guest, Daniel Hooberry, also known as Daniel Dark. Hear about his history as an electrical engineer, chocolatier, smokeshop owner, and culinary student, and how his health challenges altered the course of his career. Daniel tells us about his cookbook on Catsup, before sharing the story of how he narrowly avoided signing a lease for commercial property before the pandemic. Next, he gives us the inside scoop on how he found and restored the trolley that he runs his business from today, we talk about how to book a visit to Gentlemen’s Cigars, and Daniel describes the experience he offers his customers when they step aboard. He also gives us a glimpse of his cigar selection process and describes the experience he facilitates, including a range of glasses for the drinks you bring on board, and we touch on the rules around the resale of rare cigars. In closing, Daniel tells us how to find out where he is parking next and how to book a visit with him. We hope you join us to hear about the phenomenal service he offers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners are likely to recognize today’s guests, Jess and Dub McCorkle, from their tremendous success on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. In today’s episode, we get together with Jess and Dub to discuss their seemingly instant success on social media, how they decided to pursue the RV lifestyle and what they have learned from it thus far. Tuning in you’ll hear them share the story of their daughter's drawn-out battle with an autoimmune disease and how her unexpected recovery prompted their decision to travel. They share how their overnight success on TikTok provided them with the opportunity to earn an income for their family by doing videos for various brands and how the exposure has affected their lives. Later, the McCorkles’ unpack their approach to homeschooling and discuss why this lifestyle has made them interrogate and question the assumptions they grew up with about a successful life. Join us today for a candid and inspiring conversation on the opportunities afforded by RV travel and why it’s a great way for kids to learn, gain social skills and see the country! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle & Camping Association, or PRVCA, is a nonprofit organization representing nearly 400 RV dealers, manufacturers, campgrounds, component part suppliers, lenders, and insurance and service companies. Their mission is to enhance the recreation vehicle and camping industry through education and promotion by being a resource and partner to all segments of the recreation vehicle and camping industry. With the 52nd annual edition of America’s Largest RV Show coming up on September 15th, 2021, please join us in welcoming PRVCA’s Communication Director, Elizabeth Peroni! In today’s episode, Elizabeth highlights the importance of education and industry standard training in the RV industry, and she shares some exciting highlights from this year’s program. Tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us have big dreams, but only a small percentage of people get to live them. Jenn and Kendall, also known as the Dashboard Drifters, are a young couple who are living their dream life, having traveled from Canada to Mexico while living in an RV and working as digital nomads. On today’s episode, you’ll hear what life is like living on the road in La Paz, Mexico, and how reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss sparked a huge lifestyle change for Jenn and Kendall. Next, we talk about their business, RVSpotDrop, which connects boutique locations and smaller campgrounds to customers, working to supplement your online booking system. You’ll learn about the mechanics of RVSpotDrop for both businesses and RV'ers, which territories are listed, and what is required to match the right customers to destinations tailored to their preferences. We hope you join us for some valuable insider tips on how to maximize the amazing service that Jenn and Kendall offer, and to get inspired by this wonderful young couple’s commitment to living their dream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Where’s Willie Podcast, we are talking about RVLove! You may be wondering, what is RVLove? Well, with over 100,000 miles traveled, Marc and Julie Bennett are much more than just the bestselling authors of Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road and RV Hacks, the number one new release on Amazon! They have been featured on the New York Times, CNBC, Fox, and The Wall Street Journal, helping hundreds of thousands of people hit the road in an RV, while saving them money, with their time-tested and proven tips and advice. In this episode, Marc and Julie share how they launched their life’s journey in an RV six years ago, which of their bestsellers you should read depending on your needs, and some of the tips, tools, and advice they offer, as well as where you can connect with them on social media. Tune in today to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we welcome to the show Jennifer Mercer, who is the Director of Development for an amazing and impactful organization known as Care Camps — a charity founded to help children battling cancer and their families experience the healing power of the outdoors. One of the most neglected aspects of diagnosing and treating childhood cancer is the emotional aspect, which is what Care Camps focuses on. By bringing joy, happiness, healing, and hope to the campers and their families, the charity shows every child that they don’t have to fight their challenging journey alone. Tune in Where's Willie today, to hear more about Care Camps and its incredibly powerful mission that is changing lives across the United States and Canada! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to take your family to an amazing destination but you don't currently own an RV, or if you have an RV and you’d like to make a bit of extra cash when you’re not using it, this episode is for you! Today we are discussing the Airbnb of RVs, RVnGO. In this episode, we are joined by Richard Saling and Paul Kacir of RVnGO, one of the fastest-growing companies in the North American RV industry. Paul shares how he came up with the idea for the company and how, in the interests of bringing people together, he is determined to keep it a free service. We talk about the massive growth their business has experienced and why their website is the best place to find an RV for rent. We also talk about how the company makes money through value-added services, how their insurance works, and other features they offer such as 24-hour roadside assistance and a call center. Tuning in, you’ll find out why the second and third biggest fleets in the United States use their services, how you can even sell or buy an RV through them, and how you can get a special discount or even a referral payment through their affiliate program. Whether you would like to rent an RV or you have an RV that you’d like to rent out, tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Packing up your family and pursuing the dream of life on the road sounds close to impossible, but today’s guests, Luke and Mel Lahr have been full-time RV’ing for five years with four kids, a dog, and a cat. You may recognize them from Instagram, Facebook, or their own website Lahrs with Latitude. As a family who has always been honest about the realities of full-time RV’ing, today they open up about the challenges and the rewards of this kind of lifestyle. Tuning in you’ll hear what made them decide that this was the life they wanted to pursue, how Luke got a travel job to enable this dream, and how the discovery of Mel’s pregnancy with their fourth child postponed their original plans. Find out what ‘unschooling’ is, how their kids have learned so much more through their travels than they would have in a traditional school system, and how they have personally grown as a family throughout the process. While making drastic changes to pursue a dream like this sounds daunting, the Lahr family explains how they baby-stepped their way into it, and you can too! Luke even has some RV-lifestyle-compatible job ideas for you. For all this and more, tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Establishing a WiFi connection on the road is one of the most frequent topics our listeners ask about. Whether you’re looking to accommodate your teenage child, or hoping to carry on with your work responsibilities from the road, a steady WiFi connection in your mobile home is a common non-negotiable. Today, we speak with a phenomenal resource in the RV community, the Senior Director of Business Development at Winegard, Marvin Metzler, who distributes all the products you need for a seamless network on the road. We dive into our episode with a summary of the history of Winegard and the work they do, before Marvin tells us what it means for an RV to be WiFi prepped. We talk a bit about the hardware that Winegard offers and the practicalities of the installation process. Next, Marvin tells us about the different services available and highlights Winegard as the only hardware provider that connects with all three major carriers. We talk about the difference between using mobile data and setting up your vehicle with hardware to accommodate connectivity. Marvin gives us his predictions for the future and closes with a word about how Winegard has successfully moved from a TV company to getting involved with all kinds of wireless devices. We hope you tune in for some practical tips from this inspiring leader in the field! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you have a fifth wheel, travel trailer, or toy hauler, you will usually find dual propane tanks on every single one of these units. These propane tanks can be quite dangerous so when you and your family venture off to amazing destinations, it’s important that you make sure that you are safe and protected. To help you to ensure your RV’s safety, today we talk to Mike Ray from GasStop. Mike explains that GasStop is the only product in the USA like it. He sheds some light on how GasStop shuts down the flow of propane instantly if you have a major leak, how it allows you to check the integrity of your propane system in two minutes, and how its high-quality gauge will help you make sure you don’t unexpectedly run out of propane. Mike explains that there are two different types of GasStop units and how to install each one. To hear about the quality of this innovative product, its price, where you can find it, what serious RV'ers think about it, and how it can offer you peace of mind on the road, tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Kelly Beasely, the founder of Camp Addict and a woman who has explored the country thanks to her RV and adventurous spirit. In this episode, Kelly talks about everything from how she began this journey, to becoming a full-time solo RV’er and boondocking. She also talks about how although this lifestyle can seem intimidating to some, it’s not much different then living in any given town–you just have a much greater level of freedom, and potentially a smaller fridge. Kelly also discusses the incredible community she has found through RV’ing, and how she is working on building up that community even more so through her website, campaddict.com. Established in 2017, this website provides RV’ers with accurate, trustworthy, and helpful information in one place to assist those who are looking to experience RV’ing full-time for themselves so that they can stop digging through the internet for information and can do more of what they love – exploring. Tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, we introduce someone that can save you money and help you learn how to take care of your coach. We are really excited to welcome Jeff Malatesta, the Founder and a technician at RV Diagnostics. Jeff has held a multitude of mechanic positions over the past 40 years. The most memorable being his service in the United States Army where he worked on all types of vehicles including M1 tanks. He served in both Germany and Iraq. Over the past 25 years, Jeff has worked with a steady increase of electronics and electrical systems, giving him an edge over the competition. He was also an instructor for both advanced electronics and engine drive-ability classes. Jeff is ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) master certified in automobile, medium and heavy trucks, gas and diesel, and advanced gas and diesel. Today we just simply dive into how to save money, how to learn more about your own RV, why going to RV Diagnostics is the way to go, how to take care of your RV, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter how many miles we’ve traveled, we all have a story to tell. On today’s episode of the Where’s Willie podcast, we speak to Jason and Abby Epperson, who we’ve dubbed the Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters of National Parks and RV industry news with very good reason! Jason and Abby kick off with the story of how they started the full-time RV journey in a converted school bus with their kids in tow. We talk about how the pandemic-related restrictions snowballed the RV industry. Jason and Abby walk us through the concept behind each of the Eppersons’ three podcasts. Next, we touch on the RV industry’s components and how that has been sustained throughout the pandemic. Our guests get real about the highs and lows of full-time RV life behind the veil of social media. Jason and Abby talk about how to choose an RV that’s best suited to your needs and explain to us why the RV with the most features is not always the best option. The Eppersons emphasize the value of educating yourself according to what you need before buying a fully kitted-out vehicle. Finally, we discuss what digital publishing entails and the perils of peddling a false narrative on social media instead of sharing who you truly are. Jason and Abby reveal to us that their focus is to create something that reaches further than their personal identity in order to build long-lasting stability. Tune in to hear about raising a family on the road, building a sustainable brand and choosing a vehicle that’s best suited to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was about three years ago that Brentt and Brittnee Proha decided to leave their home life on a small farm, in a small town for life on the road. Joined by their two boys, three girls, and playful bulldog, the Proha Family is showing the world how to live life with nothing but an open mind and the open road. While it might seem like close quarters, the Proha family has learned how to do just about everything, from homeschooling and making new friends to running their essential oils and remodeling consulting businesses while immersed in the great outdoors. In this episode, you’ll hear from Brentt and Brittnee as they share how they met, what the transition to RV life was like, and tips for the nomadic lifestyle. Having created a life that inspires, the Proha family is proof that simple living is wonderfully worth it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Where’ Willie we get together with talented musician, husband, and father John King. John’s journey has led him across the US performing in hundreds of venues and cities and now, for the first time in his adult life, he was able to take the summer off due to a COVID-enforced hiatus. John shares how he first realized he could sing, the many hours he spent with friends at band practice, and how their silly songs turned into good songs and then great songs. Hear about why John is proud to have graduated from Georgia State and how Athens was a fantastic place for a young musician like himself. John talks about what moving to Nashville has meant for his career and shares an unbelievable anecdote about Randy Houser and a 100 dollar bill. Listeners can expect to hear all about Nashville and why it’s so successful at fostering talent thanks to the high standards and sense of community. Join us today for an awesome conversation about transformation, honoring your fans, and country music! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Where’s Willie podcast, we are sitting down with Demian Ross, the publisher of Rootless Living Magazine. We talk about his foray into nomadic life, what it means to be rootless in today's globalized world and how he hopes that Rootless Living can foster empathy and excitement for those who have chosen or been forced by circumstances to live outside of their initial comfort zone and take to the road.  The thing about traveling or working from the road is that you don't have to put your life on hold to do what you love, as Demian dives into - some days are travel days, some are workdays, but everything remains flexible. Working from the road does take some adjustments though - like finding reliable Internet service so that projects can be done remotely. Hear his incredible story by tuning in today!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kennedy Leighton is a Central Michigan University student and self-published author from Schoolcraft Michigan whose vulnerable story has uplifted, supported, and encouraged many struggling with grief and loss.  In 2014, Kennedy and her family experienced the tragic loss of her mother. As her role model and the woman she admired most, Kennedy felt at a loss — confused and brokenhearted — as she prepared to start high school. For a brief period, she found herself on the wrong path, with the wrong group of friends.  But a turning point arrived on her sixteenth birthday, in which Kennedy fully realized the potential to transform her life, and the lives of others, by sharing her loss and the tremendous kindness she received from others through writing.  Ultimately, Kennedy self-published two books, Dear Kennedy and Miraculous Every Day, and created an online store called Kennedy Marleen. Kennedy’s story is one of encouragement, vulnerability, and love. Her books and personal experiences are a testament to the notion that refocusing pain for a greater good can lead to an avenue of self-healing and healing for others. Today, Kennedy remains grounded by her faith, the guidance of her father, and her belief that everyone has a story worth sharing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Professional Guide is a professional at all times — they are mentally alert and physically prepared for a strenuous day of guiding. Their self-confidence can be observed but not heard — they are totally prepared for the day and ready to accept its challenges, good or bad. Their appearance and dress show pride in themselves and the operation they represent. They immediately become a teacher to their clients and the client readily accepts their leadership. The motto belonging to our guest’s Fly Fishing outfitting company. Today we welcome a good friend of Willie’s, and a former college and AHL hockey star, Dana Lattery. Dana is now the president and CEO of Fly Fishing Bow River Outfitters, as well as First Cast Last Pass Media, a full marketing video agency, located north of Montana, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is quickly becoming one of the most sought after fly fishing experience providers around the world. Dana has been featured on the cover of Fly Fusion Magazine, Home Water for Orvis Down the Hatch Film Festival, and he continues flying around the world in pursuit of catching and capturing his greatest passions. Born in Alberta, raised in the back-country. Fishing, hunting, nature, the wild, all run thick in his blood. Stay tuned for our show today as we hear from Dana all about how he got into the outfitting business as a fly fishing guide, how he supplements that income with other businesses and creative outlets, what Fly Fishing Bow River Outfitters has to offer, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the travel bug bit Chris and Molly, it bit hard! The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge decline in income for them, but instead of giving up traveling with their family, which has always been a big part of their life, they decided to give up their house instead. For the past four months, Chris, Molly and their three children have been living in a 400 square foot RV, and they are loving it. Of course, there are challenges, which Molly and Chris share with us on today’s show, but as you will also hear today, the positive aspects of their experience far outweigh the negatives. They have no interest in returning to their old life and have made some exciting travel plans for the next few months. For any listeners who have a desire to shed excess material things and focus on family and adventure, Chris and Molly offer advice to get you started on your journey (more of which can be found on their blog, The Flying Hens. Whether or not the RV lifestyle is for you, we can guarantee that you’ll learn something from this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices