The Start of Something Epic...

Far too often, it seems like you only get to read the stories about successful companies after they’re successful. They may tell of hardships, but rarely while they’re in the trenches going through them. 

While inspiring, it’s not always relatable. 

We want to tell a different story. One that lets you in all along the way, even (and maybe especially) when it’s hard. 

So, in this blog, we - the founders of OME Gear, Jules and Stace - are going to open up our journal. We’re going to pull back the curtain on life as entrepreneurs. 

The good, the really hard, the boring, the awesome, and the downright “are we even going to make it out of this?”.

We'll write (and video) about life. 

...Life as female entrepreneurs. 

...Life as female entrepreneurs who’ve invented a complex product.

...Life as female entrepreneurs who’ve invented a complex product in the outdoor space. 

...Life as female entrepreneurs who’ve invented a complex product in the outdoor space who have to raise a significant amount of capital to make this dream come to fruition. 

Each of these are levels we’ve experienced that have proven to be a little more challenging the more the onion is peeled back. 

The story of OME Gear actually started 20 years ago. But for this blog, we’re going to start with where we are right now. 

So here we go.

We decided about 4 weeks ago to go “all in” with OME Gear.

Not that we hadn’t felt “all in” before - we’ve sold our boat, sold our 2nd car, sold our rental property, cashed in our 401k’s, maxed out credit cards, and have sought funding til we’re blue in the face. We have often felt like “those people” at a party who friends walk away from so they don’t have to hear another “ask” for money. Note: no one has ever made us feel that way, it all stems from internal insecurities. 

This “all in” involves the final asset of real significance we have to our names. 

Our house. 

We've decided to sell our house.

The reasons are many, but the main ones include - the market is extremely hot right now, we have a good bit of equity in our home, and we need to use this money to continue to fund our company. 

So, we’ve spent the last 3 weeks feverishly packing everything. We made 5 piles - giveaway, donate, sell, throw away, and keep. The order also denotes the size of the pile from large to small. We’re selling our car, our beater truck, our golf cart, and all our furniture. 

And, we’re getting an RV and taking OME Gear on the road all across the US for a year. 

We’re going to meet people, go to festivals and trade shows (when they come back online), demo The Wanderr, build our OME brand "grassroots" style, and live life unencumbered by stuff. 

Countless people have encouraged us along the way. But also, many have wondered why we keep going. Some have even said (in so many words) that they would understand if we walked away and got “real” jobs. Hell, we’ve even seriously thought about this a few times. 

But, despite the very real fears we experience on an almost daily basis, there is a nagging something deep inside of us that won’t let us stop. 

Maybe that’s part of the kryptonite of a good partnership. When one needs to just ride in the red wagon for a while because they don’t have the energy to walk anymore, the other can pull for a bit to keep forward momentum going. 

You can say 2020 has been hard. And, no one would question that. We would 100% agree.

However, we prefer to see it as a year of planting seeds.

Any large company you read about - Nike, Disney, Spanx, Hilt, or any other company interviewed on the podcast How I Built This - has gone through fire that almost destroyed them (many times over) before they ever experienced true success.

There has to be a season - one that feels like it may never end - of planting seeds. 

But, the harvest comes. Just like the sunshine after a menacing storm. 

So, that’s why you plant. 

That's why we've planted. 

That’s why we keep going. Because we’ve planted some seeds that promise to give an abundant harvest. 

OME Gear is being built to make a huge impact. 

We've never believed in anything more. 

And we can't give up now. 

So this blog will tell a story. Some days, we may give tips on how to live life in an RV as an entrepreneur. In other posts, we will chronicle our day's events. We’ll tell lessons we’re learning along the way - the mishaps and the celebrations. We’ll talk about the prep it takes to do something like this. We’ll highlight people we’ve met. And, we’ll also talk about practical things - like what you should and shouldn’t bring along in an RV - as we experience them.

While this will be the trip of a lifetime, there is also no doubt that, at times, it will get lonely out there. 

We'll take comfort in knowing that you're along for the ride...

Let’s go Do It In Nature!

xoxo, Jules & Stace