Question:
Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Answer:
AIR-Streaming is a fast-growing online community centered around the lifestyle of traveling and renovating of Airstream travel trailers. AIR-Streaming stands for adventure, inspiration, and relationships. In May 2019, I launched a website to build an online platform for fellow Airstreamers to share their Airstream stories and experiences.
I wanted to create a lifestyle magazine around a community of like-minded people who share a passion for a unique lifestyle of living in a small space, exploring the country and building relationships while traveling or renovating an iconic Airstream.
The Air-Streaming blog also features businesses that are created out of Airstreams such as renovation services, retail stores, hospitality and social event services. My online business is based out of Davis, California and for now it’s just me.
Question:
Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Answer:
I’m originally from Germany and have lived in the United States for 11 years. I just obtained my US citizenship. As a business major I have worked in various industries, but my focus for the past 15 years has been consulting and project management. I have a passion for traveling and exploring new cultures and purchased my first vintage Airstream, a 1966 Tradewind, in February 2019. Tiny living, glamping and interior design have always been topics of interest. With an old Airstream that needed to be renovated and designed, I found the perfect canvas for my passion.
While working full-time in the corporate world for a major investment management company, I started thinking about ways how I could balance my day-to-day job with something that brings out the creative side in me and I knew I wanted to be connected with the Airstream community.
Question:
What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Answer:
After having purchased my first Airstream in February 2019, I started looking for ideas and inspirations to create the interior of my travel trailer. I searched the internet for Airsteam renovation pictures and put an entire design book together with my favorite designs featuring room by room, e.g. how I envision the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. In addition, I looked up numerous Airstream blogs and watched endless YouTube videos to learn about the renovation process and get ideas.
Eventually this motivated me to think of a more efficient way for others who look for the same information and inspirations. I imagined a single platform for Airstreamer to use to share their stories and design ideas. A community where readers could follow stories of people traveling and living in an Airstream, renovating, and sharing pictures of their travel adventures and remodels. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything like that besides the main website of the company Airstream Inc. but they focus on selling new Airstreams.
A month after I had acquired my Airstream, I started conceptualizing my business idea. In looking for a web designer to help me create a website, I was very lucky to meet a couple through Facebook. This couple had renovated their Airstream and lived in it full-time while running a Marketing company from the road. It was the perfect pairing of someone who’s an expert in creating an online business and helping small businesses success yet knowledgeable and passionate about Airstreams. This is when AIR-Streaming was born. The website was live within 2 weeks.
Question:
What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Answer:
- Get started even when you think you are not ready yet.
- Have patience and don’t give up when you think you run into a roadblock. The right idea or solution will present itself.
- Follow your heart and intuition.
Question:
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Answer:
- Be strategic and forward-thinking
- Have excellent project management and networking skills
- Be authentic and genuine.
Question:
How many hours do you work a day on average?
Answer:
About 12 hours which includes my full-time Corporate job
Question:
- To what do you most attribute your success?
Answer:
People and social skills, work ethic, dedication
Question:
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Answer:
Hired a marketing company to create my website including search engine optimization from the onset; I also use social media such as Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to promote my website and blog posts
Question:
Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Answer:
I invested my personal money into my business for the initial launch (website, marketing, research, training).
Question:
What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Answer:
Be steady with what you do and continue to look for new ways to progress, adapt along the way, never give up
Question:
Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Answer:
Living and traveling in my Airstream while running a successful online magazine and/or social media, consulting agency.
Question:
Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Answer:
Airstream Inc since they have been in business for over 90 years and its original founder Wally Byam was able to create not only a high-end product with those vintage trailers that still exist but also a lifestyle that people admire and love to this day.
