Maura & Mark of Red Camper

In this podcast we discuss:

Being true to your vision: this may mean that sometimes you have to tell your customers “no.”
Bootstrapping: the pros and cons of financing your own company.
Branding: how Maura’s vision stays so pure and how Mark helps her to keep it that way.
Networking with peers: why it’s important to your business and to your general well-being.
Telling your story: through your products.

About Red Camper:

Our story started many years ago in the back of a pickup truck with a redcamper headed to anywhere. With the spirit of travel and adventure bred into the genes of my parents, Jane and Wayne, they packed up the family, some teepee poles, a bunch of books, loads of film a few maps and they headed out for some storymaking…

…no wait…it started before that..the story started with Gram and Lu, Wayne’s mom and dad, my grandparents, who made travel a lifestyle, globetrotting around with their black and white flowered suitcases filled with rolled up underwear, coordinating outfits and rolls and rolls of slide film. Their determination to document and share every moment of those experiences with friends and family back home was ingrained deeply after hours of slideshow watching on the floor of their home as a child. But it wasn’t just adventure, it was humor too. A Gram trademark, every slideshow was punctuated by several naked lady slides strategically placed into the show to be sure we were paying attention.

Travel. Be aware. Document. Share. Connect. And make up a great story while you are at it. That’s what RedCamper was born of, and believes in. Everything we do, from the original 35mm slide tote, to the vintage automotive upholstery laptop bags to the US Hwy 89 Correspondence line and every new item we have up our sleeves is about that. Life. Live it, Love it, Remember it, Share it. And it doesn’t hurt to have a naked lady around every now then I guess.

Keep rolling..

Maura g

Holy awesome-sauce, Batman! Their brand oozes with awesome. Do you feel it? If you’re like me and you can’t get ’nuff go to their website and cruise around. The story just gets better as you peel away the layers.

Below you will find a few of their products and get a sense for the overall juicyness of their brand. It’s equal parts nostalgic, modern, and kitschy. Even the photography and the copy that Maura writes tie it all together. It’s like they are pros and the rest of us are just amateurs.

Enjoy the podcast, listen hard, and come back with questions. Email me. I’d love to hear from you. What else is awesome about Red Camper? Did I miss anything.

Ashley

The Classic Tote. The idea that launched it all. It even includes a Certificate of Authenticity in the form of a vintage postcard and a Red Camper signature naked lady slide.

Our custom painted backdrop of our camper in the great outdoors was done by our good friend, the fantastic fine art painter, Lisa Kowalski. Be sure and check her work out, it’s nothing like this, true testiment to her skills. -Mg