John Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the years. He knows their ups, and their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Erick Roder, Founder and Chief Adventure Officer, Rodemerica.
1. Will you please tell us your Rodemerica elevator pitch?
Rodemerica is a mobile office with satellite Wi-Fi, two workstations, a kitchenette, and two beds. It’s essentially an adventure Airbnb on wheels that’s designed specifically for employees who have the ability to work remotely. Rent our van to travel, get away from our weather, and use less PTO.
2. This is a side hustle, you have a full-time job as well. How have you managed this experience so far?
I think many employers would allow employees to have separate jobs as long as it doesn’t interfere with day-to-day work, compete with them, and as long as you are able to meet job expectations. There are some times when running Rodemerica can sneak into my week. I just have open communication with my employer about any Rodemerica work I have to do and I make up any hours. It helps to work in a hybrid work environment where, as a company, we are more flexible with our time. I am thankful for my day job employer Ecliptic Technologies for allowing me to do this.
3. Thinking of various factors including cost, options, experience, etc., how would you describe the mindset of comparing this type of travel with airplane or other traditional travel options?
I love to travel. The last few years for me, personally, standard air travel has not offered the customer experience I look for. Same thing for rental car and hotel bookings. When planning this business, we saw this as a travel solution that could take standard air travel, car rental, and lodgings out of the vacation equation. We are taking vacation control back by offering a comfortable bed, and a nice driving vehicle, allowing storage for hobby gear such as a bicycle, and letting the customer pick their travel times. We want slower-paced, less stressful travel. Like I said, I love to travel, but I also enjoy the journey in addition to the destination, so I’d much rather have the Rodemerica experience.
4. From an idea to making it happen as a business, what are some of the early steps you’ve taken to plan and organize the endeavor?
To be honest, my first thoughts weren’t about starting a business—it was more about wanting to experience nature and travel. Then I looked into customized vans. From here, there were a few important first steps that propelled things forward. I talked to Nick Lehr at Vanna Adventure Vans. I have limited mechanical ability. Their ability let me customize the van shifting from their normal amazing camper vans to an amazing camper van you can work from. Next, I talked to Paul Smith at the North Dakota SBDC about my idea. He pointed me in the right direction of building a business plan. I also talked to Laura Ascheman at First International Bank and Trust, who is a business banker at my personal bank. She was amazing to work with in helping me understand the financial components of starting a business.
After crunching numbers and planning, I spent a lot of time reaching out to potential customers and other people I knew who founded businesses. Turns out that my current coworkers are one of my target demographics. Getting feedback, involving potential customers in the planning, and learning more about what to expect when starting a business all built my confidence. That work was the final step for me in deciding to take the leap.
5. As you mention the guidance and service providers, I think of your recent LinkedIn posts where you shared the top 10 things you learned starting a business. What are your thoughts on the value of not always trying to do something yourself and not always chasing the cheapest cost?
There is an instructional YouTube video for basically everything. That doesn’t mean we should do everything, or that it is worth the time it takes to be good at everything. I could learn how to do my business taxes, and file free on something like TurboTax. Realistically, there is a better chance of me paying a good professional friend of mine to do my taxes, and they will get me a higher return. I know my Tax Accountant Josh Rahn at Elite Tax and Consulting costs more than TurboTax. I also know my return will be higher going through them. That is a net gain, and I don’t have to stress out about taxes. Paying to have people you trust fill the gaps in your skillsets allows you to focus on what you’re best at. Plus, there is a value to my time and I may need to spend many hours figuring out how to do some task, that they can complete quickly and with more ensured accuracy.
I like the idea of knowing the actual people behind the professional services you need for your business. The cheapest online tax service will not help you in an audit. The best insurance price, won’t pick up the phone in an actual crisis when you need them. I am better at knowing great people than I am at knowing about tax or business laws or insurance. Also, they also know a ton of local people because that is their job and they will be great referral sources for you. So, I will keep networking.
6. Another valued partner is often a bank. As I recall from a conversation with you and your banker Laura that you mentioned, this financing project was a bit different in that it’s not like a regular vehicle loan, but also different than a traditional small business loan. And, throw in the fact that as a startup, you wouldn’t have historical financials or even great market data on this burgeoning industry. How did you land on the financing and your particular bank?
I have leveraged my network so much as I have started my business. Networking is undervalued. I met my banker when we were in Young Professionals Network (YPN) years ago. I had no need for business banking at that time, but met a good person I trusted. Years later, through networking, I now know a few really good business bankers. I got quotes from all of them. They all were basically the same, so I stuck with my bank. Love your bank, not your rate. They will help you through the tough times and guide you.
The other financial components of my starting were savings, finding a couple of investors, and having good enough credit to get the approval. It was almost reverse engineering to get the loan. We made the business plan, and determined the down payment amount and financial milestones I needed to get to. That started a lot of behind-the-scenes planning and action to make it financially work.
I have been working on this idea for over two years now. Don’t let finances hold you back. Find a way to make it work. I know the money part can be terrifying. I remember being nervous about the first $100 purchase I made when I was young, my first car, my college loans, my first house, etc. Talk to bankers and financial planners. They will help you find a way.
7. As you’ve built your brand and marketing from scratch, do you have any advice for the readers?
Two basic steps for anyone starting their marketing are to try and to track.
The first step is to try. Every social media account started with zero followers. Your audience is out there. Make time to consistently try to post. Start on the platforms you personally like. Make a post you personally would like. Others will probably like it too. Don’t be afraid to try different things. Be authentic to your company and brand. Engage with others and be social. Talk to the customers you currently have and/or your next new ones. Your audience will grow.
The second step is to track. Go into the analytics. See how many people your content reaches, track follower growth, and see its engagement. You will see patterns and learn how or what to post on different platforms. Look at monthly impressions versus sales. That will give you a very basic understanding of how many people need to see your messages to convert. Then you can determine how much time you need to dedicate to your marketing. This will also be the foundation of numbers you will want if you venture into paid campaigns. The algorithms can have a mind of their own. Don’t get too caught up in the numbers. They will always start small. Over a year, you will be impressed with your growth. You will, at minimum cost, have an online presence and representation of your company.
8. I want to make sure and hit this topic before we wrap up. You were part of the inaugural cohort of Dakota Business Lending’s Entrepreneur District. Will you please share what appealed to you to apply and how the experience was?
I knew Michaela Schell before she was brought on to start the Entrepreneur District. After reconnecting and learning what The District was, I was very interested. I applied just excited to have a chance at having free professional office space for a year. That experience ended up being so much more.
Starting a business is lonely. Having the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with eight other solopreneurs was amazing. It is also something I would recommend all solopreneurs apply for. The other people in the program had other professional skill sets I didn’t. I was able to have Ashely Hauer at Profit Potential Consulting look at my books to make sure I was tracking expenses correctly. Glen Stevens, who started the Mental Fitness Guy, did quarterly goalsetting sessions with our whole crew. We learned about cyber security from Jared Grondahl at Intrepik. Even getting tips from Stacie Johnson, who started a professional social media company called Being Social With Stacie J, helped me feel better about what I was doing with my marketing. Being around a group of people who want to help you succeed was inspirational. That environment helped all of us through some of our small business challenges. I am forever grateful to be a part of that initial cohort.
9. If you could go back in time to Erick from several years ago, what hindsight advice would you give yourself?
I would probably go back and say everything good or bad that happens to you in the next ten years is a lesson. Don’t dwell too much on the bad, learn from it. I would also say to keep connecting with other people. I have always had gratitude for the people in my life. My friends and family have shown up more than they will ever know this last year. Treasure your time with people more.
10. Lastly, what can we do as a community to help you and Rodemerica succeed?
Go somewhere on your bucket list. If it is in the continental U.S. or Canada, consider renting our van. Even if you don’t use our van, I’d like to connect and hear about it. There are unbelievably beautiful places in our country. It’s my new job to know about them and be an American tour guide.
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