We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Sodemann. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.
David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I started Boho Camper Vans my friend, and now partner, Brett Ellenson. When we came up with the idea in March 2018, I knew in every fiber of my being that renting camper vans in Arizona would be successful. The problem was I didn’t have the money saved to purchase a van let alone the money for materials needed to turn the van into a camper.
Most mentors or successful entrepreneurs would say something like, “put together a business plan”, or “start saving a little each month”, but that’s not the approach I took. The excitement of bringing Boho Camper Vans to life had overcome my thoughts. It was now my purpose, and I wasn’t going to wait.
So what did I do? I went to my bank and took out a credit card with the largest limit they’d offer me. The next day I went ahead and bought a van to transform into a camper, and charged the entire purchase.
The intro offer on the credit card gave me 15 months no APR, which became our deadline. We needed to purchase a van, build it, rent it, and make enough money to cover the credit card expenses in full before the 15 months was up or the interest would compound and the business idea would most likely crumble. It was a risk we were willing to take.
The van was affectionately named “Stevie” after we heard Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide on the radio immediately after firing up the engine to drive it off the lot. Stevie was a 2005 Ford E-Series with 89k miles on the odometer; not the typical image of what a new business should be using as their ticket to jumpstart success. But at this point, we trusted in our vision of what Boho Camper Vans could be even with our high-risk “loan”, high-risk old van, and all the other risks that come with starting any new business.
While working on the conversion, we listed Stevie for rent and started seeing rental bookings roll through. And then more came through. And then even more.
Six weeks later, Stevie hit the road on its first rental trip, and we had already recouped over half our investment (sitting on the credit card). 4 months later we were out of debt, and even had extra income to purchase our second rental van to convert into a camper.
Fast forward 4 years and Boho Camper Vans has built hundreds of camper vans and has one of the largest camper van manufacturing facilities in the world.
What did we learn? When you feel that overwhelming sensation to move forward on an idea, an inspiration, or a calling…..that’s the universe telling you “YOU’RE READY!”
Risk, fear, failure are all part of the process, but it they’re all so much better than regret.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
David Sodemann is co-founder of Boho Camper Vans and manages the marketing, branding and online presence for the company. Educated as an architect and marketer, David has grown brands across a variety of industries including travel, entertainment and health/wellness. His inspiration to start Boho came from renting a camper van in Hawaii, where he was able to explore the island affordably and in a unique way. Following his trip, he built and began renting a single van to make extra income but it quickly grew to a full-time career six months after launch.
About Boho Camper Vans
Boho Camper Vans builds, rents and sells camper vans out of their operations in Tempe, Arizona. Their beautiful, functional and affordable style has caught the eyes of large media outlets including Business Insider, Curbed.com, BuzzFeed and ABC’s Shark Tank, where they struck a deal with Barbara Corcoran (Season 11, Episode 16 – aired March 20th, 2020).
The team at Boho both sells and rents their camper vans to clients all over the world. They’ve successfully converted hundreds of camper vans for clients, and facilitated thousands of successful trips for renters.
Boho Camper Vans are a “tiny home on wheels”, complete with beds, sofa seats, off-grid solar power, kitchenettes and outdoor showers. Each van is different and includes camping essentials for renters including cookware, linens and even a curated map of the best camping spots on the West Coast.
Their campers stand apart from others in the space as Boho has an obsessive focus on quality and the use of natural materials. This translates to longevity and usability (not to mention beauty!) for their clients and renters.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I met Brett Ellenson at Waukesha West High School (Wisconsin) when we were just fifteen years old.
We never became close friends until later in life, but I remember Brett would have these gigantic bonfires in his backyard for what felt like our entire high school class. I may have made an appearance a few times (ok maybe more!).
I moved from Wisconsin to Arizona and received my degree from ASU, and a few years later Brett moved to Arizona for his career. We reconnected and actually lived together for a brief stint, becoming good friends along the way.
Nothing special or exciting there, right? But check this! We were born on the same exact day, June 11, 1986, and we were both born in Wisconsin. It makes for a great date to throw our annual company Boho Beer Pong Tournament.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
It’s really quite simple. Treat people with respect, choose quality over quantity, and don’t skimp on the details. Then build your team with people who wholeheartedly agree with these principles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.boho.life/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohovans/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bohovans
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohovans
Image Credits
Dylan Jeff Decker (yosemite photo) David Flores (david in the shop with cameras photo) Kevin Winkler (drone sunset shot)