Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joel & Deb Brettingen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Joel & Deb thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of sales to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.
We donate 100% of proceeds from our social media to law enforcement causes. As retired law enforcement officers ourselves, these organizations hold special meaning to us. Recently, we contributed $2,050 to the Eau Claire County Fair program, which enables deputies to provide bicycles to children at the County Fair. Having served in law enforcement, we understand the importance of positive community interactions, especially with young people. Supporting programs that help build trust between officers and the communities they serve is our way of continuing to make an impact even after retirement. Our travels have shown us the importance of strong community bonds across America, and we’re proud to help facilitate that connection through our donations.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We’re the couple behind Chasing Our Sunshine, a travel content platform that documents our full-time RV lifestyle. After dedicating our careers to law enforcement, we retired and embraced a completely different path four years ago when we sold our home, purchased an RV, and hit the road permanently with our beloved dog, Maya.
Our law enforcement backgrounds provide us with a unique perspective that distinguishes us from other travel content creators. Our professional experience allows us to share specialized safety tips grounded in years of security expertise. We can assess locations with a trained eye for security considerations that most travelers might overlook, helping our audience stay safer on the road.
Beyond our content creation, we’re proud founders of the True Blue Tuesdays movement, where we encourage everyone to wear blue on Tuesdays to show support for law enforcement. This initiative has resonated with our community and created a simple yet meaningful way for people across the country to demonstrate their appreciation for the difficult work officers do every day.
Where we once engaged with neighborhoods primarily during challenging situations, we now have the privilege of experiencing towns, cities, and natural areas across America through a lens of exploration and appreciation. Our community-focused approach stems directly from our careers—we understand at a fundamental level how important strong community connections are, which is why we emphasize supporting local businesses wherever we travel.
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to giving back. We donate 100% of our social media proceeds to law enforcement causes—a donation model that goes far beyond what most content creators offer. Recently, we contributed $2,050 to the Eau Claire County Fair program, enabling deputies to provide bicycles to children—fostering positive interactions between officers and the communities they serve.
We pride ourselves on balanced authenticity in our content. We share both the breathtaking sunset moments and the challenging realities of mobile living—mechanical issues, weather challenges, and the occasional frustrations of life on the road. This honest approach resonates with our audience who appreciate seeing the full picture of RV living.
Traveling with Maya adds another dimension to our content, as we regularly highlight pet-friendly destinations, hiking trails, and accommodations that welcome four-legged companions. This has created a strong connection with the many RV enthusiasts who travel with their pets.
As retired professionals beginning this second chapter, our content has a unique cross-generational appeal. We connect with fellow retirees considering similar lifestyle changes while also appealing to younger audiences interested in alternative living arrangements and the freedom of the open road.
Our content showcases not just beautiful destinations, but also practical aspects of the full-time RV lifestyle—from navigating tight campgrounds to maintaining our home on wheels. Our focus on practical knowledge transfer demonstrates our service-oriented mindset, helping others successfully transition to RV living or explore new areas with confidence.
We’re particularly proud of building a community of followers who either plan to pursue this lifestyle themselves or who travel vicariously through our adventures. After careers focused on protecting communities, we’re now dedicated to connecting with them in a different way—celebrating America’s diverse landscapes and cultures while continuing to serve in our own unique way.
Our name, ‘Chasing Our Sunshine,’ perfectly captures this new chapter in our lives. After decades of chasing criminals, we now chase sunshine and bright moments across this beautiful country. We’re committed to finding the sunshine everywhere we go—both literally in our pursuit of beautiful weather and destinations, and figuratively in the positive connections we make and the joy we share with our community. It’s a fitting metaphor for how we’ve transformed our life’s work from handling difficult situations to creating and sharing moments of light and warmth with others.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building our audience on Chasing Our Sunshine was an organic journey that began simply with sharing our authentic experiences. When we first started documenting our RV adventures, we had no strategy beyond capturing moments that felt meaningful to us. We discovered that consistency and authenticity resonated more with audiences than perfectly polished content.
Our law enforcement background actually helped us stand out in the crowded RV content space. By offering unique safety perspectives and practical tips that came from our professional experience, we attracted followers who valued this specialized knowledge. People appreciated having travel advice from creators who naturally thought about security considerations.
We found that engaging genuinely with our community was crucial. We make a point to respond to comments, answer questions, and create content based on what our followers ask about. This two-way communication has built a loyal community who feels heard and valued.
For those just starting to build their social media presence, we’d recommend:
1. Focus on consistency rather than perfection. Regular posting matters more than creating flawless content.
Find your unique angle. Everyone has something distinctive about their perspective or experience—identify what makes your voice different and lean into it.
2. Engage authentically with your audience. Respond to comments, ask questions, and make your followers feel part of your journey.
3. Don’t be afraid to show the challenges alongside the highlights. People connect with real experiences, including the difficulties.
4. Collaborate with other creators in your niche. Our partnerships with fellow RV content creators helped introduce us to new audiences.
5. Be patient and persistent. Building a meaningful following takes time—we didn’t see significant growth until about a year into our journey.
6. Create content that genuinely helps people solve problems or answers questions they have about your area of expertise.
Most importantly, focus on creating value for your audience rather than chasing numbers. Our growth accelerated when we stopped worrying about metrics and concentrated instead on how we could best serve our community with helpful, authentic content.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, Deb, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is discovering an artistic outlet I didn’t even realize I was missing during my law enforcement career. Managing our social media presence has unlocked a form of creative expression that brings me tremendous joy and fulfillment.
In law enforcement, our work was essential but often involved difficult situations and limited opportunities for creative expression. Documenting our travels through photography, videography, and storytelling has opened up an entirely new way to process and share experiences. There’s something deeply satisfying about capturing a stunning sunset over our RV or finding the perfect words to describe the feeling of discovering a hidden trail with Maya.
I find particular fulfillment in the connection our content creates with others. When someone comments that our safety tips helped them feel more confident on their trip, or that our campground recommendations led to a memorable family vacation, it gives our travels greater purpose. This echoes the sense of service that was so important in my law enforcement career, but in a different, more joyful context.
The creative process itself is therapeutic. Editing photos, crafting posts, and designing our content allows me to see the beauty in our everyday experiences and preserve memories in a meaningful way. It’s a form of mindfulness that keeps me present and appreciative of each destination.
Perhaps most rewarding is the knowledge that through our creative work, we’re continuing to give back. By sharing our journey authentically, we’re not only helping others navigate similar paths but also supporting causes close to our hearts through our donations. This combination of creative expression and purposeful impact brings a sense of fulfillment I never anticipated when we first hit the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chasingoursunshine.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasingoursunshine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chasing-RV-Sunshine-102224214792127
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChasingRVSunshine
Image Credits
Joel and Deb Brettingen Chasing Our Sunshine