We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kalen Perez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kalen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

We were in Sint Martin for my husbands 50th Birthday trip with 16 other friends. We hopped on a ferry one day and went over to the island of Anguilla where we all jumped on 4 different colorful MOKES. We had never heard of them or seen them before. We had a blast driving them around, hitting up all the local hot spots, restaurants and beaches. We couldn’t stop talking about how Port Aransas and North Padre Island needed these cute rides for our visitors and locals to enjoy, So when we got home, we bought 4 and had a business up and running within 5 weeks. We were right……people are crazy about them! Such a fun way to cruise the coast in style!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We are a family owned business with the original idea to bring mokes to Port Aransas and North Padre Island. We love how quiet, smooth and cool they are in comparison to golf carts. We have enjoyed meeting new people traveling from all over, even from England and Canada. Everyone feels like a celebrity as they cruise the beach and hit up local shops and restaurants. They turn heads wherever they go! Cutest, unique rides!

My husband Ruben is a Civil Engineer by trade. I am a retired NICU nurse of 23 years now practicing Functional Medicine. We are a blended family of 9 – yes 7 kids now ages 14-26. Gulf Coast Mokes is a side business for us that we fit in the nooks and crannies. We have had alot of support and fun doing it, even through the struggles of having a business. Our kids have learned alot and the experiences have been super cool. We have won parade trophies and are now a part of Wheel the World because of our accessibility to the disabled. It’s a lot easier for them to get into a moke versus a golf cart and with myself being a Nurse……I really love that aspect.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was a successful MLM consultant with a great company from 2013-2024. I had a large global team that spanned across US, Canada and Australia. One day we received an email that they were going to affiliate structure and I would no longer have a team. It crushed me, 11 years of hard work and team building down the drain. Income gone in an instant. It was devastating to say the least. I have had to start rebuilding again with another company. With the Moke business, I’d say any time anything breaks on the moke or when someone has to much fun on the moke, it’s always a trivial time but we always make it through. Let’s just say we pray often over these cute Mokes and our renters.
Another time of pivoting was through my divorce and finding my current husband and partner in this business, Ruben. He gained my 3 kids and I gained his 4 kids through our marriage. Step-parenting (having 7 kids) is a major PIVOT but we have made it and we have had the most fun as a blended family of 9.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Instagram and Facebook have been our main social media platforms. We have a lot of influencers reach out to us as well for content and collaboration. It’s been growing. Our Mokes make such cute pictures and reels. Just have fun, be you and don’t overthink it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Gulfcoastmokes@gmail.com
• Instagram: @gulfcoastmokes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18SDxdHhGx/?mibextid=wwXIfr: