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

Karly, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

Evan and I hope to leave behind a legacy centered on living life to the fullest, embracing each moment with passion and purpose. We want to be remembered by how we approach life with an adventurous spirit, a love for discovery, and a commitment to making the most out of every opportunity. After we’re gone, we hope people will feel inspired to live life a little more…to live it to the next degree. We hope we inspire others to live boldly, pursue their dreams without hesitation, and always look for joy in the journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Evan and I (high school sweethearts, now married for 3 years, been together for 10 total) created a personal brand known as Navigating Nietzels. Through this we are documenting our journey of planning and eventually (soon) completing America’s Great Loop on YouTube. The Great Loop is a 6,000+ nautical mile journey through the eastern United States and Canada done completely by boat/on water. This adventure will take about a year or more on our 36-foot trawler, a 1985 Marine Trader Europa. We will live on our boat full-time with our Goldendoodle, Ripley.

This whole adventure is unique for us because a majority of those that complete America’s Great Loop are retired and have spent years planning. We decided that life is too short and we can’t guarantee that we will live another 40+ years, so instead of waiting we are taking on this journey now.

This has been years in the making. Evan first found out about the Great Loop in high school and we both thought it was a cool thing. We ended up doing long distance in college for 4 years and moved from Iowa to Florida for Evan’s job. While living in Florida, we found ourselves surrounded by boats and water which propelled our motivation to make this dream a reality now. I’d say we’re most proud of our determination, our bravery for not caring what people think, and our boldness in pursuing a dream much sooner than most people allow themselves to.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Evan and I met in high school on the homecoming parade committee. We quickly built a friendship based on our mutual love for adventure and being outdoors. We began dating in high school and continued with long distance in college. Evan went to Iowa State University for Engineering and I went to The University of Iowa for Journalism and Mass Communication. Our combined talents/passions became perfect for our Great Loop dream – Evan manages the boat, upgrades and maintenance while I manage our YouTube channel. We have now been married for 3 years and together for 10!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission is simple – live each day to the fullest and inspire others to do the same. Life is too short and as cliche as it might be, tomorrow is NOT promised. You can’t wait to live out your desires.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingnietzels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550850008997
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@navigatingnietzels