Inspiring Conversations with Kate Mancuso of Coddiwomple Road Trips

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Mancuso.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Coddiwomple Trips started with my old 2009 Toyota Corolla, a $25 tent off Craigslist, and three weeks on the open roads of America. All sounds great, right? Until I realized I had all these National Parks and US cities on my route and… 0 campground reservations. So I pulled over at a local brewery with my laptop, researching every single campground on my route including adorable yurts, private treehouses, spiritual hot springs, charming bed and breakfasts — flash forward six hours later: I had created the most epic road trip EVER with an adorable and safe place to set up camp every single night. Even better than the rush I got from that planning (yes, I’m a Virgo moon lol), was the incredible experience that I had over those three weeks through South Dakota, Yellowstone, Montana, all the way through Oregon to the Redwoods of California. After seeing me absolutely crush the scheduling, my partner was like “uh… you should do this for a living.” And so Coddiwomple Trips was born. I created my LLC, went on several more road trips for research, and started gaining clients that wanted to do what I was doing but didn’t know how!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Just like many roads I’ve traveled in rural America, there are LOTS of bumps along the way. 😉 This was my first ever business! I had to learn the ins and outs of boring legal questions, web design, the travel market, advertising, how to remain profitable — I feel like I earned a Business Degree from Youtube & Reddit University, lol. Each client at the beginning was a learning experience. Pricing my work was a huge challenge. I don’t sell actual goods with an overhead, so I charge for my time only. And I put in high-quality work to make sure my clients are getting the most fulfilling trip specific to their needs, desires, and overall vibe. So, learning to value my own time and work was a struggle at first — especially coming from Grade A People Pleasing. Once I figured that out, it was onto advertising which was a whole new ball game for me. I had to learn my market and who wants to use my service, and then how to sell on social media. This is definitely still a challenge for me! Advertising is hard and getting new clients takes a lot of work. But it’s worth it when my clients are sending me pictures and texts on their special trip and I know couldn’t have happened without me. 🙂

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Coddiwomple Road Trips?
I create customized road trip itineraries for travelers, specializing in camping and glamping! To be honest, there are not a lot of companies that do what I do. While most road trip companies sell pre-made road trip itineraries, I sit down with clients one and one, learn about who they are, what they like, why they’re traveling and plan a very special road trip based on their individual vibe. I’m most proud of the direct experience that I incorporate into my work — I’ve personally road-tripped through pretty much everywhere in the US. So when someone comes to me and says, “I’m starting in Glacier National Park and want to end in the Grand Canyon, I love hiking, I have a dog, and I’m camping”, I already know which parks are worth hiking in between, which campgrounds allow dogs, and the best places to pick up firewood and marshmallows along the way.

How do you think about happiness?
Creativity. I was born into this world to create. It’s so cool to start with a blank page and use your own passions, thoughts, and spirit to create something brand-new. Whether I’m writing a screenplay, moving through a new yoga flow, or planning a unique road trip itinerary for a new client — I’m in my happiness, in joyful peace.

Pricing:

• 1-3 days: $100 – $150
• 3-7 days: $150 – $250
• 7-14 days: $250 – $350
• 14+ days: $350+

Contact Info:

• Website: coddiwompletrips.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coddiwompleroadtrips/

Image Credits
Coddiwomple Trips