Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Colleen OBrien. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Colleen, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My internal drive comes from passion and curiosity. I am someone (for better or worse) who has always been busy. There is always a subject, activity, hobby or sport that interests me. I can honestly say I have rarely experienced boredom. Early in my career I jumped around various different jobs in different industries. I loved starting a new job learning new systems, meeting new people, developing new skills and just being out of my element. Then overtime I would master something new, make meaningful contributions and integrate into the new setting. When my path led me to entrepreneurship, I had a great skill set from my various experience and was excited to implement it for creating a new business. One of the fun aspects about entrepreneurship and business is there is always a new or old problem to be solved or improved. My energy and passion to work hard comes from my desire to learn, try new things, and keep improving (both myself and my business). I like to push my limits and see what can become. This has been a great strength of mine but I am true believer that all strengths are weaknesses as well. While I get great satisfaction and fulfillment from working hard there is always cost. As I get older, I realize more and more the value of time and being constantly productive is not sustainable. Now I try to balance my energy and time and make sure I am conscious of my priorities so my life is not all about my work.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Our vision is to empower a life of purpose and joy. We are committed to building campervans that serve as the key to a lifestyle that aligns with our clients values. Our vans are a catalyst for a life enriched by experiences, adventures, and meaningful connections
We specialize in building both custom and spec-built camper vans, tailored to your specific needs and desires.
At the heart of Wanderful Wheels is a passion for exploration and a commitment to quality craftsmanship. Our team of skilled craftsman and designers work tirelessly to create campervans that not only meet but exceed your expectations. We pride ourselves on attention to detail, innovative design, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of our work. We use the highest quality materials and design our vans for comfort and durability. We partner with the best companies in the industry to offer top of line equipment and components for your camper van.
When it comes down to it, we provide more than just a van. We are here to enable a lifestyle where happiness accompanies you on the road. Our campervans serve as the canvas for forging unforgettable memories and experiences that resonate with genuine passions. By eliminating compromises, we create the freedom for you to live authentically, embrace joy on every mile traveled, and shape your own narrative of extraordinary adventures.
Check out our new 2024 line of prebuilt Promaster and Sprinter camper vans. If you want something designed just for you we also have a few custom build spots left in 2024.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Ability to learn. We had to teach ourselves a lot of new skills to start this business. Being able to independently find resources and learn made all of the difference.
2. Not being afaraid to fail. As an entreprenuer you take on so much risk. It is easy to get in your head and live in a fearful state of what could go wrong. For me, being comforatble with failing helped me let go of a limited fearful mindset and live in a creative space of what could be. Its a constant practice but fearing failure from a small to large scale can paralyze you.
3. Find balance. When owning a business you could easily work 24/7 and still have an endless to do list. I had to create some strong boundaries to protect my well being and other priorites/passions. It is something I constatly struggle with but it always ends up benefiting me and the business.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
The best tool I have for processing feeling overwhelmed is getting some sleep. Many times problems seem more manageable or a new plan of attack comes up after a good nights sleep. I always try to make decisions and implement soluytons after I sleep on it. This is of course accompanied by research, brainstorming and working hard.
Contact Info:
- Website: wanderfulwheels.com
- Instagram: @wanderfulwheels
- Facebook: @wanderfulwheels
- Youtube: @wanderfulwheels1535
- Other: Email: [email protected]
