Meet Rebecca Freese

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rebecca Freese. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rebecca, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Through building this business, I’ve been able to find one of my purposes. While our initial goal was to provide a secure and reliable parking option, I soon realized I could make an even greater impact. I’ve developed a true passion for supporting local businesses and find so much joy in promoting them however I can. Whether it’s writing blogs, leaving five-star reviews on Google, shouting them out on social media, or displaying their banners at our parking lot, we do it all for free. It’s incredibly fulfilling to use the skills I’ve gained to lift others up, and I feel truly grateful and blessed to be able to give back to our community in this way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My husband and I live in a tiny town that happens to have one of the most beautiful outdoor amphitheaters in its backyard. When I was little, people would often stop by our home to ask where the amphitheater was and where they could park. The little parking that was available never seemed secure, and it always bothered me. The Amphitheater does not provide overnight parking which leaves everyone scrambling to find anything they can. I’ve heard so many stories of theft (and seen enough broken glass at the local park and ride) that I knew there was a problem we had to solve.

In October 2022, my husband and I set out to find the right land—which was just a pile of dirt at the time—and built a beautiful, fully automated, secure parking lot. We worked tirelessly on both parking lot and website development for six months straight until our opening day in May 2023. Our parking lot features a fully automated security fence, 24-hour video surveillance, five commercial parking lot lights, and two Level 2 EV charging stations. Since then, we’ve received so much kindness and support from our customers and have found deep satisfaction in providing a much-needed service for our area.

Our future is so bright! We recently added camping rental kits at our parking lot, and they’ve been an instant success. Many people fly in from Seattle and drive straight to the amphitheater, with the nearest Walmart for camping supplies 30 miles away. Our rentals provide a super convenient (and environmentally friendly) option for those who don’t want to buy gear just to throw it away before flying back. We’ve already sold out for a couple of upcoming concerts this summer! We couldn’t be more grateful for the success we’ve had in just two short years.

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?

Website Development & SEO – Building our WordPress e-commerce website and mastering SEO were the most important and financially impactful things we did. If I hadn’t spent countless hours learning and implementing these skills myself, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to start our business. These two skills have saved us tens of thousands of dollars, and I continue to use them daily—not just for our own business but to help others succeed as well.

Resilience – Learning to build our website meant constantly facing new challenges. At every turn, I felt like I had to take five steps back just to move one step forward. There were moments of pure defeat where I had to step away and pray for resilience. But pushing through those tough moments is what made success possible.

Balance & Self-Awareness – Through developing resilience, I also learned the importance of balance and self-awareness. This is my biggest piece of advice for anyone starting a business. You absolutely need to recognize signs of stress and make time for self-care. It might not seem possible in the moment, but prioritizing your well-being is the only sustainable way to run a business. Nothing is easy, and if you don’t take care of yourself, burnout is inevitable. Success isn’t just about working hard—it’s about maintaining the energy and clarity to keep going.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

One book that played a pivotal role in my development is Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller. When we were quite literally turning dirt into a parking lot, I knew we had an incredible idea—but I had no clue how to talk about it in a way that made sense to potential customers. How could I clearly explain what we offered and make it easy for people to understand and book with us?

This book was a game changer. Its core lesson is teaching business owners how to communicate in a way that resonates with customers—how to simplify your message, make it customer-focused, and develop a short, compelling script that clearly explains what you offer. It gave me the confidence to sell our parking lot from day one. I’m incredibly proud of how I talk about our business, and I owe that clarity entirely to Building a StoryBrand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gwsecureparking.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GWSecureParking