Community Highlights: Meet Lauren Gagnon of Gleam Investments

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Gagnon.

Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

We had talked about it and dreamed about it for a long time. We worked really hard in the business that we owned at the time to get to this point, and it felt surreal when it actually happened. When we first bought it, it was full of beautiful trees (that we got to save and use as firewood!) And then we put a home on it.

The memories our family shared there will be remembered for years to come— building a fire pit, then moving it when the kids accidentally ran their sled right through it (don’t worry, they were ok!), spending nights around the fire playing games and listening to music with friends, boating and hiking and sledding and so much more. Truly cherished times.

While our cabin gave us so much joy, the one thing it didn’t give us was a true adventure and the option to get out and do more. See more. Go more. Explore more. Adventure more. Spend time finding new things, finding new restaurants to love, and stepping outside of our box.

The world has so much to offer us, and we decided that we wanted to see it all and show it to our kids. As stunning as Northern Michigan is (and believe us, it’s among the best), we had a yearning to do more. Sitting in the cabin one night I texted Greg and said, “What if we sold the cabin, and everything in it and just traveled instead?”

He probably thought I was crazy at first, but we discussed it and decided that it made a lot of sense– we would see more while reinvigorating the economy, which is starting to see a lot of downfalls that weren’t initially seen at the beginning of the pandemic.

While we still had to stay grounded and keep our actual home (ya know, work, school, and all those other things that get in the way) being weekend warriors would fill G’s need to pack up and go, meanwhile giving me a sense of comfort (um, hello to traveling WITH my own bed!) But there was an absolute stipulation— if we were going to embrace the RV lifestyle, it would definitely 100% be in an Airstream. We love the iconic style and quality that Airstream offers.

Gregory and I had honestly been borderline obsessed with Airstream and RV Life for a very long time before we even decided to sell the cabin. We have logged an embarrassing amount of hours watching Colonial Patrick and Wanderlocal videos on YouTube.

So, we listed the cabin and sold it (in what I truly believe to be in record time, but that’s a different story for a different day). There were tears, and bittersweet is the only word I can really find to adequately describe it. Greg says he equates it to the house burning down (sad), but getting a really, really good insurance check out of it (happy).

So we bought the Tin Cabin, a lovely 25’ Airstream Globetrotter, and we are looking forward to so many adventures in it. So far in the short time, we have had it, and weather permitting, we have visited Mammoth Cave National Park, and Lake Michigan. We have our entire summer planned out!

We will be documenting our travels, making recommendations of local businesses we visit along the way, things we love/hate about the RV lifestyle, gadgets, product reviews, and so much more. We can’t wait to get out and adventure!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We really struggled at first due to the market for RVs right now. If you want a brand new Airstream, depending, it can take nine months to a year to receive it.

I know that isn’t unique to Airstream. A lot of manufacturers in the RV market have delays. It is similarly an issue if you need a tow vehicle– at least a 6-month wait for a new one, and the used market is really difficult as well. Add the fact that a lot of people have ventured into RV traveling due to the pandemic, and now you have saturated campsites as well.

However, if you can be flexible with the RV you are looking for, the tow vehicle, and the times you are willing to travel, it is totally doable.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Gleam Investments LLC?
Gregory and I own e-commerce companies through our umbrella company. It allows us the ability to have the freedom to work on the road, travel, and work on our terms.

We are also building our new business, Tin Cabin Adventures where we will be doing product reviews, tips/tricks on what has worked for us and what hasn’t, as well as general travel, advice, and tips.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
What has worked well for us is following people we are drawn to and learning from them. Being a business owner in general means making mistakes and learning from them.

As long as you grow and learn, mistakes are ok and a blessing.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: tincabinadventures.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tincabinadventures
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tincabinadventures

Image Credits
Tin Cabin Adventures