Roadtrip Nation

Roadtrip Nation is a production company based out of Costa Mesa, California that produces the eponymous public television documentary series Roadtrip Nation.

Roadtrip Nation began in 2001 as an idea that Mike, Nathan, Brian and Amanda, four friends fresh out of college, formed while they were still unsure about what to do with their lives. Initially, the scope of the plan was relatively small – climb aboard an old RV, paint it green, and traverse the country with the purpose of interviewing people who inspired them by living lives that centered on what was meaningful to them. Along the way, the four realized that the conversations they were having on the road could not remain within the confines of their own RV, but held relevancy that could be shared with a world that was losing the know-how of living lives that pulse on personal passion rather than someone else’s expectations.

The original Roadtrip was a learning process for the whole team. With no experience driving an RV or handling a video camera (let alone editing footage for a documentary) and no contacts for setting up interviews, the friends relied on perseverance, dedication to making the road-trip work, and their genuine belief in wanting to find their own road in life in order for the trip to be successful. And the team did discover that they could have a life built on what they loved – through the interviews and the Roadtrip process, Amanda found her path was to be a teacher, while Mike, Nate and Brian discovered a passion for sharing their experience from the road.

The three decided they would take a road-trip across the country and talk to dozens of people who defined their own paths in life. After a bit of research, they compiled a list of inspiring individuals they wanted to interview and began cold calling. As expected, most people rejected them, but there were plenty that agreed to share their stories. They booked a handful of interviews, bought an old RV, painted it green and began mapping their route.

During their three-month journey, they met with a wide range of diverse and eclectic individuals–from winemaker Robert Mondavi to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; from Saturday Night Live Director Beth McCarthy Miller to a lobsterman on the coast of Maine. Each interviewee had an inspiring story to tell and shared how they paved the road to self-fulfillment and success. With over 15,000 miles logged on the old RV, the group returned home with inspiring stories of their own.

From there, Roadtrip Nation grew, first with the printing of a book and the making of a film about the original Roadtrip, called The Open Road. The founders wanted to prove that anyone could do what they did – set up interviews, hit the open road, and share that experience, so they sent another team across the country in their signature big green RV. Continuing with the mission of constantly wanting to spread the Movement to as many people as possible, soon three Green RV’s were making their way across the country each summer, and then across other countries. Still wanting to affect more people, Roadtrip Nation launched Independent Roadtrips, opening up the door to anyone being able go on a D.I.Y. Roadtrip.

...
Wikipedia