Meet Greg Gerber | Writer, mentor and entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Greg Gerber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Greg, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I started Forward From 50 after going through a very dark period in my life between 2017 and 2021. A publication I started many years earlier had been forced to close after something I wrote irritated some powerful power brokers in the recreation vehicle industry. When I lost my business, I lost my sense of purpose as well.

Whether it was a lack of purpose or burnout, I also lost my motivation to do anything and often had trouble generating enough energy to face the day. A mini-stroke in 2018 contributed that as well.

In confiding to a mentor in the summer of 2021, I shared my frustration and concerns with him. He helped me realize that I was not alone by any means. Many people over the age of 50 also question their purpose. They, too, are forced out of jobs they love through situations beyond their control. Or, they’ve discovered their work no longer provides satisfaction, let alone a meaningful reward.

Many folks near retirement age have dreams of abandoning all the work and family pressures that gave meaning to their lives for many years. They plan to devote their energy to playing golf, fishing or engaging in other types of recreation without any commitments. However, after a few months, they also realize their lives lack purpose. They spend a great deal of time viewing news and television shows, which makes them angry and hopeless. Or they invest hours scrolling through mind-numbing social media posts.

Studies show that people, men especially, often die within a few years of retiring. The correlation between a lack of purpose and early mortality is striking.

I launched Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 enjoy purposeful lives by encouraging them to pursue things they are truly passionate about. A single Facebook post asking people if this would be a good idea generated more than 20 conversations with people who wanted to share stories about how their lives changed when they embraced renewed purpose later in life.

Forward From 50 features those type of stories as well as news and other information to help people over 50 discover their purpose and take steps to chase after it. I will soon launch a podcast to allow “seasoned citizens” to tell their life-changing stories in their own words. I’m also starting an online community to connect like-minded people with each other so they can offer support and encouragement to people who want their lives to make a difference to others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For nearly 20 years, I worked as a journalist covering the recreation vehicle industry, first as the editor-in-chief of a trade publication and later as the publisher of the RV industry’s first daily email newsletter. During that time, I also started the industry’s first business-related podcast where I interviewed RV dealers, manufacturers, suppliers and campground owners.

When I was a magazine editor, I tried diligently to get my publishing company to allow me to set up a website to post news as it happened. There were several times we delayed sending our monthly magazine to press for a few days in order to include an important news story. However, the magazine arrived in mailboxes six weeks later — long after everyone already knew about the news.

The publishing company did not see the internet coming or the impact it would have on the way people consume information. In fact, one of the company’s vice presidents who was tired of me asking for a website told me “nobody in the RV industry has time to read anything online.” That was in 2007 and the magazine folded two years later.

When I started my own website and daily email newsletter, multiple people basically told me the same thing. First, they said there wasn’t enough news in the RV industry to justify a daily newsletter and, second, nobody would take time to read one. My publication, RV Daily Report, grew quickly and created so much buzz within the industry that all three of my competitors with monthly magazines started daily newsletters within the following year.

In 2014, I bought a used motorhome and ventured out to live in it full-time while producing my newsletter. I thought this would be the pinnacle of my career. I would be the first industry journalist to literally report the news while on the road as I traveled around the country visiting RV-related businesses, interviewing their owners and writing about my experiences.

I visited all 48 lower states at least once during that three-year-period. But, through that experience, my eyes were opened to some huge problems facing the industry, namely product quality. RVs are typically poorly constructed, difficult to repair because there aren’t enough technicians to fix problems, and it is hard to get parts. Consolidation was killing innovation because independent dealerships, manufacturers and suppliers were being gobbled up by huge corporations. Campgrounds were either overcrowded with RVs parked fingertip-to-fingertip from each other, or it was increasingly difficult to get reservations because many RV parks had shifted to an easier-to-manage business model that favored seasonal rentals and discouraged short-term stays.

I wrote a series of editorials outlining the problems I observed and titled it RV Industry Death Spiral. I stated that, unless the problems were addressed soon, the industry had less than 20 years of viability remaining. The series was downloaded by more than a quarter of a million people. However, the “industry,” chiefly a few of the largest corporations, determined I was the bigger problem and launched a targeted campaign to get my advertisers to withdraw their support.

So, what I though would be the crowning achievement of decades spent in the RV industry by reporting on the market while using its products actually caused the demise of my publication. But, it opened the door to something even better with Forward From 50.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in the Phoenix area means people often want to visit when the weather turns cold wherever they live. I like taking them to Lake Pleasant where they are surprised to find such a large body of water in the desert. I also like taking them for an easy hike along the waterfall trail at White Tank Regional Park where they enjoy wonderful views of the city and can see centuries-old hieroglyphic drawings.

If children are involved, I like taking them to Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Adventure Park for an opportunity to get close enough to interact with animals. Another favorite is the Musical Instrument Museum where people of all ages will enjoy the interactive displays.

For dinner, I really enjoy Aunt Chilada’s Mexican Restaurant in Glendale. The food is top-notch, especially the salsa and chips, which can be enjoyed in a quaint outdoor setting. Earlier this year, I discovered Burgers and Brews, an independent restaurant in Glendale which has the best cheeseburgers in the valley hands down and served with real onion rings or tater tots.

Being a Wisconsin native, I like visiting CheezHeadz in Peoria. Not only is it devoted to the Green Bay Packers, but it serves delicious pizza and cheesesteak sandwiches, as well as genuine Wisconsin cheese curds.

As a movie buff, watching a show at Harkins Theaters is always an enjoyable experience, especially while eating its best-in-the-valley popcorn.

I love to drive for pleasure and Arizona’s wide-open roads allow me plenty of opportunities to escape into the wilderness. Hwy. 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff is one of the most scenic drives in America. My other favorites are driving from Sun City to Prescott via Hwy. 89, and from Camp Verde to Mesa via Payson. Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat along Hwy. 88 is also spectacular.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Years ago, I joined the Total Life Freedom group founded by Vincent Pugliese . These fired-up entrepreneurs and writers have helped me build a business with time, money and location freedom. This network or motivated and visionary men and women have challenged me to move out of my comfort zone to embrace new ideas and, more importantly, to continue growing personally and professionally.

I am also a member of the Igniting Souls organization founded by Kary Oberbrunner. Kary’s vision is to ignite 1 million people around the world to passionately share their stories, time and resources to help others. This group of inspired authors and public speakers encouraged and supported me to write two books.

I also meet with a dedicated group of Christian men from Journey Church in Peoria every Wednesday evening which works to build my faith, hold me accountable to things I want to change, and strengthens my resolve during challenging periods.

Website: www.forwardfrom50.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greggerber99/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-gerber/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/greggerber99

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.gerber.7

Other: https://gab.com/GregGerber

Image Credits
Elizabeth Wegner Photography, Judy Denu Photopgraphy and Greg Gerber