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Recreational vehicles, or RVs, as they’re more commonly known, offer individuals and families the ability to pursue adventure with a little more comfort and accommodation. Whether it’s taking a family road trip to see the grand canyon or spending a summer bouncing from national park to national park, RVs are designed specifically for the adventurer within us all.
Jason Haugen started a new adventure himself only four years ago. Now, Jason Haugen is working to create a wide-reaching network of RV dealerships that will, hopefully, one day span across the whole country. Like with many entrepreneurial stories, Jason Haugen didn’t have too much direction for himself back in 2017. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life or what type of legacy he wanted to create. What he did know, though, is that he was ready for a significant change in his life; one that would bring him happiness and help him find fulfillment in his work. If he got lucky, maybe he’d even be passionate about his new path and would find something he loved doing.
While he explored his options for the future, nothing stood out as exciting; at least not until 2018 when a purchase opportunity fell into his lap. In 2018, Jason Haugen was offered the chance to buy his first RV dealership at a very attractive price. At this point, he had a decision to make. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, and running a business is no easy task, especially without any existing industry knowledge or the benefit of a robust network in that field. There was no doubt that this was a risk.
Taking the Leap and Making Changes
After some contemplation, Jason realized that he would be taking a risk either way. If he chose to pass on this opportunity, he’d be missing a chance to take that new path he’d been craving, and he’d also be risking the loss of potential future gains if things worked out. Coming to a firm decision, Jason trusted his gut and decided to move forward with the purchase of his very first RV dealership at the age of 24. In the first few stages of getting the Haugen RV Group on its feet and off the ground, Jason was wearing multiple hats and working weeks that seemingly had no end; this is a familiar scene to anyone who has been involved in the world of entrepreneurship, and Jason was quickly learning a lot about the reality of business ownership.
However, this only served to drive him further. Once he hit his groove, Jason started to become obsessed with the RV industry and wanted to find ways to improve it. He would study the ins and outs of the RV industry while continuing to grow his first dealership. Then, his next opportunity arrived. It wasn’t something he had considered up until this moment. Jason was offered the chance to purchase a second RV dealership. This was an exciting moment for him and reassured him that he had found the path that is his calling. At this time, he also started truly working to create major industry changes in the world of RVs. The first thing he wanted to address was the customer experience. As such, the Haugen RV Group prioritized the design of a stellar customer experience that keeps RV owners and potential soon-to-be owners returning to their stores time and time again. This was a great start for the young entrepreneur, but it was hardly his end-game. He wanted to tackle a lot more in the RV industry than just the customer experience.
Championing Workplace Culture
Tackling even more than the customer experience, Jason also turned his focus toward the internal culture that he was creating. Workplace culture has come into the limelight over the past decade or so and has been proven to be a crucial aspect of the overall employee experience. Workplace culture can impact significant business metrics like turnover, retention, engagement, and fulfillment. Workplace culture has also been under the microscope in the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how that’s shifted our society’s relationship with professionalism and employment in general. This shift put workplace culture at the top of Jason’s priority list, especially since he had just gone through the process of trying to find meaningful work and a fulfilling career for himself. Jason knows how arduous it can be to work in a place that doesn’t feel like a good fit. He wanted to build a culture that gave people purpose, direction, and added genuine improvement to their lives.
Jason realized that this had to start with him, and he made it his goal to show his employees how much they’re appreciated, no matter their role in Haugen RV Group. He even believes that his team is his number one asset, and he always treats them with that level of respect. One of Jason’s favorite parts of the company, he says, are the smiles on the members of his team and throughout the organization.
Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve His Dreams
Just like with any entrepreneurial venture, Jason ran into his fair share of obstacles as he worked to figure out the RV industry and how he could make a name for himself as a major player in the space. One of the hardest lessons that Jason had to learn was how to delegate. Delegation is a crucial part of leadership because it shows a level of self-awareness and a team-mentality; the group is almost always more productive than the individual. Despite Jason’s early struggles with delegation, in which he often tried to do everything (or nearly everything) himself and without any help, he’s gotten much better at this skill over his four years in business so far.
Now, Jason explains, the company is almost completely self-sufficient with the other leadership and management teams in place, so Jason can focus on expansion strategies, presenting industry solutions, and connecting with other thought-leaders and industry players.
At 28 years old, Jason Haugen is right around the corner from the 30 year-mark, which a lot of people consider a relatively significant birthday. To many, the transition from 20s to 30s is truly when you’ve entered full adulthood. As such, Jason is once again considering what might be next for himself and where he sees the Haugen RV Group going in the future. Currently, he has no plans of pivoting or stopping. Rather, his sights are set on loftier ambitions.
Jason would like to continue building the Haugen RV Group for the foreseeable future until it’s recognized as one of the largest RV dealership groups in the country. With that in mind, Jason recognizes how valuable his team is going to be to him while he continues on this pursuit. With the right leaders and advisers in place, he is poised to continue expanding the Haugen RV Group in his vision without sacrificing the customer experience or workplace culture at any point.
The customer experience is especially important in today’s day and age because of the nature of the current economy and the amount of options immediately available to any given consumer. With smart technology and a hyper-competitive marketplace, consumers are much more likely to bounce from one brand to another in the wake of a single negative experience. In turn, customer loyalty has been a major point of emphasis for the majority of brands and organizations looking to stay relevant and competitive with modern consumers.
By dedicating the necessary time, energy, and resources to creating excellence for his customers, Jason has proven that the customer experience is one of his top priorities.
Wrapping Up
There are still plenty of innovations and improvements that can be made in the world of RVs, and with a relatively newfound passion, the young entrepreneur Jason Haugen hopes to uncover as many of these as he can, making a truly historic mark in the RV industry.
Not even five years into his journey as a major player in the RV sector, Jason has already begun to carve out a name for himself. With an excellent team around him who he relies on daily, the support of his customer base, and the passion in his heart, Jason continues to take strides as an entrepreneur. He is making great progress toward his goal of building an RV group that leads the nation.
At 28, Jason still has a lot to learn, plenty of hurdles to face, and a lot of life left in front of him. The past four years put him on a path he once never even considered a possibility, and now his growing Haugen RV Group has surpassed $100M in sales. As long as Jason continues to operate with integrity, focus on the workplace culture, and the fulfillment of his team members, his growth journey should continue to be a lot of fun to witness. Who knows just how far this journey might take him.
