About
On the surface, the digital life of Newstate Nomads is a polished portrait of American freedom. Howard, a former tech product manager, and Katelyn, a former ER nurse, travel the country in a gleaming Airstream with their three young children, sharing sun-drenched photos of pristine landscapes and idyllic family moments. They have built a powerful brand on the promise of an attainable escape. Yet, behind the polished Instagram feed lies a well-structured business operation and a narrative complicated by a 2022 controversy that struck at the heart of their appeal: authenticity.
Newstate Nomads: History and Growth
The foundation for Newstate Nomads was laid long before they hit the road. Howard honed his strategic skills as a senior product manager in the tech industry, while Katelyn developed resilience to high-pressure situations during her career as an emergency room nurse. They established the "Newstate Nomads" brand in 2018, and by March 2019, they had traded their conventional life for the uncertainties of full-time travel. The family, which grew with the birth of their third child in early 2023, quickly found an audience drawn to their blend of practical advice and aspirational content. Their growth was steady, marked by an increasing professionalism that culminated in their signing with the influencer management firm The Roaming Group in 2021, cementing their status as premier creators in the family travel space.
Newstate Nomads: Content and Style
The core of the Newstate Nomads content revolves around the details of full-time RV travel with a young family. Their platforms are a resource for everything from gear reviews and boondocking tutorials to the emotional and logistical challenges of raising children on the road. Initially focused on a family of four, their content has naturally evolved to address the new dynamics of managing three children in a confined space. While their highly popular Instagram account remains their primary touchpoint for daily engagement, their YouTube channel, with over 250,000 subscribers, presents a more complex picture. Analysis reveals a pattern of low engagement relative to their subscriber count — high view counts on a few viral videos but modest performance on routine uploads — suggesting a "subscribe and forget" phenomenon where a large portion of their audience is passive rather than actively engaged.
How Newstate Nomads Makes Money
Newstate Nomads is not a hobby; it is a carefully structured business operating under the corporate entity Nomad Ventures LLC. An examination of their corporate registration reveals the LLC is domiciled in South Dakota, a strategic choice favored by many full-time travelers for its lack of state income tax and favorable vehicle registration policies. This savvy structural decision underpins a multi-stream revenue model.
The primary engine of their business is affiliate marketing, heavily using platforms like LTK (LikeToKnow.it) through their blog to earn commissions on product recommendations. This is supplemented by high-value direct sponsorships with major brands aligned with their lifestyle, including Airstream and Ford, as well as numerous outdoor gear companies. A third revenue pillar consists of digital products — self-published e-books titled "RVing with Kids" and "Boondocking Basics" that package their expertise for their dedicated audience.
Newstate Nomads' Collaborations
As their influence has grown, so has their integration into the formal structure of the travel industry. Their professional trajectory is managed by The Roaming Group, an agency specializing in outdoor and travel creators. Beyond commercial partnerships, Katelyn has taken on an official industry role, serving as an advisory board member for the Family Travel Association. This position not only provides them with a platform to shape industry standards but also solidifies their credibility and network within the professional travel sector.
Newstate Nomads: Public Reception & Controversies
In August 2022, the brand's carefully crafted image of authenticity was severely tested. A watchdog Instagram account, @VanLifeUnfiltered, publicly accused Newstate Nomads of failing to properly disclose a paid partnership with a solar panel company in a series of posts during their time in Oregon. The accusation had legal weight, citing a potential violation of Oregon's Senate Bill 764, which explicitly requires influencers to use clear and conspicuous disclosures like #ad or #sponsored on paid content.
The allegations did not stop there. @VanLifeUnfiltered also accused the couple of "staging" photographs, presenting images that suggested they were in remote, isolated wilderness when they were, in fact, located in crowded and easily accessible campsites. This secondary charge, while not illegal, struck a nerve within a community that values radical transparency.
Howard and Katelyn's response was swift. They issued a public apology, deleted the offending posts, and began retroactively adding proper disclosures to other content. They attributed the failure to an "oversight" during a particularly hectic period of travel. While the apology addressed the immediate backlash, the incident left a permanent mark on their public record.
Philanthropy and Impact
Separate from their commercial activities, the couple has established an annual philanthropic initiative called the "Gear Drop." Using their relationships with corporate sponsors, they collect new camping and outdoor equipment for donation. In a notable 2022 event, they successfully organized the donation of over 200 individual items, including tents and sleeping bags, directly to chapters of The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, providing essential gear to underserved youth.
Newstate Nomads Today
Howard and Katelyn continue their nomadic life as a family of five. They navigated a significant public relations crisis and their brand endures as a profitable enterprise and a prominent voice in the family travel community.