About
They are The Bucket List Family, a five-member American unit operating as "Family Travel Journalists." The public-facing story is one of sun-drenched adventure and global exploration. Yet, behind the cinematic vlogs and curated Instagram grid lies a diversified digital media enterprise built by Garrett and Jessica Gee. With their three children—Dorothy, Manilla, and Calihan—they have transformed a radical life decision into a multi-platform brand, leveraging a narrative of entrepreneurial grit that began with a reported $54 million tech exit and a self-imposed challenge to not spend a dime of it.
The Bucket List Family: From Snapchat Exit to World Travel
The origin of The Bucket List Family is closely linked to the tech success of its patriarch. Before the family brand existed, Garrett Gee was a student and soccer player at Brigham Young University. In 2011, he co-founded Scan, a mobile QR code scanning application that gained national exposure after an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. The venture culminated in a 2014 acquisition by Snapchat, a deal widely reported to be valued at $54 million. This provided the financial security that would make their next move possible, yet it paradoxically became the money they vowed not to touch.
On August 15, 2015, Garrett and Jessica Gee sold the majority of their possessions, raising approximately $45,000 to fund what was initially a six-month trip around the world. This "no Snapchat money" doctrine became the foundational narrative of their brand, reframing the journey from an indulgence of the wealthy to an entrepreneurial risk—a challenge to build a self-sustaining business before their capital ran out. The narrative choice proved instrumental in building a relatable and aspirational identity.
They launched their YouTube channel on July 5, 2015, and began documenting their travels. As their audience grew, so did their business acumen. Through brand partnerships with airlines, hotels, and travel companies, they achieved profitability just as their initial $45,000 fund was depleted. Over the next several years, they visited nearly 100 countries. After years as nomads, the family established a permanent home base in Hawaii, which now serves as the hub for their global content operations.
The Bucket List Family: Cinematic Vlogs and Platform Strategy
The Bucket List Family's content is delivered through high-production-value vlogs on YouTube, supplemented by photo journals and short-form videos on Instagram and TikTok. Their cinematic style captures sweeping landscapes and intimate family moments with professional polish. The thematic core is positive and family-friendly, built around adventure, cultural immersion, bravery, and philanthropic service.
Their platform strategy follows a "hub-and-spoke" model, with their official website as the central directory. They maintain a dominant presence on visual platforms while avoiding text-heavy environments like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter), allowing greater narrative control.
The Bucket List Family: From Travel Vlog to Media Empire
What began as a travel vlog has evolved into a business with diversified revenue streams managed through legal entities including The Bucket List Family, LLC, and The Bucket List Studios.
Brand partnerships remain a key income source, with recent sponsored content featuring companies like Insta360, Holafly, Kalahari Resorts, and OFF! insect repellent. Their media kit highlights past campaigns with global brands such as Disney, GoPro, and Land Rover.
Under The Bucket List Studios, the family operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise like backpacks and apparel. They have also entered publishing, securing a partnership with National Geographic. Jessica Gee is the author of the best-selling guide Bucket List Family Travel, and in 2025, the family released a children's book, The Bucket List Family and the Big Adventure.
A significant innovation is the "Bucket List Friends" subscription service. For a recurring fee of $5 per month or $48 per year, dedicated members gain access to exclusive content including video podcasts and travel deals, creating a stable and predictable revenue stream.
The most ambitious venture is an animated series. Turning down offers from traditional production networks to retain full creative control, they launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on Republic, raising over $5 million to fund the studio. This transforms their personal brand into scalable intellectual property—a durable asset not dependent on their children's aging or their travel schedule. It is, in effect, a succession plan for the brand.
The Bucket List Family: Creator Collaborations
The Gee family actively engages with the creator community to cross-promote audiences. Recent vlogs documented a joint trip to Lake Powell with fellow YouTube channels @Dallinandbella and @tyandkena. During the trip, they were joined by Bailey Dunn, one of the world's top professional wake surfers. Beyond travel collaborations, they have appeared on influential creator-focused podcasts like the Colin and Samir Show to discuss their business model in depth.
The Bucket List Family: Awards and Public Scrutiny
The brand's influence is validated by industry accolades. They were voted "Travel Influencer of the Year" at the American Influencer Awards in both 2021 and 2022, were nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award, received a Parents Travel Award from Parents Magazine and Travel + Leisure, and were featured in the 12th Annual Shorty Awards.
However, their high profile has attracted significant scrutiny. In July 2025, a video posted by Garrett Gee went viral, showing him throwing his seven-year-old son, Calihan, from a cliff into the water at Lake Powell. The video's caption was framed preemptively, stating, "This is NOT parental advice," and positioning the act as a lesson that "YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS." Garrett later clarified that his son had consented to be thrown after hesitating to jump. The incident sparked a widespread public debate about parenting and risk. The family later referenced the "viral cliff-jumping video" in a subsequent YouTube description, leveraging the controversy to drive engagement.
This was not their first brush with criticism. A 2020 article from BeachGrit, citing a BuzzFeed News report, detailed complaints regarding a large-scale travel giveaway. The reports alleged that the giveaway's rules were unclear, leading some participants to feel they had been misled into actions that inflated the family's social media metrics.
The Bucket List Family: Philanthropy
Service is a central tenet of the family's brand messaging. They are prominent participants in #TeamWater, a crowdfunding campaign led by MrBeast and Mark Rober aiming to raise $40 million for the non-profit WaterAid. The family has partnered with TECHO on projects to combat poverty in Latin America and, during a trip to Nepal, worked with Effect.org, raising funds to build a school in India. An earlier initiative, Pin Pals, involved selling custom pins from countries they visited to raise money for various causes.
The Bucket List Family Today
Anchored by their home base in Hawaii, the Gee family now presides over a brand that balances global adventure with shrewd business strategy. Their focus on developing durable intellectual property—particularly the independently-funded animated series—signals a long-term vision that extends far beyond the lifespan of a typical influencer career.