Intentionally Aimless: How We Took Our Tech Startup on the Road

WFH was supposed to be the dream. And for a while, it was. Leaving behind the 2+ hour daily commute (10+ wasted hours per week) meant more time with our kids and the best insurance policy against car accidents or the general wear and tear of driving. Building lit(en)flame from our home office allowed us to be present in ways that were impossible in our old lives. But as the winter in Virginia stretched on, the dream started to feel like a small box with the walls closing in.

Between endless virtual meetings, billing, drafting proposals, managing finances, documenting our story (at least, attempting to), and doing the actual work—we realized something was off. Sitting in one home-office day after day left us feeling more stuck than free. The same walls, the same desk, the same coffee cups. We had left the grind, but maybe the grind had found a way to follow us.

So, we shook things up. We packed the car, loaded the kids, and hit the road.

We had no itinerary, just a vague direction: South. Warmer. Brighter. Vitamin D, please.

What followed was four weeks of discovering how portable this whole life we've built really is. From tent-side park benches to cabins, hotels, and friends' houses—our office became wherever we stopped. Our Tesla ran out of battery two miles from a charger, leaving the four of us stranded on the side of the road for an hour and a half in the cold. (That story deserves its own post, especially the part where the full trunk was locked with all our coats inside, and after arriving at the charger, we couldn’t open the charge port due to the dead battery.)

But we kept going.

We had random dinners with car dealers, conversations with owners of health retreats, and unintentionally acquired various new customers. You have to get outside of your box for these things to happen.

We swam in the ocean, stumbled upon Florida's freshwater springs, cooked dinners over campfires, and watched the stars while chatting late into the night. We found a water park so the boys could play freely while we swapped turns on the laptop. I took meetings with CEOs and CMOs from park benches, gas station parking lots, and whatever coffee shop had the strongest Wi-Fi. My hotspot became the unsung hero of this whole adventure.

The work didn't stop. The business didn't falter. If anything, it thrived.

We were chasing something—not just sunlight or a break from the cold—but a reminder of why we built this whole thing in the first place. The freedom to redefine what work looks like. The ability to move, adapt, and shape our lives on our own terms.

There’s something about being intentionally aimless—wandering with purpose—that shakes loose new ideas. The road gave us perspective. The water gave us clarity. And the sunlight, well... that just felt like proof we were on the right track.

lit(en)flame was never meant to be built from one desk. It was meant to move.

We'll be back in Virginia soon. But the walls don't feel so small anymore and I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the familiar once again.

We’ve written a few songs to document:

And taken a few candids along the way: