About Us
¡Échale ganas! is a motto in many Latino/Hispanic families. There is no direct translation in English, but it means something close to give it all you've got or put effort into it. In my family, it was something my parents, tias (aunts), tios (uncles) and abuelos (grandparents) said to motivate us, to get us to try our best and be persistent. They would say things like “échale ganas en la escuela mija” (try hard at school daughter) or “si vas hacer eso, hazlo con ganas” (if you are going to do that, do it with enthusiasm/effort).
To live con ganas means to give life your all. It's about not letting life pass you by. Put some effort and ganas in it. We want to motivate people to go on adventures and follow their dreams!
When my husband and I got married we started to tent camp and would often join our friends and family on camping trips to places like Carpinteria State Beach and Shaver Lake. We love being outdoors, connecting with each other and with our loved ones. However, after eight years of roughing it in tents with two children, we dreamed about owning a travel trailer. We wanted a little more comfort and luxury (meaning warm showers and soft beds) on our adventures. In the mist of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made that dream a reality. We all absolutely love it!
Camping and being outdoors was part of our childhood. Connecting with nature, spending quality time with family and cookouts are a part of our culture. It's still what we do on the weekends when our extended family gets together. In the warmer months we do everything outside; grill carne asada, play games, joke around, relax and take naps.
When I would visit my grandparents in Mexico as a child, my family would take a trip to la sierra or el campo. It was one of the most enjoyable parts of my trip. We would ride horses, have cookouts and look for wild tunas (prickly pears) to eat.
Since buying our trailer, we visit a lot of outdoorsy type shops, sporting goods stores and camping stores looking for tools, necessities and decorations to furnish our travel trailer. Unfortunately, I'm always disappointed with the items they sell because I want our trailer to reflect our family. We noticed that our culture, language and experiences are not reflected on anything those shops sell. I decided to stop hoping someone else would tap into Latino inspired camping and outdoor items that speak to our hearts, nostalgia and cultural heritage and do it myself. Why not? I was told "échale ganas".
So, in 2023 we took a leap of faith and launched Live Con Ganas online. We want to inspire everyone to go on outdoor adventures and share those cultural elements that bring us joy, pride and appreciation for Mexican cultural heritage.
Now here we are paving our own journey, living life y echandole ganas!
We hope you enjoy our products and take them with you on all of your adventures, vacations and staycations!
~Yvette