Cloverdale / Healdsburg KOA

Before she bought her campground in 1993, Pamela Mendala worked hard in the banking industry. But once she left the corporate world, Mendala took off a considerable amount of time to think about what she would do with the rest of her working life. "I thought about what experiences could combine together and what parts of my life gave me the greatest joy, satisfaction and memories," she said.

Her introspection brought her back to the outdoors and the memories she had with family and friends in that setting. During her time off, Pamela drove with a friend in a rented RV to Colorado and stayed at many campgrounds along the way, and one was a KOA campground. She found it was for sale and became interested in the possibility of buying it.

But her ties were to the Bay Area, so Pamela systematically began looking for campgrounds that met her criteria and were closer to home. She came across the Cloverdale campground and decided to buy it. As a business owner, Pamela is attentive to the deliberate marriage of the campground's physical setting with its offerings.

"We have successfully blended the spectacular natural environment with the modern amenities that campers expect today," she said. "It is a delicate balance to strike, keeping the environment as natural as it is."

Pamela is clear about the number one offering of her campground. "Always, always, always remember what business you are in. Ours is the business of creating memories," she said. "We are not in the campground, hospitality or recreation business. We are in the memory business."

She still likes to travel, but can't resist stopping at businesses to observe their services and environment. She makes mental notes on what works for them and how they create winning combinations and then takes those ideas back to her campground. Even in her spare time, the driven and smart business owner is still thinking about the principals of business. "I try to make sure I am always working on the right things," she said.