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Courtney
Caldwell Biography
Fueled by Passion, Propelled by Purpose
An
avid auto and travel enthusiast determined to give a voice to the women’s market, Courtney Caldwell was fueled by passion to make a difference. She created the first national magazine to specialize in auto and safety-related topics for women. Launched in 1989 in print, ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine (RTM) transitioned to an online magazine in 2000, with Caldwell as the driving force.
Caldwell’s love for cars emerged the mid 60’s during the muscle car era. "I was 14 when the Mustang and GTO came out. The roar of the engine and cool styling was absolutely mesmerizing. So, I badgered a local mechanic for weeks to teach me to drive his ‘64, 4-speed GTO. I think he finally gave in just to get rid of me. He had white knuckles and I became hooked!" says Caldwell.
Living in total anonymity in Warwick, RI, the single mother of two realized that owning a muscle car was not practical so instead Caldwell bought a new '79 Chevy van, which she had customized for camping. It not only accommodated her active lifestyle it also led to Caldwell's first company, VANity Fare, a limousine service designed to chauffeur groups to local sporting events.
Intuitively, Caldwell knew something bigger awaited her beyond RI, so in 1981 she sold her home of 11 years, packed up her kids, then 11 and 12, and headed cross-country to California. “We camped out in 16 states along the way. My son gathered wood, my daughter filled water containers and I
cooked over an open fire under the stars. It was our first trip out of RI and one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had as a family,” Caldwell says.
Once in California, Caldwell combined her years of Taekwondo training as a black belt with her daredevil driving skills acquired on the back roads of RI to become a stunt woman. “My specialties were J-turns (spinning cars), riding motorcycles, and fight scenes. I worked on several projects with Sam Elliott, Goldie Hawn, Gary Busey and Kurt Russell.” However, stunt work for women was still scarce in the '80s and Caldwell had two teens with medical conditions to support. An experienced accountant, she worked between gigs as a controller for Pierre Cardin, a personal bodyguard for actress Lola Falana, and assisting singer Peggy Lee with her personal and business affairs.
As a single parent who made all of her own financial decisions, Caldwell grew restless with the disrespectful treatment received at dealerships so in 1986 she formed a national organization to help raise awareness of the power of the purse. Through the organization, Caldwell created and produced her first major event,
the "Cruise-Aid for Diabetes," a celebrity-packed, 50-mile motorcycle ride, raising several hundred thousand dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Recognized for her success in event production and attracting media, Caldwell was hired by the motorcycle industry to produce the Van Buren TransCon in 1988, a national publicity tour designed to enhance the image of motorcycling. Caldwell served as the lead motorcycle rider and spokesperson on the 18-state/22-city, 4000-mile,
30-day tour, where she reached out to thousands of grassroot Americans.
Inspired on tour by the overwhelming demand to improve the quality of treatment at dealerships towards female consumers, Caldwell launched ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine upon her return, which became the pioneering publication to educate women on car buying and negotiating, and provide a voice for the women’s market.
The premier issue was due to launch in January ‘89 but not without its challenges. Two weeks before the launch, Caldwell broke seven ribs, shattered her right scapula and rotator cup, and suffered severe spinal compression in a motorcycle accident, which doctors claimed few survived. Undeterred, Caldwell's 21-year old son carried his broken
mother on board a plane two weeks later, propping up her willowy spine and bruised body with pillows for support during the cross country flight. Once in DC, Caldwell handed out the first issue of RTM one by one at an auto show.
Declaring Caldwell’s vision of the women’s market “before its time”, most marketers refused to advertise in the first few years. Convinced the market was huge, Caldwell sold her ten-year-old custom Chevy van and used the insurance money from the
accident to support the magazine until automakers caught on. “Many laughed, throwing the magazine across their desk, saying they thought it was a joke. Some even told me I should get a real job or to find a husband and settle down,” she recalls. “Ford was the only company that believed in our vision and agreed the
women’s market was a force to be reckoned with, becoming the first to advertise.”
In spite of naysayers, two wars, three recessions, a dotcom crash, and 9/11, Caldwell expanded her mission. In 1997, she launched the International Car of the Year Awards (ICOTY), the first auto awards show to honor the emotional connection between car and consumer. By 2008, ICOTY had become largest auto awards production in the U.S. earning the honorable distinction as the Academy Awards of Cars by industry leaders. Today, automakers use the ‘emotional connection’ theme in their national marketing and advertising campaigns and during press conferences.
In 2000, Caldwell converted RTM to an online magazine making it one of the earliest Internet publications. "People told me I was crazy and this 'internet thing' was just a fad and would soon pass, and that women would never get it anyway. My reply was, "mark my words, this internet thing will not only take over print within 10 years, women will exceed men online by then as well." Again, they laughed. By 2007, there were 97 million American woman online vs. 91 million American men. And, in 2006 newspaper and magazine publishers were declaring upwards of $10 billion in revenue loss due to 'this internet thing' that would never last.
In 1997, Caldwell recognized the urgency of climate change and how little consumers knew about it so in an effort to help raise awareness, added a most environmentally friendly car of the year award to the ICOTY Awards. "Unfortunately, at that time," she says, "Honda was the only company with an in-production, eco-friendly vehicle so there was no competition for the award." After three years, the award was discontinued with the intention of bringing it back when there were more contenders. Eight years later, Caldwell launched Earth, Wind & Power Media, (EWP) an environmental media company designed to provide mainstream Americans with content and resources from which they could make informed decisions on eco-friendly products
and services.
In 2008, Caldwell launched the Earth Angel Award to shed light on the positive contributions automakers are making towards reducing global warming. And in 2009, she launched the EWP Car and Truck of the Year Awards to honor vehicles that are conducive to promoting a cleaner environment and helped reduce dependence on foreign oil through alternative energy sources. The time for competition in the vehicle environmental arena had finally arrived.
This feisty grandmother of two also serves as a spokesperson for a variety of national companies, a skill she honed through unconventional means. Caldwell took standup comedy classes and performed at LA’s Improv to ‘teach my butterflies to fly in formation and have fun at the same time.’ Her unwavering commitment has also led to a multitude of TV appearances including CBS's The Early Show, The Today Show, World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and CNN, to name a few.
Today, Caldwell’s expanding role as a national consumer advocate and spokesperson has positioned her as a leading authority in her field. No one’s laughing now as Caldwell continues to propel her purpose driven life to strengthen, communicate, and educate industry and consumers alike on the urgency and acceleration of climate change.
From total obscurity as a single mom in RI to a national consumer advocate, Caldwell knows no limitations. Tell her it can’t be done and she’ll show you it can, a true testament that nothing is impossible in the world of Courtney Caldwell. |
