Joe Gumm ’01 received an Emmy Award for Traveling With the Tribe.
Day Trippers
Alum’s travel show wins TV’s highest honor
Spring 2012 · Comment ·
Life is a highway, and Joe Gumm ’01 rode it straight to an Emmy with his wife and four young daughters in tow.
As creator and executive producer of Traveling With the Tribe, Gumm took his family on excursions throughout Texas, highlighting vacation spots and day trips for other families. Their adventures happened in places like Twin Elm Guest Ranch in Bandera, where they rode longhorns, and Sea World San Antonio, where they swam with beluga whales.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I was prepared for that,” he says. “I basically had to do everything.”
Determined to see his show become a reality, Gumm took on what would normally require an entire team. He found the locations, produced a demo reel, sold the idea, got sponsors and a production crew, learned how to edit, handled expenses and wardrobe, and wrote scripts—with the added pressure of fitting everything into his wife and kids’ schedules.
“We had to put it all together so that it made sense and was still enjoyable to watch,” he says. “That’s exactly what we did, and we ended up winning an Emmy for it.” The show airs on Time Warner Cable, and you can watch episodes online at travelingwiththetribe.com.
“Before I even put pen to paper or pressed record on the camera, I knew I wanted to create a family-friendly show that I could watch with my children,” Gumm says. “Seeing the final episode of the first season—and being awarded an Emmy—proved that other people had that same desire.”
Gumm, who has loved broadcasting since he was young, is working his dream job as a morning anchor for Fox 25 in Oklahoma City.
“I would love to do Traveling With the Tribe again, but for now it’s taking a back seat,” he says. “I love my job and the people I work with. As for the future, only God knows.”
