HELLO! A quick note before we jump into the good stuff: If you’d like to listen to this story while you fold laundry, clean the kitchen or drive to your next appointment, I’ve got you covered! Here’s a quick video where I share the details of this post. You can easily listen to it in the background and pop into this blog post to see the pictures when you’ve got the time! Enjoy! Happy Wholehearted Hosting, friend!

Part Three

Ok...I’m so glad you’re here!  But you’ll be totally lost if you haven’t read the first two posts in this series.  So if that’s you, take a few minutes to read posts ONE and TWO and then come join us!  We’ll be here!

If you’ve read the first two, welcome back!  Let’s dive in!

A blast from the past…

We left off on the unexpected message in my inbox.  His name was Ryan and he said he thought we should be working together.  I almost didn’t respond...because, you know, weird messages come through Messenger sometimes.  And sometimes it’s best to just ignore them.  But I went ahead and responded...and I’m so glad I did!  Turns out Ryan was the Ryan I went to high school with.  We were in drama class together in 9th and 10th grade.  Crazy!

We met for coffee and the energy was electric.  He’s a real estate investor and was hoping I’d be interested in staging his next project.  Of course I would!  We toured downtown Albuquerque and he showed me all his properties and we both agreed we’d absolutely work together...as soon as an opportunity presented itself...it was a done deal.  All we needed was that opportunity. 

And so it begins!

And boy did it come!  Ryan reached out a couple weeks later and shared that he had an AirBnB opportunity. He asked if I’d be interested in designing an AirBnB and then he’d host it and we’d both collect the profit.  It was a no-brainer.  I met him there as soon as we could arrange our schedules and toured this incredible modern space with lofts and vaulted ceilings and balconies and three separate units.  Was I in heaven?  I sure felt like I was!  

I was given full reins of the project.  I started with one of the smaller units and we had our first guest lined up before I ever completed the space.  From there, I dove headfirst into the two remaining spaces and the rest is history!  The owner of that property invited me to design and host his four-plex on the other side of the city, which turned into also designing and hosting another four-plex he owned.  Ryan and I started acquiring additional properties and he converted a couple of his rental properties into short-term rentals, which I designed and hosted.  We made a couple arrangements with other property owners and before I knew it, I was designing one space after another and had done 20 spaces within 18 months.  It was amazing!  I was exhilarated and exhausted and so deeply grateful.  And in the middle of all the rapid growth, I was also learning how to be a good AirBnB host.  I had found my sweet spot.  I was a Superhost in my first evaluation period with AirBnB and have been one since.  

In Hindsight…

Looking back...it really all started when we set our eyes on that 1973 vintage diamond-in-the-rough and poured our blood, sweat and tears into giving it new life.  If someone had told me, as I stood hand washing dishes in a utility sink on the concrete floors of my “kitchen”, that what I was doing at that moment was preparing me for the business of my dreams...not sure I would have believed it.  But that’s exactly what happened!  My YES to our home was actually a YES to my dreams.  

And oh, by the way, I think I forgot to mention that for the first 10 years of our marriage, I regularly told my husband that I wanted to have a collection of houses that I designed and took care of. I always said it in a silly “a girl can dream, right?” kinda way.  I had no clue I was literally describing my future.  So powerful. 

Anyways, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little journey down memory lane with me!  Thanks for reading all three parts!  I hope you feel encouraged and inspired to do that thing!  Dream the dream...say yes to what’s right in front of you...and keep going!  You’ll get there!  

Do you have your own AirBnB dream?

And if you’re dream is anything along the lines of AirBnB, design and hosting...I’ve got a couple tools I created just for you that I think will help you on your own adventure.  Below, you’ll find the links to my AirBnB Essentials Checklist (because when you design and stock 20 spaces in 18 months, you create a checklist...and you share it so others don’t have to learn the hard way like you did!) and a Superhost Toolkit...which is basically a guide to the tools I use to make sure I can host and still have a life.  Because if you don’t use tools for automation, you won’t have a lift- as me how I know!  I hope they’re helpful to you, friend!

Alright, that’s all I have for now.  I’ll be back next week with some tips for designing AirBnBs.  If that’s something you’re interested in, check back next week!