Positively Midlife Podcast

Airbnb Hosting...Two Great Midlife Hosting Success Stories - Ep 14

August 09, 2022 Ellen, Tish & Kristin Baker Season 1 Episode 14
Positively Midlife Podcast
Airbnb Hosting...Two Great Midlife Hosting Success Stories - Ep 14
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Show Notes Transcript

Have you ever considered running your own Airbnb? This week we have Kristin Baker an Airbnb super host shares her story of creating a successful passive income business in Burlington, VT and our own Midster co-host Ellen shares her California Airbnb story.   Listen to these two success stories to get inspired. 

Become part of the 54% of global Airbnb hosts that are women or market your short-term rental through any other platform too. .Whether it is a stand-alone unit like Kristin or part of your own residence like Ellen, both can be very successful.

Hear how both Ellen and Kristin are using their units to bring themselves more financial freedom.  Learn how they set themselves apart from other units on the market and have become Super Hosts.  And even hear why Kristin may need a "bat phone" in her unit LOL

Whether you want to get inspired to have an Airbnb or you want to get inspired to just stay in one of these curated and styled units....you will love their stories.

Kristin's Short term rental:  https://www.facebook.com/DowntownDesignerDigs/

Ellen's unit  https://abnb.me/YUQMXWoUmsb

Kristin's unit   https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/31833416

Obsessions
Tish: Think Dirty  This is a phone app that helps you Think Dirty and Buy "Clean".  Easy Way to learn about potentially toxic ingredients in your household, cosmetics and personal care products
Ellen:  Collecting Sea Glass There is something so joyful about collecting beautiful colored sea glass and keeping it to remind us of that special vacation

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Website: www.thepositivelymidlifepodcast.com
Email: postivelymidlifepod@gmail.com

Ellen Gustafson:

Welcome back to the Midsters Podcast. I'm one of your co hosts, Ellen. And Tish and I are so excited to be back with you. The topic we're going to talk about tonight is running an Airbnb or a short term rental business at midlife. It's something a lot of women may be thinking about. And it can be a path to some financial freedom. And it's really cool to be part of a community of worldwide hosts. I think you guys know that I'm an Airbnb host. And I'll share a little bit of my experience with creating and running an Airbnb. But we're going to be talking to one of our amazing friends, and a incredibly successful Airbnb host, who was my inspiration for starting my Airbnb.

Tish Woods:

So full disclosure here. Kristin is one of our amazing college friends that we always talk about, you know, part of our tribe. So we are so lucky to have so many accomplished friends. Kristen is this amazing designer, self proclaimed Airbnb hustler. And she's actually considered a super host, which is a big deal in the Airbnb market, from Burlington, Vermont. So her Burlington, Airbnb is a designer, downtown digs as they refer to it, it is full of her amazing sense of style. And she's also founder of Abell and lovely, which is a lifestyle brand. And she is a designer at Burlington furniture. So, we're going to post pictures of her amazing Airbnb unit on our Facebook page. So be sure to tune in to the the mid Source podcast Facebook page to see some of her unit because it is amazing. So Kristen, we just want to say welcome. Well, thank you for joining us. And we're so happy to have you here on our podcast today.

Kristin:

Oh my god, that that intro is too much. I mean, it's like it you know, these guys are like, fit. Trish is Trish. Her last name is. Um, they

Tish Woods:

Evryone calls me Fitz from college, and they call me Fitz

Kristin:

I just but we were roommates. And like, I know, we're like a sister. And I know, you know, Ellen. I love her like a sister. And so that intro was like very humbling. And I almost cried. So fast forward. I'm really sorry. But thank you for that wonderful intro.

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, we are so happy to have you here. And I say you live up to every bit of that intro, Kristin. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, we have a lot of great stuff to talk about tonight. But you know, we always start with our obsessions. And Tish, I'm gonna kick it over to you.

Tish Woods:

Okay, so my obsession this week is think dirty. I know, more, right? You if you think it's gonna be better than it is, think dirty is actually an app that you can put on your phone. And you can find out what products that you are using, that are considered clean. Are they completely clean? Are they partially clean? Are they dirty. And you can also request that they do some research and to find out, you know which products you're using, whether you're putting stuff in your body or on your skin, even stuff for pets. So it's kind of a neat way to really kind of look at what you're using. So tonight, I just like grabbed, I love using this Burt's Bees on my lips. And I thought, let me see is that a clean product? I mean, I think it's supposed to be because they always you know, and sure enough, I scan my little barcode on it and it came up clean. So I was feeling a little bit better about using my lip gloss tonight. So dirty.

Ellen Gustafson:

Okay, we'll put that in the show notes for sure. And I think I'll check that out myself.

Tish Woods:

What about you? What's your obsession this week? Well,

Ellen Gustafson:

I am obsessed with sea glass. And I recently came to New England and I have a friend Kimberly, who's always teasing me on Facebook with these beautiful hauls. I have my sad little West Coast few pieces, you know, she would have just the most amazing blues and greens and light blues. And I must have hit it right because I filled up an entire jar with sea glass that I collected in just a few days. So I'll share a photo of it but you know collecting sea glass has always been a great goal kind of, for me, I've tried it, but I've never really gotten much. So I'd have to say, I'm just obsessed with sea glas this week.

Tish Woods:

I know I've told you before, that I love when I go to the beach or go somewhere and I start collecting things that I love to put them in little containers that I can mark, when I when I got them, whether it's stand, whether it's shells, I usually go for like one color shell at a time. And then I have jars that I remember that trip from. So I'm going to challenge you. And maybe we can put some links, you know, for Amazon, on really great containers where you can keep these so you can kind of remember that trip from?

Ellen Gustafson:

I think that's a great idea. I've always loved how crafty you are. All right, well, let's get to it. Because this is a really interesting topic. And I know that many of us at midlife have more flexibility. And we could leverage some space that we may have. Or we may need some extra cash to write we have all of these things happening. And so women are leading the way as Airbnb hosts, I think 60, almost 60% of the hosts worldwide are women. So I just want to say shout out to women for really being a big part of this industry and for making it successful. For me, I started in airbnb when one of my kids went off to college, and I had an empty in law unit. So I think there's many different ways that you can do this. Some people have a whole unit, some people rent out a room, some people leave their house, their home and go somewhere else and rent it. So I think we'll hear a lot of different ways that you can take advantage of doing this short term rental type of gig. So

Tish Woods:

I think what what I love about how we're going to approach this tonight, too is Ellen, yours is very different from Kristin's yours is part of your home. And so we're going to really look forward to how you do it, how it works for you. But Kristin, I want to hear about your journey from starting your Airbnb to becoming a super host and what that means. And because you are Airbnb full year, all year long.

Kristin:

Yeah, I am. I am now a full year, Airbnb all day long. It took me I think, almost like two years to be that. And it was gradual, but it was intentional. And so you know, I was divorced. And I was leaving the suburbs. And I wanted to get into the city. I was a designer, I'm a collector. And I have been always interested in real estate I was a broker to and when we moved to Vermont, it was great. And when we got divorced, I was like I wanted to be closer to the city I wanted to wherever I lived, I wanted to be able to walk to town to get a coffee or be close to a medical center, or a university. I always like university towns because you have people there. And we just happen to be in Burlington, Vermont, close to the lake in the Adirondacks. So it's a win win win. And so I wanted to get out of the country and get closer to a coffee shop. And so I bought because I did not have a lot of means a one bedroom apartment, right in the heart of downtown. And I loved it. I could walk everywhere, I could do everything. And it was just really great. But I needed I really did want a little bit more space because I do have three kids. And so I decided to well, you know what I you know, everything in here is part of my collections and everything that I've been, you know, purchasing since the time I was 26 years old. So it's a very eclectic space. And I thought it would be a very good venue for Airbnb, which was super, you know, trendy and everyone was doing it. I was like, why couldn't I do that? I'm a realtor. You know, I'm a designer. I am a collector. You know, it's it's a different kind of interior than the other interior is for a one bedroom. Right? So, uh, you know, I think I at least I thought I had a leg up. And so I tried it. glammed didn't like glamping have a mini van I have, you know, a Mini Cooper. I think I mentioned that to you before the other night. I stayed at some friends houses, you know, and people liked my my space you know, but because If you if you're not a super host, if you're not on the algorithm of of Airbnb, it's tough. So you need reviews, reviews are really super important. And once you start getting reviews, you start getting, you know, people interested in your space and they'll start, you know, you'll start, you know, your calendar will start to fill up. And so it just takes a little bit of time. And that's what happened to me. So I got lucky. And, you know, within a year, I think I was a super host, but I think our co host who's who's the co host of this, of this podcast was like, a super host way before me. So she she is a super host too.

Tish Woods:

Well, what I really liked about this story, Kristin is you were going through a big change in your life going through a divorce. And so this initially was your transition living place correctly decided to take that, and not just get rid of it and move on. But you were going to move on with the idea that this was going to become a big part of your future plans are a source of income for you. Yeah, for sure. So I loved how you, you know, took up this, you went from being in a relationship, and this was your transition space. And though it was small, and you knew you needed more space than this, but that this was your stepping stone in between, but it became your building block. And

Kristin:

It really was an opportunity, you know, like, it's an opportunity for, you know, I had a full time job, you know, but it was an opportunity for passive income, which I desperately needed. And it was, you know, a risk, but it was the risk in my, in my area that I felt comfortable with design real estate, and, you know, in, you know, showing somebody, you know, an interior that they don't necessarily live with every single day, right. And so, I don't know if they're gonna like it or not, but I'm thinking fingers crossed, they will and they have so you know, it was it was, it was. And the surprise.

Tish Woods:

the other thing, too, is that you were very specific on the type of area you want it to be, and you wanted to be in a active happening, urban area. So that was big for you. Because it it also matched with your sense of style.

Kristin:

But not really that necessary, because you know, people like want to come to a town but they want to go out to dinner, they want to be able to go to the mountain to the lake, they want to be around culture they want, you know, theater, they want a dining, they want IPA, you know, so we had everything there. And I just wanted to be in a walking distance so they could park their car and walk. And that is the reasons why I call it downtown, designer decks.

Tish Woods:

So what kind of people do you draw as your guest.

Kristin:

So for me, you know, I draw people who are like honeymooners, I drive people who are anniversary people, you know, kids, that parents who are like looking for colleges, because we're a college town. So it's just really couples, and they just really want to like get out of Dodge, and they want a different type of environment. So my people are from New York, Burlington, Chicago, they're from Minneapolis. I mean, they're from all over, but they just want a different experience. And I want them to become to have an experience in my interior to be different than the average one bedroom, Airbnb that they can get, you know, down the street.

Ellen Gustafson:

And I see it,

Tish Woods:

Ellen true. So Ellen, your experience was a little bit different. Because you're in a very different type of area neighborhood. So how did you make your Airbnb happen?

Ellen Gustafson:

Well, good question fits first of all, Kristin came out and she checked it out and she called it my little money maker. So she inspired me completely to to feel like I had the bones there. I just gave myself a budget to kind of update it and put in those things you need like the key pads and a few a few different things. But

Tish Woods:

let me ask you, what were you using the space for before you transitioned it?

Ellen Gustafson:

My oldest son was living down there. It has a separate entrance, but you can also get to it through our house and when he went away to college, rather than let one of my other boys move down to this very, you know, kind of independent in law Unit What I did was I was like, Hey, I'm staring at three boys going off to college soon, I'm gonna make some money from it. So what I had done when he was in college was during the summers and at holidays, I didn't rent it. So my availability was a little bit different than Christians. I had big chunks, maybe almost half of the year that I wasn't renting it out as an air b&b. But I'm in the suburbs, if you could call it that I'm in in Marin. And it's pretty rural here. But I'm in a development. And I get a lot of couples, people coming up out of San Francisco, a lot of people coming to weddings, there are probably no hotels within 10 miles of me. I also get a lot of grandparents who come to town to visit their kids in their grandchildren. But they want their own space, because mine's a studio. I mean, it's just perfect for two people. And then we have a Zen Center Spirit Rock. It's one of the biggest meditation places, I think, on the west coast. And a lot of people come for two, three or four day retreats. And I'm pretty close to that. So there were a lot, there was a lot more interest in my unit than I ever thought I was thinking. Well, you know, we'll see how it goes. And I was as busy as I wanted to be.

Kristin:

And surprised, right, Ellen? Yeah. And surprised.

Ellen Gustafson:

And I'm very surprised. And I have to just say, I was surprised at how easy the platforms not just Airbnb, but VRBO they really make it great to be a host, it was a lot easier than I thought. How about you Kristin, were you surprised by that?

Kristin:

I am so surprised by I love Airbnb, Airbnb. I love the owner, I love the CEO. I love how interactive he is. And so I like the platform better than VRBO. But VRBO is good, too. But um, my I find it easier to interact on a platform level with Airbnb. But VRBO is is is good, too. And you link calendars. So that's good.

Tish Woods:

Kristin can you can you explain what you mean, to see if there's a VRBO reservation.

Kristin:

And I can tell you once in a while there is a glitch in the systems. And so you'll get a double booking and it's on the end. So that's not, that's not good, because you have to like tell the other person, there's, it's been a double booking and whoever booked first, you know, gets pushed off. So that's never pleasant. And that's happened maybe two times out of the time, but then they know that they're working on that. And they really need to make sure that doesn't happen again. But so that's the you know, the one thing about having, you know, two platforms, it's not always perfect, but 99.8% It is.

Tish Woods:

That's fantastic that you can leverage both sides, and actually merge those schedules. So people can see availability almost perfectly over to different platforms that are not related at all. So that to me is amazing that you don't have to pick one or the other or try to figure out where stuff is booked. So I think that is absolutely great. Ellen, one of the things I know that you've mentioned before in terms of your type of guests that you end up bringing into your units is, um, you said that a lot of women like to book with you because you're a woman host?

Ellen Gustafson:

I think so. Yeah. I think so. And I think most of my reviews are for women. It's funny, I've really, I think I have 75% women, and 25% You know, men and couples. So I think that you know, I really hit a sweet spot. It's a studio and it's really just perfect for one person. And maybe the way it looks is a little more feminine, because I think it's my style.

Kristin:

Oh, it's beautiful. Yeah.

Ellen Gustafson:

Oh, thanks, Kristin.

Tish Woods:

We're gonna show pictures of Ellen's as well because it is it's just bright and oranges and blues. And yet it's just beautiful. But what was the other type of person that would come in for a little long extended times?

Ellen Gustafson:

Yeah, I don't think I said this when I talked about the kinds of people but I've had it A number of guests who are doing remodels. And they're local, they might be from my town or for another town. And either they need three weeks, six weeks, a couple months even. And so that's been a kind of customer I've had that I've really enjoyed, you know, I've enjoyed meeting them and kind of getting to know them, because they've been here for an extended period. And unlike Kristin mine is obviously an in law unit. So it's attached to my house. And so I almost always meet them at some point, whether it's like a wave or a, you know, a question about where they're parking the car or something. So the longer term, folks, it's been nice, you know, to get to know, folks there.

Tish Woods:

That's fantastic tell me Have either of you, let's start with you, Kristin have you ever had, like a crazy or bad experience with gas?

Kristin:

You know, of course. Of course, I mean, every I think every host is had, you know, a bad experience. So you know, you know, I live in Vermont, we have these old buildings, I'm in an alternative the century building. And we have to deal with that, right. And so we made you really issue the bats fly around Vermont, and we don't want, you know, people who, who traveled here who are from Vermont who who want to come back, they always you know, they they understand the bat issue. But if you're not remote, and you don't understand, like bats are always going to come in when it's super hot, and they're going to come through the chimney, they're going to come through an old crack, they're going to come through, if you crack a window, they're going to come right in when it's super hot, because they want to, you know, you know, get out of the heat. They're going to be in your house. And so, I I've had my Airbnb, maybe three summers, this is my third summer, maybe my fourth summer, every single summer. I haven't had it this year yet, but it is August and we are having a heatwave, I haven't got a bat call. And but every single year bats come in because somebody leaves the door open, somebody opens, it opens up a window, whatever at bats come in, and there's like three or four bats and I get a call and I'm like, they're like, I have a great management team, they go in, they retrieve them, they release them, because they were you know, they're, they're a scarcity right now. And there's a disease on their nose, and we have to make sure that we don't kill them, they're not dangerous. And what they do is they take care of all the insects in our environment, and we really need the bats. And they're imperative to you know, how, you know, our summers are going to prevail. And so we have to be very careful about that. I know, they're scary, they're intrusive, and all of a sudden, out of the blue, they come flying down with their wide wings. But you know what, we're gonna take care of them. But it is part of our, our climate, it's part of where we are. And we, and if we are having such, you know, are what sometimes when it goes over 90, like the bats will, like try to flee anywhere to get inside to a cooler climate. And that's why they're ending up inside and finding their way through an old building. Because the newer buildings, the way they are structured, it's it's much more difficult. The older buildings, the old brick buildings, do what they can get in there through a chimney and bam, they're in your living room. I would wear your bedroom, and they're loud. And so that really is, I think, you know, thank you for bringing that up. Because I think I have to really put it out there on my welcome to Burlington, if it's in the summer months, you might find it bad, let me know and I'll get our back control on it. Please don't kill them and we need them and we'll then we'll get them out and I'll give you another night you know, free and you know, whenever time or something. I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable. If they want to leave, they can leave, but I'm going to do everything to make them feel safe. And you know, they can enjoy a night another time. Right? So worst case scenario.

Tish Woods:

so in other words, Kristin you're gonna have to install a bat phone

Ellen Gustafson:

or not? Or not?

Kristin:

Well, I don't I know. But it's it's that since they were scenario bats.

Ellen Gustafson:

I don't have bats here. We don't I mean, we do you but that hasn't been an issue, but we have a lot of coyotes. And they can sound really close and really scary. But Tish knows this because she stayed in my Airbnb, my neighbors have chickens and roosters. So in my welcome packet, it says, you know, there are chickens next door, and there is a rooster, that they keep cooped as long as they can. But those are kind of the animals out my way, aside from deer and you know, whatever else is here.

Tish Woods:

But I will say Ellen, your neighbors are very considerate, because they do not let them out of the coop until like 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning.

Ellen Gustafson:

I know it's great. And I enjoyed that little sound of cluking. And most people, most people like it, but I've only had one if I could say bad experience where someone showed up, I have no dog, no kid unit because it's not suitable for either of those. And my guests showed up with her little dogs saying that her dog sitter canceled at the last minute. And she didn't the guests didn't, you know, contact me in advance. And I think part of it was I was counting on the income from her for five days stay and I was just it was right there. And I didn't know what to do to say like, No, you can't stay here at this point, it was dark in in all of that. And so all weekend long, my little dog upstairs went crazy, because she knew there was a dog downstairs. And when the unit was cleaned, the woman's perfect little dog had peed on bathmats and throw rugs and really left a mess down there. So I have to say that was, you know, one of the things you you really kind of learn what why you've made some decisions, why you have certain rules in your unit and what's good for you or not good for you. And I would have told the woman now a couple years, four years into it, whatever it is that I wouldn't, wouldn't let her stay due to that. So I don't know, Kristin, if you've had anything like that happen.

Kristin:

So I just because I have a full time job. And this was my kind of like my passive income. I had to, you know, I had to eliminate so many issues or problems that could come up. So I said, you know, no dogs because I can't clean like messes and all that stuff. I was doing my own cleaning. And I also had to say like no children because I have so many artifacts on the wall, right? And so kids would be touching or whatever. And you know, I don't want anyone to get hurt or injured or, or damage anything that I had. So I was just trying to be as like, Okay, how do I do this? No dogs, no animals, and no children under a certain age just because I don't think I would be able to maintain it. I was just testing it out. Right? And so, um, and it's a one bedroom and so it kind of worked out that way and people respected it and they could understand it and they kind of like they like that it's a very, you know, eclectic apartment. And so it's worked out and yeah, I you know, I just I still to this day have no dogs and No, no young children. Just because they're, they're gonna be curious. I have three kids in my own they're going to touch and whatever everything and I would just hate to have them get hurt.

Tish Woods:

I think to what I've heard both of you kind of saying is you created places that are unique and special. So it's not just a generic place to stay. If somebody wanted generic they would just go to a hotel for sure you're creating that experience that mood that ambiance you know for you, Kristen, there's a lot of antiques and just uniqueness about it. And an Ellen you know, yours is you know, the private entrance and just the bright and airy California feel to it. So if you were set if you were giving advice to somebody about setting one up, make it special.

Kristin:

Make it different than anybody else in your neighborhood. I mean, everybody sells soap everybody has candles. Everybody has whatever ever figure out a way to make to separate you from, from the vast majority and make it authentic, because they want an authentic experience. And, and if you can do that, I think you're going to be successful.

Ellen Gustafson:

I would, I would agree with that Kristin. And I really feel also that I have great service. And you mentioned that too, if there's an issue, you're right on it. I know Kristin leaves a gift basket and wine, I do the same thing. And, and you know, part of it really is being a host to your hometown, whether it's my little tiny town that I live in here in Northern California, or a city and I think that both Kristen and I have really tried to have great customer service as a differentiator as well.

Kristin:

And communication for sure what if someone, if it's a first timer, they can be a little bit nervous, and they don't understand the keypad or whatever or they do. And I mean, you have to be there to pick up their phone call when they can't get in, right. So you need your phone there, or you need a management team to pick up that call. And and if you can communicate with them right away and set their you know, anxiety down, and it's going to be okay, it's just a keypad you can get in, don't worry about it. And they know that you're there to walk them through that. It's going to be great. Those are first timers. And you I do think they need a little bit more hand folding. I mean, when I went to France, like, I don't know, maybe five years ago, I needed that hand holding. And it was it made me feel. It made me feel like oh, okay, this is going to be okay. I've never had an Airbnb before. And I'm in France, and you're able to help me walk through that door and walk through the experience. And so if you can pick up that call, when they're like, you know, fumbling, whether or not they have their glasses or or, or they don't eat, you know, whatever, they don't have the language, whatever it is, if you can help them through that period of whatever, of that anxiety that they're feeling. They're going to have a good time. Yeah.

Tish Woods:

So you have a unique place, you have amazing customer service. So this brings you to a level with Airbnb to be this super host. What does that mean for your business? How does that change your business?

Ellen Gustafson:

I think that super hosts actually are presented first on the platform. And I'd have to say that the first thing, so when someone's looking in your super host, their algorithm, it presents you first, I think the second thing is when I'm looking to stay in an Airbnb, I like to stay with super hosts, because I know they have the best rating. Right? So it kind of works on really from both ends. So if I'm looking to stay, I'm looking for a super host. And you know, I think those are the the things that I think it means Kristin, anything else on that one?

Kristin:

So I would just you know, ditto everything Ellen just said, because I would only look for a super host super host has. They have the book, they have the best ratings. And if they don't meet those ratings quarterly. They do. They're not a super host. So it's not like a yearly Oh, like you made super hosts for the year. I think it is. And I may be wrong quarterly or, you know, by by annually. I'm not quite sure but I mean, one time I got nixed because I I was a newbie and I double booked and I was a super host and then I lost and I wasn't a super host and I had to gain it again because I really didn't like take the time to really understand and like what what you cannot really when somebody books you you can't cancel on Yeah, and I think I canceled on them for some reason. Maybe it was a I don't know what it was but I can't tell them and I didn't know that and I lost my rating. And no, I'll never do that again.

Tish Woods:

It's so I know we're kind of running short on time. But I do want to talk about one more thing Kristin because I know this was like really passionate for you about this. How has owning an Airbnb changed your future?

Kristin:

Oh my god. I mean, it has that passive income that jump that leap for me to you know, buy an apartment and then live there and then maybe say, Oh, maybe I could turn it into, you know, an income producing property. And I could be an Airbnb here and I could live somebody someplace else has changed my life, it has changed my life. Full circle. And you know, we were talking about this the other night, I mean, when you're when you're lucky, and then you're, you've done all the work. And all of a sudden, something presents itself, which the Airbnb did presented, I was a designer, I know real estate, I had a collector so I could have all that I could test it out. And I tested it out. And I, you know, I went to my friend's house, and I went to my Mini Cooper. And, and it worked. And I couldn't believe it, I could not believe it. I have a really good job as a designer, and my Airbnb, I no longer have to clean by myself, I have a management team, and it has changed my life.

Tish Woods:

I love that it's so inspirational than, you know, here's two stories of two women, different types of spaces, that that had made this part of their ongoing income their future. And it just says that this is so possible. And it's not that difficult. Yes, it's work. Everything's always work. But that it's really possible. And Kristin, you've gone on to mentor many women, and other people, not just women, but you've gone on to mentor people into, you know, having their own units, what would be your one piece of advice that you would give other ministers about kind of moving forward? If they're considering this?

Kristin:

And let me ask you a question moving forward, like within Airbnb, or just moving forward into something else?

Tish Woods:

An Airbnb? Yeah.

Kristin:

Oh, um, location, location. Yeah, just because you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. I mean, people need to go to, to, they're going, they're coming to Vermont. And I have, you know, they can walk, they can just, they can park their car and walk everywhere. They have culture, they have lake they have access to, you know, you know, you know, UVM Medical, they have access to everything. So just be careful where you are, I mean, you could be in Hawaii, you have the, you know, whatever. But wherever you go, if you're in the middle of nowhere, I don't know how many people you're gonna get unless you really want it like, you know, detached from the world for like, for seven months or six months. But I mean, I think location, people want to wake up and walk down the street and get a cup of coffee, or get an IPA or get a really great burrito or something. And so, or we're Ellen lives go hike in the woods. And she's, like, get a bicycle.

Ellen Gustafson:

It's mountain biking, mountain.

Kristin:

But is it? Mountain biking? Mountain biking was invented?

Ellen Gustafson:

That's right. That's right, in my town. But I agree with you, Kristin. I think the one thing I would say to amidst her is researching it and try it like Kristin did. It wasn't you don't have to put in a huge outlay of cash. A lot of times, I see and know people who rent rooms or they're going away for two weeks and they rent their place while they're gone. Or they know that it's a popular week where there's the Falmouth foot race on the cape, and they rent their place out and they go stay with some other friends. So anyway, that's my point on it.

Tish Woods:

So we would love to hear from our listeners, if you've had successful experiences, doing air b&b, or, you know, renting out, we'd love to hear the different stories that you have on maybe even questions that you have for either Kristin and Ellen. And so let us know. Again, go to our the misters Facebook page, the Midsters Podcast Facebook page. We're gonna post some pictures so you can see their units and stuff and, and drop some questions if you have them.

Ellen Gustafson:

And I just like to say thanks to Kristin Baker for being here. And again, she's been my inspiration for starting this. So thank you, Kristin.

Kristin:

I love you guys.

Tish Woods:

Till next week,

Ellen Gustafson:

till next time Midsters.