Welcome to our latest podcast episode!
In this podcast episode, Liam Carolan interviews Jonathan Stevens, owner of Hidden Creek Retreat, a cabin rental property in Sevierville, Tennessee. Jonathan shares his journey of starting a successful short-term rental business in the Smoky Mountains.
He emphasizes the importance of building relationships with local contacts and leveraging his customer service skills. Despite living a thousand miles away, Jonathan managed to establish a thriving property near major attractions like Dollywood.
His background in the carwash industry taught him the value of networking and learning from a supportive community. Overall, Jonathan's story showcases his enthusiasm for the short-term rental market and the steps he took to overcome challenges and create a successful business.
Key Takeaways
- Liam Carolan interviews Jonathan Stevens, owner of Hidden Creek Retreat, a cabin rental property in Sevierville, Tennessee.
- Jonathan emphasizes the importance of building relationships with local contacts and leveraging customer service skills.
- Despite living far away, Jonathan established a thriving rental business near major attractions like Dollywood.
- Jonathan's background in the carwash industry taught him the value of networking and learning from a supportive community.
- Jonathan's story showcases his enthusiasm for the short-term rental market and the steps he took to overcome challenges and create a successful business.
Check out @hiddencreektn on Instagram!
Here's the video for this episode:
Timestamps (audio)
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Transcript from the Episode
Intro
[00:00:00] Liam: Okay, welcome everybody to the Boostly Podcast. This is the podcast that gives you the tools, the tactics, the training, and most importantly, the confidence to go out there and get yourself some more direct bookings. My name is Liam Carolan, and today we are going behind the host. This is the miniseries where we dive into a successful and interesting host so you can learn from them and take action in your hospitality business.
[00:00:22] And today I'm excited to be joined by Jonathan Stevens from Hidden Creek Retreat. He's got a, uh, cabin in the s smokey, which looks awesome. So, um, we're gonna dive into his business and, uh, he's, uh, he just mentioned before we start, hit record that he's just getting started in this, but this is sometimes a great time to have the insight from.
[00:00:44] You know, a host who's getting involved in this business, especially when you go and check out his Instagram because he's already got his direct book and website. He's already got his own Instagram. He's, uh, already making all the right moves to build a successful short-term rental business.
[00:00:59] So I'm excited to, uh, hear from the perspective of, of a host who's just getting started, but already doing the stuff that I wish I was doing in the early days. So welcome along, Jonathan. Thank you for joining us.
[00:01:10] Johnathan: Thanks, Liam. Thank you for having me.
Jonathan’s intro
[00:01:12] Liam: So Jonathan, start by giving yourself and your business an introduction into, uh, you know, where in the world your business is, what it looks like, and anything else you wanna share.
[00:01:22] Johnathan: Yeah. So, as I said, my name's Jonathan Stevens. Uh, the name of my property is Hidden Creek Retreat. Uh, it is in Sevierville, Tennessee, right in the Smoky Mountains. Um, we focused on buying a small property, um, as a starter to kind of get our foot in the door, uh, my wife and I, and we wanted to.
[00:01:48] You know, we're going against what we're normally doing. We're working a nine-to-five job. Um, and, you know, we wanted to get into real estate. And so yeah, I read a bunch of books, uh, was on, you know, fall in bigger pockets. I, you know, I was doing all the things that everybody else starts doing, and so I decided to choose the s Smokey Mountains, which was a thousand miles away from where I currently live.
[00:02:13] So it was kind of a big jump for me. Um, getting into a property like that. And so we purchased it in 2021, uh, site unseen and quickly learned that, um, I needed to. Build relationships to, uh, make it successful. Uh, because, you know, it was like I said, it was a thousand miles away from where I currently live, and I have a full-time job and a family to take care of.
[00:02:44] So I couldn't be there all the time to, you know, get the systems in place, get it up and running, do any rehab that had to get done. Um, so I had to learn quickly, learn how to build relationships, uh, with people in the area. Um, Right now what we have is a two bedroom, two bathroom cabin, uh, situated about three miles away from all the major, uh, attractions, um, that are available like Dollywood in the s Smokeys.
[00:03:13] Um, but the. What's nice about our cabin is that it's situated back in the mountain, um, the last house on a dead-end road, and it's very peaceful, but yet you're close to everything. Um, we even have a creek running through the backyard, so the first thing you hear is when you open that car door, you get out, you just hear the creek, and just the sound of nature.
[00:03:34] And it's, it's a nice, uh, tranquil, uh, scene.
What is Dollywood
[00:03:39] Liam: That's cool. And for our, um, obviously we've got listeners based in the US and the UK. What is Dollywood? Uh, what is that area?
[00:03:46] Johnathan: Yeah, so Dollywood, I didn't even know what Dollywood was until I had visited the area. Uh, my wife and I got married in 2013 and uh, we decided to take a, a weekend trip town, uh, to Tennessee.
[00:04:00] So we decided to drive, make it an adventure, and did not. Expect, uh, to find what we found down there. Didn't even know it was a big tourist area. Well, Dollywood is a major theme park, um, is Dolly Parton, uh, you know, started it. And so it's, it's really big in the south. So people come from all areas too, uh, visit.
[00:04:21] They have, you know, it's an amusement park, they do dinner shows, they have a lot of, uh, entertainment there. Um, but it's, it's a big attraction for the area itself.
[00:04:31] Liam: Nice. Scott. I love a bit of Dolly Parton, and I wish I'd seen her at Glastonbury a few years ago. I, I narrowly missed out, so, um, yeah, that makes sense.
[00:04:39] Johnathan: Yeah, they do, they do a parade for her every year, uh, through Pigeon Forge, which is where she's originally from. So, uh, we had gone there for our wedding anniversary. We got to see her. They did a whole parade for her. We didn't even know what was going on. Um, but it, it was, it was a very cool experience.
[00:04:54] Liam: That's cool. That's cool. So it sounds like, um, you've kind of. Diving all in a thousand miles away is, is quite a, um, brave move. Um, what made you settle on the Smokies? So, I, I
[00:05:08] Johnathan: wanted to get into a property that I could, um, I had a feeling, so I wanted to be somewhere that had a lot of foot traffic. We wanted to know that it was in an area that.
[00:05:24] You know, saw the volume of travellers to the area. Um, I was also looking for something that didn't have any sort of, uh, stringent regulation for short-term rentals. Uh, cuz that was a, definitely a fear, which I know it is for everybody, especially now, uh, you know, especially regulations are coming down on people who have short-term rentals and I didn't want to be stuck, uh, with.
[00:05:48] You know, a mortgage that I couldn't afford to pay without the income from the property itself. And I already knew the area just from travelling there. So for me, it felt like something I re, uh, wanted to pursue. Mm-hmm. I, I did look into other areas. Um, you know, we have the White Mountains of New Hampshire, which is just, you know, two hours north of us where we currently live.
[00:06:10] Um, but there is some downside to it. Um, you know, there's, there's not as much, uh, tourists, uh, going to those areas.
Why short-term rentals
[00:06:19] Liam: That makes sense. So it's a high-demand sort of area that you've gone for and yeah. What, made you pick short-term rentals outta interest?
[00:06:27] Johnathan: So, um, I started a company, so probably the first thing.
[00:06:32] They always say don't do is start your own L L C before you have a property. Uh, and I was just too excited. I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna start an L L C, I'm gonna get, it's gonna be great. Gonna get going, gonna buy property. Um, and I knew I wanted to get into real estate, uh, but I wasn't a hundred per cent positive what I w wanted to do.
[00:06:52] So, you know, I, I, I want you to know, I looked around, was looking for long-term rentals too, you know, become a landlord and just saw some. You know, properties I just couldn't get into, wasn't interested in. And for me, I, I think I heard it, it might have been on a, um, bigger pockets podcast about getting into short-term rentals.
[00:07:16] Mm-hmm. And, um, I started following, you know, reading more into it, um, you know, trying to listen to more podcasts about it, trying to figure out, you know, is this something I'd like to do? I had somewhat of a customer service background, um, in my current job, and I figured, you know what, I, I think I can leap into this, and this is something that could be exciting.
[00:07:39], I found that when I talked about it, it was something that excited me. So, you know, if, as if I was excited to do it, Uh, I figured, you know, I might as well go all in.
[00:07:50] Liam: That's cool. And it makes sense, doesn't it? Because first of all, it's a place that you enjoy going to, so you already tick that box, you know, other people will enjoy going there.
[00:07:59] Second of all, you've got transferable skills, um, from your current job, what, what is it that you currently do and, uh, what are the transferable skills that you and you mentioned your wife as well is involved.
[00:08:09] Johnathan: Uh, yeah. So, uh, for the last 17 years, I've been in the carwash industry. Uh, so, I manage and operate a carwash out of Boston, Massachusetts.
[00:08:21] Uh, I still do that, uh, currently, and, uh, It takes a lot of, you know, you're dealing with people's cars, you know, for a lot of these people that own these vehicles. It's an investment, especially nowadays, as vehicles are more expensive now. Uh, so, you know, the customer, there is always a customer service aspect to it.
[00:08:39] Um, and it's funny because when I first started I was, you know, I was very shy. I didn't talk to people. And being able to work in this, uh, business, uh, kind of opened me up and I was able to, Know, interact with customers, um, and kind of learn the ins and outs of that industry. And, um, it's. Kind of the same thing is, you know, it's not about what you know, it's who you know.
[00:09:08] And it's, it helps as, it helps you grow, especially in, in that industry, they have a, an association. So they, they the owners, all these owners in that whole area will meet up once every few months and, you know, exchange ideas, see what everybody's doing, how can they become better and it's. When I started getting into real estate, I realized it's the, you know, it was the same idea.
[00:09:34] Um, and it's, and you find a whole community of people that will help you get better.
Outro
[00:09:40] Liam: Awesome. Thank you very much, buddy. I hope you ever thank me so much. Look forward to the future and, um, yeah, I feel that from this, I just love that butterfly effect feeling and I know there's more, um, excitement to come.
[00:09:51] So thanks very much for absolutely. Life for now. Having a blast. Can I get it on
[00:09:56] Johnathan: the Boostly podcast? Bruce Lee. Let Bruce Lee cuz it's so hard on the tee is loose leaf. Lick up those rhymes. Don't write it just so we lose.
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Transcript from the Episode
Intro
[00:00:00] Liam: Okay, welcome everybody to the Boostly Podcast. This is the podcast that gives you the tools, the tactics, the training, and most importantly, the confidence to go out there and get yourself some more direct bookings. My name is Liam Carolan, and today we are going behind the host. This is the miniseries where we dive into a successful and interesting host so you can learn from them and take action in your hospitality business.
[00:00:22] And today I'm excited to be joined by Jonathan Stevens from Hidden Creek Retreat. He's got a, uh, cabin in the s smokey, which looks awesome. So, um, we're gonna dive into his business and, uh, he's, uh, he just mentioned before we start, hit record that he's just getting started in this, but this is sometimes a great time to have the insight from.
[00:00:44] You know, a host who's getting involved in this business, especially when you go and check out his Instagram because he's already got his direct book and website. He's already got his own Instagram. He's, uh, already making all the right moves to build a successful short-term rental business.
[00:00:59] So I'm excited to, uh, hear from the perspective of, of a host who's just getting started, but already doing the stuff that I wish I was doing in the early days. So welcome along, Jonathan. Thank you for joining us.
[00:01:10] Johnathan: Thanks, Liam. Thank you for having me.
Jonathan’s intro
[00:01:12] Liam: So Jonathan, start by giving yourself and your business an introduction into, uh, you know, where in the world your business is, what it looks like, and anything else you wanna share.
[00:01:22] Johnathan: Yeah. So, as I said, my name's Jonathan Stevens. Uh, the name of my property is Hidden Creek Retreat. Uh, it is in Sevierville, Tennessee, right in the Smoky Mountains. Um, we focused on buying a small property, um, as a starter to kind of get our foot in the door, uh, my wife and I, and we wanted to.
[00:01:48] You know, we're going against what we're normally doing. We're working a nine-to-five job. Um, and, you know, we wanted to get into real estate. And so yeah, I read a bunch of books, uh, was on, you know, fall in bigger pockets. I, you know, I was doing all the things that everybody else starts doing, and so I decided to choose the s Smokey Mountains, which was a thousand miles away from where I currently live.
[00:02:13] So it was kind of a big jump for me. Um, getting into a property like that. And so we purchased it in 2021, uh, site unseen and quickly learned that, um, I needed to. Build relationships to, uh, make it successful. Uh, because, you know, it was like I said, it was a thousand miles away from where I currently live, and I have a full-time job and a family to take care of.
[00:02:44] So I couldn't be there all the time to, you know, get the systems in place, get it up and running, do any rehab that had to get done. Um, so I had to learn quickly, learn how to build relationships, uh, with people in the area. Um, Right now what we have is a two bedroom, two bathroom cabin, uh, situated about three miles away from all the major, uh, attractions, um, that are available like Dollywood in the s Smokeys.
[00:03:13] Um, but the. What's nice about our cabin is that it's situated back in the mountain, um, the last house on a dead-end road, and it's very peaceful, but yet you're close to everything. Um, we even have a creek running through the backyard, so the first thing you hear is when you open that car door, you get out, you just hear the creek, and just the sound of nature.
[00:03:34] And it's, it's a nice, uh, tranquil, uh, scene.
What is Dollywood
[00:03:39] Liam: That's cool. And for our, um, obviously we've got listeners based in the US and the UK. What is Dollywood? Uh, what is that area?
[00:03:46] Johnathan: Yeah, so Dollywood, I didn't even know what Dollywood was until I had visited the area. Uh, my wife and I got married in 2013 and uh, we decided to take a, a weekend trip town, uh, to Tennessee.
[00:04:00] So we decided to drive, make it an adventure, and did not. Expect, uh, to find what we found down there. Didn't even know it was a big tourist area. Well, Dollywood is a major theme park, um, is Dolly Parton, uh, you know, started it. And so it's, it's really big in the south. So people come from all areas too, uh, visit.
[00:04:21] They have, you know, it's an amusement park, they do dinner shows, they have a lot of, uh, entertainment there. Um, but it's, it's a big attraction for the area itself.
[00:04:31] Liam: Nice. Scott. I love a bit of Dolly Parton, and I wish I'd seen her at Glastonbury a few years ago. I, I narrowly missed out, so, um, yeah, that makes sense.
[00:04:39] Johnathan: Yeah, they do, they do a parade for her every year, uh, through Pigeon Forge, which is where she's originally from. So, uh, we had gone there for our wedding anniversary. We got to see her. They did a whole parade for her. We didn't even know what was going on. Um, but it, it was, it was a very cool experience.
[00:04:54] Liam: That's cool. That's cool. So it sounds like, um, you've kind of. Diving all in a thousand miles away is, is quite a, um, brave move. Um, what made you settle on the Smokies? So, I, I
[00:05:08] Johnathan: wanted to get into a property that I could, um, I had a feeling, so I wanted to be somewhere that had a lot of foot traffic. We wanted to know that it was in an area that.
[00:05:24] You know, saw the volume of travellers to the area. Um, I was also looking for something that didn't have any sort of, uh, stringent regulation for short-term rentals. Uh, cuz that was a, definitely a fear, which I know it is for everybody, especially now, uh, you know, especially regulations are coming down on people who have short-term rentals and I didn't want to be stuck, uh, with.
[00:05:48] You know, a mortgage that I couldn't afford to pay without the income from the property itself. And I already knew the area just from travelling there. So for me, it felt like something I re, uh, wanted to pursue. Mm-hmm. I, I did look into other areas. Um, you know, we have the White Mountains of New Hampshire, which is just, you know, two hours north of us where we currently live.
[00:06:10] Um, but there is some downside to it. Um, you know, there's, there's not as much, uh, tourists, uh, going to those areas.
Why short-term rentals
[00:06:19] Liam: That makes sense. So it's a high-demand sort of area that you've gone for and yeah. What, made you pick short-term rentals outta interest?
[00:06:27] Johnathan: So, um, I started a company, so probably the first thing.
[00:06:32] They always say don't do is start your own L L C before you have a property. Uh, and I was just too excited. I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna start an L L C, I'm gonna get, it's gonna be great. Gonna get going, gonna buy property. Um, and I knew I wanted to get into real estate, uh, but I wasn't a hundred per cent positive what I w wanted to do.
[00:06:52] So, you know, I, I, I want you to know, I looked around, was looking for long-term rentals too, you know, become a landlord and just saw some. You know, properties I just couldn't get into, wasn't interested in. And for me, I, I think I heard it, it might have been on a, um, bigger pockets podcast about getting into short-term rentals.
[00:07:16] Mm-hmm. And, um, I started following, you know, reading more into it, um, you know, trying to listen to more podcasts about it, trying to figure out, you know, is this something I'd like to do? I had somewhat of a customer service background, um, in my current job, and I figured, you know what, I, I think I can leap into this, and this is something that could be exciting.
[00:07:39], I found that when I talked about it, it was something that excited me. So, you know, if, as if I was excited to do it, Uh, I figured, you know, I might as well go all in.
[00:07:50] Liam: That's cool. And it makes sense, doesn't it? Because first of all, it's a place that you enjoy going to, so you already tick that box, you know, other people will enjoy going there.
[00:07:59] Second of all, you've got transferable skills, um, from your current job, what, what is it that you currently do and, uh, what are the transferable skills that you and you mentioned your wife as well is involved.
[00:08:09] Johnathan: Uh, yeah. So, uh, for the last 17 years, I've been in the carwash industry. Uh, so, I manage and operate a carwash out of Boston, Massachusetts.
[00:08:21] Uh, I still do that, uh, currently, and, uh, It takes a lot of, you know, you're dealing with people's cars, you know, for a lot of these people that own these vehicles. It's an investment, especially nowadays, as vehicles are more expensive now. Uh, so, you know, the customer, there is always a customer service aspect to it.
[00:08:39] Um, and it's funny because when I first started I was, you know, I was very shy. I didn't talk to people. And being able to work in this, uh, business, uh, kind of opened me up and I was able to, Know, interact with customers, um, and kind of learn the ins and outs of that industry. And, um, it's. Kind of the same thing is, you know, it's not about what you know, it's who you know.
[00:09:08] And it's, it helps as, it helps you grow, especially in, in that industry, they have a, an association. So they, they the owners, all these owners in that whole area will meet up once every few months and, you know, exchange ideas, see what everybody's doing, how can they become better and it's. When I started getting into real estate, I realized it's the, you know, it was the same idea.
[00:09:34] Um, and it's, and you find a whole community of people that will help you get better.
Outro
[00:09:40] Liam: Awesome. Thank you very much, buddy. I hope you ever thank me so much. Look forward to the future and, um, yeah, I feel that from this, I just love that butterfly effect feeling and I know there's more, um, excitement to come.
[00:09:51] So thanks very much for absolutely. Life for now. Having a blast. Can I get it on
[00:09:56] Johnathan: the Boostly podcast? Bruce Lee. Let Bruce Lee cuz it's so hard on the tee is loose leaf. Lick up those rhymes. Don't write it just so we lose.
