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My friends bought 34 acres of Ohio wilderness. While hiking one day, they stumbled upon a dark, dripping cavern—and decided to pour their life savings into it. Today, it's one of the world's most profitable airbnbs. The waitlist is years long. Here's the story...🧵

My dad bought this 120-yr-old train car for $2,000. It was a rotting, cat-infested wreck. But after investing $147k and 5 months of work, we redeemed it. Today, it’s one of the most profitable and exclusive stays in the country. Here’s what happened…👇

My dad bought this 120-yr-old train car for $3k. It was a rotting, cat-infested wreck. But after $148k and 5 months of work, we redeemed it. Today, it’s one of the most profitable and exclusive airbnbs in the country. Here’s how it all came together…

I designed and built a personal office / art studio in the forest behind my home. Calling it "the nook" Took 4 months to build. Let's have a look👇

I designed & built a personal office / art studio in the forest behind my home. We call it "the nook,” and it took 4 months start to finish. Want to see inside? 🧵

We turned a lifeless field into a lush, thriving orchard in just 3 months. The ingredients? - 15 friends - 200 saplings - 75,000 dollars Here’s how we did it—and why you should plant one, too. 🧵

We turned a lifeless field into a lush, thriving orchard in just 3 months. The recipe? - 5 acres - 15 friends - 207 saplings - 75,500 dollars I'll show you how we did it, and why planting an orchard might be one of the best investments you'll ever make.🧵

I built my dream office in the forest behind my home. Art studio, workspace, podcast set, library, lounge, kitchen, bathroom, sleeping loft - all in one! It took 4 months to build, start to finish. Want to see inside the nook? 🧵

At 24, I borrowed $2.3M to build 7 luxury cabins on a lake. Weeks after opening, Airbnb suspended us. No bookings. No sleep. As a last-ditch effort, I spent $950 on an IG giveaway. It changed everything. 18 months later, we sold for $7M. Here’s how it all happened:🧵

I designed & planted a 200-tree fruit orchard with friends and neighbors. 90 days earlier, it was just a dusty, barren field. Spent $75k all-in, and the trees have now tripled in size… Full story & everything we’ve learned (a thread):

We found this old, abandoned farm for sale. $1,360/acre, all-included. But hidden within was a gem: a hand-hewn timber-frame barn (on the verge of collapse). Today, it’s one of the most stunning venues in the country. Here’s what happened…🧵

This is what world-class hospitality looks like: Two cabins in “flyover country,” booked solid a year in advance (and for good reason—one of my all-time favorite experiences). A masterclass in doing things the *right* way: 🧵

Chris had nothing to leave his kids. So he scraped together $28k, bought 5 acres in upstate NY, and spent weekends building an A-frame by hand. Then one $800 idea turned his quiet cabin into a mega-viral airbnb with over $1M in bookings. Wait till you see this...🧵

Erin French didn’t just build a restaurant… She turned a tiny, forgotten town into a global culinary destination. From rock bottom to one of America’s most celebrated restaurateurs—her story is as unlikely as it is unforgettable. I present to you: The Lost Kitchen 🧵

I automated my vacation rental property, which brings in $1,000,000/year. I’m saving $150k + a year on management fees, and it’s fully optimized (much more efficient and better marketed than if I were to hire a property management co). What to learn how I did it? 🧵

My friend Tanner is a software guy. No real estate background or deep pockets. And he just raised over $650,000 in under a week pre-selling nights at his future micro-resort that's not even built (without giving up a drop of equity). Here's the playbook he used:

My friends bought 34 acres of Ohio wilderness. While hiking one day, they stumbled upon a dark, dripping cavern—and decided to pour their life savings into it. Today, it's one of the world's most profitable airbnbs. The waitlist is years long. Here's the story...🧵

My dad bought this 120-yr-old train car for $2,000. It was a rotting, cat-infested wreck. But after investing $147k and 5 months of work, we redeemed it. Today, it’s one of the most profitable and exclusive stays in the country. Here’s what happened…👇

My dad bought this 120-yr-old train car for $3k. It was a rotting, cat-infested wreck. But after $148k and 5 months of work, we redeemed it. Today, it’s one of the most profitable and exclusive airbnbs in the country. Here’s how it all came together…

I designed & built a personal office / art studio in the forest behind my home. We call it "the nook,” and it took 4 months start to finish. Want to see inside? 🧵

I designed and built a personal office / art studio in the forest behind my home. Calling it "the nook" Took 4 months to build. Let's have a look👇

I built my dream office in the forest behind my home. Art studio, workspace, podcast set, library, lounge, kitchen, bathroom, sleeping loft - all in one! It took 4 months to build, start to finish. Want to see inside the nook? 🧵

At 24, I borrowed $2.3M to build 7 luxury cabins on a lake. Weeks after opening, Airbnb suspended us. No bookings. No sleep. As a last-ditch effort, I spent $950 on an IG giveaway. It changed everything. 18 months later, we sold for $7M. Here’s how it all happened:🧵

We turned a lifeless field into a lush, thriving orchard in just 3 months. The ingredients? - 15 friends - 200 saplings - 75,000 dollars Here’s how we did it—and why you should plant one, too. 🧵

We turned a lifeless field into a lush, thriving orchard in just 3 months. The recipe? - 5 acres - 15 friends - 207 saplings - 75,500 dollars I'll show you how we did it, and why planting an orchard might be one of the best investments you'll ever make.🧵

I designed & planted a 200-tree fruit orchard with friends and neighbors. 90 days earlier, it was just a dusty, barren field. Spent $75k all-in, and the trees have now tripled in size… Full story & everything we’ve learned (a thread):

Spent 28k on a polaris ranger a couple years ago. Regret it now. Super loud and can’t really drive it on the highway. Looking to sell and buy something I can run around the farm - and to town if need be. Top choice would be 90s Land Cruiser or 4Runner. Other options?

I automated my vacation rental property, which brings in $1,000,000/year. I’m saving $150k + a year on management fees, and it’s fully optimized (much more efficient and better marketed than if I were to hire a property management co). What to learn how I did it? 🧵

We found this old, abandoned farm for sale. $1,360/acre, all-included. But hidden within was a gem: a hand-hewn timber-frame barn (on the verge of collapse). Today, it’s one of the most stunning venues in the country. Here’s what happened…🧵

I stayed at a landscape hotel called Willow House in one of the most remote corners of the country last week. $600/night. Almost anyone can justify that. And the aesthetic was reminiscent of Amangiri - the highest REVPAR hotel in America - which is $6,000+/night.

Stayed at Amangiri last week. $6,080 for 1 night — worth every penny. Here’s what I learned from the highest revpar hotel in America, and what why my property is succeeding for the same reasons.

I spent $2.2M building 7 cabins and a charming lake on 5 acres in rural Texas. I was 24. I had $30k, a dream, and plenty of determination. It took 10 months, start to finish. A year later, we sold it for $7M. I’ll tell you everything: (It'll take you a few min to read, but I promise it's worth your time) I grew up in an industrious family. My dad was a plumber. My parents homeschooled and raised me and my 9 siblings on a farm. It was a wonderful childhood. I spent a few years working in construction, first in bookkeeping and then learning the trades. My dad transitioned his business to general contracting, and eventually, I started running projects. I was 19. I’ve always enjoyed art & architecture. My grandma gave me & my siblings art lessons ever since I can remember. And, I've always loved business—from a home-brew soda company to a typewriter repair shop (yep, that's a thing), I started just about every kind imaginable as a kid. After a bit of experience in construction, accounting & art, I had an idea: Build a village of modern cabins around a lake, hidden in nature. It would be a project I could pour all my passion into: art, accounting, entrepreneurship, building, etc. It was a novel idea, but not that novel. But I believed it could be special: An experience — not just a place to stay. Where every moment and detail added up to something totally immersive and breathtaking — like a great piece of art or music. At this point I was 24 and self-employed as an accountant. One morning while scrolling Zillow, I found a 5-acre property just down the road from our home. It was a jungle, but hidden in all that brush were some massive live oak trees and a cow pond. An hour later, I was onsite with the listing agent. It was surreal. Somehow I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the place to build. I could just feel…and see it: …the glass cabin fronts jutting out around a beautiful lake, trails winding down to the shore, and light reflections dancing on the water at dusk. It would be called Live Oak Lake. Two hours later, the property was under contract for $138,000 cash, to close in 30 days. I had less than $30,000 to my name. So I got on the phone. By the end of the day, I had secured the capital needed to close on the land and seed the project. This came via a line of credit some family members had access to through their small business. They took 40% equity in the deal. Then I started pitching the idea to local banks. I had no clue what I was doing. I madly sketched and sketched, throwing every ounce of creativity and construction experience I had into the drawings. I purchased some plans on the internet, then hired a freelancer on Fiverr to modify them to my liking for a few hundred bucks. I made a site plan out of a google earth shot, then threw together a simple financial model with some gut projections. After hearing “no” more than once, I found a bank in Waco (s/o Kevin Dobbs @ TFNB) who said “yes.” It was a sweet, sweet moment. With the help of my partners to co-guarantee it, the bank agreed to finance 80% of the appraised value of the planned project. A couple weeks later, we closed. I was onsite with a bunch of friends, chainsaws in hand, the very next day. It was Spring 2021, and construction was crazy: It was one of the wettest seasons in central TX on record: it would not stop raining, making the underground work all but impossible. Lead times for windows were 4+ months, contractors were in outrageously high demand, and lumber prices were out of control. Should I hold off? Try to wait it out? Nope. Onward we trudged. The dream burned deep, and I figured the opportunity cost of waiting was too great. Within 3 months, site work and utilities were complete. We had foundations in and were ready to build! Meanwhile, I also built a $750k spec home a few miles away (w/another construction loan from a different local bank) in 4.5 mo overlapping this project. (The spec market was booming, and I figured I’d need all the extra cash I could muster to get Live Oak Lake over the line.) Thankfully, that house was a big success, and cleared $170k which I rolled straight into Live Oak Lake. Plus I dumped in all my savings of $30k. And then, towards the end of construction, I broke my pelvis when a ladder fell out from underneath me. It was quite an experience. I found myself flat out on a hospital bed for 7 days. I had multiple surgeries and a hunk of stainless steel bolting my bones back together. I was on crutches for 3 months as we wrapped up the project. (VERY thankful to report 100% recovery 3 mo later🙏) “Busy” is a mild understatement to describe 2021. With the help of wonderful friends, family & subcontractors (some subs were less than wonderful), the project was designed, permitted, built, furnished & complete. We finished the final touches and opened just 10 months after closing on the land! We spent $2.3M all-in. I took a moment to breathe. But the story isn’t over… Just a few weeks into hosting on airbnb—with glowing reviews pouring in from our first guests—I was shocked. And devastated. Without a hint of warning, Airbnb suspended our account. Customer service was vague and unhelpful. I felt entirely helpless: a tiny speck next to a multi-billion dollar empire that didn’t care. After a few desperate phone calls, someone gave me an idea: I contacted a local travel account on Instagram, and pitched a giveaway collab. For a fee of $950, they agreed. I frantically threw together a website that would accept direct bookings, and started an instagram account. A few days later, they posted a 2-night stay giveaway. In a matter of days, it drove ~5k new followers, and ~$40k of direct bookings!! I couldn’t believe it. I knew Live Oak Lake was special, but this was too good to be true. Then Airbnb restored the account. They said it was caused by a glitch in their algo. But, it was too late… I went ALL-IN on social media, partnering with influencers to run more giveaways and posting viral content. The incident with Airbnb may have been the biggest blessing that befell us along our journey with Live Oak Lake. Direct bookings are gold, and we were off to the races! Our first year numbers: - $1M gross, $550k NOI - 94% overall occupancy - 80% direct bookings - 120k audience on social It was a whirlwind. Then, just a year and a half after we opened, we received an offer too good to pass up: $7M for the property. One. Million. Dollars. Per. Key. We said yes, and the deal closed a few months later—last October. So that’s the story of Live Oak Lake. I must give credit where credit is due: God was very, very good. And my family and friends were, too. Without them this project would've never happened. Yes, there have been major setbacks—before, during, and after, but it’s been an amazing experience. I couldn’t be more excited about the future of travel & hospitality. My generation LOVES unique, nature-immersive experiences, & Live Oak Lake delivered. (We had guests return MULTIPLE times in 1 yr, bringing friends & family with them) The takeaways: 1) If you have a dream, GO GET IT! 2) You don’t even need a ton of money; just find the right partners. 3) This is the “gold-rush era” of experiential hospitality. And those w the vision & determination will be rewarded.