Today we’d like to introduce you to Alpa Bhagat.
Hi Alpa, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
After I lost my technology job in corporate America, I decided to start a company. It was a surprise to many of my friends and family, but I’m glad I took the risk. If you cannot invest in yourself, who can you invest in? I hope my story inspires others to take that risk to follow their dreams.
When I was a student at the University of Dallas, I never imagined that I would become an entrepreneur, but sometimes, your greatest successes come from your biggest setbacks. How will you handle adversity? When tough times come, I advise others to rise up, work hard, and truly dig deep to understand what it is you want next in life.
I was born and raised in a sweet town named Bodeli which is located in the West central part of India. I migrated to the US in 1998 after I got married, pursued an MBA in information technology, and got an internship at Travelocity, as a Software Developer. I did not enjoy coding a whole lot but loved the company culture and how we were able to provide travel services at our customer’s fingertips. So, I decided to move to business systems analysis and then to technical product management at Expedia Group, where I could contribute to product enhancements for our beloved customers. To my surprise, the company closed the tech division of the Dallas office. I had 2 options 1) Find another job and go back to Corporate 9-5 churn 2) Take a risk, pursue my passion, and be my own boss.
I opted for Option #2. Travel and hospitality have always been my passion and I had in-depth experience in that space, so I decided to start a boutique hotel company.
One of my fondest memories is staying in a wonderful cottage in Interlaken, Switzerland. It was a home away from home for my entire family. I cherished many such memories with my family and friends. So, I thought why not get into giving gift of relaxing and unforgettable experiences to others.
While evaluating different options, we visited a farm, and my husband and I both felt right at home and fell in love with it.
I took a risk to follow my dream and bought an Airbnb Farm (with 20 animals on the property) near Frisco, Texas. It was a thriving horse rescue ranch where many horses have been saved.
Back home, my family owns a farm and cows, so it just felt right. I hope my story inspires other women to try new things.
I hope it encourages everyone to face their fears and pursue their crazy entrepreneurial dream. It has been worth it and with great success!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Taking the leap from corporate professional with a guaranteed paycheck to entrepreneur is always scary. It has been fun and sometimes challenging going through a learning curve! Besides learning the business operations, finance, and marketing, I have rolled my sleeves and got into doing some real farm airbnb stuff. I’ve cleaned out water troughs, made beds, communicated with brides who had their weddings at our venue, juggled broken pool filters, fed hungry animals! 🐄 But when you get raving reviews from your guests and hear how wonderful and relaxing their stay was, it’s all worth the efforts that go in providing them Ritz Carlton-level service.
My Dad has always taught me to see each challenge as a valuable learning opportunity and asset in life. I have learned a LOT, and I have grown as a person.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Rockhill Green Acres?
I am a true believer in providing Excellent customer service to our guests as they deserve it. No matter what business you own, you should have a strong foundation of values.
We specialize in providing relaxing and memorable stays to our guests and are uniquely positioned as a farm stay. They can also host a rehearsal dinner, weddings, and receptions and feed the animals – which sets us apart from others.
Have you seen a bride on a horse? Or their guests feeding a donut to a cow? Our guests get to enjoy these experiences.
We are really proud of the service we provide to our guests from inception to delivery – in each stage, we ensure that our guests are well informed through detailed house manual, close-to-real pictures, thoughtful amenities, prompt responses, and welcoming serene environment.
We are working on couple of enhancements to our lovely farmhouse such as adding a pickleball, planting fruit trees for our guests to relish, sunset point balcony, grain bin hideout to keep delighting our guests.
What makes you happy?
When you start a company, it’s sink or swim. Overcoming the challenge of building something brings me great joy! It also gives me immense joy when I hear from our guests how relaxing and fun their stay was. I have had all 5-star reviews so far, and it means a world to me. As a busy working Mom, I tremendously value my ‘time-off’/Vacation time where I just want to unplug and indulge into nature. I can relate very well with our guests which helped me to provide thoughtful amenities and a peaceful stay.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockhillgreenacres/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095338748181
- Other: https://www.vrbo.com/3570845
- https://www.airbnb.com/h/getaway-on-the-farm
