Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Kraus
Hi Jamie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been enamored with the mountains. Growing up in Dallas, my parents took my 2 sisters and I on vacation each summer and winter to Colorado. These trips were the beginning of my love affair with nature and the outdoors. The times spent hiking and skiing with my dad are some of my favorite childhood memories. On the car rides back home to Texas after our vacations, I remember always dreaming of owning a home in Colorado one day. The gnawing desire only grew stronger once I had children of my own. My husband and I raised our 3 boys the same way my parents raised me. With a great appreciation for nature. Every chance we got, we took the boys to Colorado. It felt like it was the only sacred place left without the distraction of technology. (And let’s be honest, the only sacred place left without mosquitos too.) The allure of exploring the outdoors outweighed the desire for a screen, yielding some of the best times we’ve had as a family.
In 2017, life as I knew it stopped. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a shock as I had always maintained a healthy weight and took care of my body. AND, I was super active. It didn’t make any sense. But here I was facing a terrifying disease that had just taken the life of my childhood best friend 8 months prior. Was my story going to end like hers? As the daughter of a physician and a wife of a physician, I heeded my dad’s and husband’s advice to use the most aggressive treatment possible. I underwent multiple surgeries, including a double mastectomy, as well as chemotherapy. It was brutal. But it changed the way I lived.
I’ll never forget the trip our little family took to Breckenridge, Colorado over Labor Day in 2017 to celebrate me being halfway through chemo. We had the opportunity of a lifetime (for me at least) to purchase a property in the mountains and decided to go for it. Our catch phrase after the cancer diagnosis seemed to be “might as well”, and this decision fell right in line with our heavily influenced & quite possibly flawed logic. Of course we’d have to rent out the property to justify the finances, but we’d also have the ability to visit whenever we wanted. And that felt good. There’s nothing like facing your own mortality to help clarify your priorities. And spending time and creating lasting memories in the mountains with our boys was at the top of that list.
Fast forward seven years, and we now have four rental properties in Breckenridge, Colorado and one in the 30A area of Florida. Early on, I requested that my husband give me eighteen months to see if I could learn how to manage our short term rental properties. Mind you, my only education regarding rental properties was the handful of times I’d rented on VRBO myself. I knew just enough to know that I needed to witness the ebb and flow of seasonal rentals to really determine if this was a viable business for us. I turned to social media (my instagram is @chestnuthillcabin) to help cultivate relationships and build trust with my followers-turned-guests, which turned out to be the most surprising aspect of this business. I have met the most amazing people whom I now call friends. It is a JOY for me to share our properties with our guests, as well as give them all the tips for how to navigate the town and experience everything Breckenridge or 30A has to offer. And because I was a professional photographer for 20 years, I can easily help them visualize their vacation through photography and videography on these digital platforms. Another benefit of establishing relationships with guests is there is an accountability on both sides. I want our guests to have an elevated vacation experience and they want to take care of my property. It’s a win-win. And, of course, the last and most important perk has been the unlimited amount of family time we have spent together in the mountains. My boys love to snowboard and to hike and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than on a mountain with them.
Each year I challenge myself to learn something new about this business. This year, for instance, was me finally purchasing a property management software to organize our bookings. The learning curve was steep, but I’m finally getting the hang of it. Other skills I’ve gained as my own property manager? Painting, marketing, quickbooks, creating content, etc. It’s a never ending process, but as a fairly new empty nester I thankfully have the time. And it never hurts to exercise my brain in new and different ways. My husband and I try to visit our properties once a month for routine maintenance and to prepare for the upcoming season. Is it a lot of work? Yes. But is it worth it? Also yes. Never in my wildest dreams did I think spending a week in the mountains or at the beach would be my actual job one day. Our hope is to pass down this business to our boys one day. The thought of them sharing their love for the outdoors with my future grandchildren in our properties makes everything I’ve been through totally worth it.
Today, I am cancer free. And although I’m grateful for good health, I’m also grateful for the journey that challenged it. I credit cancer for giving me the permission and the courage to live out my dream of owning property in Colorado (which turned into much more than that). Without my diagnosis, I think I would still be waiting for ‘one day’ to actually happen. I have a mantra that I live by now, which is Make Every Day Count. We are only given one life, and I hope my story inspires others to make the most of theirs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As mentioned above, it has not been an easy or smooth road. But isn’t that what eventually motivates all of us to make big changes? Obstacles and hardships can be blessings in disguise and had it not been for my health scare, I might still be dreaming this dream and not actually living it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am technically a vacation rental host, but somehow ended up parlaying that into now creating content on social media for brands that align with my pillars of Hiking, Hospitality, Humor, Heart & Home. What started out as an idea to market my property on social media (primarily Instagram) has taken on a life of its own. I now have several streams of income that extend beyond my rental bookings such as having an Amazon Storefront and having an account on a popular Dallas based affiliate marketing platform known as LTK. I have even been on a podcast. I am 52 years old and never thought I’d be in this space. While I don’t consider myself an influencer, I have formed incredible relationships with others who do. I have so much life experience to share with this younger generation of creators, and I think that’s what sets me apart.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
This is a great question. Upon forming my social media presence I immediately began building a community of other vacation rental hosts. We have a wonderful network that we tap into almost daily. Simple questions like ‘Do you have a snowplow company you love?’ to ‘Where did you buy the sheets for your beds’? It has been a huge blessing and something I’m very proud of. I also have called upon my friends who are actual influencers for advice and direction in this unique digital space. I’ve collaborated with over 20 creators to promote my rental properties and I’m happy to say I have ongoing relationships with them as well. It’s such a joy for me to have a creative outlet that still feels relevant and also helps put my 3 boys through college. What a great time to be alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chestnuthillcabin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestnuthillcabin/profilecard/?igsh=MWlkN2NuaWhzbHp4YQ==
- Other: https://linktr.ee/chestnuthillcabin
