ALL ABOUT MARILYNN
THE QUICK FACTS
Entrepreneurship has always come naturally to me. My first business venture was at the age of 9 when my ballet studio taught us how to make suckers for a fund raiser. I immediately thought, “Hey, I can sell these at school!”. So I did and got my first taste of how to buy supplies to make something for cheap, mark it up and make a profit. I was hooked.
I’ve never been afraid of discipline and hard work. I made a decision at the age of 2 that I wanted to be a ballerina. It became my sole focus through my entire childhood. At the age of 9, I was asked to make a decision if I was serious about becoming a professional ballerina. I knew I faced giving up normal childhood schedules, parties and sleep overs, but this didn’t deter me. I ended up studying at Joffrey Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, danced on stage with American Ballet Theater and ended my professional ballet career at the Hartford Ballet before transitioning to dance professionally throughout my 20’s. I traveled the world dancing professionally in TV, film and stage. I simultaneously became a self taught professional makeup & hair artist which also took me all over the world where I worked with many celebrities.
As much as I am a creative through and through, I’m also a numbers girl. With a background in mortgages and secret passion for financial literacy, I became a real estate investor when I purchased my first rental in 2003, and then my first vacation rental in 2005.
My passion is sharing the life altering power of beautiful interiors and curiosities that spark wonder and joy. When your guests feel wonderful in a space you have created, you have given them a gift. My goal is to help as many other short term rental owners share the same gift with their guests.
MY BACKGROUND
So many lives, so little time
I have had multiple careers in my lifetime as well as multiple businesses. I learned the power of commitment, sacrifice and discipline at an early age. I made a decision at the age of 2 that I wanted to be a ballerina. It became my sole focus through my entire childhood. At the age of 9, I was asked to make a decision if I was serious about becoming a professional ballerina. I knew I faced giving up normal childhood schedules, parties and sleep overs, but this didn’t deter me. I ended up studying at Joffrey Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, danced on stage with American Ballet Theater and ended my professional ballet career at the Hartford Ballet before transitioning to dance professionally in TV, film and stage throughout my 20’s.
I simultaneously became a self taught professional makeup & hair artist which also took me all over the world where I worked with many celebrities for TV, film and print.
In 2001, I began working in the mortgage industry as a loan officer of residential mortgages through 2007. I bought my first long term rental in 2002 and began studying investing and financial literacy. During that time, I obtained my real estate license which I keep current and in 2008 invested $20k in to real estate investing college where I learned over 20 real estate investing strategies as well as advanced tax and legal strategies.
In 2004 I bought my first short term rental in Cape Cod which I remodeled and decorated from scratch, then shortly purchased a second in 2005 which I transformed over the next 5 years. It was during that time that I realized my talent for interior design. It was due to my commitment to the guest experience and beautiful interiors that I outperformed the market year after year and started the trend of presenting an interior image as the primary photo.
In 2010 I decided to pursue Interior design as a career, designing for investors & residential projects as well as investing in fix and flips. I was a featured designer on HGTV’s House Hunter’s Renovation as well as many publications including House Beautiful UK.
In 2016 I bought a tiny home short term rental in the California desert then another 2 in the same resort. These were my Mod Pod Rentals, which were each uniquely designed, the Retro Pod, the Urban Pod and the Regency Pod. I went on to develop the short term rental regulations for that resort. In 2018 I began renting my personal home near LAX on Airbnb as well.
Now
I see a lot of self professed “experts” out there with only a few years of experience or who have only hosted one property who are offering a lot of questionable advice to hosts with situations very different than theirs. I have hosted my personal home in Los Angeles, a large homes in a very remote seasonal area + tiny homes in the CA desert and each one needed a different approach & strategy.
Since day 1, I learned the importance of a beautifully designed space + an amazing guest experience. Over the years, I have become an expert in guest experience + hospitality, wowing my guests for a 5 star review even when things don’t go perfectly. My short term rentals are a way for me to pour my love and care in to other humans and it is incredibly rewarding.
Hosting also comes with a lot of responsibility and personal liability that most hosts never think about and often they put too much faith in the listing platforms to protect them. I apply both legal and business strategies that build in protection for the host, while simultaneously building guest vetting & relationship building in to your entire automated process from listing to finalized booking.
I became a real estate investor in 2002, a vacation rental host in 2005, earned my real estate license in 2006 and became an interior designer in 2012. I’m forever a student and stay on top of latest tax and legal strategies. I have the combined skills to help your listings stand out from the competition, secure more bookings and systems that help you host with more peace and joy.
There is no substitute for actual experience.
