about
A bit of my story
I grew up on a family farm in central Texas, homeschooled by my parents alongside nine siblings in a close-knit Christian community.
Best childhood ever.
My grandma sparked my love for art with weekly drawing lessons. I’ve been dreaming up businesses ever since I can remember: everything from a home-brew soda company to a typewriter repair shop (and plenty in between).
At 24, with a whole lot of help, I turned $20k of savings and a dream into a modern village of lakeside cabins. I poured everything I had into that 5-acre slice of Texas, and Live Oak Lake welcomed its first guests just ten months after groundbreaking.
But two weeks later, disaster struck: Airbnb suspended our account. No warning. No explanation.
With a loan payment looming, I had to get creative.
I paid a local influencer a few hundred dollars to post an Instagram giveaway. Within days, we had $40,000 in direct bookings and thousands of followers — from scratch! Then, as if perfectly timed, Airbnb reactivated our account. There'd been a "glitch."
But — it was too late.
We tripled down on social media, building an audience of over 100k that drove 80%+ direct bookings.
Guests returned time and again, drawn by timeless design, authentic storytelling, and a spirit of unreasonable hospitality that transformed our space into an unforgettable experience. When you nail the details, the product (or experience) is the marketing.
And that was just the beginning for me...
A worldwide movement is taking shape around crafting one-of-a-kind experiences. Spaces with soul — and a story. I couldn’t be more excited for that future.
Today, my wife Helen and I live on the farm I grew up on, and we’re raising our boys — Lucas & Ezra — the same way we were raised. I’m grateful for the life I’ve been given, and I make it my aim to pay it forward.
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Thanks for stopping by.
—Isaac