Cabin Culture

Today's episode is admittedly unsexy—but it's one of those things I wish someone had explained to me in plain language before I needed it. We're talking about 1031 exchanges, which you've probably heard of if you own investment property, but might not fully understand unless you're an accountant or deeply embedded in real estate. This is for the rest of us—the cabin owners...

Today we're welcoming Diana Pasquali, who started hosting on Airbnb in the very early days—back when you literally rented an air mattress in your San Francisco apartment. What began as shared-space hosting evolved into Rockridge Casita, a stunning 300-square-foot converted garage that became one of the OG tiny spaces showcasing beautiful design for short-term rentals. Featured in Sunset Magaz...

Today's episode is a solo deep dive into one of the biggest decisions you'll face on your cabin journey: should you renovate an existing property or build from scratch? This question came up recently when one of my best friends started asking about investing in a second property, and I realized how many of you might be wrestling with this same choice right now. While I love interviewing...

Today we're welcoming Stephanie Hansen, a four-time Emmy Award-winning television host, longtime radio personality, and author of "The True North Cabin Cookbook" volumes one and two. But what makes Stephanie's story particularly compelling for our cabin community is her raw honesty about what cabin ownership really means—including the moment she admits that the family's is...

Today we're welcoming Spencer Wood, known as the Real Estate Cowboy, who's calling in from inside his geodesic dome in Kingfield, Maine. Spencer has been living in a camper on his 10-acre property for nearly four years while building this unique structure—and he's still mid-build, which makes this conversation particularly valuable. While most guests come on after their projects are...

Today we're welcoming Dawn from The Olive Jar, an experiential marketing studio specializing in vacation rental design and guest experiences. Dawn's path to this work is unconventional—she started in film advertising writing movie trailers, moved into documentary filmmaking with brands, and then spent years producing immersive culinary experiences before COVID shut down her entire indust...

Today we're welcoming Sarah and Matt from Hyggeland Cabin in upstate New York, who built their own cabin from the ground up—a decision born from a COVID-era road trip and a serendipitous introduction to Den Outdoors cabin plans. What makes their story particularly compelling is they started dating in May 2020, bought land together on their one-year anniversary, and spent the next two years bu...

Today we're welcoming Rick and Lindsay from the south coast of the UK, who created Looking Glass Lodge—a stunning example of how cabin culture translates across different countries and landscapes. What makes their story particularly compelling is that they didn't set out to become cabin hosts at all. When Rick's father retired from managing a nature reserve, Rick and Lindsay inherit...

Today we're welcoming Jessie Lane, an interior designer based in Los Angeles who created what might be the most unique cabin interior I've ever seen. During the pandemic, Jessie and her husband purchased a log cabin in North Carolina sight unseen—a decision that launched a three-year design journey that would challenge everything you think you know about cabin interiors. Jessie describes...

On today’s episode we're doing something a little different—this is less traditional cabin content and more behind-the-scenes business and social media strategy. But, if you’re anything like me, who is currently facing social media dilemmas as we expand our to a new property, then this might be just what you need to hear. In this episode I’m chatting with Taylor Hildreth, a social media exper...

Emmy award-winning host Jack Stewart spent seven years bringing national parks to television through ABC's "Rock the Park" and now creates adventure content on his YouTube channel "Tiny Cabin Life." After losing his father to cancer, Jack transitioned from corporate TV to independent content creation, discovering that cabin content resonated more with audiences than tradit...

Mary Bauer built a luxury baby furniture empire (Brat Decor) that furnished celebrity nurseries for Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians, and Alec Baldwin. When her husband's cancer diagnosis forced them to downsize their business, they transformed their handbuilt West Virginia cabin into a premium rental—pricing it 4-5x higher than local competition and succeeding. Mary's unexpected journey...

Today we're welcoming Dale Mulfinger, an architect and self-proclaimed "cabinologist" who literally wrote the book on what makes a cabin a cabin. Dale has spent over three decades designing cabins across the upper Midwest, taught university courses on cabin architecture, and authored multiple books including "Cabinology" and "The Family Cabin." His research began...

Today we talked with Kara from the legendary Alpaca Treehouse in Atlanta, Georgia—a property so unique that it might literally be the only one of its kind in the world. What started with gateway livestock chickens and a treehouse built for wine nights with friends has evolved into something that defies categorization: a bamboo jungle sanctuary in the middle of the city, complete with rescued llama...

Back with our SECOND ever solo episode, that I am still very much anxious about. Am I oversharing? Should I wait until things are finalized? Am I not sharing enough? Are my thoughts unorganized and slightly chaotic? Who knows. But here we are!  Instagram: @cozyrockcabin Cozy Rock Cabin: https://staycozycabin.holidayfuture.com/listings/311027 Cozy Camp Sebec: https://staycozycabin.holidayfuture.com...

Today we're speaking with Kathleen, a writer and single mother who transformed six acres of Vermont farmland into something much more profound than a business strategy. What began as a practical solution—making the land pay for itself after moving from affluent Marin County to rural Vermont—has evolved into a masterclass in heart-centered hospitality and the radical act of leading with genero...

Today we're speaking with Chase, who has taken the concept of rapid scaling to a whole new level. In just five years, he's gone from buying his first cabin in Running Springs, California, to owning eight properties across multiple states—all while maintaining a full-time career as a loan officer and raising a family. What started as a weekend retreat they could barely use because it kept...

Today I'm chatting with Steph, the force behind North Country Cabin Co., who has been building a Wisconsin lake cabin empire for over a decade. What started as a corporate escape plan and a podcast-inspired lightbulb moment has evolved into four distinctive lake properties and a completely reimagined life centered around what truly fills her up. From drilling wells that cost double the estima...

I am excited to launch a new format for some of our podcast episodes! I'm calling these 'Anchor Episodes', and they're just me 😬They'll be a bit shorter, and will be a deep dive of some of the ideas/thoughts/concepts that I reference regularly (but briefly) during our interviews with guests. My hope is it will provide some helpful content for regular listeners, as well as...

Today I'm speaking with Mia, a clinical psychologist who transformed childhood memories of a Maine dairy farm into a healing refuge for her family after profound loss. When Mia and her husband lost their six-and-a-half-year-old daughter Eloise, they discovered that all the therapeutic tools in the world couldn't shield them from devastation—but they could find solace in returning to the...

Today we're welcoming Maura, an interior designer who created the Everwoods brand in Ohio's stunning Hocking Hills region. Drawing inspiration from childhood summers at a Wyoming dude ranch, Maura and her husband Tony have built four distinctive cabins that showcase the evolution from rustic log cabins to modern mountain retreats in this hidden Midwest gem. What started as a dream to esc...

Today we're welcoming Mitch, a commercial pilot who turned 90 acres of Maine forest into something truly unique in the short-term rental world: a fly-in cabin experience complete with its own FAA-registered runway. What started as a practical solution for getting his family from Pennsylvania to their beloved Maine quickly evolved into a destination that's capturing the imagination of pil...

Today is a special episode, as it’s only the second one ever recorded IN PERSON. Rick and Charles are the charming inn keepers at The Hideaway Inn in Camden, Maine. We got to visit during our last trip to Maine, and it did NOT disappoint.  After falling in love with New England during their first visit in 2021, this couple made the bold decision to leave their corporate careers on the West Coast a...

Today we're welcoming Ina, a 25-year-old chemist and Airbnb host whose riverside cabin in Concrete, Washington offers breathtaking views of the North Cascades. While many episodes focus on the joys of cabin ownership, today's conversation tackles a scenario that keeps many hosts awake at night: what happens when disaster strikes? Ina shares her harrowing experience of receiving a call th...

This episode is from our very first month of the podcast, back in 2023, where we talked with Chris & Pam (the famous Dirt & Glass) about everything from how they got their start (hint: a hike, heartbreak, and an off-grid cabin in New York) to what makes a cabin photo truly stand out. They share insights on the evolution of cabin culture online, the behind-the-scenes process of working with...