At 24, I was a self-employed bookkeeper with a dream. With $19k in savings and a whole lot of help, I built a modern village of lakeside cabins on a 5-acre slice of Texas. Just 10 months after breaking ground, Live Oak Lake welcomed its first guests.

Then disaster struck—Airbnb suspended our account. No warning. No explanation. With a loan payment looming, I took a chance on a $900 Instagram giveaway. It sparked $40k in direct bookings and thousands of followers in days. By the time Airbnb called it a “glitch,” we no longer needed them.

In our first year, we grew to 100k+ followers and booked 80% direct. Guests kept coming back—drawn by timeless design, authentic storytelling, and unreasonable hospitality that transformed our space into an unforgettable experience.

Less than 2 years later, Live Oak Lake sold for $7M. Why? Because we built something the big brands can’t copy, and they know it. This, my friends, is the gold rush era of experiential hospitality—and there’s room for you. You don’t need millions. You need vision, grit, and a story worth sharing.