Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Li.
Hi Jared, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My partner and I live and work in Chicago. We stumbled upon Galena on our drives back to South Dakota where he grew up. We instantly fell in love with the town’s fascinating history, timeless architecture, hundreds of independently owned boutique shops and restaurants, and the wonderfully inclusive and hospitable environment cultivated by the local community. The more we explored the area, the further we fell in love with the region. Coming from Chicago, being here always feels like a perfect countryside getaway, surrounded by trees and rolling hills with access to so many outdoor activities – miles of walking/biking trails, scenic wineries, over half a dozen top-class golf courses, tennis courts, boating, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, even goat yoga and goat hiking! With the help of a wonderful local real estate agent, we were fortunate to find this perfect 2 bed 2 bath townhome, which was structurally and aesthetically reimagined by the prior owners. The couple moved to Galena during the pandemic to escape the city and then took advantage of the extra time at home to fully renovate the space with love and care. For us, spending time in Galena and staying in this beautiful space has allowed us to create wonderful memories and we want to share that with more people. We want our home to be the perfect “home away from home” for families and friends to come to discover Galena and create wonderful memories of their own.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was challenging as both my partner and I have our day jobs, and we really want to do our best to provide one of the best vacation rental experiences for our guests. With that, there was a lot of self-education through reading, Googling, listening to podcasts, and then trial-and-error. There were definitely countless bumps on the road. Fortunately, we have been able to lean on each other, lean on some host-oriented FB groups, and lean on our wonderful local team (agent, cleaner, handyman, etc.). Since going live in August and hosting more than a hundred guests, we have been able to maintain a perfect rating on both Airbnb and VRBO. Fingers crossed that we can keep up this record, and we definitely plan to continue working hard and tirelessly innovating to give our guests the best vacation lodging experience they all deserve.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My partner is a corporate litigation attorney and I work for an insurance company in the area of technology strategy. We are most proud of the fact that we both came from humble beginnings and, with luck and hard work, overcame the odds that stacked against us along the way, ultimately getting to where we are. We have many shared dreams and ambitions but in many ways, we are also so different from each other, in terms of how we think, act, and make decisions, which made us a good and balanced team. I think what also sets us apart from others is our tireless focus on guest experience. Since going live, we have been visiting Galena and staying at the townhome every month. Whenever we are there, we always try to put ourselves in our guests’ shoes and ask what can be better/different and what are different/cool things we can recommend to guests during their stay. In addition, we try to be as responsive as we can be, striving for whenever possible always reply to any guest messages within minutes. We think these have contributed to our nearly 2 dozen of 5-star reviews.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We are eager to invite all your readers to check out Galena; and when they do, they can check us out. We are on Airbnb, VRBO and also on Houfy – an Airbnb like platform where guests can book directly with us with no platform fees. And we want all our guests to help us co-create the perfect vacation rental experience. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://houfy.com/h/galenamodernretreat
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galenamodernretreat/
- Facebook: facebook.com/galenamodernretreat
Image Credits
Robyn Basten
