Today we’d like to introduce you to Leisha Ortiz.
Hi Leisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My grandfather was instrumental in shaping my love of the outdoors, arts, and music. From very young I remember him playing violin to me and teaching me how to draw and paint. Because of my grandfathers love and positive influence, I knew from little on that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up! I have always enjoyed creating from a very early age!
During high school years I spent my after-school hours volunteering for a local freelance designer in my hometown. This freelance designer had attended the yearly high school art show for graduating seniors during my senior year and noticed my exhibiting artwork on display. He thought I had potential talent for advertising design and reached out to contact me to see if I wanted an opportunity for apprentice work for his agency. My senior year and summer I worked in that apprentice role doing small illustration work, and camera work. I was thrilled to work on any design project he had available just to “hang out” and watch and learn the design and illustration industry. From there I started working summers at a printer/business partner of his and went on to attend a college for graphic design in Northern Indiana.
I started working as a freelance designer after graduating college. After moving to Charlotte NC , I then started my first professional job working as a designer for the local Science Museum, Discovery Place . I was involved in the design work and promotion for the expansion and launch of the Omnimax Theatre at Discovery Place . During my time there I was also involved in exhibit design, and planetarium pan artwork for the museums. The museum provided so many creative opportunities for a young artist! It was a dream place to work as my first design job right out of college!!
After working for the DiscoveryPlace museum for a decade, I went to work for Pinkerton in Charlotte NC and worked as an in-house graphic designer. I produced ethics and compliance internal design projects for big box retail companies such as Talbot, Tiffany, Home Depot, Sax fitfth avenue (to name a few). I have allways continued my freelance design work on the side while working full time through my entire working career . My freelance design work led me to work with a salesman from Pinkerton who was involved in a business start-up in Atlanta in the Class A securities industry. I agreed to design their company logo for the start-up. I then continued to produce design work for this new business in Atlanta. This start up ultimately lead to my move from Charlotte to Atlanta when I landed a job at the CDC. Next thing I knew, I was moving to Atlanta!
In my current role at the CDC I find working in public health very fulfilling and that is where I remain today. I produce design work for the CDC and many public-facing health messages through print, social media and infographics. I’ve learned so much about how the government responds to pandemics being employed through the Ebola outbreak, and also Covid-19. I helped design many of the messages seen by the public during those outbreaks.
Lately, I’ve been pulled toward the hospitality industry and have started my own STRs and long-term rental properties in Atlanta and the surrounding area. After I re-married and moved in with my husband, I was able to start renting my first home in Atlanta . I became a landlord for the first time with the encouragement and backing of my husband. We both became hands-on property managers and landlords. I’ve been renting my first small ranch home in Atlanta now for 8 years. With that long-term rental experience under my belt, I launched an Airbnb bed and bath (within my new home, a 1970s Tudor) in Tucker and stepped into the STR business . I found a love for the hospitality business, meeting new people, finding out their travel stories, helping them feel at home and creating a 5-star experience for travelers.
Two years ago, I rented a cabin in Blue Ridge with my husband to go kayaking in the area. We loved the Blue Ridge area so much we decided to look around for a cabin to purchase and we launched a STR cabin rental in 2021. We worked on updating and remodeling the cabin for 4 months during covid and then launched our new cabin rental venture and didn’t look back. I created my own brand for the cabin and produced social media graphics and advertising for The Canoeing Bear in Blue Ridge. We do our own property management for the cabin. I handle all the hospitality and social media aspects of our rental, while my husband provides a lot of property management, repairs and upgrades for us. I love setting up our cabin with all the little nice things that create a 5 star guest experience. It’s so fulfilling to get guest reviews coming in that let you know your providing a great vacation for someone.
In my free time, I have a group of great friends to cycle with and keep active, we do a fundraiser every year to help raise money for kids with cancer. I also spend as much time as I can traveling and discovering new cycle paths in different cities. I also love to kayak in the summer months and do a bowling league in the winter. I play piano and continue my family’s talents in the area of music. There is so much to do with your time in life, it gives us so many unique opportunities when we stay on the lookout for them!!!
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?
There have been many struggles, not always smooth sailing. My biggest struggles were probably as a single mom first moving to Atlanta. I know at that time in my early 40s, I was starting over and had $1,000 dollars in the bank and only myself to pay the bills. During some of my early years of being single in Atlanta, I’ve been down to one can of soup in the kitchen. I’ve always worked a second freelance job along with my full-time job to get myself through the lean times. Having design skills and creative skills has given me opportunities to leverage my ideas into dreams come true. I never give up and I’ve found out that if I keep my mind open to new experiences, and people, the universe always shows me the way. My daughter spent time in NJ with her dad and in GA with me, but she eventually ended up pursuing her career in the film industry in savannah and we both ended up in Atlanta. Being a landlord in Atlanta , and a STR rental host in Atlanta and Blue Ridge , it is both blessing and a struggle at the same time. Ive navigated everything from renters who don’t pay rent to downturns in the rental industry. When I approach a new opportunity, I repeat to myself “what do I have to loose”? I try not to allow myself to ever worry about failing. I try to only focus on success and imagine my opportunity as only being a success and not a failure. I lean on my positive friends to share my ideas with and only consult with positive influences when I’m trying a new opportunity. Positive people embrace opportunity and I draw from their inspiration and energy to lead my way to success by having the support and positivity of my friends “I choose” close by.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a creative thinker and designer. I think I am most proud of launching my own vacation STR, Designing the interior, and branding the vacation rental (only because when I was younger, I never would have dreamed I’d run a vacation property!) This venture has given me the most creative freedom in my life! I think I’ve always been interested in psychology and what motivates people. This is very closely linked to advertising and if you can anticipate people’s needs and desires you can translate that into successful visual brands and creative slogans. The psychology and the creative has always worked hand in hand for me. There is nothing more fulfilling than designing something that people want and respond to in positive ways. I think what sets me apart in my design work from others is knowing what motivates people to react and take action.
What are your plans for the future?
I tend to let my experiences and the people I meet lead me in the direction I should go. For that reason, I can’t really say I plan ahead for my future. Based on my past the one thing I do know is that nothing I’ve planned has ever turned out the way I’ve planned for. I’ve learned to just keep an open mind and not be afraid to try a new challenge. If I base my future on where I am now, I would say I’m probably headed towards vacation rentals and owning and operating more of my own, but then again something may cross my path that sends me in a new direction I’ve never thought of going in. The latest thing that intrigues me is trading services for travel. I’m really intrigued by the fact that your talents can be used to gain an adventure. For instance, let’s say you’re a photographer and you trade your photo services for a stay in an Airbnb. I think there is an idea in there somewhere of where I want to go that is not yet fully formed for me. Stay curious because your curiosity will always have you finding your next adventure or life experience!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thecanoeingbearbr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecanoeingbearBR
