Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Smith.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
24 years ago I saw the most beautiful Victorian house with 16 acres on Lake Allatoona. It also had an amazing Civil War history. i fell in love with the home . My husband brought me back down to Earth with the realities of purchasing such a property. Yet, 6 months later, we bought the home.and my dream to run a bed and breakfast and overnight horse lodging facility was headed toward becoming a reality. We were open as a bnb for 21 years and also became a wedding and event facility. Many couples shared their vows here with family and friends. Through out the journey I met many interesting guests and feel like I brought joy to them when they stayed. Today we are mostly retired and remain open only as an air bnb. Most recently a Lifetime movie was filmed here called “Danger in the Countryside”. It’s available to rent and my husband Dave and I made a cameo appearance in it. Some day we will sell the property so someone else who can continue what we started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I found that running a bnb was a lot harder than I thought. Waking up and making breakfast for 12 to 15 people is a challenge in itself. One has to really enjoy people. The worst part for me was the cleaning of the Inn.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My education was not really suited for a bed and breakfast. I was educated as a registered nurse and also hold a real estate license. I have had over 50 years of experience showing and breeding horses which is my passion. So the horse overnight lodging was the fun part for me.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as loving your occupation while comfortably supporting yourself and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakeallatoonainn.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17N11szSqK/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Myself
