Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mallorie Smotherman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Mallorie, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
My confidence and self-esteem have been shaped by the positive reinforcement that I received from my parents while growing up and still to this day. I have also been truly fortunate with amazing supervisors in my prior positions. Their trust in my abilities and potential fostered a sense of self-efficacy that has been critical in my personal and professional development. These role models instilled in me valuable skills in guest service and problem-solving, allowing me to approach these tasks with plenty of confidence.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
With the idea in mind to have “Additional Doors” in a few different vacation markets, my husband and I have so far acquired “The Smoky Mountain Door” which is a cabin right outside of Pigeon Forge in the Smokies with a plan to rent it out for short term stays while we aren’t using it personally. We started here because it was close enough to our home and it is an extremely popular vacation spot that is drivable from a number of surrounding states. In the future we hope to have a couple more “doors” near a beach. Over the last two and half years we have been able to host families from all over the United States every week. I often think about the new memories those families are creating and it just brings me a new joy that I was not ever expecting when getting into this. It is truly fulfilling to provide a comfortable stay for their long-awaited vacations, and I cherish the positive feedback they share about their experiences.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When looking at the overall process of running a short-term rental, a skill that I think is the most impactful in this industry is having great guest service and hospitality skills. You can buy all the houses you want but if you do not know how to take care of your guests, then they are not going to return or spread the word about your places for others to come and stay. Making them feel like they are welcome is going to get you the farthest. Another skill that is important is day to day operations and management skills, you need to be organized and know when someone is checking in and out, when it’s okay to send a maintenance team in, whether or not your cleaner has shown up to get it ready for the next family, if you can’t manage these things, then you will be in way over your head before you know it. One last thing that I think is important before getting into short-term rentals is to know the regulations of the area you are buying in. They can and will change, you need to stay up to date and stay compliant to keep everything running smoothly.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
We can sleep up to 6 in our cabin; two in the loft, two in the main bedroom, and two on the sleeper sofa in the living room. So really the ideas are endless! We have hosted families anywhere from the size of three to six. Many couples have come without kids to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays alone. The girls trips are always a fun hit and father/son trips are a blast with the catch and release pond the next block over. You could be a hiking family since we are so close to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park with over 150 trails to choose from, or a family who just wants to be secluded in the woods for a weekend to cozy up in front of the fireplace, relax in the hot tub, or play on the arcade. Both nearby towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are so family friendly, they have everything you need to make your vacation unforgettable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.additionaldoors.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/additionaldoors
- Facebook: facebook.com/additionaldoors
- Other: www.airbnb.com/h/smokydoor
www.vrbo.com/2348711
Image Credits
Photo’s of the Cabin: Mike Sutton Jr. Photography Headshot: Tim West Photography
