We recently connected with Jody ans Xochitl Wodrich and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jody ans Xochitl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
We were in the process of pursuing a glamping business. We had the property, business plan, permits, etc. We were met with a lot of opposition. Hindsight it wasn’t the right place or the right time for glamping, but we learned a lot in the process.
We would drive by an old roadside motel that was for sale almost daily. I (Xochitl (so-cheel)), said, “why don’t we just buy that place.” At this point I was receiving hate emails, newspaper articles were coming out and a petition was circulating to shut down our glamping business. It was exhausting. We had so many doubts and fears we had to work through while trying to maintain peace and normalcy for our three young boys.
I didn’t know Jody had drawn up some plans of the hotel property of what he would do if we owned it. We often day dream about different opportunities and things that we like. I loved the idea and kept it in the back of my mind. We both did
The glamping permits were revoked after a long and emotional public hearing. We had to pivot, and quick. We have three kids, just moved into a town that met us with pitchforks, no job, we lost a lot of money in the glamping project and our savings was being drained. After the pandemic things just changed for us. Jody didn’t want to work for someone else. We wanted to get out of the city and be closer to family. We wanted more time together and to build something we could be proud of. We could either be upset or we could dust ourselves off.
We called the realtor selling the property. It was within our price range. The wheels were immediately in motion. We planned to be a farm to table boutique hotel. We wanted local artwork throughout. We want to grow traditional food and maybe somethings not so traditional. We wanted to keep the integrity of an old building and bring it back to life. We wanted to bring dusty dry land back to gardens. We wanted to use traditional irrigation methods and committed ourselves to the acequias and to maintaining our ditch, a practice that has been cherishes in Taos for hundreds of years.
Thankfully Jody understands drafting and architecture. We moved forward with the plans, got the permits we needed and put our design skills to work. We were afraid for sure. Would we go through the ordeal all over again with the town? I actually reached out to people that were against us to have conversations. I wanted to hear their concerns and also give them an opportunity to get to know us. The media and hype painted us as wolves coming to deplete the beauty or Northern New Mexico. In fact I’m a native New Mexican. My family tree traces back to the 1700’s with both Indigenous and Spanish roots. I love this part of the world and want to celebrate the culture and beauty. Both Jody and I want to do it in an authentic and respectful manner. I know us coming from California put people on guard. And the truth is, a lot of people do come to Taos to take. I appreciate the peoples tenacity to fight for what they believe in.
Once we owned the property we got right to work, and there was a lot of it. The structure was in decent shape being adobe, it holds up, but needed a face lift. We had to create a flow without too much disturbance to the existing framework. The infrastructure needed to be completely redone. We put in new plumbing, electrical, a new spetic, sidewalks, leveled the ground. We had to create doors and replace windows. We ripped out bathrooms and carpets. Cleaned years of dust and painted walls. We cut back old trees and dead brush. We found piles of trash buried. We became regulars at the town dump. The soil was depleted, we planted cover crops and used worm tea to revitalize the soil. We brought in plants, flowers and fruit trees.
Months of digging and demolition and being covered in dirt became months of being covered in paint and glue. Or bodies were sore from lifting drywall, pipes and mixing concrete. Our backs ached from painting floors and ceilings. Our hands were dry from the Earth, tree barks and. They have a saying in New Mexico that if you don’t like the weather to wait five minutes. We worked in rain, wind, snow, and heat. There were days when we cried and wanted to give up. We’d tell each other just to do the next thing. Our eyes burned from reading so many rules and regulations. Who knew there’d be so much paperwork?
We thought we were close to done and we started ordering furniture and light fixtures. We thought this would be the “fun part”. We were finally in a place where we could design each room. We wanted the rooms to all be different, to evoke different emotions, to meet different needs. We wanted all the rooms to celebrate humanity and our common need for rest. We had a plan and it was working. We were so close to the end.
We started planning our website and photography, put it carpet and killer wallpaper. And then one day the plumbers were wrapping things up and water started pouring out of the walls. Someone had punched hopes with a nail gun into new water pipes. This moment felt like it was all over. We thought if any of this gets ruined we can’t afford to fix it. We had a budget and there was nothing left. We’d spent a week nervously hanging the wallpaper and so much money on it. Suddenly afraid it would be ruined in an instant. Plumbers are amazing, but sometimes they just want to fix things even if it means ruining something else. I begged them to rip out other walls. Certainly they could fix this without too much collateral damage. Luckily for us, they did.
We built it. We promoted it. We put everything into it. Now it was just a matter of seeing if people would receive it. Since then we’ve sold out for all holidays. We have all five star reviews and our summer is filling up. I’ll never forget that feeling of having a full house for the first time. It’s a mixture of excitement. Seeing people enjoy all the hard work. Seeing people rest and enjoy Taos and being introduced to new artists, food, and experiences.
It’s spring time at Desert Flower. There’s nothing like seeing our fruit trees come back after a long winter and beginning to bud. Just a few years ago it was an old broken asphalt parking lot. In a few years we will have apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and raspberries. All the hard work is paying off. Sometimes people walk in and just see the end, but to get here was so much hard work. Blood, sweat, and tears baby.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Jody and Xochitl both have worked in creative fields.
Jody started as a set designer. He started working with corporate brands and eventually moved up into a marketing executive overseeing 96 countries. He oversaw anything to do with the brand, from videos, live events to packaging.
Xochitl worked in the fashion industry in Los Angeles. She started as a makeup artist and wardrobe assistant. She worked as a clothing buyer and in product development.
Together they have three boys. They’ve enjoyed remodeling homes and design.
When the pandemic hit we re-evaluated our lives. Thought about the things that are most important and how do we want to live. We’ve always created home that people love to visit, by, and we used to entertain. I (Xochitl) love to cook and Jody loves to work outside in the garden. We thought lets put our skills together and see what we could do. We wanted to be more than a bed and breakfast. So we thought we’d take that mold and break it. Jody’s work has taken him all over the world and he’s been able to stay in countless hotels. He’s been able to see what works and what doesn’t.
We wanted luxury amenities but at a mom and pop level and that’s what we did. The property is small and intimate. You will get personalized attention. But we didn’t skimp of anything. We meet all our guests and have home cooked breakfasts. We spend a day making the red chili ourselves and grow as many of the vegetables ourselves. We source locally as much as possible. Our coffee is small batch origins and roasted locally. We have luxury bedding, towels, a copper tub in some of the rooms. The decor is thoughtful. Our bath and body products are sustainably make by hand from the Taos Pueblo. We’ve sources beer and wine from Red River Brewery and Vivac Winery. Our art comes from local artists and we painted all the murals ourselves.
We’re proud of the environment we created. We hoped to build a place where people feel inspired and able to relax and get rejuvenated. We love nature and waned to bring people closer to the Earth. Taos is a magical place and we wanted to honor it with a magical and enchanting hotel. We believe we accomplished that. We love the celebration of nature. The Sangre de Cristo Mountain is on display from every room. We are honoring the traditions with food and love for the land. Each rooms sets a different mood and our guests choose a room that speaks most to them. The copper tubs are healing and people leave feeling better than when they arrived.
Our hope is to expand our kitchen
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Jody and I met on the porch of a mutual friend. The friend was late and it was just the two of us. He’d just got back from a trip to Singapore and I was young a could care less. Jody made me laugh with his carefree attitude. We immediately became best friends. It became romantic years later after he pursued my best friend. Through it I realized I might have feelings for him and like wise. My friend thought he was too silly and I told her I want to die laughing. We’ve know each other for 23 years and been married for 18 of those and there’s not been a day that goes by that we don’t laugh.
We’ve bought and remodeled three homes together we thought why not a hotel. We thought it would just be like a really long party that we get paid for. Our business was really birthed out of our desire to be together more. Jody wanted to be around the boys more. We wanted to be in a place where we can enjoy the outdoors and be creative together. So, here we are, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country — together.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Our glamping business was going to be Desert Flower. We debated whether or not to keep the name because of all the attachments. The thing about flowers that grow in the desert is they are resilient. The environment out here can be harsh. The wind is harsh. The sun feels hotter. The snow storms are intense. The monsoons are unforgettable. The ground can be hard as a rock — the adobe homes are made from the Earth and stand for years. The Francis de Asis church was build in the 1700’s with Adobe and still stands. It’s really a miracle anything grows in the high desert. But in the summer the wildflowers are absolutely stunning. I love walking in the desert with the dust and heat and to find a beautiful flower. It almost seems out of place. But they thrive and they’re proud.
There’s a saying in Taos that the mountain calls you here. But sometimes it spits you out. I believe we were called here. There is a connection to the land and those that feel it know. But the mountain does test. It takes grit and hard work to make it in Taos. We never imagined we’d be met with such opposition, but we were. There were times we felt like public enemy number one. The emails, the petition, local news coverage and news even down in Albuquerque trying to shut us down. I remember being at the hearing and the opposing lawyer twisting our words and rousing emotions and feeling helpless. It didn’t matter that we were actual people but seen more as a corporation. People said we’re changing Taos. And I thought how we’re just a family that is blowing though our life saving going after a dream. We had to be unafraid to show up and say we belong. We had to win people over. You can’t do business in a small town with enemies. In time people realized we’re not who they thought we were. I’ve even had people apologize and say they were wrong about us. We have people that signed that petition that send guests our way. The experience was one of the worst and best of our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://desertflowerhotel.com/
- Instagram: @desertflowerhotel
- Facebook: @Desert Flower Hotel
- Yelp: Desert Flower Boutique Hotel
- Other: TikTok @desertflower2022
Image Credits
Sam Joseph