Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sherry Larson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sherry, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

As a sixty-year-old reading a question that asks, “What did your parents do right? I can’t help but smile. My parents gave me the freedom to be unapologetically myself – a dreamer. Daddy kept me a bit grounded and expected good study habits and grades. Mom encouraged free thinking and asked, what if and why couldn’t you – and ignited the creative fire in my belly.

Although Daddy has been gone nearly twelve years, I still feel his guidance and approval. Mom continues to bless me with kudos and loads of laughter. My folks did many things right – I’d have to put love me at the top of the list.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I had a binder when I was a teenager that contained everything wedding. I have always loved to plan a party, and what bigger celebration is there to plan than a wedding?

Even though the aspirations of hosting weddings didn’t come until much later in life, entertaining was a passion, and event planning event planning was always a joy.

When my husband retired, his goal was to own hunting land. He supported my plans and said, “It was my turn.” And when we found the property that is now The Landing at Brush Creek, both of our dreams collided.

The Edge of Appalachia is enchanting, and our location is a distinction in itself. But it’s more than the landscape that surrounds us – we want to create a little magic – a moment in time that couples and their guests will never forget.

Our team believes every wedding should be authentic and curated to the couple’s style. We are artists and want to design a masterpiece of a day.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The Dictionary for Slang Phrases states that going down the rabbit hole or falling down the rabbit hole is “a metaphor for something that transports someone into a wonderfully (or troublingly) surreal state or situation.” We have a longstanding affection for Alice in Wonderland. This devotion and the fact that a Hatter initially owned our first Airbnb makes the rabbit hole a most appropriate subject for this question.

I can only imagine the stories that The Hattery holds. In 1838, James Holliday established his business there. Then the upstairs housed a cigar factory, followed by the early 1900s and the establishment of the Bank of Morristown (which was once robbed), to a temporary apartment in the 1980s before the building stood quiet, empty, and began deteriorating bit by bit.

Our first glance was at holes in the floors and walls, shattered glass, crooked stairs, bird and cat droppings everywhere. I’m not sure if Kirk thought he was married to a visionary or someone who had indeed gone mad (pun intended). Still, we jumped in the rabbit hole (okay, maybe I jumped and pulled him in with me – but he was beside me nonetheless).

The Hattery project gave us much to consider and lessons to learn and relearn. I was ultimately accountable for this project. It was a truly humbling experience. I came in way over budget due to unexpected discoveries and the need for more education on what a project of this magnitude requires. Dreams often come with a price, and only a few are financial. We learn things about life and ourselves that aren’t easy to face. We don’t have all the answers, we make bad decisions, and things don’t always go as planned, but we can’t just stop.

Wonderful and surreal – are perfect descriptors for what we experienced. The journey in the rabbit hole carries its own stories. Just like Alice, our transport was slow, fluid, and transforming. Loads of life happened in the nearly two years of restoration. Some of it was most unpleasant, and other parts were quite lovely. Restoration isn’t easy. It’s a process. The Hattery – is the personification of our broken mess and the process that brings us home.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I heard the phrase “Making a loving” from a lovely young lady last year. We discussed that sometimes, doing things we love doesn’t enable us to make a lucrative living, and she said, “But we can make a loving.” My Pollyanna’s heart is happy when I hear such sweet optimism. Some folks call it naivety to think the world could be a much more excellent place or that we could gather as a community with our diverse lives, experiences, and opinions to fellowship. I call it hope.

The Landing hopes to be a gathering place for welcoming and community.
It’s in our DNA to desire relationships, and the connectivity of food and casual conversation unites people. Jesus was big on breaking bread, blessing food, and making wine (at a wedding, no less). Throughout his life, we see him leaning in the tension of hard conversations and continuing to be loving. The Landing at Brush Creek’s reputation is built on a foundation of belonging. From a practical standpoint, we need to make a living, but more importantly, we want to make a loving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thelandingatbrushcreek.com
• Instagram: @thelandingatbrushcreek
• Facebook: The Landing at Brush Creek, LLC
• Linkedin: Sherry Larson