We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aaron Mumford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aaron below.
Aaron, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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?
My business partner Jesse Baker and I spent many days and nights throughout our college years together talking about business ideas that could disrupt the traditional norm. Real estate and hospitality ventures were always central to those conversations. After a decade of cutting our teeth in the corporate world post-graduation we reunited by joining forces on owning and operating several rental units in South Seattle. What began as a side hustle started to blossom when we took a chance on restoring a 39-foot Stephens Bros. yacht that would be moored and rented as a two-bedroom unit in the short-term accommodation deprived, but wildly popular, Ballard district. Guests couldn’t get enough, and our focus then shifted to acquiring an existing motel/RV establishment in a key Washington State outdoor recreation zone. Our six-month exhaustive search finally led us to a dilapidated coastal property at the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. It had been on the market for three years due to its dilapidated condition. We saw the potential, negotiated a killer deal, acquired the property in January 2020, worked tirelessly for six months and then proudly opened Pacific Dunes Resort for business on that Fourth of July.
We quickly came to a crossroads once it was clear to us that our Lifestyle Lodging business model was working. Should I leave my high paying, GM role I had worked so hard to establish for 12 years to lay everything on the line and pursue my passion for hospitality? It didn’t take too long looking in the mirror before I answered with a resounding “hell yes!” Quick expansion was mandatory if this passion was going to turn into a reliable paycheck. Jesse and I expanded our search parameters to the entire Rocky Mountain region and landed on Tetonia, ID. The site was close enough to Jackson Hole for brand recognition and in between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. The property we identified checked all our boxes, so we liquidated our 401Ks and emptied the savings accounts to fund the down payment with a hard money lender crazy enough to track our vision. We executed again and within nine months we had a total of five properties.
The show “Motel Makeover” can’t hold a candle to what we went through! Each day held a new obstacle to overcome, some as small as getting utility bill payments on auto pilot in small towns that only accept physical checks. Other obstacles were more consequential such as our reservation software adoption. I was constantly interviewing, hiring, and onboarding across three states. Site visits included swinging a hammer one day, selling group business the next and then scrambling to turn rooms as finding housekeepers that can meet our meticulous standards are hard to come by! Your journey will be short lived if you can’t seamlessly transition between the different types of roles in the world of hospitality. The days, weeks and months can all blur together, but I can tell you that sweat equity is a foundation key to success for any disruptive, entrepreneurial business.
Unlike other companies, our goal is to acquire existing infrastructure and improve it in phases, rather than tearing down and building from scratch. We had to find a path that allowed us to generate revenue out of the gates while juggling an ongoing value add renovation. Renovating 50% of rooms plus comprehensive exterior enhancements felt like a sure-fire recipe to negatively impact a guest’s stay. What I quickly learned is that the American Dream is still alive! 95% of guests would inquire about what was going on at the property, not to complain, but because they loved seeing the evolution and wanted to vicariously take part in our journey. You can’t sugar coat obvious disruptions to your existing customers while executing items that are for the long-term benefit of the business. Being transparent, honest and seeking proactive resolutions is always the most efficient path forward. We had detailed construction schedules, furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) ordering protocols, max online exposure benchmarks, etc. that we hoped would provide a smooth, controlled path from concept to executed launch. Business, and life for that matter, will always throw you curveballs so after those “calculated” plans become scrap paper I had to think on my feet, be resourceful, and find the most efficient path forward each day. You’d be surprised at how often offering a cold beer can mitigate the threat of conflict! Diffusing small issues before they became time consuming issues was the biggest lesson I learned as we evolved transitioned from concept to operation at JET Hospitality.
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
My passion for real estate, construction and hospitality started at an early age. My parents owned and operated a small, custom home building business. They taught me the value and importance of working with your hands. My grandfather was a pioneer in the wireless cellular expansion across the country. His moral compass pushed him away from that career despite the lucrative opportunities he had in front of him. After cashing out his chips, he moved to Oregon and bought a resort with a full-service food & beverage operation and a 27-hole golf course at the base of Mt. Hood. I was immensely fortunate to grow up in and around that operation. Seeing how my grandparents treated their employees with respect and dignity, no matter where they fell on the food chain, shaped my approach to business and spurred my desire to be a leader.
My success in high school football led me to play at Cornell University. This school was particularly appealing after I researched their hospitality program. I left Cornell feeling well-rounded but eager to get back west. I ended up in Boulder, Colorado with a startup, third party real estate management company. What I thought would be a steppingstone position turned into a fulfilling 12-year career with the company. My role transforming Four Star Realty into a powerhouse along Colorado’s Front Range honed my sales, finance, conflict resolution, accounting, and managerial skillset. I came in bright eyed and bushy tailed and left as a dynamic Swiss army knife. The culmination of my upbringing, education and initial career experience were all needed to provide the foundation for me to achieve success with owning and operating my own company.
At JET Hospitality, we consider ourselves ‘lifestyle lodging.’ It’s so much more than a roof over your head; it’s experiential lodging that extends throughout the property grounds. All our resorts have intentionally curated common spaces that create guest interaction opportunities. My experience in traditional hotel settings is that brief eye contact and maybe a brief smile was the baseline environment between guests. I understood that flipping that culture on its head would be instrumental in creating a healthy and vibrant culture for both guests and employees. My playbook came from the community feel that is experienced when visiting RV parks. Often complete strangers are sharing beverages and war stories before they can even finish setting up their rigs. That’s because they automatically know that they are bound by a common interest of traveling. That same commonality exists with our guest room customer base given our strategic locations next to national parks or heavily trafficked outdoor recreation areas. I just needed to set the table and create an environment where folks could loosen up and be themselves. You’ll rarely see our Innkeepers sitting behind the front desk as they are constantly working the grounds to deliver on this mission. Our service and product recipe for success includes letting guests know that the campfire with complimentary s’mores starts at 5 p.m., handing out Happy Hour tokens that can be redeemed daily from 3-4 p.m., arranging arts & crafts projects for kids under our pavilions, and so much more. Once we’ve set the table and guests see the energetic, fun natured environment we’ve created, they let their hair down and before you know it, have made a lifelong friend around the campfire!
A hotel room should be spotless so hitting that mark doesn’t move the needle for me. It’s the experience outside the door that will set you apart. Living out our mission of merging ‘Big Outdoor Energy’ and ‘Hospitality with a Heart’ differentiates JET Hospitality through simple, but genuine human interaction. That culture is key to resolving conflict when problems inevitably arise at hotels. An Innkeeper’s guest interaction when a problem arises is always proactive communication and swift resolution. A property’s culture and vibe can be felt the moment you walk in the door and that will always dictate the general path of conflict resolution. JET’s properties look and feel different and that is by design!
I’m certainly proud of the entrepreneurial journey Jesse and I have been on. Not many folks have the gumption or fortitude to step away from stable careers and go to work for themselves. You’ll run the gamut of emotions launching a business like JET so it’s fulfilling and vindicating when success is achieved.
Our goal was always to develop a sustainable company built for long term success. I often find myself saying that I’m always seeking long term, mutually beneficial relationships. Hands down the most important relationship to foster is with the onsite Innkeeper team entrusted with representing our brand. I was always flabbergasted with the historical model utilized at other seasonal demand properties. Instead of finding ways to spur demand during the off season they would shutter the doors and lay off the staff. Employee turnover is crippling to a business so the thought of re-hiring each year was nauseating on its own accord. I don’t want to run a company that is transactional by nature. I ask a lot of my Innkeepers and expect them to take pride in all aspects of our operation. In turn I commit that I’ll provide a career path and stable income that they can count on. You can expect to lose money during the shoulder and off seasons while you deploy strategies to increase the demand base. I sincerely believe that if you build the right product the guests will come but that can be a multi-year process before you get into the black financially. The investment we make to our employee salaries, even if the current revenue doesn’t support it, is no different than that sweeping FF&E purchased we make to revamp the guest rooms.
Hands down the most prideful element of our company is the approach we take to building careers, not jobs. It’s such a rewarding feeling knowing we are changing the trajectory and economic freedoms achieved by our Innkeepers by this philosophy. In turn we expect those folks to buy into our vision and deliver on our expectations. We find the mutually beneficial, long term centric mesh point. It’s pretty cool not having any pre-conditions for employment within our organization. Anyone with the right attitude, aptitude for growth, ability to be coached and passion for people gets a crack at joining the JET family. Traditional operators may view us as a rag tag, eclectic crew but I’d go to toe with my team versus their team any day of the week! We all believe in each other and that’s always something to be proud of in business.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The history between me and Jesse goes way back to when we were young pups as juniors in high school. We were on the same football recruiting visit to Cornell and first struck up a conversation at a fraternity party where our hosts were attempting to show us that Ivy League students know how to party. Jesse and I share a blue-collar background, humble beginnings and appreciation for what it takes to be successful in life. We enjoyed combating the norms and traditions we routinely faced as being outsiders in a prestigious university. People underestimated us because we were from small towns and the first people from our high schools to attend an Ivy League school. Those folks underestimated our competitive drive and relentless work ethic. We were roommates throughout our time in Ithaca and I firmly believe the bond we formed from 2005-2009 laid the groundwork for us to seamlessly jump in together with JET in 2017 and achieve success. We are polar opposites in our approach to scaling a company, but our spirited debates are healthy as we grow our baby from infancy into toddlerhood. Our mutual respect for each other and understanding that family happiness always supersedes business objectives is paramount to why our relationship has strengthened over time. Our beautiful wives, who have also become best friends, just welcomed children within 10 days of each other in the last month. The framework of JET Hospitality may have been on shaky ground when it started at a fraternity party in 2004 but it’s looking stout as an ox as we approach 2023!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
If you aren’t interested in fostering an interpersonal relationship with everyone employed under your watch than you will fail in a leadership role. If you are an assembly line manager, you better know the birthday of your assembly line workers’ kids! Your team isn’t just a means to an end. They are human beings with emotions, vulnerabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Understanding each other outside of the core job duties is paramount to achieving on the clock goals. If you just view your direct reports as another cog in the wheel than your time in a leadership role will be limited.
Maintaining high morale can be tricky. Lots of managers can give a rah-rah speech and get folks amped up for a brief moment in time. Sustained success and maintaining a vibrant culture are delicate art forms. I believe it starts with giving employees a microphone, always listening first, validating, digesting, and then giving your analysis. Hierarchy needs to be in place and some ideas presented may be bad ones. You’ll grow as a leader as long as you genuinely consider your employee’s point of view and not overvalue your own opinion. Mankind is prideful so that’s easier said than done and why companies struggle to find and retain leaders within their organizations. People are fickle so you need to lean into that versus cracking the whip if you’re looking to achieve the goals you’ve set for your team.
If you don’t take a hard look in the mirror as a leader and attempt to understand human psychology than be prepared to roll up your sleeves with you team as a way to achieve high morale. A manager who isn’t willing to step down and complete the rudimentary and undesirable tasks will never gain the respect of their team.
Be humble, be flexible, and be human and you’ll give yourself a decent chance of achieving success as a leader.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jethospitality.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jethospitality/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jet-hospitality/
Image Credits
JET Hospitality