Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ali Hunt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Ali thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?
Absolutely I take vacations, I block time from my work schedule for them. Making and taking reservations is important, but so is family time and self care. I can’t take care of guests , if I don’t take care of myself. I can’t take care of my family, if I don’t take care of myself. Family time and down time is extremely important to me and time is limited. I want to enjoy time with my family along with being able to run my operations. I also LOVE travel, adventure and experience, which is why I opened Rather Bee Glamping to begin with! In my case, as of right now, I am a one woman show with some help from family and friends out of the goodness of their hearts! SO , when stepping away, I am stepping away almost completely… I have to weigh my time/ bookings to be able to do so, but I think it is worth it, 100%. I do some social media posts and share my travel when it’s relevant to glamping and my guests. If I had to give advice to another entrepreneur who thinks is hard or difficult to step away, do it anyways! Your mind, body, soul, family, friends and customers will appreciate it.
Ali, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Alexandra “Ali” Hunt. I founded Rather Bee Glamping in the fall of 2023, with the life long dream of one day owning a Bed & Breakfast. I thought Rather Bee Glamping would be a good start to host guests in a unique, flexible, nature connecting & loving way! My family LOVES to be outdoors and also enjoys unique experiences; what a perfect way to have both! I don’t camp, I GLAMP, meaning super comfy accommodations, cozy setting, amenities & glam with decor is what appeals to me, so I wanted the same for my guests.
My families home is located in sunny Tucson, Arizona. I offer mobile set ups in Tucson, AZ and surrounding areas, as well as own 10 acres of beautiful property in the mountains just south of Tucson that is in the works to host guests seasonally with many features including access to numerous wineries and the Arizona Trail. This beautiful property will soon have a bath house, a common area and other amenities that will provide guest the comforts of home, while connecting with nature, family and friends.
I have been married to my amazing husband Jamie for 5 years and we share in raising a beautiful, smart and fierce daughter, Scarlett. I truly owe so much to them both in supporting my dream of hosting and bringing this company to life.
Little more background on me! I grew up in a small town in Indiana called Greenwood, just south of Indianapolis. After high school, I achieved a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice while attending Indiana State University. During that time I joined the military which took me west for training and I never turned back. I spent the first 15 years of adult work life in service connected careers: the Army and then part time with the Air Force while moving into Law Enforcement as a Tucson Police Officer, working both of those careers until 2023. Early in 2023 I was declared a Service Connected Disabled Veteran after a long mental, emotional and physically grueling process, leading to an my choice to withdraw from Law Enforcement and resigned from a military contracting civilian position and moved into hosting glamping accommodations full time! This is a dream come true, allowing me to provide service to my community in a different way. Although the original plan was to work in law enforcement for a full 25 years, THEN opening a Bed & Breakfast… I am learning that plans are really just a framework for options and ideas. Life will play out how it needs to in the time that’s right for you. I could not be more thankful for the varied and difficult roads I’ve taken to find me where I am today. I am blessed beyond words for this amazing journey.
In my art of Rather Bee Glamping, I strive to bring a unique experience to each one of my guests! It’s not just somewhere to lay your head, its memories and experiences I want my guests to take away. Whether that is in one of my Glamping tents, my renovated Glamper or my NEW indoor glamping Tee Pees, I try to make any of the choices extremely special! Things I’ve learned from my careers is attention to detail, the “extra” that can be added to make a difference and learning from everyone and everything I do. I believe in “Community Over Competition” and building relationships with other small businesses. If the other small businesses I work with succeed, I succeed! I also LOVE to collaborate and help highlight other businesses that mesh with mine! Glamping and wine?! Wine not?! Glamping, Yoga & the mountains?! The mountains are calling!
Rather Bee Glamping is a work of my heart. If you take a look at our Logo, It has a Bee, tied in with our name and many little dots in an arch. At first , I thought there was a “flaw” in the art of the logo when I first had it made, but then it reminded me of the Legend of the “Mustard Seed”: You will see one dot that is slightly out of sequence, sitting by itself. This is the story: “The Mustard Seed parable highlights the idea that something seemingly insignificant can carry immense significance. Although not the smallest seed known, the mustard seed’s humble beginnings lead to remarkable growth, illustrating the theme that many great things start small.” In addition, my husband is a pilot and I wanted something to tie in that as well, from which came the perfect little flying creature, the bee! I also loved the play on words, because I would so much “Rather Bee Glamping”.
I hope to be able to bring togetherness, nature and memories to visiting guests to Tucson, AZ and staycations for our Tucsonans for many years to come!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I am definitely still building a reputation in my market and I view this as being a continuous process. I want to evolve my reputation for the next 20+ years. So far, to help build Rather Bee Glamping’s and my own entrepreneur reputation, I have attempted to maintain good communication with guests, build relationships with other local/ small business owners and be genuine in all that I do. If I mess up, I admit it. I do refunds if a guest has a “less than” amazing experience. I want to always stand behind my mission of providing my guests satisfaction and unique experiences.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I was a Police Officer for 12 years. During that time, I built a small retirement that I utilized as seed capital to start my business, Rather Bee Glamping, from scratch. It was a difficult decision to make, a HUGE risk, using those funds to start a dream. Additionally, my husband’s mother saw the vision for Rather Bee Glamping and purchased 10 acres in the mountains near Sonoita for use as a fixed glamping site. I believed I could do it, my husband and his family believed I could do it, and now I am making it happen, building the dream I wanted without any debt.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ratherbeeglamping.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratherbeeglamping/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552171395554
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rather-bee-glamping-vail?osq=rather+bee+glamping
Image Credits
Kelly Ann Photography: Tucson, AZ
Leslie Burbidge Photo: Tucson, AZ