We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Hufstedler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Taking risks for me is a way of life, not a one-time occurrence. See, I believe that the only way to grow, to pursue greatness, is to push ourselves to do the things that scare us most, feel uncomfortable, and make us experience both a physiological and emotional reaction of fear. Grit is, in my opinion, the leading determinant of success. Grit can only be demonstrated if you consistently choose to take risks, overcome failure, and persevere…

As far as my own story goes – most people would say I’ve taken more risks than the average girl. Maybe it is because at 18 I packed my bags and left Eastern Europe for the US with $500, bad English, and an attitude. Maybe it is because I shot gun completions professionally for 7-8 years, representing top brands and bending norms as a female competitor, all the while wearing my red lipstick. Maybe it is because I became the Director of Marketing for a Fortune 200 Company by the time I was 33 and served on the leadership boards of multiple startups. Maybe it is because when a spouse once hit me, I stood up for myself and pursued justice despite pressures and backlash. Or maybe it is because I now buy real estate, flip properties, and run a successful short-term rental business. Or just maybe it is because I have taken the most rewarding risk of them all – seizing the gift of being authentically myself and living free of fear and doubt.

The result of consistently taking measured risks, for me anyway, has been leading a fulfilling life, one that is both exciting and peaceful. Exciting – because I am consistently pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve. Peaceful – because I have no regrets. My advice to my own daughter, and young girls in general, is Do It Anyway. Do it scared, do it without full confidence, do it even if you suspect it can’t be done. How else would you know?

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?

Hi, my name is Diana Hufstedler, and I am a Dallas-based professional woman, mother, and adventurer. I am a first-generation immigrant, a former corporate executive, and a retired professional shooter. Yes, women do that too! :) Currently I own House of DH, a company that provides posh short-term rentals for creative, interesting people. Our mission is to provide vacation rentals for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, where people come together to truly enjoy life and make lasting memories. I value people, connections, and friendships over money and clout.

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

I think that personal character, values, mission, and vision are the most important factors in building a good reputation for your business, regardless of the industry, market, or line of work you do. Holding yourself to higher standards and aligning your behaviors with those standards is the only way to gain respect, trust, and a lasting client base.

At House of DH, my real estate business, we believe that integrity, honesty, fairness, and simply doing the right thing matter more than money. This holds true in all of our dealings! We also deem people to be the most valuable asset to any company and treat all of our employees, partners, and clients with utmost dignity and respect. It seems like a no-brainer, but in a society where deceit and menace for personal gain have been normalized, daring to stand up for what is right (even if you stand alone) will always pay off in the long run.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

Like taking risks, close calls/near-death moments are a daily occurrence in the life of a business owner, and one should enter such a role with the expectation that they will experience those on a very frequent basis. As a leader, it is literally your job to solve the hardest problems every single day!

In my own business, I frequently have to play what I now jokingly refer to as “financial Tetris” – the practice of managing income, assets, and expenses in the most beneficial way for the goal at hand. Please note – how you manage finances and what business decisions you make will change based on what you are trying to achieve at the moment and what crisis is thrown at you today – a lesson I wish I had learned sooner.

I have had to deal with financing falling through, major unforeseen expenses, lawsuits, natural disasters, damages, bank overdrafts, and generally unpleasant a$$holes causing havoc upon myself and my business. The most hilarious one was when a renter put my entire account on hold for about 24 hours when they filed a complaint for finding a “dangerous weapon” at one of my vacation rental properties… It was a 2-inch toy gun. :) The complaint quickly got settled, of course, and the guest was penalized for filing false claims, but the 24-hour loss of revenue was something I had to deal with. If I have learned one thing in my 20+ years in the workforce, it is that there will always be some sort of hardship to overcome. At this point in my career, I see those as opportunities to grow, learn, and become better at problem-solving.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://houseofdh.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianahufstedler/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.hufstedler/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-hufstedler

Image Credits

Photo credit: 5.11 Tactical, CLG Marketing, Kevin Talley Photography, MODA Mag, Sure Shots Mag