We recently connected with Lara Lanfried and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When I was a young girl we lived in northeastern Spain, almost on the French border. I was an only child and my parents and I lived for the weekends where we would hop into my father‘s Alfa Romeo coupe and drive all over the European countryside staying in agritourism farmstays. in some cases, the innkeepers would get to know us on a first name basis. Going to visit them was like going to visit family and I remember the excitement and anticipation of returning again and again. These memories are some of my fondest childhood memories and the farms became second homes to us. The European pastoral lifestyle was something I yearned for after we settle back in the United States. Later as an adult, my husband Skip and I did become innkeepers briefly at a lovely Inn in South Pasadena, which only further my dream of one day becoming an innkeeper— preferably in the south of France or in Spain, like my memories!
When our children were young, we would take them to European farmstays and those became some of their sweet memories as well. I just knew that that was something that was missing in American lexicon (not that they do not exist, but they are rare )and I wanted people to have that opportunity. I really believe people need the opportunity to get out of their regular lives and return to nature; to be welcomed into a family farm and experience true hospitality, something that you just cannot experience in a corporate hotel environment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My husband and I opened Quixote Farm in June 2022. The original Farm Day was a little cottage at the top of our citrus Cove with a beautiful tree growing through the large expansive deck.
From the moment we opened, we had immediate rush of bookings and amazing reviews. It appeared that we had struck a nerve, and it was so encouraging seeing the reviews we were getting from people telling us. It was one of the best experiences of their lives.
My focus is completely been on service and hospitality and make people feel sincerely welcome.
A lot of that comes from me being a little bit picked on when I was a kid. Additionally, both of my parents were likely neurodivergent in their own unique ways and very much treated differently throughout their lives, I know what it feels like to feel unwelcome. It’s a terrible feeling. But the good thing that came out of it is that I believe it shaped me to be someone that sees other people.
People that maybe don’t look like me or don’t come from the same walk of life that I do. I call it seeing people through the eyes of eternity.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

See prior paragraph.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Before becoming an in keeper full-time I worked in luxury retail sales management and marketing. When there were awards to be given, I won them. I am proud of the teams that I developed and I’m happy to say I kept most of my work relationships over the years.
What does this have to do with growing clientele? Everything. When you’re coming from a place of satisfaction on your team selling comes naturally because it’s not forced. Obviously it helps if you care about your product and you have adequate product knowledge that’s incredibly important, but you can own your knowledge with authenticity and be real and develop relationships with your clients as seamlessly as you do with your staff. It can be as easy as breathing. You can read all the leadership books in the world, but if you’re not authentic, it doesn’t come off as real-if it isn’t real. It just won’t work. This is why I had repeat clientele. This is why many of my clientele became friends.
And now in my own business, I have return clientele. Nothing has changed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.quixotefarm.com
• Instagram: @laralaand @quixotefarm_ @quixotefarmshop

Image Credits

Lara Lanfried