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

Lauren , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

When we first bought our property and made the move from Chicago to Northern Michigan it was the beginning of the pandemic and it was a time of utter uncertainty. Our initial vision was to finish restoring the timber framed dairy barn to host weddings and larger events. We had to shift gears and expand our vision to what we thought was going to be our phase two, Glamping. Fast forward to year three and we are expanding our Glamping vision to becoming a four season eco resort.

Year one we found put up two canvas tents and furnished them with memory foam mattresses, luxury linens, rugs, lanterns and all the essentials. For bathrooms we offered a port-a-potty and an outdoor heated shower in a tree. For some the shower tree was the highlight of their trip but it was not for everyone. Year two we focused on providing a better bathroom option for guests so we built a luxury eco bathhouse and a traditional outhouse. We also knew we need to scale up and put up another canvas tent and built a transforming A-Frame Cabin. We reinvested everything. It was scary but based on all the positive feedback from previous guests we knew we were on to something and took the risk.

We just entered year three and we are expanding on an even bigger scale! We just started construction on a geodesic dome to offer year round Glamping. This was a big financial decision but one we have been wanting to do from the beginning. Getting all the proper permitting in place and then having the funds to go forward took twice as long as we expected. We are mid project so I can’t say how it turned out yet but hoping things will continue to go smoothly. Other amenities we added this year include a wood-fired hot tub, a direct booking option on our website, yoga classes in the barn, and our first wellness retreat. These specific things were not necessarily part of our initial vision but as you go ideas pop up and you learn what is working and even more importantly, what is not working. This is what helps you go forward!

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.

Lost Woods is an eco resort in Northern Michigan that offers a luxury camping experience with canvas tents, an a-frame cabin, and a geodesic dome. Our bathhouse is run entirely on energy from the sun. Solar lights line our natural trails and provide soft lighting to not disrupt the dark skies for the ultimate stargazing experience. We really want guests to get “lost” here so they can disconnect. Being former city folks ourselves has allowed us to really tap into the busy lives people live and figure out what to offer to help get them the restoration they don’t even know they need.

I often get asked “how did I end up here?”. Creating an eco resort in Northern Michigan was not a major offered when I was at IU. In some ways I took a traditional path. I went to college, picked a major, and graduated. What happened after that was anything short of traditional. I suffered from wanderlust and started an adventure overseas in South America for a year living on a shoe string budget. Once I returned to the United States I wasn’t quite ready for the office life. I found a job as a live-in nanny for the Walgreen Family. I packed up my few belongings and moved north of Chicago to live and travel with them while taking care of their teenagers. This is when I learned about providing 5 star service from turn down service to measuring place settings with a ruler. It was quite the challenge and an experience I learned more life lessons from than any other.

This is when I met my husband, Jason. The following year we started an adventure overseas together in Australia. We went to graduate school at The University of South Australia. Adelaide, Australia and the friends we made there will always be close to my heart but it was time to move back to the midwest. We settled back in Chicago and started our careers. I realized after a couple of years in marketing that I really was not meant to sit at a desk. I ended up taking a job as a nanny again for a different family. This job was one that helped checked all the boxes and a relationship that is still strong after leaving it seven years ago. I worked with them until we started a family of our own.

Onto another adventure, motherhood. This ultimately led me back to my home state of Michigan. I loved Chicago and called it home for nearly 15 years but it was time to change things up. We moved as the pandemic was happening. The wheels were already in motion as the world went into lock down. We embraced it and really rolled with the punches until things finally started looking up. After six months of living with our futures in limbo and our belongings in storage we closed on our 160 acre property in Boyne Falls.

It took some time to settle in and find our community here but we eventually did. The path here was certainly not easy or obvious. I still question some of our decisions especially during snow storms on May 1st but I wouldn’t change it. I love creating a unique and relaxing experience for guests while being eco conscience and protecting the our surroundings and conserving natural resources. This adventure seems to check all the boxes for me and doing it alongside my family is its own experience. We hope that it shows when guests stay here. Sometimes all you need is nature and nice sheets… oh and a homemade bagel before you head home.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When we started this business I knew I wanted to start a new account that focused just on our business and keep my personal social media accounts separate. Starting from scratch can be a daunting and intimidating task but it was also exciting. I started by just following people and companies that mentioned glamping, farming, homesteading, outdoor adventure and other similar subjects. Eventually I started posting photos and stories myself about our plans, our struggles, and our process. It is important to just start posting and to share your story even if you don’t have a following yet. That part will come one day!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Going into our third summer I wanted to get ahead of the game and start setting up camp early. April 30 was that day! My father in law was in town and offered to help us. We set up our big top tent and I breathed a sigh of relief. We were getting a head start and it felt so good. The next day, May 1st, a snow storm hit! It wasn’t the couple inches that we were expecting. It was a full blown snow storm, 6 inches of wet heavy snow and high winds. Our tent pole snapped from the weight of it all and ripped a hole in it. It was devastating. The only thing we could do was start the process of repairing it and just moving forward. It felt like such a waste of our time but ultimately it was a learning lesson. The weather in Northern Michigan can be unforgiving. It’s better to wait later in the month and just a have a very busy couple of weeks setting everything up with less chance of a snow storm hitting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lostwoodsmi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostwoodsfarm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelostwoodsmi

Image Credits
Michael Murphy IV Photography Kay Marie Photography Dicie Siska