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

Steve, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

My sister and I inherited our family cattle ranch. Although doing our best we quickly learned that cattle just do not pay the bills. We were looking for anything that would help subsidize our expenses and keep the ranch. We rented some space, had auctions, sold off some equipment, you name it. Luckily we had previously held 2 different family weddings on the property. We thought “hey” we had our answer. We got to work on applicable permits. The process took over 2 years. It is a bit challenging in Santa Barbara County. Finally we got our permits but now what? Well, our first inclination was to introduce ourselves to the other venues We had been told that the industry is incredibly friendly and we wanted to learn a bit more about what was expected of venues. Unfortunately Covid struck only weeks after we were permitted leaving us on our own. We spent months dressing up an old barn and surrounding areas. This meant removing years and years of ranch and farm equipment, and well, junk. We had fields that required landscaping and driveways. Lighting and electrical to install. additional photo and staging areas to ready. Basically we had to set the stage for future couples most important day.

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?

It’s kind of ironic, I have never been married. Now we have a venue to run and 90% of our events are weddings. Luckly for me my sister is a co-owner and my business partner. She was actually married at the ranch. She also greatly participated in both her son’s and daughter’s weddings so she knows a lot. Our business plan was short we thought ” what would we want as customers” and then we got to work. A lot of remote venues offer little and clients are required to bring in generators, lighting, Tents, etc. We wanted to add value where we could and elevate everyones experience. We installed electrical outlets throughout the area. Artistic lighting was added where needed. We built and installed 2 Bars. A list of our in house inventory was compiled and most items are offered for no charge. We are workers. Leading up to, and during an event we are always on site. We are there to assist vendors, the wedding party and their families. When we have a free moment we dead head flowers, dust, scrub you name it. For us though the most rewarding thing is meeting our couples and their families. Getting to be a small part of such a big day is the best.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I would say most people recognize our work ethic and attention to detail. I can not count the number of times we have heard ” you are still here?” No job is too big or too small. Heck we work cattle when needed. Thru feedback we are so honored to hear how much vendors like working at the ranch. Our couples have continued to stay in touch after their weddings, We often get referrals.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Social Media for sure. I think our pictures speak volumes. We are lucky, we have been able to attract plenty of leads without the need to pay for advertising in the big wedding sites or magazines.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.foxencanyonranch.com
• Instagram: Foxencanyonranch
• Facebook: Foxencanyonranch
• Yelp: Foxencanyonranch
• Other: Google: Foxencanyonranch

Image Credits
Diana Mehrmann Lerina Winter