The Challenge
A Five-Star Business Running on Empty
The owner of Curated Getaways had built something remarkable, a five-star short-term rental operation serving Lexington and the surrounding counties of Rockbridge and Floyd. But behind the glowing reviews was a deeply personal cost: she was running herself into the ground.
Vacations existed on paper only. Even when she blocked time off on her calendar, the reality was that she was checking in daily, fielding issues, and carrying a constant undercurrent of anxiety. What's going to happen while I'm gone? What am I going to miss? The business was performing, but she wasn't.
The Root Cause
Paying More for Talent That Wasn't the Right Fit
One of the most significant drains on both her budget and her bandwidth was staffing. The business had been spending two to three times what it spends today — and on talent that, by her own honest assessment, simply wasn't equipped for the work.
The problem wasn't effort or goodwill. It was fit. She found herself constantly in teaching mode, onboarding people into the nuances of hospitality from scratch rather than leveraging people who already carried that expertise with them. The cost was financial and operational, but more than anything, it was personal — time and energy she couldn't get back.
The Turning Point
Right People, Right Background
The shift came when the approach to hiring changed. Instead of bringing in generalists and investing time training them in hospitality fundamentals, Curated Getaways began prioritizing candidates who already understood the industry — people with a natural hospitality mindset who could hit the ground running.
The impact was immediate and compounding. Operational costs dropped dramatically. The owner's mental load lightened. The quality guests experienced stayed exactly where it had always been: five stars.
The Outcome
A Real Christmas Break (For the First Time, Ever)
This past December, the owner of Curated Getaways did something she had never done before: she took two full weeks off. Not "off" in the calendar-blocked-but-still-checking sense. Actually off. Away from her computer, out of her office, with an away message on her email and the genuine ability to step back.
She remained available for true escalations, and that's the key distinction. There's a difference between being reachable in an emergency and being unable to let go. For the first time, the former was possible without the latter consuming her.
The business didn't suffer. The reviews didn't dip. And she came back rested.
About Curated Getaways
Curated Getaways is a woman-owned business based in Lexington, Virginia, offering short-term rentals across Lexington and the counties of Rockbridge and Floyd. Alongside its rental portfolio, The Curated Team operates a retail store in downtown Lexington specializing in vintage furniture and sustainable home décor. Learn more at thecuratedteam.com.