How to Interview the Land (And Other Tips on Building Unique Stays) with Mike Hicks from Wander Chatt

2024-05-14

Mike Hicks, the founder of Wander Chatt, a collection of unique stays across Chattanooga, TN and beyond. Mike started his entrepreneurial journey at just 19 years old after dropping out of college to learn how to work for himself. Mike got a job with a real estate developer helping to clear lots and doing an array of labor-intensive construction tasks. Mike worked long hard days for this developer but after work Mike and the rest of the crew would be invited out to go fishing. And it was during these moments that he started asking questions…how do yo...

Mike Hicks, the founder of Wander Chatt, a collection of unique stays across Chattanooga, TN and beyond.

Mike started his entrepreneurial journey at just 19 years old after dropping out of college to learn how to work for himself.

Mike got a job with a real estate developer helping to clear lots and doing an array of labor-intensive construction tasks. Mike worked long hard days for this developer but after work Mike and the rest of the crew would be invited out to go fishing.

And it was during these moments that he started asking questions…how do you determine a good deal? What should you look for when purchasing a lot? Etc.

In this conversation Mike and I discuss:

How he bought his first house as a 19 year old
Why he moved into short-term rentals after nearly two decades of buying, renovating, and renting traditional long-term rentals
Why he pivoted away from traditional vacation rentals and went all in on unique stays when founding Wander Chatt
How he “interviews the land” before buying a lot
His thoughts on the biggest opportunities for hospitality entrepreneurs today
And so much more

Book a stay at Wander Chatt

Follow Wander Chatt on Instagram

Connect with Mike on Instagram

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About the Show

Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.

You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.

Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

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