Are you still busy? Is your house still full?

It's amazing how often we get this question, as B&B owners. While it's a very fluid and malleable process, to have lots of people moving and out of our house, it has also become quite natural. Our personal discussions and celebratory moments revolve around feats in airport pickups, remodeling, baking, and the awesome guests we get to host.

In the beginning we were a bit nervous and even a bit skeptical. Would people really want to stay at OUR house? Would they be okay with the 1942-built, farmhouse-ish style house (it's a new architectural style I made up), complete with quirky windows, doors, non-standard thresholds, weird built-in bookcases, and HVAC system? Will people hate the airplanes, wish they booked closer to downtown, or be confused by our check-in process?

A year later we've gotten our answer. They don't mind! In fact, they love it! It's a regular house. Just like a person, it comes with awesome things and a few not so awesome things. But, as a whole, it's a great house. It is flexible and interesting, and has character. More than enough character to go around.

So when people ask us if we're still busy, I say, "of course!" Because it's not a fluke that we had a good summer, or that people are drawn to the house (in a mystical way, it seems...). It's like we have this awesome friend who loves sleepovers, is both a morning person and a night owl, forgives, celebrates, loves unconditionally, and makes a kick-ass breakfast. Who wouldn't want THAT person as a life-long friend?

If you're wondering where to stay, where beds and pillows are just a small part of the experience, look us up here. Tell your friends. It's better than a place to stay, it's an adventure that could change your life.

A fresh coat of paint

It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. What once felt like a bathroom we couldn't escape, is now a relaxing and warm-feeling place to get ready for the day. New paint, new door pulls, and a color scheme we can live with, we're proud to to share it with you.
Pictures coming soon!

Slowly, but surely

Synergy B&B's beginnings (say THAT 10x fast!) were slow, to be sure. One room at a time, one breakfast option at a time, one set of sheets at a time. In the past year, it has grown exponentially, but that's only when we look at the year all at once. The steps were incremental. We added another room when a guest wanted to bring a third person. We added a room after that when there was no working bathroom upstairs (where our other two rooms were), and we added still another room for a brief moment when two guests booked in the same hour! We have since gone back to only 3 rooms (the legal limit!), but we've been making slow and steady progress with other upgrades.
This week we are updating the bathroom, after 4 years of various states of chaos and decorative disarray. Today we will repaint with a standard color palette, we'll match the drawer pulls to standard decorative themes throughout our house, and it will be ready for rental again in a matter of days!
As for the larger overhaul, that will come in time. As we grow, our house makes it possible to upgrade. It's a beautiful thing to witness.

Slow and steady not only wins the race, but allows for enjoyment along the way. Our house is growing and changing and we are growing alongside it. It's an awesome experience.

We're looking into ways to create experiences for guests like garden tour weekends, veggie foodie weekends, and other fun themes that create unique experiences. All ideas are welcome!

When It Rains, It Pours

It's the middle of July and I am wearing a hoodie. It's 71 degrees now, but it didn't look promising this morning. The clouds burned off a little and it seems as though the sun might stay for the rest of the day. I'm not holding my breath.

Such is the life in Seattle. Not exactly sure what we'll get each day, despite the trend of nature toward "seasons." I've given up on seasons. It's either warm-ish or cold-ish here. My friends and I have started to describe the weather in terms of layers, "It's a 2-3 layer day."

At Synergy though, when it "rains," we're not talking about the weather or layers. At the moment, it's "raining" awesome, interesting, and amazing guests. And guests are good for our Synergy gardens where we sow trust, collaboration, and creativity and reap laughter, connection and memories. Corny? Maybe. True? Definitely. The sunshine comes from within at Synergy. The warmth, the light, and the fun come from how we connect to each other here.

We named our place Synergy B&B because of the combined effect of two or more things (people, components, etc) creating a greater thing than they could on their own. That's how we feel everyday here.

Josh will be transitioning into more of the daily operations of Synergy as he moves into working from home more and focusing on his tea company, B. Fuller's Mortar and Pestle. I'll still get to do what I love at Synergy, but will now get to split the work to fit my schedule better. I can't wait!

We'll be hosting a lot of families coming up in the next few weeks. Very exciting! While we don't have kids yet ourselves, it's really interesting to cater to a whole different clientele. I've already started composing a list of activities and kid-friendly restaurants that we can hand out to our guests. And hopefully we'll get to share more as our guests find new places I've never even heard of before. What I love is that I know a lot of places in and around Seattle, but our adventurous guests always bring back new gems and we get to see our city with new eyes. Who knew?

We've already started planning for our open house for beginning to mid Fall. We can't wait to show people around the place. It seems to change all the time.

This summer has been incredible so far and I look forward to completing our first year as a B&B and seeing what's in store for next year!

Things are a-changin'

Synergy B&B is moving and shaking...
We've been hosting some really wonderful guests these past several weeks and I'm just so grateful for them. In the beginning we were just trying to save our house, but as we meet more and more folks, I realize that they're saving my/our lives, more than just the house. This is humbling.

When owning a business was about making money, I did pretty poorly. When it was about passion and service, I did much better. This time around being in business has felt like anything but. I really love our guests! They make our lives so much fuller. I had no idea it could be this great! And now when we book a guest, I am so excited to meet them, to share with them, to welcome them into our home.

I have owned several businesses in my lifetime (some of you who have known me for a while will  recall the rock-selling business,  the lilac flower stand, the lemonade stand, the jewelry business, the car-detailing business, the environmental day camp, the fiber arts business, Smink, my Reiki practice, my Feng Shui practice, and Business Reiki). They all focused on different services, products, locations, etc.

Synergy B&B feels different somehow. Perhaps it is because I know myself better, or I'm more spiritually aligned. Perhaps it's because I am more focused on service and authentic interaction and less on money. Maybe it's the synergy of all those things at the right time.

I am grateful for the friends and family who are contributing their support in the many ways they are capable of. I hope that this business gives back to you more than you have given to me.

Check it out! Becca's on "tv!"

http://tv.airbnb.com/JNr/the-people-the-places-vancouver-seattle/

Licensing

Just getting Synergy on the right track with the proper licenses, permissions, and insurance before we open. Very exciting!
The remodel is all finished and we had our first party in the space. Now we're planning an open house for Synergy (after we're officially open, of course). Stay tuned!