After a three year hiatus, I Left the City is back with all new stories about business owners and professionals bringing their wildly authentic dreams to life in Hastings County. The episodes have a new sound, a new host, and a new option to listen or *watch*.
We’re re-launching with an episode featuring Rick Dolishny and Jenn Carr, a world-travelling couple that bought a property in Hastings County and saw an opportunity to build a glamping experience unlike anything in Ontario. But getting Maynooth Station Lodge off the ground turned out to be more challenging than expected. In this episode, we dig into all of the glamorous (and not so glamorous) details of their business journey, why they love Maynooth, and how they became TikTok famous.
Listen below, watch on YouTube, or read on for a few highlights.
Vision to Reality
Inspired by their travels, Rick and Jenn wanted to offer a place where guests could enjoy nature without giving up luxury. Imagine a dome with large windows, upscale amenities, and a cozy bed with a view of the stars. While the vision was clear, they found themselves navigating rules and building codes that weren’t designed with glamping structures in mind. Despite the challenges, the journey taught them a lot, and created a lot of good content...
Becoming Unexpected Celebrities
The couple became TikTok famous by sharing real-time updates on their glamping resort project. Their videos gained attention by showing their genuine journey, from mistakes to the less glamorous parts of business development like installing a septic tank. To their utter surprise, the septic video became one of their most-watched.
Maynooth Love
Rick and Jenn say Maynooth, a charming village south of Algonquin Park, was the perfect place for their venture. With its art galleries, bakeries, and intersecting trails, Maynooth is both a cozy getaway and an adventure base. Further, the community, including residents, businesses, and local officials, were supportive from the start, making some of their journey’s tough parts a bit easier.
Looking Forward
Rick and Jenn have plans for more domes or other kinds of unique accommodations, like treehouses inspired by Scandinavian designs. They plan to let the landscape and their guests guide future developments.
In the meantime, Rick and Jenn are running the business while still working in their tech jobs, and living their professional lives. They say Hastings County is a great place for anyone who wants to be closer to nature while working remotely or building a business.
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Next time on I Left the City, we hear from Shevon Sigouin, a graphic designer leaving the city without leaving her career. Follow or subscribe on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, or YouTube to be notified when the episode drops.
