In November 2023, I burned the boats.

I quit my job, sold my house, and drove 3,000 miles across the country to Idyllwild, California.

No job. Rising interest rates. STR competition heating up. Market skepticism everywhere.
But we saw an opportunity to build something people crave most today: connection, wellbeing, and extraordinary experiences.

After buying, renovating, operating, and selling 20+ vacation rentals, my partner Isaac J. Silverman and I saw some clear truths:

People love to travel in groups but hate sharing bathrooms.

People want experiences over things.

People want to leave a vacation recharged, not drained.

And yes, design matters.

So we doubled down.

We bought The Fern Valley Inn for $1.5M from an older couple who had been running it as a retirement hobby. With the support of 13 trusted friends and family investors, we reimagined it as The PineTree Hotel.

Here’s what happened in our first year:
• 3X property value: $1.5M → $4.5M+ in under two years
• $666K+ revenue (up from $108K in 2022)
• $257K in weddings, retreats, and full buyouts
• 25K social followers + 4.3K guest emails
• 1,406 reservations | 4.9⭐ on Google
• 21%+ cash-on-cash returns | Over 2X investor equity

Sometimes opportunity doesn’t show up in a spreadsheet. Sometimes it takes vision, belief, and relentless execution to see what others miss.

For a while, I thought I needed to “own more hotels” before sharing my story. But the truth is: The PineTree Hotel is proof of concept. People are hungry for experiences that recharge them, not just places to sleep.

And we’re just getting started.

We are already under contract on three more boutique hotels set to close in the next 90 days.

We’ve done it. We’re doing it. And now, we’re scaling it.

Ways we can work together:

👉 Invest in boutique hotels that you’d want to stay in
👉 Partner with us to acquire and grow properties
👉 Sell us a property with untapped potential

Drop me a follow or let’s connect, because what we’re building is only getting more fun.

Tim Ensmann

Supply is constrained.
Demand has shifted.
Pricing power in live experiences is real.

The 2026 Experiential Hospitality Report breaks down the data and unit economics behind it.

If you’re looking at how to balance AI with real assets, this is worth a read.

(Report in comments)

Sales Guy → Boutique Hotel Guy | Helping you build an intentional life through boutique hotel investing

Why Experiential Hospitality Is Quietly Outperforming The opportunity isn’t complicated. It’s supply and demand. When you zoom out and look at hospita

Open article: Supply < Demand by Tim Ensmann • 3 min read

Executive & Leadership Coach | Organizational Consultant | Adjunct Professor | IFS-Trained Coach | Self-Leadership is a Superpower

What do I do, you ask? Well, let me tell you a little story. 

Short story: 
I help create high-performing organizations by harnessing the power of their people's natural abilities. 

Long story: 
I support growing small and mid-sized companies to create clear people strategies to revolutionize how they do business. Companies I work with create efficiency, increase clarity, cut expenses, increase revenue, and operationalize values to become purposeful in representing their brand to clients and customers. 

💥 Any organization's success is only as strong as the people - and investing in the development of your people is a direct investment in your company 💥 

Long story short: 
By putting people first – you can make more money.

And we all want that. 


The backstory: 
Culture isn’t a buzzword. 

Culture is what people feel when they come to work or buy your product.

And that is 100% based on your people.

And if you aren’t deliberately cultivating your culture – you are letting it create itself. Unchecked.

An unchecked culture can hurt your business.

Creating the right culture by will impact every single aspect of your business.

Every. Single. Aspect.
•	Revenue generation
•	Client retention
•	Client acquisition
•	Marketing
•	Branding
•	Company reputation
•	Employee satisfaction
•	Employee retention
•	Employee acquisition

The only way to create a strong culture is to have a strong people strategy.

Email me larissa@quivetconsulting.com, and let's get rolling!

Focus Impact Areas:

•	Executive Coaching
•     Pre & Post Hire Assessments
•	Team Cohesion Facilitation
•	Manager Training & Development
•	Leadership Development
•	People Strategy Consulting

Larissa Haynes

Two leaders can hear the same feedback, delivered with the same care, clarity, and intention, and walk away with completely different outcomes.

One changes.
The other stays stuck.

The difference usually isn’t motivation or willingness. It’s how feedback is interpreted internally.

Feedback doesn’t just convey information. It activates identity, emotion, and old patterns. When leaders experience feedback as threat, even well-intended insight can trigger defensiveness or shutdown.

In this week’s article, I explore why feedback lands so differently from one leader to the next, and what leaders need in order to actually change in response to it.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

It’s a familiar leadership scenario. Two leaders receive the same feedback. The language is clear. The intent is supportive. The opportunity for growt

Open article: When Feedback Leads to Change ... or Doesn't by Larissa Haynes • 3 min read

When Feedback Leads to Change ... or Doesn't

There’s a moment in almost every team conversation.

Someone asks a hard question.  The room gets quiet.  You can feel the tension shift.

In those moments, we often talk about psychological safety.

And yes, in environments where there is real harm or abuse of power, safety is essential.  But in most professional settings, what we’re experiencing isn’t danger.  It’s discomfort.

And the difference matters.

In this week’s newsletter, I explore why high-performing teams aren’t built on constant comfort.  They’re built on psychological bravery. And why trust doesn’t begin with policies or reassurance.

It begins inside the leader.

If you’ve ever felt the room tighten during a difficult conversation and wondered how to hold it steady, this one is for you.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

There’s a moment in almost every team I work with. Someone asks a hard question. The room goes quiet. You can feel it. Eyes drop. Postures shift. Some

Open article: Trust Begins Inside: The Internal Work Behind High-Performing Teams by Larissa Haynes • 3 min read

Trust Begins Inside: The Internal Work Behind High-Performing Teams

“We don’t really have conflict here.”

I hear this often, usually said with pride.  And sometimes it is a strength.
But sometimes it’s something else.

In many teams, the absence of visible conflict isn’t alignment. It’s avoidance. Hard questions get softened. Disagreement gets redirected. Meetings stay polite, and important tensions remain unspoken.

Healthy teams don’t avoid friction. They build the capacity to stay steady within it.

In this week’s newsletter, I explore why productive conflict isn’t about encouraging debate; it’s about strengthening internal regulation. Because trust and commitment don’t grow in perfectly comfortable rooms.

They grow when leaders can widen their aperture and remain grounded when disagreement surfaces.

If your team prides itself on harmony, this one might stretch you.. in the best way.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

It’s a phrase I hear often, usually delivered with a quiet sense of pride. “We don’t really have conflict here. We get along.” At face value, that sou

Open article: “We Don’t Really Have Conflict Here.” by Larissa Haynes • 3 min read

“We Don’t Really Have Conflict Here.”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about integration.

Not the kind that happens in strategy decks or team structures.  The kind that happens quietly, over time, inside a person.

There’s a moment when something you once had to consciously practice becomes part of who you are. When staying calm in tension feels more natural. When listening deeply feels less effortful. When you trust your own internal signals more fully.

It’s subtle. But it changes everything.

Growth isn’t always about becoming someone new.  Sometimes it’s about becoming someone more whole.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

No alternative text description for this image

Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking,  “Why don’t they get it?”

You explained the strategy.  You clarified the direction.  Everyone nodded.
And yet something still felt… off.

Over time, I’ve noticed that when teams feel unclear, leaders often try to solve it externally with more discussion, more explanation, and more alignment sessions.

But what if clarity isn’t created in the room?  What if it begins within the leader?

In this week’s newsletter, I explore how internal alignment shapes team cohesion and why the clarity you’re looking for might start in unexpected places.

If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling misunderstood, this one is for you.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

You walk out of the meeting feeling unsettled. You explained the strategy, outlined the priorities, and answered the questions. People nodded. There w

Open article: Ever Leave a Meeting Thinking, “Why Don’t They Get It?” by Larissa Haynes • 3 min read

Ever Leave a Meeting Thinking, “Why Don’t They Get It?”

This quote has stayed with me for years.

So much of leadership isn’t about controlling external circumstances. It’s about developing awareness of what’s happening internally: the patterns, reactions, and protective responses that shape how we show up.

When we begin to notice those patterns, something shifts.

We gain more choice.
More steadiness.
More clarity.

And over time, leadership becomes less about reacting and more about responding intentionally.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

One of the most powerful shifts in leadership doesn’t happen when circumstances change.

It happens when perspective expands.

Two people can experience the exact same situation and see entirely different possibilities. Not because the situation changed, but because their lens did.

This is the quiet power of widening your aperture.

When you step back just enough to see more fully, new options emerge. Reactivity softens. Curiosity becomes available again.

And often, what once felt like a problem begins to look like information.

Leadership isn’t just about what you do. It’s about what you’re able to see.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

Some weeks move fast, and before we know it, we’re already on to the next thing.

So I’m curious: if you had the chance to pause time for just a moment, what would you choose?

No right answers,  just noticing what you’re craving right now. 😊
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

If you could hit a “pause” button in your week, what would you use it for?

It’s interesting how often the biggest shifts in leadership don’t come from learning something new.

They come from seeing something differently.

The same conversation.
The same challenge.
The same team dynamic.

But with a wider lens, new possibilities become visible.

That’s the intention behind Friday Focus.

It’s a space to explore the internal side of leadership, the awareness and perspective that quietly shape how we show up every day.

I’ll be going live today and would love for you to join me.

🕛 Today.
📍 Live right here.

https://loom.ly/uv3lwzQ
____________________________________________________________
Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

I often hear leaders say they want to be more effective, more decisive, more impactful.

What’s talked about less is the inner work required to sustain that, the ability to stay grounded when things feel uncertain, to hold complexity without rushing to resolution, and to remain open when answers aren’t immediately clear.

That kind of leadership isn’t built through urgency.  It’s built through presence.
___________________________________________________________
Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

Ever leave a meeting and think, "Why don't they get it?"

https://lnkd.in/eHpwJjuG

Are you subscribed? Stay in touch to receive monthly articles, tips, and resources to level up your talent optimization and organizational performance!

#quivetconsulting #talentoptimization #coaching #consulting #organizationalsuccess #leadership

Open article: You Know What To Do - So Why is Change Still Hard? by mailchi.mp

You Know What To Do - So Why is Change Still Hard?

Some of the most important leadership work happens in moments no one else ever sees.

It happens in the pause before responding.
In the decision to stay curious instead of defensive.
In the willingness to remain present when something feels uncomfortable.

From the outside, leadership often looks like confidence and decisiveness.

From the inside, it often feels like learning how to stay grounded in the middle of uncertainty.

Over time, I’ve come to believe that leadership is less about controlling what happens around you and more about deepening your capacity to stay steady within it.

That steadiness doesn’t come from eliminating discomfort.

It comes from expanding your ability to hold it.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

There are moments in leadership when everything looks clear from the outside… but doesn’t feel clear on the inside.

You say the words. You set the direction. You move things forward.

And privately, parts of you are still sorting, still questioning, still making sense of it all.

For a long time, I believed leadership meant eliminating that internal tension. That clarity meant certainty.

But what I’ve come to understand is that clarity isn’t the absence of internal voices. It’s the ability to listen to them without letting them fracture your direction.

Self-leadership isn’t about becoming someone without doubt. It’s about becoming someone who can hold complexity without losing coherence.

Some of the clearest leaders I know are not the ones who never question themselves.

They’re the ones who have learned how to stay with themselves while they do.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

There’s something powerful about taking time to pause and reflect intentionally.

Leadership moves quickly. Decisions stack on top of each other. Conversations blur together. And without space to step back, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s actually shaping how we show up.

Friday Focus was created to offer that pause.

It’s a space to slow down, widen the lens, and explore the internal side of leadership — the patterns, perspectives, and practices that influence everything we do externally.

I’ll be going live today, and I’d love to have you join the conversation.

🕛 Today at 2:15 pm
📍 Live right here.

https://loom.ly/7wMk0Xg

Hope to see you there.
__________________________________________________________________
Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

An unfiltered recap of this week's client coaching focus.

Before the week rolls into the next one, there’s value in stopping long enough to ask:

What actually happened this week and what does it ask of me next?

Friday Focus is a short, reflective space to do just that. No fixing. No performing. Just thoughtful conversation and perspective.

Hope you’ll join me tomorrow.    https://loom.ly/7wMk0Xg
2:15 pm EST

One of the things leadership teaches us over time is that the hardest skills to develop are often internal.

Not strategy.
Not execution.
But the ability to stay steady, trust ourselves, and remain open in moments of uncertainty.

I’m curious what this has looked like in your own experience.  💡

Which leadership skill took you the longest to develop?

Some of the most important leadership moments don’t happen when everything feels clear and easy.

They happen in the moments when something feels uncertain… and you stay present anyway.

When you resist the urge to rush to certainty.
When you remain open instead of defensive.
When you allow yourself to see something differently.

This is the work of psychological bravery.

Friday Focus is a space to explore these moments ...to slow down, reflect, and strengthen the internal capacity that shapes how we lead.

I’ll be going live today, and I’d love for you to join me.

🕛 Today
📍 Live right here.

https://loom.ly/2-FLwdU
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

“Is everyone aligned?”

It’s a question we ask almost automatically at the end of a decision.

Heads nod.  No one objects.  We move on.

And yet… weeks later, momentum slows. Execution feels uneven. Side conversations begin to surface.

In many teams, agreement is mistaken for commitment.

But silence is not the same as conviction. And speed is not the same as alignment.

In this week’s newsletter, I explore why genuine commitment requires something more than polite agreement and how productive dissent actually strengthens cohesion.

If your team says “yes” quickly, this one may offer a different lens.
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Hi, I’m Larissa, founder of Quivet Consulting, and I’m on a mission to help people show up with courage, clarity, and heart, leading from the inside out.

The decision is made. You go around the table. “Is everyone aligned?” Heads nod. A few quick “Yes” responses. No visible objections. It feels efficien

Open article: When Everyone Says “Yes”… But No One Is Fully Committed by Larissa Haynes • 3 min read

When Everyone Says “Yes”… But No One Is Fully Committed

taplio

The Battle

Tim Ensmann

Larissa Haynes

Followers

Posts

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Likes

Performance ScoreTim Ensmann's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreLarissa Haynes's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Tim Ensmann

Larissa Haynes

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Tim Ensmann's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreLarissa Haynes's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreTim Ensmann's LinkedIn Performance