Today we’d like to introduce you to Valarie Sparks
Hi Valarie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From Sheraton to Short-term
My heart for hospitality developed in 1995, at 15 years old, when my parents opened a Ponderosa Steakhouse in Southern Maryland. One of the major benefits of opening a national chain is the extensive corporate training that comes along with it. I absorbed the new knowledge like a sponge. From memorizing training manuals to seeing the immediate reward of increased tips from happy customers, I developed a strong work ethic. I was hooked on hospitality, and have been ever since.
A couple years later, I moved away to college where a mentor advised if my long-term goal was hospitality management I would need to gain experience during the school year and apply to internships during the summers. And so I did. I started as a front desk agent at the Sheraton Cuyahoga Falls Ohio and completed summer internships with Holiday Inn and Marriott throughout the country. Each fall I attended the International Hotel Motel Restaurant Show, in New York City, with a long-skirted suit, and my dad’s briefcase, filled with resumes. I went right up to the Marriott college recruitment booth and said with confidence “I’m here for the best summer internship you have to offer.”
During my senior year of college, after three summers of internships, I received a call from Marriott headquarters, “Once you graduate, we want to hire you for our Management Development Program.” The Anaheim Marriott Hotel had an opening for an Assistant Housekeeping Manager position. I called my dad, back home, and said “Dad, what do you know about Anaheim, CA?” He said “That’s Southern California, can’t go wrong.” I accepted the offer and it was to start September 2002. I didn’t tell Marriott in order to graduate I still had 24 college credits to take. I took the offer letter to my college counselor and said “I have a job offer. How can I graduate in August?” He would need approval from the Dean to allow so many credits. And I did it. I graduated August 2002, from Kent State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and my dad and I took a road trip across country, staying at Marriott hotels along the way, and ended up at the 1,000+ room Anaheim Marriott Hotel, next to Disneyland.
Marriott calls it a “Spirit to Serve.” When you have it, serving doesn’t feel like work, but rather a calling.
I would spend the next 12 years in hotel operations and sales management, at various resort and convention hotels throughout Southern California. In 2013, my boss at the time, told me he could envision me as a hotel sales consultant, consulting on a beach somewhere. Well, that day he predicted my future. I started a hotel sales consulting business, where I trained how to to use LinkedIn for business development, from the beaches of Hawaii to those of South Carolina and Cancun. I couldn’t feed the hungry hotel industry for LinkedIn knowledge fast enough.
Next up, my brakes took over and I became a mom. That same passion for hospitality came over me for motherhood, and my prioritization of motherhood began. From 2015 – 2021, I focused on raising two boys and thought quite possibly, outside of part-time virtual consulting, the hospitality industry was in my past. And then, my husband, Jonathan, decided to leave the tech industry and try a new one that he and I knew nothing about; the short-term rental industry.
Having just moved to Texas Hill Country, in 2021, and knowing nothing about the rental market, Jonathan conducted extensive research, using websites such as AirDNA, to find a house that included the amenities and layout/square footage required to maximize revenue. The house was sold furnished and we were able to quickly list the home on Airbnb and VRBO. Well, the first day in business was Mother’s Day weekend and then it was summer. Oh boy. The reservations came in and they didn’t stop. And all of a sudden, without even realizing what was happening, we went from knowing nothing about the short-term rental industry, to becoming general managers of our own 3,600sq ft, 5-acre, 6-bedroom, mini-resort. We quickly realized self managing a large short-term vacation home rental meant you are all the things, all the time. I was back in resort hotel management. This time I also wear the hat of marketing manager, as I have created a successful social media presence where I collect direct booking leads. All of the reasons why I loved hospitality came rushing back and I have enjoyed every minute of this new business venture. The tough days weigh harder on you, when it’s your own business. But, when you love what you do, you can move on rather quickly.
Jonathan and I have owned and managed Fancy Like at Canyon Lake since May of 2022 and it is indeed a labor of love. For 2023, the vacation home was the highest revenue grossing property in Canyon Lake Texas. We named the vacation home after the Walker Hayes country pop song, ‘Fancy Like’ because “every now and then when you get paid, you gotta spoil your crew with an upgrade.”
If I could offer advice to someone trying to figure out his or her career path, I would advise to do what you love. And get immediate hands-on experience to find out if what you think you love is really what you do love. If you wake up everyday excited to do it all again, you know you found your passion. And it’s crazy to say I will have done nothing but the hospitality industry since I was 15 years old, with no plans to leave it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As mentioned previously, I dedicated my career to Marriott International’s internship programs and management roles. I assumed a lifelong career with the company was in my future. As such, I was shocked and disheartened at 28 years old, when my sales management position was eliminated. When one door closes, another opens. The day after my position I was laid off, I met my husband. He was attracted to my non-work focused state of mind, as normally I would have been going on about a recent Marriott sales success story. Little did he know, 13 years later, we would be in business together.
A more recent struggle was when a guest lied to Airbnb about a hidden indoor camera. As a result, Airbnb suspended our listing for 9.5 days, pending investigation. That was a scary time and disheartening anyone would want to harm our small business.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Fancy Like at Canyon Lake, our large upscale vacation home rental is located in Canyon Lake Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. The experiences includes 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 12 beds, and situated on five gated acres, with a secluded resort-style saltwater pool, oversized hot tub, and gazebo with reception space. The home can sleep up to 20 overnight guests and we offer reduced pricing for smaller groups. There are walking-distance condo rentals, which allow us to accommodate micro weddings, reunions, and corporate retreats for up to 50 guests.
We also own a long-term rental duplex in downtown New Braunfels, TX. The long-term rental business is much different because typically tenants don’t want interaction with their landlord. And that duplex was recently built in 2017, so there are rarely maintenance issues.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is giving whatever I’m prioritizing everything I’ve got. My priorities are marriage, health, children, and work.
My husband leaving his full-time job in the tech industry allowed us to prioritize homeschooling our boys and ensure we are the biggest part of their lives. “Hold Onto Your Kids,” as so well put by authors Gabor Maté and Gordon Neufeld.
For good health, I exercise in the mornings, before homeschooling lessons and managing the vacation home rental begin.
Successful short-term rental management requires constant refinement and pivoting. I analyze demand and competition on a regular basis, to benchmark and ensure we are maximizing revenue and constantly improving the experience, based on guest feedback.
When I was 15 years old I gave every customer at the Ponderosa Steakhouse the biggest smile, and per the training manual, their sweet tea cups were filled with precisely 3/4 cup of ice. And here I am, 29 years later, inspecting every Fancy Like at Canyon Lake check in, to ensure there is not a single crumb or hair from a previous guest.
I give Fancy Like at Canyon Lake everything I’ve got.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fancylikevacationhome.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fancylikevacationhome
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/fancylikevacationhome
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@FancyLikeVacationHome
