A burnout success story

INC. THIS MORNING A burnout success story Good morning, After Joel Holland stepped down as CEO from his stock images company in 2016, you could say he was burned out. Storyblocks, the Arlington, Virginia-based company that Holland founded in 2009, made Inc.'s list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. seven years in a row. Holland was looking for a break, so he skipped town. In 2018, he and his wife--along with their two cats and pet ferrets--hopped in an RV and spent several months traveling the lower 48 states, using an app called Harvest Hosts to spend a night or two at a time on rural farmland or other privately owned scenic lots. On one of their first stays, the couple spent the night on a farm in Kansas run by three octogenarian nuns. "I completely fell in love with the concept," says Holland. "You get to stay at these really amazing locations like wineries and farms, meet the proprietors, taste the produce. It's such a unique experience." He was hooked. In 2018, the Hollands snapped up the then nine-year-old business for an undisclosed sum--and Harvest Hosts’s growth took off. Read our story to learn how Holland replicated his fast-growth strategies, and why he thinks small businesses have a huge opportunity to get back on their feet this summer. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: President Joe Biden greenlit a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework, which has garnered lots of support from small businesses. --Inc. Ex-FBI official to CEOs: Your new job is Chief Risk Officer. Here’s what that means. --Inc. Last year, legions of companies launched or pivoted to make N95 masks. Now, many are on the brink of financial collapse. --NPR Robinhood’s growing crypto business is delaying its IPO plans. --Fortune (subscription required) Sometimes, you need to be cheerful with customers when you’re not feeling positive yourself. Use these three helpful strategies. --Inc. ONE MORE THING: Steve Blank says most founders can’t distinguish between a vision and a hallucination--but that shouldn’t discourage you from taking the leap. --Inc. --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback at calbertdeitch@inc.com, and sign up for daily text messages from me. Join the visionaries who choose Inc. as their trusted source for the most accurate reporting on business. Join Inc. Unlimited today. Click here to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, Unsubscribe • Update Profile • View in Browser • Privacy Policy