Kelly Straka on Building a Staging Business with Purpose

Pamela Bardhi: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Underdog Podcast. Today I have an incredible guest here with me, one of my favorite people on this planet, Ms. Kelly. And I almost said the nickname, but I’m gonna reserve that for later.

Kelly Straka: Wait until, like, 20 minutes in.

Pamela Bardhi: It will be revealed later on. Later on. How are you, darling?

Kelly Straka: I’m good. I’ve been on the go. But here right now, I’m so excited and really honored that you are, as I texted you, popping my podcast cherry.

Pamela Bardhi: I love popping the podcast. This is so exciting. You are such a magical soul in all that you do just so who you are. Then also what you’ve created in this universe, like, there’s so much beauty to everything. I’m like, I can’t wait to get into the story of how you actually came to be. And how you got everything to this point, because it is so magical. Anyone who follows you, which, by the way, if you don’t follow Kelly on Instagram. Like, really, what are you doing with your entire existence? Stop and follow her, like, immediately right now, and you’ll see it in the show notes. But seriously, it’s so amazing.

We were just talking about this right before we were coming on to see. A lot of people say that they see certain things and they see certain visions and all of that. But, like, you actually go out there and execute in design in 3D form. Which I think is the coolest thing ever, it’s one thing to dream, but it’s another to execute. And, like, man, I just want to reel it, like, all the way back to your magic. Like, way, way, way, way, way, way back, and ask you this awesome question, because I’m curious myself. I actually don’t know the answer to this. What did you want to be as a kid when you grew up, Kelly, like, what was the dream?

Kelly Straka: This is actually really cool, but I guess that’s like a kid, like, younger ages. I don’t remember. But I do know that when I was, like, maybe eight or nine, I would rearrange my room all the time. It drove my parents crazy because I had hardwood floors. So I was, like, you know, maybe a little bit older, I don’t remember, but, like, scraping my dressers across the floor. That was, like, my little highlight of, like, the month or whatever. And then in 10th grade, I wrote a paper about wanting to be an interior designer.

You know, pick a career, and that’s what I wrote about. My mom just dug it up recently, and it is scary how accurate the things are. I want to be my own boss because I can sleep in. And, like, the power of manifestation is really real because when you put that stuff in writing. Like, it’s to a T what I do now. So, and then I kind of shifted gears a little bit. That was 10th grade. Then I went to college, had my records. Didn’t have interior design, so I kind of had to pick a slightly different path. But it, like, all kind of led me back to interior design.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s crazy. So wait, you wrote that in 10th grade?

Kelly Straka: Yeah.

Pamela Bardhi: Whoa.

Kelly Straka: But it was even then. I think it was one of those, like, just pick a topic. You know, it’s like a paper. Let’s do, pick something, do your research. What, how much, you know, what’s the salary that you’re going to bring in? What’s the lifestyle like? So it wasn’t even really, like, I don’t think I knew for sure, but I was like, this is something. That’s, like, of interest, but now going back and reading it and my reasoning for it. It’s bizarre, but it’s really cool.

Pamela Bardhi: I freaking love that.

Kelly Straka: I’m just saying.

Pamela Bardhi: It’s right, though.

Kelly Straka: Awesome.

Pamela Bardhi: That is. But please do, because that’s magical. I love that. Well, it’s so crazy. What I found is, like, there’s so much correlation between, like, when we were children. So that’s literally destiny. Right, like, it’s revealed when. When you’re young, you know what I mean? Like, you rearranging your room at that time. Little did you know, but, like, that’s been you all along.

Kelly Straka: Yeah.

Pamela Bardhi: You know, and now looking back on it, it’s probably, like, super freaky. So whenever I ask anybody these questions, they look back and they’re like, oh, my God, what the hell?

Kelly Straka: This is actually my mom, I was like, what? I was talking about this in 10th grade. I didn’t think I even really thought about this until I was like, 25.

Pamela Bardhi: You know, subconscious mind is a very powerful one.

Who were your role models in the real estate industry growing up

So question, growing up, did you have, like, who were your role models? Was there anyone in the real estate game that was in your family or someone around you? Like, because something had to, inspired in the very beginning.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, my family is. There’s a lot of entrepreneurs, so my grandfather was a hustler. He flipped houses, honestly, I think until he was, like, 85 years old, he was hanging drywall. It was like they were very much like the DIYer, so my grandfather and then my mom. My mom and dad together were doing it, but they were in there doing, like, together every single thing. Hands on, like, nailing, you know, every nail on the wall, all that stuff, laying the tile, demoing everything. And then, my uncle, who I grew up with, owned the gymnastics center that I went to from the time. I was, like, basically born until I went to college, so everybody had their, like, small business thing going on. So I think it’s just when you’re around that.

I don’t think I really ever had a plan of, like, working for anyone else. Because you just kind of see them operate. That’s kind of like where I got the inspiration from. My grandfather. He’s like, when I was a kid, I thought it was so boring. I’m like, oh, gosh, she’s gonna go, we’re gonna talk about business. You know, he’s gonna talk to me about the houses and real estate. Then my grandma was like, the fun one that’s just like, go pick out your candy out of the cabinet. And I thought she was, like, so cool and fun. Now I’m like, every chance I get to talk to my grandfather, who’s 98. Like, I’m like, give me all your knowledge, you know? So, yeah, my family has everything to do with it.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s so cool. Oh, my gosh. It says it stems at an early age sometimes, that subconscious. Like, by 10th grade, you already knew what you were doing. And, like, it’s so cool because you’ve grown up in this, which is so fun. I love those hustlers, like, g grandparents that, you’re like, I’m just never going to tell you what to do. I’m just going to stand here and, whatever you tell me to do is what I’m going to do. They’re just out there like, I’m like, dude, you are literally, like 80 something years old.

Kelly Straka: I’m like, you’re.

Pamela Bardhi: Please calm down.

Kelly Straka: I think we should probably hire somebody to hang the drywall.

Pamela Bardhi: They’re like, no, absolutely not. We’ll finish it, and you’re just like, yeah, not arguing with you. No way. Oh, my gosh. I love that so much. That’s so fun, oh, my goodness. And then inspiring on your journey to, like, Rutgers, like, what inspired that whole kind of journey?

Kelly Straka: I always wanted to go to, like, a Big school with a big name. I don’t know why I thought like I’m very into sports and still I love going to, like, sporting events. Stuff like that, so I wanted to go to a school that would be, like, fun to celebrate. And you know, I ended up choosing an out of state school. Which was 45 minutes away just to, really thrilling for my parents. They’re like, you couldn’t move on to Penn State, I’m in Pennsylvania, drove across the border to New Jersey. But they had a good gymnastics program. That was something I really wanted to do, I had been doing it for my whole life. So I was going to be able to go there, compete.

You know, there’s not a lot of schools that have gymnastics. So that was definitely a deciding factor for me. Then you know, that’s where I ended up making a lot of like my lifelong friends. And a lot of the connections that I have now. You know when you’re deciding to go to a state school, like a smaller school. Where you probably get a better education or you know, a bigger school with a bigger name. It’s a big decision when you’re like 16 years old and you know, picking that kind of stuff out. But I’m really happy that I ended up meeting my squad there because they’re all amazing and killing it in life.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s amazing, I know, it’s so funny, it’s like, with college it’s like. Choose your major that you’re like, what are you going to do for the rest of your life? It’s like, dude, I’m literally like I’m a child 10 years old. Like, can you please just chill? Thank you. Yeah, yeah like that’s why liberal arts schools are always my fave because I’m like. You have so much flexibility to shift as you go, you know what I mean? Because it’s like there’s just, you don’t know, you have no idea. But I love that. I love that you built it and you mentioned like you met your squad there and at that point.

Were your parents in real estate by the time you were in college

So were you in real estate by the time you were in college? Like what was the kind of trajectory in the real estate space?

Kelly Straka: No, just my parents are still like flipping houses so I actually had my first year. I was on campus and parties and all the stuff was, you know, the off campus housing. So I think even then like on Realtor or like one of those websites. And I’m like, trying to convince my Parents to buy a house. Like, if they buy a house here, I can live in it and my friends can live in it. Then that’ll help, like, pay for some of my schooling. And I thought it was like, you know, I’m 19, 18, whatever, at that point. I’m, like, telling them what their next investment is going to be. They did it, and I bought this house.

I think it was, like, $240,000, a couple blocks off of campus, it was, like, where everyone was living. My friends and my teammates lived in the house with me, and it paid for the house. It paid for a lot of my education, and they sold it, and they made a really nice profit. But they were like, we’re never doing student housing again. Like, the garbage disposal is broken every weekend because there’s shot glasses in, you know, in the bottom of it. And, every time my parents would come up to visit, they’re doing, like, tinkering with all the things that we broke. So that was. For me, it was, like, a good learning experience to kind of see them in action.

And, like, you know, I had a little bit of skin in the game. Like, I care that the house is being maintained and all of that. But I really was like, okay, this is my first little, dabble in, looking up the prices of real estate. Then, you know, keeping up with it, and then I started, like, year after year. I’m like, hey, you know, by the time I graduated, I’m like, maybe you guys want to sell it? You can make a good amount of money, and they did. They were, like, over it at that point. So I wasn’t doing, like, anything personally, but as soon as I graduated, that’s when I bought my first house.

Pamela Bardhi: That is so killer. I love that you were directing them to make their real estate investments, like, as you were in college.

Kelly Straka: I was like, wait. I’m like, mom, we can turn this closet into a room. We can do, like, a lofted bed. Like, looking back, like, I had a friend living in a closet, but that is, to be fair. To be fair, that is what, like, these college houses are like, so. And it had its, I think it had, a little closet or something. Then in the summer, I was like, I can get these football players. They’re gonna run out two rooms for, like, 600 each, like, I was hustling.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s hilarious. Oh, my God. And I bet it cast filled, like, amazingly.

Kelly Straka: Wow. For sure. I actually totally forgot that they did.

Pamela Bardhi: That, but, yeah, that’s so funny. Well, that’s co living right there, right? Like the whole co living there’s like, renting by the roof.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, I love that.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that.

You went from business management to real estate after graduating from Rutgers

So after, like, Rutgers, like, what was the trajectory? Like, like, what did you step into the real estate world? Into that. I mean, you kind of already inadvertently did it when you were in school with your parents on this investment. Which I love.

Kelly Straka: I think, like we were saying, like, you’re a freshman in college. You have to pick a career path, so I started going, taking all the business classes. At the time, my uncle who owned this gymnastics center was like, hey, you know, I’m going to retire soon. Do you want to take over the gym? So I did like an internship with him, of, like, watching him do payroll and stuff like that. I went from business management to sports management because it was more concentrated on, like, a sports facility. That’s what my degree ended up being in, I graduated college. He’s like, I think I got another five or 10 years left in me. I’m like, excuse me, I thought I was taking over the business like today, so that was just like. And at the same time, I’m like.

I don’t know, there were just signs of like, is this really what I want to do? It felt small to me, and he had a very successful business, it was really well known in our area. Like, all of my friends went there, all their kids went there. But I just felt like I needed to do something, kind of bigger and better. So I graduated college and I was like, okay, now what? I started applying for MBA programs, got accepted to a couple places. And at the same time, my mom was like, why don’t you just get your real estate license just to have it? I’m, I don’t know, 20 something low 20 something. None of my friends are buying houses yet. No one’s buying houses, I was the only one that bought a house. But at the time there was like, no doc loans.

Which, as we all know, the no doc loans were like. Oh, we can lend you up to 70% of your gross income, which then led to the real estate bubble. So when I got my license, it was like right around that time. Where a lot of people were going to foreclosure short sales, so it was definitely an uphill battle. Because not many people were selling and making a profit. A lot of people, they were just changing the rules, so it was a lot harder to buy a house. So I’m like, you know, 25 years old, like, okay, going in, taking all the courses that Keller Williams. Like, gives you for free, and I’m like, learning all the stuff, door knocking, doing all the things. And I got a couple listings, and I just, like, I’m not a paperwork person.

Like, I hate paperwork, actually, I’m not organized, like, I just like the creative stuff. I’m like, contracts, and I’m like, why am I doing this? So I wanted to start a staging company, so I got some of my furniture that I had. From, like, my house, put it into a listing. I actually had somebody come out and give me a quote for staging the house, and it was 3, 800. And I was like, wait a second, 3, 800? Like, you’re gonna get paid now, like right now before the house sells, and I’m gonna list it. Do all the open houses and all the marketing and like, maybe it sells and maybe it doesn’t. It was like one of those situations where they didn’t have a lot of wiggle room on their sales price. So I’m like, this person’s getting paid up front.

And as a listing agent, not guaranteed to make anything, I was like, f, this starting a staging company. So that’s how Lux Living was born, and it’s basically like the concept then. It’s still even kind of like, that now is just being able to achieve the luxury look on any budget. At the time it was like the luxe look for less. It eventually evolved into not for less for, for like a premium. But that’s kind of like my design philosophy is, like. I can achieve any look on any budget and we can go like, I will roll up at Dollar Tree. Find some arts and crafts and do things, or we’re doing super high end, custom heirloom, type pieces. But that has always been kind of the concept of Lux Living since I started as a staging company.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s amazing, I love that, that’s such a great thing. Though it is true with agents, you really are taking a gamble. Like, if a house doesn’t sell, you’re pretty much screwed, so I love that. You look at it and you’re like, hey, this staging company is getting paid no matter what. And plus, like, that’s what you love to do, that’s where your passion is. You’re like, ah, this sounds like a win win, so there’s a great opportunity there. So I love that pivot.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, for me, it was like, I just like doing the more creative stuff. Like, they’re. All of the things made sense. It was like, I like the creative side, I’m getting paid up front. I’m kind of doing it at my own pace, there’s not a lot of staging companies. Like, I love to do things that there’s not a lot of competition. There’s only a couple, like, a few of them at the time. Whereas, like, you know, listing agents. They’re everywhere. Everybody wants the listing, so it just made sense for me at the time.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that. And then with the staging company, you know, because I still. You still have that? Yeah, in New Jersey, I actually, just about.

Kelly Straka: A year ago, dissolved that company. So I still have all of the inventory, and I had built it up to, like, 75 houses at a time. Were staged, like, fully furnished, which a staging company is a huge operation. There’s a lot of overhead.

I shut down my furniture moving business recently

There’s a lot of moving pieces, like, you don’t just move sofas alone. You have to have manpower, you know, and if you’ve ever moved your own house. It’s a pain, you know, just packing things up and carefully moving furniture and stuff like that. So it went from like this, like, I’m driving a pickup truck. My uncle’s pickup truck was like ratchet straps, like, looking like Sanford and Sons. Like homeless men coming up to me, hey, do you need a hand? I’m like, no, don’t get away from the beginning.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that.

Kelly Straka: Setting it up into, like, a big operation. Like, we had two big box trucks, a warehouse, you know, a staff of people that were all managing that. So I just shut that down recently.

Pamela Bardhi: It’s all good. And, you know, I definitely want to get into that, it’s like, when do you know to let go of something? Because a lot of entrepreneurs don’t. So, yeah, I want to get, I want to get back to that, for sure.

When it comes to the staging and then getting into the interior design

When it comes to the staging. And then getting into the interior design space and then into what you are doing now. Like, how did that whole magic start, like, from the staging to the Airbnb? Because you were doing some custom design as well, interior design for some clients.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, yeah, so everything is, like, it snowballs and it pivots, I, like, literally think of a snowball. Rolling down a hill and, like, you know, going a certain, a slightly different direction. So when I was doing the staging, I was working with developers. They were bringing me in really early on the project, so they would buy the house that they were demoing. And then they’re like, all right, Kel, tell me, like, where do you think you’re gonna put the tv? Where do you, where should we put the kitchen island? All right, if the TVs. If the sofa’s going here, then you would put the TV on this wall. Like, starting to figure out, before the walls are closed up, you know, typically what an architect would do.

But they’re not hiring architects for flip projects. Like, they’re just kind of, you know, making those decisions on their own on the fly. They’re bringing me in pretty early on, and it’s like, usually, like, one guy that I was working with. He was like a CEO of a big company, has a full time job, and has some money to spare. So he finds a crew of people and he’s flipping houses on the side. We did one house and then we did another house, and within a year, he did 10 houses. Every time he would tell me how much he bought it for. And then I obviously knew how much he was selling it for. Like, I think at that point that started to, like, pique my interest.

I’m like, okay, well, he’s calling me, like, the day that he buys it, basically. And then, I’m stopping in every couple weeks to check on things. Then I started picking out the finishes, and I’m like, okay, I’m getting pretty involved here. Obviously, I’ve seen my parents do it, but this guy is not doing any of the physical labor at the house. He’s just essentially gcing him. If he can do it, I can do it. So that’s kind of what, like, piqued my interest with flipping houses, and I. My first project I found was somebody did, like, all of the mechanicals, and it just needed all the finishes. I was like, yes, this is my time to shine, so that was my first project. Selected all the finishes. Like, you know, the plumbing.

Of course, you find out once you buy it, like, the plumbing’s halfway done, things have to be rewired, whatever. But, that’s what kind of got me into the flipping part, because I was super involved with guys that were flipping. And doing new construction and helping them select their finishes, and I love doing that. I was doing it for free because I was just, like, excited. I’m like, how many more houses can I stage that are like, white walls? You all pick the same crap out from Home Depot. Like, every time I walk in there, I’m like, give me something more, please. Spend a little bit of money. So I’m like, if I can find the same light picture, that you’re willing to spend $150.

If I can find something cooler for $150, will you let me pick it out then? Like, hey, okay, you’re doing 20 units. Can we do one of them? It’s dark and moody and then another one that’s like your farmhouse style. You have 20 to play with, like, I think we can. We’ll still play it safe, but like, you know, so I started working with guys that were like. Willing to kind of like, test the limits a little bit. But still, like, they still weren’t totally convinced to, like, go hard. So that’s like, you know, I’m going to do my own thing. I just want to be able to like, pick out really cool backsplash light fixtures. It all costs the same thing. They’re just not willing to do it or they don’t want to spend the time.

That’s kind of like, got my idea going for these, like, uniquely designed flip projects. I started doing the flip projects and then I started having a waiting list. Because people are like, oh, my gosh, we’ve been out to see 40 houses. Nothing looks like this, like, immediately sold, not even done yet. It just kept kind of snowballing on those projects. And that was like, super fun, and still the guys that like the big developers are like, you’re crazy. Like, you spent so much time on this stuff, and I’m like, not that much time. I’m making like 10% more than what you’re making. So I love that each time they’re like, wait, you’re listing it for how much? You’re not going to get over 500, I’m like, well, I’m listing it for 560 under contract, three days.

I’m like, go on, so it was fun. Like, just have your own little, like, spin on things. You know, in a market where, like the neighborhood that I was working in, is super popular for flip projects. And new construction and stuff, so, like, it’s very saturated with all of that. But nobody was willing to kind of take that risk as they saw it. It was just like, for me. It was fun, it was a unique opportunity and I was making good money and doing what I like to do. That was the flip side. Then at the same time, I’m doing design projects for high end, big budget projects. So I’m using my own portfolio of things.

Like even just like a tiny space, one Room where I’m like, all right. I’m gonna go balls, the wall in this room or this bathroom or something. And design in the way that, like, my flipper buddies are not going to design it. But I started using that as, like, my own portfolio for design projects. That was kind of, like, all of that was happening simultaneously. So I’m able, like, you know, and of course, just using Facebook and Instagram. To like, show every single thing that I’m doing. So, like, even if it’s my own project, just giving it a name, the, you know, whatever. I forget what some of them are. Cedar’s got a big old deck.

Pamela Bardhi: Yours. I’m telling you, like, your designs are so creative and fun, but they’re so beautiful. Like, they’re so beautiful, like, I love them all. They’re so unique in their own right, and, like, oh, man, it’s literally. You’re like a magician artist, straight artist, really, I love that so much. I just, like, I love that you were mentioning, though, like, you were. They’re like, oh, you’re not gonna get over 500, and you got, like, 560 for your deal. But it’s like, it’s all in the design. It’s about how people feel in it.

One of the things that I invest heavily in on projects is interior design

It’s how they’re interacting with the space. And, like, I’ve told you, I’m, like, you know, I’m amazing on the build side. But that interior design is really that, like, wow factor at the end of it. That it’s creating that experience. People want to be in a space where they can experience it and interact with the space. Not just like, oh, here’s a wall. Like, I don’t give a shit if your paint is, like, the most expensive paint on Earth. It does nothing for me. I mean, it can create settings and moods or whatever, but, like, speaking like, if they’re.

You know, if the furniture and all these other pieces are not interacting with me, they’re not vibing. It’s like, it doesn’t speak to me. Right? But, like, in your units, when you did your flips and even men being in your Airbnb, Solero is amazing. Like, you, it just, everything was so carefully crafted and functional in its own right. It is a whole experience that you interact with. So it makes sense that literally yours went way over asking price. This is, what one of the things that, like, on my projects as well, I invest heavily on, the interior design.

Cause I’m Like I could build it. Like, nobody gives a shit what’s behind the wall, they don’t, they don’t care. They want to see what’s going on when you walk in, right? So it’s hilarious how that all works out. But it’s such a huge. For any developer, real estate investor that’s listening, and I know there’s a lot of you listening. Put some money in your damn designs, homies, please, by all means, like, seriously, it’s like, you know.

Kelly Straka: I get to see like, I would hear the, where it came off as like a pain point for the developers. Like they don’t want to spend the money, they didn’t want to pay me. You know, fortunately they caught me at a point in my career that I was willing to do it for free. I would not do that now, I was also very grateful to get the opportunity, you know, to like just. They trust me enough to pick out paint colors or pick out cool backsplash or whatever, but I would see. They’re telling me like, yeah, I’m not spending that money, I’m not paying you. And I’m like, that’s kind of why I was doing it myself. But then when I’m doing my own projects, I get to meet potential buyers.

You see their faces light up when they walk in a certain room. And they’re like, oh my gosh, you know, and you can show the functionality of something that, like. This little built-in desk we’re talking about like in Philly mostly, you know, in the beginning where they’re like. Every inch matters, every space needs to be really thoughtful, you know, to see them get really excited. Like at that point, you know that you have it in the bag, like you’ve got the sale. It’s an emotional thing, they’re buying their first house or buying their second house. Whatever, and they’re going to live there every single day. And every time they walk in the door, every time they have guests come over, they’re going to be getting this feedback. So like each time.

And I love to be there in person to meet them to hear the feedback. If you want something changed, I’ll change it, you know. But that would always roll over into the next project of like, oh, they love these. I always brought like an artist in a local, usually a graffiti artist to do some sort of mural in the backyard. The other, amazing thing about doing it this way is that it’s rolled into the price of their mortgage. So of course as long as it appraises, they don’t have to go and hire graffiti artists for $4,000. They don’t have to rip out their backsplash. You know, you put the $6 square foot backsplash in and now they’re going to rip it out. Like they don’t have the contract contractors to come in and do the backsplash.

They have no idea how much things are going to cost. So that was like another piece of, it was like meeting these buyers who bought new construction. They’re taking down the Home Depot lights and taking out the backsplash. But they don’t want to, they don’t want to spend that money because now it’s out of pocket. You’re spending thousands of dollars to do things that could have been rolled into the mortgage. So that’s where, oh gosh, like why isn’t anyone doing this? And, I do see a lot more of it now in Philly and I’m happy that people are putting that effort. Like intentionality into the design early on so that buyers can appreciate that. Because most people are not going to take out something new. You just have a bad feeling like it’s brand new.

I don’t want to rip up the floors. You know, it’s one, one project turns into another project and they don’t want to spend the money out of pocket. They just put their down payment and you know, they had their movers come in. And like the last thing they want to do is dive into another project. So like we know this, we like, we’re getting this feedback from people and even just friends that are buying houses. They’re like, oh, well, we’ll get to it eventually. Like eventually turns into like literally 10 years later, you finally do the bathroom floor. It was like to me, I’m like, this is a no brainer. Just spend a little bit of time, a little bit of money. I know that I’m going to get that back on the sales price.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, it’s really nice to like when you do come across developers that are like. I know you didn’t want to spend the money but that becomes your brand. Like, you know, and you and I were talking about this with the containers. And like just for any developer in general, like you’re going to market it, you’re going to brand it. You’re going to make a website. If you’re doing a big development, like you’re going to put these basic ass pictures on your website.

Like, that’s cool that you have, like, a sequin pillow or whatever you’re trying to do to distract people. But, like, that all comes out of the house when people buy it. And then they’re stuck with their white walls and their crappy lighting. The same light fixtures that, like, the entire street has, you know? So I know that a lot of developers don’t want to get into doing, like, custom homes. Because it’s, like, taking time, you know, time and potentially profits. But, like, maybe you can just hire somebody else to do it, you know, a hundred percent.

Pamela Bardhi: Well, I mean, and that’s really what sells, and that’s what also draws people in, you know what I mean? Even for rentals. Like, in that intentionality behind the design, and that is, that rings true in your Airbnbs. Girl, you had the tay taste with viral Airbnb. It’s like, one of the cutest places I’ve ever seen, like, I can’t wait to visit. And, it’s like, that’s why. You know, I think that’s one of the biggest contributors to your success in that space too, is that, you bet. The intentionality, the design, like, all of that has really come together. So, I mean, incorporating, going from, like, the flips to the Airbnbs almost was like a natural transition. I feel like for you, yeah, the.

Kelly Straka: Airbnbs are even more fun because you can really go, like, get after it with a design. You know, there’s no limits, and like, I mean, I could go on about this forever. Like, Airbnb has blown up, so people are. I can’t, I mean, maybe it’s just my Instagram of, like, everybody passive income and this and that, you know. But I’m very much, in a market, in two markets. Scottsdale, Arizona and Phoenix and the Jersey Shore, where there are tons of Airbnbs.

It’s really hard to get your places out on Airbnb

They are everywhere. If people log on to Airbnb, most people are not going to make it past the first, second, third pages. Most people are doing it from their phones. So they’re not even going to be able to get into the filters of, like, does it have a gym? Does it have a hot tub, whatever? Like, they’re going for, like, super host, I forget what the thing is, the top, top 5% of Airbnbs. But it’s really hard to get your places out there. One on the Airbnb platform and two, just, amongst the competition, like, Scottsdale is insane. I didn’t even know, like, as I got into that market, like, I knew it was a big bachelorette market. And now being out there, I’m like, you can’t even walk around in a white dress. Not have somebody buying you shots or saying congratulations.

Because it’s that much of a bachelorette market where, like, you have to do something different, you have to. Or you’re not going to get rented or you’re not going to be getting very good numbers. So the design part of it is, like, I was out there last week torturing myself. I’m like, what am I doing? Adding little, tiny mirrored disco tiles to letters, shredding my fingers to create this thing in the backyard with these letters. But it’s. You just have to be able to stand out in competition, you know, and that’s in real estate in general. Whether you’re flipping houses or you’re in the Airbnb space. Like, unless you are okay with average numbers. And I don’t like to fall into that mosh pit of average, you know, I like to push the limits.

I’m sure my property managers are like, Kelly, shut up. Like, I’m like, hey, so I saw that there’s this other house that runs for, 1500 a night. How do we get there? I’m not trying to do a thousand a night, I’m trying to do 1500. So, like, tell me what I need to do. What amenities do I need to put in? Because I don’t, like, if somebody else is getting that much, then, like, we need to be getting that much. That’s kind of my approach with those places, and, like, you know, you do. Again, it’s, you have to make the investment, though. You can’t sit back and be like, okay, well, I don’t feel like spending the $5,000 on a hot tub. Because that seems unnecessary. Well, that $5,000 investment is probably going to make you 20,000 or 40,000.

Like, there are certain things that are going in. You know, you can put into these houses that don’t necessarily cost that much. That, you know, you can go in and search things that are, how many places. What percentage of houses in Scottsdale have a hot tub? Or at the Jersey Shore, how many have a pool? Many have a gym, you know, and you can start to kind of, like, tinker with those filters to see. How you can separate yourself from the competition. That’s something that I lay around, like, 2:00 in the morning looking at what else do they have? But, you know, knowing your competition and really just thinking about, like, how you can do bigger. And better things, I think, are, like, the key in the Airbnb space and in the development space.

Kelly: The Taylor Swift house went viral on Airbnb

Pamela Bardhi: I love that, Kelly. And with these, like, because the Taylor Swift house, that one is, like, a huge success story for you. Like, I totally want to just, like, how did you get into that? How did you end up creating it? What do you think were some of, like, the biggest lessons that you learned in that one? Airbnb? Because that one, what did it make it to, like, a Daily Mail? It went, like, completely viral. Share kind of, like, some of the biggest lessons and, like, the biggest kind of takeaways from creating that. Because now you can kind of, You created the blueprint, so now you take that and, like, replicate it everywhere. So I would love to kind of hear that journey, because that, I mean, that one is so sick. It’s, like, continuously booked out. Yeah.

Kelly Straka: That is, I think, like, the ultimate case study. I know that my management company and some other people that I’ve talked to are like, this is my realtors there. This is the perfect example because, like, I bought it as an existing Airbnb. So going into it, I knew their numbers. They were doing a hundred thousand a year. And I was like, okay, buying this house for this much, it does a hundred thousand a year. I don’t care for the style. It had, like, a theme to it, so they were, like, going in the right direction. But it wasn’t, like, enough of a distinct theme that, like, okay, this is. Like, what’s going to create a draw that people, you know, want to come here for this specific reason. As I was interviewing property managers, the one that I’m working with now, Moses.

They were like, we’re only taking on properties that are, like, a niche theme. And I’m like, cool, done, I already do that in Jersey. I was, like, kind of glad to hear that, because I feel very strongly that you. Your place needs to have its own style, it needs to have a name, it needs to have a brand. Like, that’s a whole nother topic of, like, how to market it off of Airbnb. That would be another podcast. But, you know, how do you distinguish yourself from everybody else? I’m like, all right, we know that it’s a bachelorette city. The house is in Phoenix, but it’s close to Scottsdale. So, like, you start to look at your target audience. Okay, bachelorettes. There’s a million pink Airbnbs that are, like, cactus and cowboy hats.

You know, there’s stores out there like, this blows my mind. There are, like, multiple stores that all they do is sell cowboy hats. It’s like, cowboy hats and, like, with, like, ribbon stations and, like, feather stations, it’s really, like, super cute. They’re like, not only are there multiple different ones. But, like, the main one that we worked with, they have, like, a couple locations now. I’m, like, talking about cowboy hats, like, how much money are you making off cowboy hats? And I think they sell for, like, a hundred and some dollars. So, like, I say that to say, like, if there’s a whole business out there that’s selling to bachelorette groups. That comes in to buy cowboy hats, like, you have to know what you’re dealing with.

You know, the type of people that are coming, how much money are they willing to spend. What can you give them that doesn’t already exist? So, I wanted to do a Beyonce house, but I think that would be more fitting in Houston or something. I just don’t know that the crowd that’s coming to Scottsdale is going to be. Like, I don’t know if there’s a strong enough draw for, like, Beyonce, like, it would still be cute. My goal with it was, like, make it cool and cute and fun so that it’s not, like, offensive. If a non, swifty wants to come here, they’re not going to be like, oh, my God, ew. Although I did have one of my guy friends stay there. And he’s like, dude, you know, and tell me the whole house is being purple.

I love that you said you needed a place to stay, but I was talking to a couple of my friends. Okay, what’s a theme that I can do? Or, like, you know, what is popping right now that, like, is going to have that draw? My best friend’s like, do a Taylor Swift house. I’m like, started thinking about it, and this is, right in the beginning of, when her and Travis started dating. Like, it’s just everywhere, like, you just hear about them. You see her everywhere. An article had just come out. That’s when she, like, officially became a billionaire in Home Depot. Like, I had just bought the house. I don’t even think I was, like, fully set on the theme yet in Home Depot. And her songs are playing, and I’m like, I’m in Home Depot right now.

Like, do they know their crowd? Why are they playing Taylor Swift songs? It was like, all of these things. I’m like, you literally can’t avoid her right now, like, she’s everywhere. That’s kind of how I was like, all right, I’m going to go for it there weren’t any in the area. There were none in Scottsdale or Phoenix, which, again, I like to do things that I don’t have any competition. I don’t want to copy off of someone, whatever, so I’m like, all right, let’s do this. So it was a bit of a learning curve for me. Because I’m like, I don’t know how to get, like, I know the music and I know her general style.

But, like, how do you translate that into rooms? And things that you’re putting on the wall besides, like, guitars and, like, glitter? We have, like, a no glitter rule, so, like, how do I do this? So that process was, like, really interesting for me to, like, translate music. Like, you know, things that she has on tour, like, she has her outfits and stuff that she wears. But, like, how do you turn that into, like, furniture? That was probably the most challenging part, but once I started, you know, go down that rabbit hole. I started, like, building on it, building on it and, like, adding more things. Then we had a launch party and I had, like, the radio station and local news station. This also was right after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

So, like, for me, I got really lucky with the timing, it was the super bowl. And I was having a Galentine’s party, and I had made a TikTok of, like, behind the scenes. Literally, like, my phone, like, I’m, in sweats, like, workout clothes. Just, like, filming myself, cutting little things out and, you know, at the store buying things. Like a very rough behind the scenes thing, and it went viral. That’s how the buzz kind of started and then it was like the local news stations. Radio stations had come out, and within, like, maybe like a week of time, it was everywhere. International publications, like, all I did was like, I was googling Taylor Swift, Airbnb, and I’m like, oh, my gosh. I found another article, I don’t know.

We shut down Airbnb because we had too many booked weekends

Like, that’s how I came across the Daily Mail article, I was like, this is insane. Then Business Insider did a story about it. Their focus was kind of on, like, how much I was spending to create it. Which I was like, oh, nowhere sharing all that, but, yeah, it was cool. And then we basically, like, my property manager and I, like, were joking around saying we broke the Internet. Because we shut down the Airbnb site, and we were like, you know what? This is, like, out of control. We had to, like, make sure that, like, the prices were where we wanted them to be. That just, like, everything was, you know, so we, like, completely in the hype of, like, all of it.

Shut it down, which was a kind of, like, a risky move. But we’re like, can we set this up so they get direct bookings? We make more, we have more control over the guests, we have just a lot. There’s a lot of benefits to that, and can we try to sell it out, basically, have this launch day? I think it was, like, a week out or two weeks out or something. On this day, we’re opening up the schedule. Be ready, like, and the idea was the way that it came literally from her Ticketmaster episode. When she launched one of her tours, Ticketmaster broke. And we were like, let’s see if we can do that, like, on our own.

So we’re kind of, like, using that as the marketing, just, like, saying, like, hey, remember when this happened? And, like, her people know. They know every single breath she’s ever taken, like, on board, ready to go. We, within a couple weeks, like, pretty much had, like, the year booked up, like, all the weekends. Then, you know, we had some weekdays left over. But, like, all the weekends were pretty much bucked up to the point I’m like, oh, this is sad now. What? That was fun, but, like, that’s it till, like, 2025, like, I have, like, nothing more to promote. Like, so then that’s why I did the second one.

Pamela Bardhi: That’s so cool. Oh, my gosh, that is amazing. And I love how the timing worked out so beautifully for you on all of that.

I think some really important things that you highlighted are the marketing behind Airbnb

But, I mean, I think some really important things that you highlighted, though, was the marketing behind it, though, too. You know, like, using the social media piece to it, too. Creating these spaces where, like, people will take the sick photos. I mean, like, restaurants that are creating this, like, experience with, like, the photos. Like, interacting with the space are the ones that are going viral online. And people are like, oh, I want to take that picture. So I’m going to go visit that restaurant or whatever, but it’s the same thing with the Swifty House. It’s like, they connect with it, right?

So, like, they all go and book it out and we’ll pay whatever to get there. That whole experiential real estate, like, I’ve been pounding on that for, like, ever. Which is why, like, in the communities that I’m building, I’m like, it’s an experience. You can’t, it’s something you can’t replicate because products and stuff, you can get stuff off Amazon. Like, no one cares about price anymore, it’s really. I mean, like, those who care about price and care about the product, they’ll just get it wherever, right? But, like, an experience, you can’t buy that, so I love that that’s what you focused on.

Kelly Straka: I think what’s really cool about it, when I’ve learned through the process, is, like, seeing the excitement. Of, like, we get a lot of moms that are, you know, 30. In their 30s, into 40s that have been swifties for a long time, and now they have their daughters. So they’re bringing their daughters. Like, actually, like, one of the coolest things was one of the girls who is a local radio host. She ended up booking the house, and I mean, like, she booked it and she paid for it. They made all this content and then they talked about it on the radio, I guess on Monday morning. And they were like, oh, her daughter’s 10th birthday was there.

Hearing her talk about it and her daughter say, like, mom, that was the best weekend I’ve ever had. Just, like, hearing some of these stories and some of the reviews. It’s actually been, like, a totally different experience for me as an Airbnb host to see how special it is. And, I mean, people are, like, spending their life savings on going to her concerts and stuff. So it’s like, it’s also become this. Like, well, maybe if you can just spend, like, a fraction of that and we can give you. It’s not the concert, it’s not the same exact thing. But we have the karaoke there and we have the music videos on, and we have all these costumes there for.

Like, they’re making their own Tik Toks and, like, they’re making their own music videos. It really is such a cool thing to hear about these special memories that moms and daughters are making together. And, like, that, for me is, like, it’s so rewarding. But it’s also, like, made this, like, major light bulb go off in my head. Where I’m, like, okay, you and I know traveling and going somewhere special with a special group of people is amazing. However, when you get there and the staff is greeting you and everyone’s waving and, you know, you. You get there and they.

Whatever your experience is from the second that you walk in the door. Especially with everybody with their phones and filming things. Like, you have to make every single turn, corner they turn in the house. Something that’s like, breathtaking, like, you know, and then I want them to sit there and look around. And notice something else, like the next day. Like, oh, my gosh, I didn’t see this last night when we were sitting here. You know, and that’s something that’s like, to combine the people that you’re with and a beautiful place. But like, somehow incorporate this experiential aspect of it. That’s like the secret sauce.

Pamela Bardhi: I was literally just going to ask you, like, what’s your top? Like your number one lesson, you think, or, like, piece of advice for anyone who’s looking to get into, like, Airbnb. Because they’re like, oh, my God, I can make so much money, but I think, like, this whole experiential thing. I mean, if there’s any. Anything else that you think of as the top tip. But, man, creating that experience and, like, seeing people interact with it. That was one of my favorite things about real estate development, is seeing the creation afterwards. And then watching people interact with it is the coolest part of it all.

Kelly Straka: Like, yeah, I think it’s just, like, really paying close attention to, like, what gets people excited. It could be something so little, like, sometimes it doesn’t cost that much. But, like, those things that people write in the reviews. Or like, one of the things I did at the first house that you’re talking about. The one that I’m just finishing is I made a book that’s just like a guest book. But I put pictures in there of, like, here’s what the inspiration was. Here’s me, like, cutting out snakes for the wall or whatever. And I left them, like, swifty stickers and things to put in there. Just like, you know, so I actually, my property manager was like, hey, the book is filled up. We need another one.

I was like, oh, my God, this is my first time. I’ve had these books at all the properties, I didn’t always leave, like, I didn’t put pictures in them. And, you know, didn’t tell them the backstory, it was just kind of like, hey, have a great time. And I think, like, between social media, letting them in on, like, the process and the behind the scenes. Then really just paying attention to, like, the feedback that you’re Getting that, like, people. Like, you know, those things that they say they’re telling you, making it an unforgettable experience. Do more of that, you know, it’s like, it’s a simple concept. But I feel like you don’t really need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to listen and pay close attention to what gets people excited.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that, Kelly.

For real estate investors and interior designers, what would be your top tip

Oh, my gosh. And for real estate investors, just in general, and interior designers, anyone who’s listening, what would be. I mean, and this can be entrepreneurship or whatever, but, like, your best piece of advice there. Like, just in general, in the real estate space, like, what would be your number one tip? It can be designed, it could be with the flips. It could be with Airbnb is whatever you’re gonna laugh at.

Kelly Straka: Do something crazy.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that.

Kelly Straka: Pam and I have this joke that we say. Do something crazy, but it’s like, do something that someone’s not already doing. Don’t be afraid to push the limits. Like, it’s very easy to say, oh, Joe was successful doing this, I’m going to do what Joe did. But, like, to stand behind your product and your brand, like, how do you differentiate yourself? I think that’s just like, that comes from what makes you excited. I’m sitting there, like, painting, hand painting things, and it’s like, soothing and relaxing to me. But I’m like, I know that nobody else is doing it because I’m doing this by hand also.

Pamela Bardhi: Ah.

Kelly Straka: Paying attention to, like, what excites you, like, what gets you all, giddy when you’re, like, doing something. That you’re like, oh, my God, this is so sick, I know nobody else is doing this. Or like, you know, if I lived here, I mean, I think that’s another huge part of it is. Like, if this is my house, like the Solara house that you’re at. If I lived here, like, what would I want? Yeah, I want an infrared sauna in my backyard. Every day, I want to go out there and sit and burn 250 calories in the morning. You know, like, in the most perfect world. It’s very easy to kind of create what would be someone’s dream home, like, how do you make it special?

Pamela Bardhi: Create a place that you want to be and hang out in. Really? Right. Like a place that you would want to go visit, right? That’s exactly, I mean, visiting your Airbnb. Oh, my gosh, that was so beautiful, I like Solera. I’ve got, like, guys, when I walk even just like, when I pulled up and I saw her beautiful wall. And then those doors and I walked through the archway, I was just like. It’s just like the feeling you get when you’re in such a beautiful space. Just, like, the way you’ve laid it out, it’s so true. You’ve literally created the space that you would want to go to, which is where all the magic lies.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, I think, like, spending time in the space, like, I mean, I’ll sit there. I spend a lot of time alone, like, in these houses, and I sit there and I look around. I’m like, okay, I might be sitting there with a cup of coffee or whatever. And, like, swinging in the little hammock chair, looking around, like, what else could make this really cool? What else do I want to see? Like, you know, you see when people are there, what they’re taking pictures of, the flowers, the you know, whatever. If you have the opportunity to be around when other people are around and, like, see what they’re focusing on. Okay, cool. Mental note. Write that down. Do it again next time. You know, it’s a simple thing, but I think a lot of people in the real estate space are so.

We’re so fast and we’re doing 75,000 things all the time that it’s like, build it. Here’s the plans. Do this and move on. And maybe you have an event there, but, like, would you ever actually get to absorb some of the feedback? You know. If you can’t do it yourself, do you have somebody on your team that can do that for you? That’s there, that’s like meeting the guests and just listening. Because that’s really where I think you start to, like, focus on, like, the magical part. Like, what is something that they haven’t experienced before that got them really excited. So if you’re able to do that, or you have someone that’s able to help you find that feedback. It’s really helpful.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that. Ah, Kelly, I love that.

Kelly: Let go of things that are holding you back as entrepreneurs

And then this is like, my favorite question of all eternity, and I’m curious to what you’re going to say. Because it could be business, it could be personal, it could be whatever. So what would your older self tell your younger self based on what you know now?

Kelly Straka: Don’t doubt yourself ever. You know, like, your gut instinct is giving you all the answers. Something is giving you the answers, I think a lot of us, like, turn to other people for advice. What do you think I should do? Should I do this or should I do that? But, like, you know what you want to do and just like, following your passion, what gets you excited? I’m at a point where I’m only doing things that make me really excited and really happy. And it’s like, I feel like the light bulb, things have finally clicked. Because it’s like, this is like, I feel so, like, in tune with myself and just, like, trusting my intuition.

Yeah, that’s, I think, the big one, and if you are teaming up with anybody. Whether that’s employees or you’re hiring independent contractors, like, everyone says this, but, like, very true. Slow to hire and quick to fire, and I think you had mentioned it earlier, like, letting go of things. That is something that I wish I was better at. And I hope that my older self will look back and be like, all right, you got better at that. Just like dropping, dropping the dead weight, and there are things that are probably holding you back. You know, they’re holding you back and you’re just, like, afraid to let go of them. Do it. You’ll be okay.

Pamela Bardhi: A hundred percent. Well, I think that’s the one thing because our business has become such an identity to us. Right, so it’s almost like letting go feels like letting go a part of ourselves. So I think that’s why a lot of entrepreneurs have a hard time with that. Like, I’ll tell you, like, when I was really scaling in the real estate development space. And I still had my restaurant. I really, there was one that was like my baby and I did not want to let go. But like, it was like, once I let go of that is like when everything else expanded. It’s like, until you let go and release, you don’t know what’s waiting for you on the other side. But if you don’t make space for it, nothing else new can come in and that’s where growth comes in.

Kelly Straka: Yeah, I think that’s like, I mean, it’s really hard when you’re in it though. Because like you said, that restaurant is like your baby. But I guess, like, what could replace that? You know, I used my whiteboard and I started like, I’m a white boarding wizard. Like, and I’m taking post-it notes and moving things around. And like, I just can’t do it on my computer. I need to see, but it’s like, you know that 8020 thing. That top 20% of what you’re really, really good at. And what you’re, what you can like, hone in on can make 80% of your income.

But the same goes for like the, you know that if you can cut the bottom 20%. That’s like, feels like a bowling ball tied your ankles. If you could just be fully released of that and you can go sprinting down the street. What would that do for you? I feel like that is like the part that we miss sometimes. Like, if you just didn’t have to worry about that one thing anymore, like, what else could you do? And like to get yourself in that mindset of like, what that looks like.

Pamela Bardhi: Absolutely. I love that. Kelly. Oh my gosh, man. Letting go and then bringing in the new.

Kelly says you’re working on Taste Swift house number two

And speaking of the new, what’s up in your world next? Like you mentioned you’re doing Taste Swift house number two, is that right?

Kelly Straka: Yes, I just left there, putting all the finishing touches on it, it’s totally different, like, it’s different eras. You know, her albums are eras. It’s a little bit more mature, I think, in a lot of ways than the first house. Which is very cutesy, so that was fun to do. Solera is my little baby project, that’s just like a passion project that is a wellness retreat. It’s a beautiful house, it’s also in Arizona, it’s like the happy zone, how I think of it. So hosting some retreats there. I also have another project in Jersey at the Jersey shore. That’s a 10 bedroom, essentially like a bed and breakfast. I’ve been working on that for two years, but it’s really cool, it’s like it was built in 1919. It has a speakeasy in it.

And just basically figuring out what direction I want to go with that. There’s some really cool opportunities to have it as, like, an event space. Like, I’ve had people ask me about weddings and things like that. But I am at a point right now that I am trying to keep my schedule a little bit more open. Which is really hard to do and doing some consulting for other people basically that are in the hospitality space. Design, hospitality and focusing on the experiential design aspect of it. So I’ve been at some places working with some people that have like, really, really amazing places. They’re just not, not fully like integrating the, the story, their story. I think that like, you know, coming across some of these places that I’ve been at, like everybody. Just like I told you the Taylor Swift story.

That’s Just like a tiny little thing. There are these places, like, all over the world that are built by hand. They, you know, one place in Thailand was built by a monk who does a different villa every year. And, like, going there, learning their story and then helping them kind of translate that into more bookings, more exposure. You know, I think that as a business owner and a developer, like you and I talked about. You’re super focused on the building aspect of it, but there’s this whole other thing. Like, if you’re, you know, there’s this whole other side of, like, your story. Do people that are buying your places know the story behind it? Are you relaying that message? And I think that that is, like, you know, when people ask me about how to make Airbnb successful.

They all have a story, and, like, I think that’s kind of like, the beauty of it. Is, as an individual owner, that, you know, this isn’t the Hilton. This is like, you and your house and your first investment or, you know, your first home that you’re now. You’re moving out of it and you’re going to buy another house, like, to be able to even tell the story. Of, like, why it’s so special to you and why these little things that you did. You know, other people will enjoy the marketing and branding behind that. I think there are, like, so many lost opportunities. Right now, if people can start to write their own story out and tell it. Whether that’s on Instagram, Facebook, making their own websites. And not rely so heavily on booking websites like Airbnb.

Some of those, I think that, you know, it makes the traveler’s experience that much better. It makes your bookings explode if you’re able to do it. It’s something that takes time and you have to kind of know the angle that you’re taking on it. So I’m helping some people with their places, and it’s really fun. And, it’s just like, you know, being able to, like, meet with other people in space. Who, like, I know why they got into it. Like, once I’m talking with them, I understand why they got into it. But, like, being able to help them convey that message is really cool. I think that that’s what I’ll be focusing on for, like, probably the next two years or so. We’ll say, usually goes in, like, two to three year increments of whatever I’m working on.

Pamela Bardhi: I love that. That’s like me, too. Oh, My goodness. Kelly, you are so amazing, I love what you’re up to in the world, in the universe, like, oh, my gosh. And all the links to your magical places will be put in the listen notes, without a doubt. But, like, where can everyone find you and your magic? Because I know that there’s people listening. Like, I need to find this woman and I need to follow her immediately.

Kelly Straka: My Instagram is just Kelly Straka, first and last name. And then within there, I have some links to Lux Living is the design and travel company. Then I have links for some of my own personal properties, and hopefully I will be doing my own podcast soon. So that I can pick the brain of all of these amazing people that I come across and share their stories.

Pamela Bardhi: You are so magical, Kelly. Thank you so much for being here today, you are incredible, dropping all the gems and all the things. And just hear your story in detail. Like, you are freaking magical and I adore you.

Kelly Straka: Oh, you’re the best. I love you and I cannot wait to interview you.

Pamela Bardhi: I love you, girl. Thank you so much.

Always dropping on Thursdays. 

So that’s it for today’s episode of Underdog. Catch us next week. Always dropping on Thursdays. And remember, if you’re interested in real estate or want to learn how to create more money and magic in your life. Check out meetwithpamela.com and let’s chat. Sending you so much time barking like some underdog, underdog, underdog, underdog, underdog.