A HIGH-FLYING business woman has opened up about her journey to the top and how she’s created a multi-million pound empire. 

Jamie Stark Inlow was fed up with working her 9-5 job and leaving her son at nursery, so she took action – and launched a side hustle. 

In 2019, the 32-year-old joined Airbnb to make some extra cash, but little did she know how it would go on to transform her life.

Three years into her venture, she had made enough money to quit her full-time position in higher education and put her all into a business that handles property maintenance, hospitality, listing assistance and much more. 

And today her property company, Be Still Getaways, has expanded massively and manages over 120 rental properties.

What’s more, Jamie, who is American, has revealed how the business is set to turnover $3 million, approximately £2.3million this year alone.

Speaking to CNBC as part of their Make It’s Millenial Money series, Jamie explained: “Prior to starting Be Still Getaways, I worked in higher education. 

“I was a student programme director and I really enjoyed my work.”

The mum, who is based in Virginia, continued: “[But] after getting pregnant and having my son, it was definitely not cohesive to our lives anymore.

“I was dropping my son really early at daycare, picking him up late and I was like, ‘This is just not what I pictured for my life.’” 

This led to Jamie and her husband selling their home and moving back to Virginia on a little farm.

While there, she spotted that their neighbours had a “beautiful barn” that was totally unused – and had an idea.

She explained: “From there, I wrote a business plan to my neighbour and asked him to give me $2000 to furnish the barn.

“We drove around the state of Virginia doing Facebook Marketplace pick-ups and furnished the barn.

“We listed it [on Airbnb] and then I managed the unit from there.” 

That first property gave Jamie the bug and she knew she wanted to delve deeper into property management for rentals.

For three years, she continued to build up the brand while working her full-time job.

I was dropping my son really early at daycare, picking him up late and I was like, ‘This is just not what I pictured for my life’

Jamie Stark Inlow

She continued: “I started matching my salary and thought, ‘If I’m comfortable for a year and can pay my salary with Be Still Getaways, then I feel I can quit my job.”

So, as things picked up, she took the leap and handed in her notice.

Jamie, has also gone on to give up his previous full-time job to be the company’s lawn maintenance man, said: “It’s a scary leap but I’m so glad that I did it and it’s such a relief to just be able to devote a hundred percent of my time to this company.” 

Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, with employees, a warehouse and new plush properties and motels on their books.

Now, she’s proud to be the CEO of a company that is destined to keep on growing – and the figures speak for themselves, as CNBC said that Be Still Getaways is “is on track to bring in $3 million (£2.3) a year.” 

And Jamie, who said she is motivated by thinking about all those who work for her, can’t wait to see where they go from here. 

“My dream, pie in the sky vision, is I would love to write a book – the secrets of short-term rentals,” she concluded. “Not just a book about helping other hosts in this industry, but also all the fun tea and drama.”

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