The Diamond Mine Episode 4

This week on The Diamond Mine, David is joined by Michelle Davidson.

Michelle Davidson is the owner of Forrest Guesthouse, a peaceful retreat in the Otway Ranges, South West of Melbourne, Australia. A perfect base for hiking, biking and all things delicious.

Key Takeaways:

• Been in business for less than a year
• After 14 years in a law firm
• Attracted to the area because of the mountain bike trails
• Made a decision to buy in 24 hours
• Not normally a fast decision maker, but it felt right
• Forrest is in the Otway Ranges
• Temperate Rainforest
• Just near Great Ocean Road
• No experience in running a agues house
• Practised on friends and family for 4 weeks
• First time trying to make a bed took 40 minutes
• Beds use the 3 sheet system - who knew?!
• Down to 6 minutes now - practise makes perfect
• Had to develop a website form scratch, rebranded
• Started using social media a lot
• Blessed for images
• Strategy for social: does stuff she enjoys and photographs and shares it
• Loves the area, loves to share it
• Local Platypus colony - tours via kayak
• Waterfall galore - over 50 within 2 hours
• Forest of California Redwoods
• Hire mountain bikes
• High ropes courses
• 1/2 hour from the beach
• Foodie trails
• Great coffee and hot chocolate
• Micro brewery - loves to experiment
• Challenge 1: fires - kept lines of communication open, used a fair refund policy
• Challenge 2: COVID-19 - lost all forward bookings
• Opening again on June 4th.
• 4 Suites including 2 family suites
• Lucky husbands business was busy, her business had no income - lesson in having diversity in income
• Community is really important!
• Community bands together in times of crisis
• It’s about presenting the local town as a community offering - not competition.
• Fun place to stay
• Focused on experiences
• Take the social media followers on the journey with you
• Yet to live stream the mountain bike experience - literally take people o the ride!
• Crisis has given rise to an understanding that longevity requires less booking, but will allow her to enjoy the business more and do it longer
• Looking to become mountain bike instructor (international)
• Take people on that journey
• Drop bears… just sayin'
• The Otways Black Panther (Google it!)