EXPERIENCE 11 | Abbie Stout with the Edwards House Inn, Luz en el Cielo, and Cedar & Sage Mercantile
Abbie Stout is the owner/proprietor of the Edwards House Inn, a boutique hotel, conference, and special event center in Old Town Fort Collins, Luz en el Cielo, an Eco-B&B / Hostel in Montezuma, Costa Rica, and Cedar & Sage Mercantile, a sustainable hone products company operated by the Edwards House staff - and she is also a LoCo Think Tank member!
Abbie started her business journey as a school project the summer before her final year of college, when she wrote a business plan for an eco-lodge in Costa Rica. As her education wound down, her business professor and others encouraged her to pursue the project - and she did! - purchasing a broken-down property as a 23-year-old business novice with limited Spanish speaking ability. She bootstrapped the reinvigoration of the property and re-opened as Luz en el Cielo in the fall of 2010.
After growing and developing her Costa Rica business, Abbie was able to move back to Fort Collins in late 2017, when her family swapped properties with Curt Richardson of Otterbox fame - the historic Stout Ranch near the Colorado/Wyoming border for the Edwards House in Fort Collins. Abbie opened Cedar & Sage in 2020 to scratch a long-standing business itch in making it easier for consumers to select more sustainable products in their home product choices, and it has also helped to keep her staff employed after the reduction in revenues caused by the covid crisis.
Abbie is an inspirational leader at the ripe young age of 34, and her attitude and perspectives are contagious. "Go for it!" is her message to anyone who's interested in pursuing the lifestyle of the business owner - especially to women and moms! Give this episode a listen to be encouraged and empowered to make your own business dreams come true!
Episode Sponsor: InMotion, providing next-day delivery for local businesses. Contact InMotion at inmotionnoco@gmail.com
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