Travel and Personal Growth: Brian Edson of The Good House Hotel & Spa On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings
An interview with Maria Angelova
Be Open-Minded: This is about learning to say ‘yes’ more. We don’t realize how much we say “no” to new things because we don’t think it’s important enough to make time for. The first step of travel is saying ‘yes’ to taking off the time to do it and from there making yourself open to the experience your travels provide.
Thankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Edson, Co-Owner of The Good House Mineral Water Spa.
Brian Edson, is the co-founder of The Good House Hotel & Spa in Desert Hot Springs, a boutique hotel and one of the only Black owned hospitality properties in the Southern California region. Coming from a family of real estate investors, Brian grew up with a foundation of management and hospitality. Being able to tap into his unique talents from real estate to entertainment, Brian’s creative leadership of this desert oasis has made The Good House Hotel & Spa a vocal point of Desert Hot Springs hospitality.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
I come from a family of real estate investors, so I grew up in a world of property management and hospitality. This is what led me to open Edson Holdings, LLC, which is a real estate investment company I founded in 2015. We specialize in single family residential acquisition, rehabilitation and sales. Before I started my own company I worked in a few different fields throughout entertainment and marketing but realized that my passion lied in real estate. This is what led me here today as co-owner of The Good House Hotel & Spa which I acquired with my business partner David Shaker in 2021.
The Good House is my first venture into hospitality and is a very exciting next step to take. My partner brought me to Desert Hot Springs for a meeting which I was almost sure I didn’t need to have but went out of courtesy. I was looking to create a community center in Joshua Tree which is only a short drive from our property now. The idea of bringing together people from all walks of life to decompress, discover, and relax was the goal. It turns out that my first night experiencing the natural mineral hot springs, I slept like I hadn’t in months. When approached with the opportunity to purchase a property in the area, we jumped at it and the rest is history.
Since opening, we wanted to ensure we were making a positive impact on the community through tourism. We do this by hiring locally and creating inclusive wellness programming to provide a safe space for travelers and locals alike. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Desert Hot Springs community as the city is going through a resurgence of sorts. I have been able to work with other diverse entrepreneurs and creatives who are helping to develop the community and support small businesses.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
I have to credit my parents for providing me with an amazing foundation and base skill set of both hospitality and real estate. I grew up playing on the floors of apartments my Mom and Dad used to clean in preparation of a potential new tenant. As a child, we tend to want to do the opposite of what our parents do. At least in my case I tried my hardest to do anything unrelated to real estate dabbling in finance, entertainment and even automotive. Sure enough I ended up working with my parents starting in 2011 for two years before deciding to go out on my own. My Dad and Mom were both influential in my ability to understand what it is that customers and clients look for in a property which has led to much of my success today in hospitality.
One story that stands out is when I was a Freshman in college I called home to check in on my parents. When I asked my Dad what he was up to he said “I’m making money, what are you doing?” At the time I wasn’t calling to talk business but his response made me realize that my parents were about to kick their feet up on the couch to watch the USC game like me but were able to make money from the passive income of their businesses. They were able to travel and spend time with family which is what I want to be doing at that stage in my own life.
This really sat with me and helped to guide me on this path of going into real estate later in life. It made me realize that they were able to have financial stability without a 9–5 and the stresses that come with it. If anything their businesses continued to become more profitable as time went on and right then I knew real estate was going to be a big part of my life.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
My biggest mistake was buying a house site unseen while in Texas on a trip. At the time I was on a run of good investments and didn’t do the due diligence I would normally do with other properties I have purchased. The lesson of this story is — don’t always trust your realtor, ha! In other words, we all have business partners but if you are the one investing you can never put 100% trust in anyone else to handle your money as the only person that ultimately is looking out for your best interests is yourself.
This is what I call my “Harvard Business School” mistake. At the time I was in Dallas shopping for multi-family real-estate and this deal came up that I hadn’t seen in an area I wanted to buy in. I threw out an offer and this was my one and only loss in the real-estate industry so far. It’s the one deal that I had not laid eyes on before I purchased and it was the one deal I lost on. If I would have seen it in person I would have passed on it. For one, the feeling of the street is very important to me as a realtor. So just driving down the street to see the property my instincts would have kicked in and would have probably passed on this opportunity just with this in mind. The layout of the house wasn’t cohesive and it had one less bedroom than I thought. At the time, 2 bedroom, 2 bath homes were very hard to sell. I also didn’t realize how close it was to the freeway. Lastly, this was just before 2008 which was of course just before a major economy shift so I had a lot of factors working against me on this one.
However, I was proud of the work I did on it and it is one of my favorite designs to date as I modeled it after one of my favorite coffee shops in the area. In all, it was a valuable lesson that has helped me be successful in my future projects.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
A quote that has guided me through life is, “Trust your gut.”
Travel makes you understand what true experience is all about. To have these experiences you need to challenge yourself to make the best decisions that will help you grow as a person. For me, going to different countries like Morocco which is very service-based are things you can learn a lot from. While I was there I experienced these incredible 5-star hotel properties which was a learning experience to me as someone newer in the hospitality industry because it shows you what true opulence is in these places and the things that ‘wow’ people. This is an experience I could have missed out on if I didn’t go with my gut to get outside of my day to day more.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I am very excited about what is to come at The Good House this year. First off, our marketing director, Lauren Carothers who is the founder of agency All Worthy People has helped us develop some really amazing programming. This month, we are launching a partnership with Vibe Higher Collective which supports a diverse roster of wellness practitioners that host events based around the healing waters of Desert Hot Springs. We are hosting ticketed events on property starting with a Mindset Mastery class by Julian Cadiente with the full schedule on our website — welcometothegoodhouse.com.
We also were one of the first hotels in the greater Palm Springs area to sign up for Kind Traveler’s new community impact certification, Every Stay Gives Back community impact certification, which will go to support the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. The Good House will donate $2 from every guest stay with an option for further donation which is currently available on the website as well.
Additionally, we have launched a brand new food and beverage program by Chef Van Stevens, a former chef under Wolfgang Puck who has gained a cult following for his homemade pizzas which I cannot stop eating! He uses locally grown produce and offers a healthy menu in a city where there are currently not many health based restaurants. We also have an exciting announcement coming up regarding our Desert Reset Spa which features both western and Ayurvedic styles of wellness services from the aloe & herb facials to the aromatherapy massages….update coming soon!
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about travel and personal growth. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth? Can you share a story?
Travel leads to personal growth because it gives you perspective, and the ability to understand different cultural climates and see things through a different lens. Perspective provides the life lessons we need to develop to become better people. I am definitely guilty of getting caught up in day to day stresses, until one day you look up and realize time has flown by. When I travel, it breaks the cycle of the mundane and reminds you there is so much out there that we don’t know and never experience. We work so hard everyday to make a living and we sometimes forget to enjoy it.
Two major cities come to mind that have really shaped my personal growth as a traveler and entrepreneur. First is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen, which is Paris, France. I didn’t know the language but was able to get around. It also made me appreciate the beauty of my surroundings in a different way and realized this wasn’t something I valued or noticed back home. This inspired me to always want to create mindful and beautiful spaces around me and for others to enjoy.
The city that made the biggest impact on me in terms of business was by far New York. I had a completely opposite experience in New York than I had living in California. I saw the grind people put in daily and realized just because you put in the work you are not necessarily owed anything but if you work hard and stay humble you are able to achieve great value in what you do. The New York mindset towards business really helped shape me as an entrepreneur.
A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem-solving or decision-making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?
I find that problem solving and decision making are a combination of your intuition and logic. Intuition is an interesting concept as some people trust their gut more than others or are more in tune to it but I found through your experiences your intuition gets refined and that is the tool we use to make decisions. When it comes to travel, you have so many options and it’s you that holds the power of your own experience. I think it’s empowering to choose your next adventure and from these residual experiences people regain a sense of trust in themselves. For instance, if someone wanders into our gem of the desert, soaks in the hot spring, is able to unplug and reset they can leave refreshed and ready to conquer the next challenge.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
Mindfulness,optimism, and gratitude are all aspects I hope our guests receive at The Good House and from travel in general. To be able to experience different cultures and the natural wonders of this world is one of the best ways to both reflect and be thankful for what you have and also expand your mind to new ways of thinking and living.
My trip to Morocco stands out for me in this way. Traveling through the country exposed me to the class system that is very present there and I was able to experience it on both ends as we traveled through different cities. Experiencing this difference in culture changed me in a way that allowed me to be thankful for the opportunities I had growing up while in other places, these life choices may not be available.
Surely not everyone who travels automatically becomes an exemplar of human decency. What are a few reasons why some people completely miss out on the growth opportunities that travel can offer?
To travel somewhere new is to open yourself up to new experiences which may make one vulnerable. Being able to adapt and adjust based on the new environment can prove to be very rewarding. Absorbing new cultures, customs, and ways of life in a new place is always an adventure. To place yourself in a position to gain knowledge you’re typically leaving a place of comfort for a place of total mystery. Opening up to new areas, cultures, and experiences helps one grow.
Thank you for that. Now for our main question; What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order to Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Personal Growth?”
- Be Open-Minded: This is about learning to say ‘yes’ more. We don’t realize how much we say “no” to new things because we don’t think it’s important enough to make time for. The first step of travel is saying ‘yes’ to taking off the time to do it and from there making yourself open to the experience your travels provide.
- Seek Knowledge: It’s important to understand the cultures of places that you may be visiting. Understanding the specialities of the countries and how their economy functions. All of these perspectives help you gain knowledge on the foundation of these cultures. While some countries are known for their fabrics others may be known for their technology or stock market. These details help to reveal the values of any culture.
- Be Curious: Open your mind up to learn new things as there is a lot of mystery in the world. Ask questions about the history of a place and culture. I love being a forever learner and there is an endless amount of knowledge that can be learned from cultures around the world.
- Step Out of your Comfort Zone: Just leaving the country you grew up in can be the first step. I didn’t have a passport until I was 35 and traveling has changed my life.
- Be Present: Hopefully when traveling you can turn off your day to day brain and absorb what surrounds you. To really be present and embrace the moment is a skill we don’t know needs learning but to be aware of this will give you so much more fulfillment in what you are doing.
From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?
I have had many discussions around a concept like this lately regarding what it is to support sustainable tourism. I don’t necessarily think travel has a negative impact on personal growth but I do think hospitality properties should focus more on having a positive impact on the surrounding community through tourism and not the other way around. This is why we love being part of initiatives like Kind Traveler’s “Each Stay Gives Back” initiative and why we continue to look for opportunities to partner with the city and neighboring businesses to help continue to uplift the area together.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Well I am a new father and there is no one I would rather have lunch with than my daughter. As I found my own path I can’t wait to see what her’s will be. My own journey has never been a straight line but my family was always there to support and guide me. She is my biggest inspiration and drive but whatever legacy she makes for herself I want to do the same for her.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can visit The Good House website at welcometothegoodhouse.com and you can also follow us:
- Instagram @Welcometothegoodhouse (https://www.instagram.com/welcometothegoodhouse/)
- Facebook: @Welcometothegoodhouse (https://www.facebook.com/Welcometothegoodhouse/)
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
