Aloha (/ɑːˈloʊhɑː/; Hawaiian: [əˈloːˌha]) is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a simple greeting but has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, in which the term is used to define a force that holds together existence.
Don’t be confused – no, we aren’t in Hawaii. However, when we visited Hawaii (Kaui and Maui) for our honeymoon a few years ago, we instantly fell in love with the meaning and vibe of such a simple word:
Powerful stuff, right? We thought so, too. Here at Breathe Easy Rentals, we always focus our attention on having a positive, forward-thinking approach. Life is stressful. So is work. And family. And kids. When you combine all these into one, it gets pretty unbearable-feeling at times. We are humans just like you, so we understand the importance of needing to get away and find a break from it all. Our goal is to provide a stress-free escape for Owners and Guests alike.
We know you are dying to know….who is this “Breathe Easy Rentals”, and are they all they are really cracked up to be? Well, the simple answer is: Yes! We are awesome! We are a small, woman-owned business located in the Sunshine State (Florida) of the good ol’ US of A.
My experience has always been in hospitality – beginning in retail and restaurants. When I first moved to Destin, I got involved in door-to-door sales and eventually made my way to being Destin’s photo girl. As fishing charters would come in for the day, I would run down, snap a professional photo, and then try to sell the group their memory. I knew I needed something more in life, so that’s when I started looking for a new job.
I’m not going to lie, at first, I had no clue what a vacation rental even was. But, there was a small company who believed in me, and from there, I fell in love with the industry. I grew both personally and professionally with them for almost 9 years while learning the ins-and-outs of the industry. I networked a lot and built friendships with anyone and everyone I could shake hands with. A point in my life came where I knew I needed to focus more on my family and my future, so I ventured off into the sunset, terrified yet excited at the unknown.
And, from there, Breathe Easy was born! Creating experiences where guests can have an easy, stress-free vacation is very important to me. I want owners to enjoy home ownership. With my passion for the industry and the desire to lead and serve, I knew forming my own company could help me take care of my family while also doing something I love.
I hope you enjoyed my introduction. You’ll learn fun facts about my family and I as you visit different pages on the website. Take a few minutes and poke around!
Born and raised in the South, I learned the importance of honesty and integrity, and that a little southern charm goes a long way. I had the best parents and home life one could ask for as well as a big sister who made sure to constantly push me to new limits (heck, even still today!) We weren’t rich by any means, but we lived a great, fun life. My father passed away unexpectedly in 2014, and with the devastating news, I realized how short and bitter sweet life was. We spent a lot of quality family time together, and I’m thankful for the memories we created.
How did the Georgia peach get to Florida you may ask? I won’t bore you with the details, but I needed to move and find a place where I could sparkle and shine (I think I have glitter in my veins). Destin, Florida, happened to be that very spot. I moved here in 2010 and can’t imagine my life anywhere else. A few years after the big move, I met my now-husband, Stan, at a local wine festival. We sipped; we laughed at each other’s jokes. And, we knew it was meant to be when we found out we both loved fishing!
I have a stepson who loves anything adventurous and is a total boy. My two dogs really love when I can be at home petting them and rubbing their bellies. Walt Disney World is one of my favorite places on the planet – not just because everything is magical there, but because their hospitality standards and culture are absolutely impressive. I love life and holidays, especially Christmas. Spending quality time with my family is more important to me than anything else in the world.
In addition to running the day-to-day operations at Breathe Easy Rentals, I remain very active in the short term rental industry and finding ways to improve myself, both professionally and personally: