House Notes: Staying Open

May 1, 2025

If there’s one thing the journey of building the Guesthouse has taught me, it’s the power of staying open — to ideas, to opportunities, and to people I might not expect.

When I first started the Guesthouse, I didn’t know where it would lead. I had a very high level vision of creating a coffee cocktail bar that could give others the same feeling of home that I experienced at some of my favorite cafes around the world.  I abandoned the cocktail segment and focused on how I could use coffee to create connection, and cultivate small moments that mattered.  This led me to running small format events that allowed us to connect with customers on a deeper level first, before ever making a sale.  I then learned how to sell to businesses and have a wider reach than I ever planned.  Along the way, I’ve met incredible people who have shared their own ideas and built a network of entrepreneurs that encourage each other to keep going.  I’ve grown one of the greatest relationships of my life with my girlfriend, Lizzie, and found promising potential in a space between our two industries to collaborate and make a difference.  

I’ve stayed open to the process of building something that was bigger than myself, and something that could help others, so even when the path hasn’t been clear, this mindset has consistently led me to better places than I could have planned at the start.

That same openness is what’s guiding my next step, too.

I’m also be getting my real estate license — not to leave the Guesthouse behind (it remains my priority), but to complement and build on what we've started. Lizzie, my wonderful real estate inspiration, has been a successful agent in the Denver market for a few years now, and we’ll run a collaborative business with the same heart and intentionality that we bring to the Guesthouse.

This is a natural fit because our shared belief is simple: the best business comes from real relationships and authenticity first. And by showing up through coffee, conversations, and community, we’re focused on building trust long before the big life move happens.  

So when that time comes, we hope to be your first choice in coffee, and real estate.

This new twist in the story is one of the most exciting yet and we’re going to be announcing more of our plans soon. Whether you’re a coffee lover, a future homeowner, or just someone cheering from the sidelines — it means more than you know.

Stay positive.

Ian