They Raised $1M in Five Weeks (with no investors)
The view took my breath away. Wisps of mist rose from emerald farms blanketing the valley floor like a patchwork quilt, curling up to meet clouds freckling the sunlit sky. I stood at the edge of a mountaintop in eastern Tennessee, just drinking it all in.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, this is Bolt Farm Treehouse, the iconic treehouse retreat created by Seth & Tori Bolt who invited me out to visit in May. I haven’t been able to stop replaying their story in my head ever since.
Their journey to hosting folks in the clouds began a decade ago. As a wedding gift for his bride-to-be, Seth hand-built a treehouse with his dad in South Carolina for their honeymoon. The experience was so magical that he decided to build four more. The internet went wild. Tons of big press. Their instagram following rocketed to 150k.
Then disaster struck.
A small but vocal group of local CAVE people (citizens against virtually everything) got angry that short term rentals were being developed in the area and organized a protest. Blindsided and heartbroken, the Bolts were forced to shut down and sell the property.
Imagine the devastation…
Crushed but not broken, they moved to Tennessee, and - using Google Earth - found a tract of mountaintop land in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t officially for sale, but they befriended the owner and got it under contract for $12,500 an acre. This time, their dream was even bigger.
But the bank didn’t exactly get it. So Seth & Tori took matters into their own hands.
Using their last $500, they commissioned renderings and pitched the idea directly to their Instagram audience, inviting them to pre-book stays at this yet to exist resort. In just five weeks, they raised $1,000,000 without giving up a single share of equity. 🤯
Seth told me with a chuckle about his banker calling him up in disbelief: “Hey man, um, yeah, there’s been a ton of money deposited in your account in the past few weeks, and uh, you don’t even own that land yet. You guys, uh, dealing drugs or something?!”
Seth inwardly pumped his fists, just a little. I can relate. I’ve said it before, and this is a perfect example:
Conviction attracts capital.
And that’s why storytelling matters so much.
What I haven’t mentioned? Seth is a literal rockstar. For 23 years, he’s been making music and touring with his band NEEDTOBREATHE.
While he was out on tour, Tori (who met her husband while interviewing the band as a news anchor years before) was thrown in the deep end managing a ragtag construction crew attempting to build a one-of-a-kind retreat on top of a mountain in under a year with a hard deadline.
As stressful as any deadline, they made it, down to the last minute. Tori herself was cleaning the finishing touches when the first wide-eyed guests arrived.
A rocket ship is the only way I can describe it. Bolt Farm by the numbers today:
- 681,000 instagram followers
- 100% direct bookings (incredible!)
- 93% total occupancy
- team of 60
- Over $9.4M in revenue ytd (on track to double year-over-year)
They’ve continued to expand, opening a state-of-the-art wellness facility and more treehouses, which now total fifty.
My own experience was dreamy. The winding two-track through the dense forest tunnel. The perfectly lit treehouse, a vinyl record spinning in the corner and candles flickering. Sunrise through those panoramic windows the next morning.
A perfect example of great hardware (real estate) meets great software (hospitality). Pure magic.
We hosted the Bolts at the French farm this week, and I’m full of inspiration & fresh vision. Theirs is one of my favorite stories I’ve yet to encounter.
Let it be a little reminder for whatever you’re dreaming of building: you don’t need permission to start. And if (or actually when) your dream seems crushed, DON’T. GIVE. UP.
Just find a higher mountain.