We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Highland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’d always struggled with working for other people. It never felt like I was able to work to a standard I could truly stand behind—there was always some compromise due to management or workplace conditions. So I tried working for myself a few times, and eventually, I learned how to make money outside of a traditional W-2 job.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
To be totally transparent, I never planned to start an Airbnb business. It happened because of some unfortunate events after the 2008 lending crisis—my mother lost our childhood home and needed a place to run her horseback riding business. I bought the property in 2016 so she could keep it going, and since then, I’ve been working to make the most of the rest of the land.

What started as an old farmhouse rental is now three tiny homes and a main house, all listed full-time on Airbnb. The most recent tiny home was my biggest milestone—I built it from scratch, checking off a long time goal of building a home. And I’ve still got plenty of room to build more!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve actually done some version of this tour a few times. Start with ‘Build Your Own Brunch’ and mimosas at Central Market in Fort Worth, marvel at the Marty Leonard Community Chapel, then head over to the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Pop into the historic T&P Tavern for a beer before heading to the Modern Art Museum—clap and dance inside the Richard Serra installation, then tour the museum.

Walk up to the Kimbell and spend time with one of Michelangelo’s few paintings, The Torment of Saint Anthony. Walk even further to the Amon Carter to see The Plexus rainbow before sunset. Finish the night at Istanbul Grill, and if the band’s playing, cap it off at Scat Jazz Lounge.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t say I would have the lifestyle I have today without discovering Tim Ferriss. Over a decade ago, I read The 4-Hour Workweek, and it completely changed how I thought about what was then called ‘lifestyle design.’

More recently, I’ve been inspired by talented builder-creators on YouTube—Ben Uyeda, RR Buildings, Kyle’s Cabin, and Awesome Framers, to name a few. Their work keeps me motivated and constantly learning.

Instagram: @homesbyhiggs

Image Credits
Justin Highland

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