We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie, Mike, and B Foster and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jamie, Mike, and B, how does your business help the community?
When we first started The Llama Lodge, we had our family at the forefront of the process. Our daughter was 5 at the time and we wanted to create a place to visit that would allow us to connect with each other, build memories, and slow down. We feel like that reconnection and slower pace extends to every guest that walks in the door. So many families need the time away from electronics and work but can’t take weeks off. A short weekend trip to make memories and get into nature calms the mind and helps bring that peacefulness to the community.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We are a family with an entrepreneur spirit. When we married, Mike owned his own company and inspired me to take the leap as well. I have now owned Scripted Ever After, a wedding branding company, for 9 years. Mike currently helps fund small businesses and support other families as they start their journeys. Throughout our careers we have never shied away from the challenges. From 4am meetings with wedding planners on zoom, to entire family involvement in production to hit a tight wedding timeline, we have pulled together to lean on each other’s strengths. We have learned that with a willingness to put in the effort, willingness to listen and learn, and a positive attitude, we can create something beautiful. This mindset is how we jumped in and opened The Llama Lodge. We are learning as we go but we are always keeping our family in the front of everything we do.
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?
When we are able to take our friends and family to visit, we always have the best time. We love to spend time together at the cabin in the hot tub, making s’mores on the fire pit, grilling, or playing pool. We always find time to explore all of the fun things that Broken Bow / Hochatown has to offer. If we were to go tomorrow, after dropping off the bags, we would grab lunch at Grateful Head Pizza, then go to the Maze (it happens to be our daughter’s favorite thing to go to), followed by a trip to the Hochatown Animal rescue and see if we can feed the baby kangaroo. We would then go for a hike on the trails follow it with a glass of wine a Fishtales before coming back to the cabin to grill dinner. The next day we would plan to go rent a boat on the lake or go kayaking with Rugaru then maybe get some ice cream at the Local 259 market and take a train ride around the lake. That night we would go to The Eat Out for dinner to sit around the fire and relax. On our way home we always stop at The Shady Oak for breakfast before we hit the road.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to thank our family as well as the entire Broken Bow and Hochatown communities. When we first went to look at cabins, my mother, daughter, and I jumped in the car to make the drive. We had never been to the area and fell fast in love with the pure rustic openness of it all. Our 5 year old daughter created the name and quickly claimed the bunk room as her own. My mother went back numerous times with me to create the welcoming feel. Our sister drove a giant rental van (which happened to be the last one available in the entire DFW area somehow) with me in the freezing weather to build and change out furniture. My father, with a background in construction, was hyper vigilant as we went through every board of the cabin to make sure we renovated it correctly. Our incredible cleaning crew and management company helped with recommendations and being our feet on the ground while the community of cabin owners and tradespeople have always been so willing to help. During the freeze a few years ago, one of our pipes burst and flooded the first floor. There were plumbers, carpenters, and handy men all there working to stop the damage and repairs everything within hours. It’s truly a labor of love and community.
Website: TheLlamaLodge.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TheLlamaLodge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLlamaLodgeOK/
Other: https://linktr.ee/thellamalodge
Image Credits
CameronPhotography.Ok