Life has been busy lately — the kind of busy that leaves you completely and utterly exhausted at the end of the day, but deeply fulfilled.
As the weather changes and the rental starts picking up again, everything else seems to move faster too. In the middle of all of this, we’re finalizing our pet waste removal website, and the closer we get to launching, the clearer a few things have become.
First and foremost… this is actually happening.
And secondly, I’m realizing just how much I still have to learn.
The feeling reminds me of when we first started our short-term rental. The same excitement, the same nerves — only this time it feels a little different. There’s a lot of competition in this industry, and it has me asking myself a question over and over again:
Why should people choose us?
As I work on the website, I keep coming back to the same thought.
Why choose us? What makes us different from everyone else?
At a glance, it might seem like a silly question. I mean we’re talking about picking up dog poop. How serious can it really be?
But if you dig a little deeper, I think it comes down to one key trait.
Accountability.
What Accountability Really Means
Merriam-Webster defines accountability as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.”
Which basically means owning your shit.
It’s really that simple.
Without accountability, you can’t build trust. And if customers can’t trust you, you won’t have much of a business.
This has been the backbone of how we run our short-term rental. We don’t lie, we don’t make excuses, and if we make a mistake we own it and fix it immediately.
It’s amazing how often guests mention this in reviews. They’ll say the rental looks exactly like the photos, or how much they appreciated us quickly resolving something that inconvenienced them.
Running a short-term rental is built on hospitality. It’s about showing up for people and going above and beyond when things don’t go perfectly.
I believe running any successful business requires accountability.
Accountability Isn’t Just Business — It’s Character
Accountability doesn’t just live in the business world. It shows up in everyday life.
Can you really trust someone that can't take on any accountability for their actions?
If you say or do something hurtful and refuse to own it — choosing instead to lie, deflect, or play the victim — what kind of life does that create?
Sure, you might gather a small circle of people willing to believe the story you tell. But quite honestly, that sounds like a pretty unfulfilling way to live.
Owning your mistakes says more about your character than anything else.
It shows that you know right from wrong. It shows that you care about the impact of your actions. And most importantly, it allows you to grow it allows relationships to grow.
Showing Up — In Business and at Home
How we live our lives, how we behave, and how we show up for others is completely within our control.
I choose to show up for our guests. I will show up for our customers. And I show up in my personal life.
I strive to be transparent — no façade, no gossip, no nonsense.
Most importantly, I show up and will always show up for my kids.
Especially on the hard days.
I will never be too proud or entitled to apologize to them, because I want them to understand what accountability actually looks like. You can’t teach something you don’t practice yourself.
Accountability makes you human in the best possible way.
No one is perfect, and most of us aren’t expecting perfection from others. What matters is the willingness to say:
I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have crossed that line. I’m sorry if my actions hurt you.
Life becomes as complicated — or as simple — as we choose to make it.
And to me, accountability makes it a whole lot simpler.
Here at The Hosting Mama, I share our real side of trying to a build business, raising kids, and creating income streams to support the life we actually want to live. From short-term rentals to new ventures and everything in between, this space is about building with intention, learning as we go, and showing up — even when the path isn’t perfectly clear.
Sometimes the best businesses start with a simple idea and the courage to try.
-The Hosting Mama
