We had the good fortune of connecting with Travis & Emily Heider and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Travis & Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and derived great satisfaction out of making things come to life! I remember when I was nine years old, inspired by a trip to Disney and motivated by the song “We Are The World,” my friend and I created a carnival in our backyard with various games to raise money for the famine in Africa. I’ve been fortunate to be entrepreneurial in long career stints at a non-profit and with a successful corporation. The philosophy of thinking big and failing forward has served me well. However, having true skin in the game by owning a business is the ultimate leap of faith.

For my wife and I, the ability to create something with a specific vision that we’re super proud of is satisfying. Having toyed with business ideas for years I’d say things synthesized for us when we were listening to a podcast on short term rental properties. The thought about sharing our love of travel, contributing to the wellness movement and investing in a community was compelling. Additionally, real estate seemed like a great way to diversify, serving both as an investment and a lifestyle asset that could pay multiple dividends.

We’re a family of five from the Greater Rochester NY area. We both grew up in Western NY, and although we love the summer and fall in NY, we have also come to love the desert vibe, low humidity, amazing landscape as well as the endless
activities for entertainment and adventure. The people are kind and down to earth in Phoenix! Ultimately, the combination of the mountains and being the top spot in the country for most sunny days per year led us to choose this spot for our retreat business. Being big sport fans and valuing healthy living sealed the deal!

What should our readers know about your business?

When we started looking for a property we could turn into a short term rental in March 2022, we knew the real estate market was hyper competitive but we were committed to the following: (1) a great location, (2) a strong connection to nature, (3) opportunities for wellness and (4) an inspiring view. We spent time looking all over Greater Phoenix including both as far north as Cave Creek/Care Free as well as in Sedona. Ultimately we bid on three properties before we landed what turned out to be the best of all them in May 2022.

Our spacious five bedroom, three full bath home with large pool is located at the base of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve in Paradise Valley Village. This peaceful spot on the “Sunnyside” of the mountain has a great view and provides easy walk-able, neighborhood access to some of of the best hiking trails in all of the area. The street our house is on is literally called Sunnyside Drive so our business name was a natural: “The Sunnyside of Life Retreat.” We feel it captures everything we want guests to feel when they stay at our home, which is to say full of joy, serenity and inspiration.

What makes us stand out? No doubt, our home is an ideal location with dining and shopping options including access to state route 51 minutes away and less than 20 minutes from everything else from the airport to Old Town Scottsdale to ASU to downtown Phoenix.

Additionally, the retreat setting makes an impact. The backyard is beautifully landscaped with mountain view and large, heated pool. We’ve maximized outdoor living whether it’s relaxing under the stars with the gas fire pit or dining al fresco from the grill. All the furnishings have been carefully selected and provide for comfort, serenity and enjoyment. Whether it’s the green wall, recreation/bar area, 65 in 4k tv or the zen room there are plenty of options.

At The Sunnyside of Life we want to ensure guests can be as active or as chill as desired with options like: hiking, biking, swimming, yoga, meditation and health club or day spa activities nearby. There’s also plenty of activities and adventure with day trips to several area lakes, floating down the lower Salt River or visiting top attractions like the Zoo or one of the country’s top 10 water parks. Dining and night life nearby are stellar. Folks can find a secret speakeasy, enjoy live music or peruse our recommendations on our curated Yelp lists.

We love that Greater Phoenix is such a sports mecca from being a world class golf destination to home to the Cactus League of MLB’s spring training. Guests can also catch the Cardinals of the NFL, the Suns of the NBA or the Coyotes of the NHL. Scottsdale also hosts the worlds largest Arabian horse show and Phoenix Raceway is home to NASCAR.

Finally, the authenticity of our brand is buoyed by our commitment to be sustainable and green. Our retreat house is powered by Tesla solar panels. We’re proud to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact in this way.

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?

Our itinerary would of course start by staying at The Sunnyside of Life Retreat. After a great night’s rest sleeping in one of our award wining Helix king mattresses and an espresso from our coffee bar we’d head out front door to a hike the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail where you can see great views of the city and Camelback Mountain. When we return to the house, we’d take a refreshing dip in the pool and shower off in our spa like bathroom. Next up we’d travel to Old Town Scottsdale for some shopping and lunch at Olive & Ivy, which has a great Mediterranean vibe.

The afternoon might consist of a trip to Joya Spa for a massage (they even have a nap room!) to soothe our hiking muscles. For the evening we’re headed to Paradise Valley and The Mexicano for some southwest exuberance. We’ll be sure to hit up the build your own margarita bar (a DJ and fire dancers are there on the weekends)! The birria machete is great for sharing. After a great meal, we’ll do a night cap at Platform 18 at Century Grand. This turn of the century inspired cocktail bar serves specialty craft cocktails in an immersive experience. You’ll feel like you’re on an old locomotive!

Whoa, that’s just 24 hours! Other must-do’s would include hitting the links at The Phoenician Golf Course. The Troon course has classic Sonoran desert and Camelback views. checking out some Cactus League baseball at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and browsing at Scottsdale Quarter. Of course, that’s just scratching the surface of things!

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?

Throughout life, I’ve been fortunate to have an incredibly supportive family and access to leaders that willingly served as mentors and naturally provided inspiration. I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is the value of complimentary perspectives and skillets. Many have heard about Lincoln’s “Team of Rivals,” I think there is tremendous wisdom in that notion provided there is trust and the end goal is aligned.

For my wife and I we have naturally different personalities. I’m kind of a classic Type A personality and she’s an introvert or Type B. In this business endeavor of owning a short term rental, we’ve naturally gravitated to complimentary roles. For instance, she’s great with details and was able to identify, source and manage fully furnishing a five bedroom house in about a month! Tracking orders, managing deliveries and lots of paperwork gives me a headache! However, I enjoy building a business plan, marketing a vision and communicating. The adage teamwork makes the dream work is true!

Website: www.SunnysideOfLifeRetreat.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thesunnysideofliferetreat/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunnysideofliferetreat

Other: https://airbnb.com/h/sunnysideofliferetreat

Image Credits
Samantha Nieto Photography

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