HiBnb Profile

“HiBnb is a marketplace dedicated to the growing cannabis community, providing safe, responsible, inclusive accommodation and activities options to guests looking to explore with cannabis while traveling.”

“HiBnb's mission is to bring cannabis enthusiasts together to share what they love in safe, legal, responsible environments.”

“Bootstrapping: friends, family, and close business associates.”

“Elizabeth Becker has years of experience as a film director, writer, and producer.  Her expertise is her ability to actualize a concept through technical and creative efforts communicating a message that resonates with a wide-scale audience. Elizabeth's sister, Diana Becker-Park's superpowers include outreach and connection.  She is obsessed with removing stigma and judgement from the world.  Shawna Barbeau is a celebrity realtor located in Southern California. She also runs a successful Airbnb coaching business. Haley Boulanger familiarized herself with the now famed cannabis plant through years of cultivation in the legacy and legal cannabis industries. She has also completed a BSc, accompanied by a decade of contributing to the hospitality industry.”

“Yes, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I started working for my mother's company when I was a child and teenager.  My mother ran a thriving sales and marketing company in the food industry, and she taught me that the feeling of accomplishment was the best feeling of all.”

“When [the] legalization of cannabis happened in Canada in 2018, I knew there was a lot of opportunity, and I was looking for the right way in.  At the time, I was working for an entrepreneur in the cannabis tourism space, and I saw how excited and passionate cannabis consumers were about the normalization of cannabis.  At the same time, I have always been a weed advocate.  The reason I wanted [to get] into the industry wasn't just for the opportunity — it was for the opportunity to get in on something I am passionate about.  Weed rentals [weren't] a new thing — there were a number of businesses already in the space when I started considering it, but I felt strongly that none of them were doing it right.  Building a site and connecting with people to offer this service — it felt exciting to me. It lifted me up, and every morning, I couldn't wait to jump out of bed to start working on it.  I remember thinking even if there is no end result, I'm enjoying the process so much — it's worth it.  Luckily, I encountered many many people who loved what I was doing and offered to help any way they could.  It was clear to me I was on the right track and that process still remains today.”

“I knew the name had to communicate immediately the strength of the business offering.  I was really crazy about HiLife or High Life, but that was already in use.  Originally I had HiBnb and HiGuide as two parts of the same business, and I purchased both URLs. [I] dropped HiGuide although we still function with both pillars -- accommodations AND experiences.”

“I think the greatest challenge is lack of funding. HiBnb requires a lot of work out of the gate — the site needs to be functional.  We need the legal foundation in place.  We need the marketing dollars to reach people. Because our business relies on VOLUME. So, raising funds while maintaining ownership of the business is and continues to be a challenge.”

“33% of the population in North America are regular cannabis users, although we are targeting an audience over and above the regular user.  We want to touch the cannabis curious market, which are people who are more interested in exploring and experiencing now that it's legal but who aren't regular users.”

“Our company voice is big, bold, friendly, smart, witty, and intelligent. And we're relying on big moves in the media with media attention in order to go the extra distance in reaching people.”

“Word of mouth.”

“Number of bookings, number of listings, [and] volume of traffic on the site.”

“‘The Hard Thing About Hard Things’ by Ben Horowitz.”

“Unfortunately, I'm working all of the time, so I am not able to listen to podcasts.”

“I had no idea that I could operate on adrenaline for such an elongated period of time.”

“Unfortunately, I do not achieve work/life balance. I try. I exercise every day. I even meditate. And I try to get as much family time and social time in as I can, but let's face it — as a startup entrepreneur — if you don't put those hours in, you just won't make it.”

“I love life, and working as an entrepreneur in this business is all I have ever wanted to do. I feel so grateful for the elements in my life to come together so that I can create and build HiBnb. That is motivating.”

“I've made it a point to always celebrate the little victories.  The whole process is so hard, and there are always huge battles to fight, so each little win — I always make a point to take it in and really absorb it.”

“Being able to offer something that other people can use, that enriches other people's lives.  I am proud of that.”

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