We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariah Kaercher and Jack Hoesly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariah and Jack, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
One of the most important factors behind our success, personally and as a brand, has been surrounding ourselves with people who want to see us succeed. Our support network is incredible and our amazing employees, families, and friends play a monumental role in our resilience and self-efficacy.

Our intentions behind our brand and what we are creating in our community is a driving factor for our success because it is a roadmap. We know we are committed to creating a space for connection, joy, nature, and community. When we make business decisions we think through how they are impacting our intentions, Ikigai, and bottom line holistically.

Another contributing factor to our success has been believing in ourselves as a team and supporting each other when needed. Jack and I both have hard days individually and together, but we understand that our dream doesn’t work if we don’t work. We make sure that if one person is having a hard day, then the other one steps up to carry more of the load. Using Brene Brown’s practice on percentage in our partnership has allowed us to thrive as a team in our personal and business relationships.

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

Our thought process was a balancing act guided by Ikigai. We knew to some that what we were doing was crazy, but to us, it was crazier to settle and not pursue our dream full-heartedly. There were so many moving parts in our process to stay on top of and huge loan numbers to fear. What kept us on track was knowing if we took it one step at a time, we would eventually get to the finish line.

Another part of our process is our trust in the process itself and our intentions. Knowing that we were guided by positive intentions and our goals were aligned with our Ikigai, we knew the right land would come to us at the right time.

Risk taking: How do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Risk is a necessary element to pursuing your dreams. If dreams were safe and easy they wouldn’t be dreams. Risk has played an integral part in our lives and careers and is what drives us to push through the hard days. In its essence, risk means that we have something to lose and something to fight for. There is always risk in business but risk can also be minimized with forward thinking, hard work, and organization. We would not be where we are without taking big risks in the pursuit of happiness and purpose, and couldn’t be happier that we did.

Our lives, stories, and careers are intertwined with risk. Jack and I both went to Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder. Having a business background has been essential in our ability to take on such a massive undertaking, and work as a team. So many other choices and risks along the way have aided in our abilities and clear intentions of what we wanted to create.

I lived in my van for 3 years to save up for my first house and was able to buy my first house alone at 24. Quickly after closing on my home, I left my marketing job to go back to school to get my teaching license because I knew it would bring me happiness and purpose. With a new mortgage and school fees, I worked three jobs to make it all work. It was an incredible risk but brought my soul so much happiness and purpose and was another brick in my foundation toward finding my Ikgiai.

Jack took a large risk in moving to NYC a couple of years after college with two weeks’ notice to start a new career in Construction Management. With hard work and determination, this risk paid off greatly and catapulted his career. He went on to take another huge risk by moving back to Colorado to find the right work-life balance. By doing this, he put his career in jeopardy but was able to find what makes him happy in work and pursue. Without taking that large risk he would not be where he is today.

Where are you from and how did your background and upbringing impact who you are today?

I am from Seattle and both of my parents are entrepreneurs and have started their own businesses. I grew up in a household modeled on financial independence and that business is a way for you to reach your goals, create tangible change, and work for yourself. My dad, Marv, grew up on a farm in rural Idaho and taught me the value of a hard day’s work, the value of a dollar, and gave me a “fire in the belly” to go after my dreams. My mom, Debbie, was a total powerhouse in the workforce and fought for equality and equal opportunities for herself in industries that were male-dominated. She fiercely modeled independence as a woman, and from a young age gave me an understanding of how to “work hard, play hard”. My upbringing laid the foundation for my confidence in myself to be able to accomplish my goals.

Jack is from Boston and grew up with hardworking and supportive parents who shaped who he is today. He was always encouraged to chase his dreams and was taught to work hard for the things you want and are passionate about. This support system has allowed him to take the necessary risks that lead to leaps in his career and happiness in life. His first entrepreneurial experience was taking the family John Deere mower and driving it from house to house in the neighborhood cutting lawns.

What value or principle matters most to you? Why?

I continue to come back to Ikigai because it is our guiding principle. We look at our life’s purpose holistically and understand that at the center of that purpose lies our Ikigai. When Jack and I picture our future and a fulfilled life, it is not about how much money we made but how many moments we share with loved ones. How many times we felt connected to nature. How we improved our community. How we shared joy with others. Connection, nature, community, and joy are what we are passionate about creating and those guide us in our Ikigai.

These are the principles we want to build the ranch around. We want people to come here to celebrate all love at our wedding venue. We want guests to experience the tranquility of our cabins while making memories with their loved ones. We want our community to feel like they are a part of the ranch and host fundraisers to support local needs. Our principles are built into the ranch in its essence and our business decisions support our principles.

As a former teacher, I am very passionate about working with kids. Jack and I have been so blessed in our lives and we want to pay that forward. Part of our principles of helping our community centers around kids and providing a space for them to create, express themselves, and make memories.

Work life balance: How has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?

This is really hard and something that I personally have been working on for years. I have the tendency to work myself to the ground until there is nothing left in my cup. I fully understand that this is not healthy or sustainable and I have felt burnout from teaching and in the process of building out our business at the ranch.

Over time I have learned to practice taking time for myself and for me, the best way to not burn out is giving myself my morning. I love to wake up, do yoga, meditate, and drink my tea. When I don’t do this routine I feel myself moving through my day often not present and stressed out about my workload. Jack is a wonderful influence in my life because he knows when to take a break and fully be present and relaxed.

Running a business with your partner is not easy. We have learned so much together about how to work as a team in our business and in our relationship. We are 4 months into owning the ranch and have already grown so much. I am very excited to continue learning how to grow together and how to create a sustainable work-life balance.

What’s the end goal? Where do you want to be professionally by the end of your career?

Our end goal is to be on the ranch for the rest of our lives and love what we do. We want to build a successful business that is guided by our principles, allows us to live the life we want, and brings joy to people. A huge goal and part of our why for the event space and ranch itself is to be able to do after school art programs and community art programs. We love weddings and celebrating love and they are an incredible way to be able to fund future community programs. Our career is a lifestyle and success for us is defined by sustainability and pride in our work.

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

I have always been artistic. I went to an art high school and middle school and thought I would be a professional welder. My parents, the entrepreneurs that they are, wanted me to go to business school so I would not be a starving artist, but be able to build a business and life around my expression. After college, I got a marketing job and it was truthfully soul-sucking. I knew I needed to be in a more creative space and work with my community. That led me to teaching and eventually, I got my license in k-12 art and was an elementary art teacher for 2 years before buying the ranch.

Self-expression is a priority for me and I have been privileged to be supported in that. It is very important for me to pay it forward and a huge part of being able to have an event venue is to be able to host after-school programs and community programs for art.

Jack has always loved to work with his hands and create things. As a construction manager, he enjoyed the ability to see a project start from an idea and result in a beautiful finished project. Now he is able to focus his creativity and skills from his construction management career to create exciting features at the ranch whether it is an art installation, building a new cabin or making furniture.

Tell us about a book you’ve read and why you like it/ what impact it had on you.

A pivotal book in my life is “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It has taught me the magic and clarity of the present moment and helped me access acceptance. Whenever I find myself feeling uncentered or unsure, I know that this book can help me find answers or at the very least acceptance.

Do you have a budget? How do you think about your personal finances and how do you make lifestyle and spending decisions?

Yes, we absolutely have a budget for the business and for personal finances. We think it is important to save and meet our financial goals so that we can use our money for experiences.

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?
My best friend was just in town and we had the best time!

We went to the farmers market in Woodland Park and then Manitou Springs for lunch. We both love live music and went to Tash Sultana at Dillon Amphitheater and then camped in Breckenridge. The best thing we did together was take our ATV’s around the ranch and went trail riding. For her birthday dinner, we went to Wines of Colorado and had a great time sitting by the creek.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This dream started on a dusty dirt dance floor at Horning’s Hideout for Northwest String Summit in Bend Oregon 12 years ago. Horning’s was a healing place for my family to reconnect through music, dance, nature, and self-expression. My eyes were opened to the power of gathering in a space that celebrated expression, love, and nature. I knew then that I wanted to create that space for my family, friends, and people to come together. We went 10 years in a row and each year marked the passing of time and an epic celebration. Jack got to experience String Summit in its final year in 2022 with my family and he truly understood the magic.

While Horning’s Hideout played a pivotal role in the start of the dream, the Japanese concept of Ikigai has guided us as we navigate our passions and business. Ikigai is most closely translated as ‘life worth’ and is based on 4 main considerations: what you love, what the world needs, what you are good at, and what you can be paid to do. It is the focus on harmoniously combining these 4 elements of mission, passion, worth, and profession that allows one to be truly happy and successful. The Ikigai symbol is the inspiration for the Ranch’s logo and influences everything we do at Pikes Peak Ranch.

The dream has evolved throughout the years and Jack and I wouldn’t be here without the support of our family, friends, employees, and previous owners. First and foremost, our gratitude lies with our families who have supported us. Their belief in us is a driving factor in creating a place for people to come together to connect, make memories, experience nature, and fill their cups!

Our friends bring the stoke like nobody’s business and are our biggest cheerleaders. We are honored to share the dream with them and continue to create a space for joy, connection, and love!!

A big shout out to the previous owners of the ranch who have helped guide us through the process and whose support has been invaluable! And our BIGGEST thank you goes to our 5 staff members who go above and beyond every day to make sure the guest experience is incredible. We could not run the ranch without them and they are essential to the dream!

Website: https://pikespeakranch.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PikesPeakRanch/

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

Image Credits
Breelle Hilsenrath Photography Mallory Munson Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.