Warm & Blurry

I grew up in Russia with my sister, Karina.

Dad ran a construction business and taught me to “always do the right thing”.

Mom taught me to celebrate even the smallest wins.

I spent my childhood drawing, solving puzzles, reading favorite books, and writing poems on any scrap of paper I could find.

I’d sit by a heavy, old piano for hours, imagining myself as an architect, a pilot, a filmmaker, even a stuntwoman.

I was brimming with ideas and always asked too many questions.

I studied languages early, which sparked a lifelong curiosity about different cultures.

My grandfather introduced me to the game of pool. I’d sneak across the street to his house, and we’d play match after match.

After each game -- win or lose -- we’d shake hands and thank each other for a good match, though I usually lost to his incredible skill.

Our parents took us to nature-immersive hotels built from wood and bamboo, nestled in the woods. They had soul. Just one night in those places could transform you.

That’s where my fascination with hospitality began.

At 16, my parents divorced.

Soon after I left home.

What is good? What is bad?

I started traveling alone. I lived in China, Colombia, and Spain.

I learned Spanish, and slowly, the language opened doors, deepening my connections with people and cultures.

Those years were about experiencing good, bad, and unknown.

They shaped me.

My love for cultures grew stronger.

Eventually, I found my way to a hospitality school in Spain.

It was my dream. Everything seemed perfect.

But deep down, I felt pulled in another direction.

Intuition told me to take a leap.

New Life: Brick by Brick

I moved to the U.S. alone, without family or a network, and began building a life from scratch.

Soon after, I convinced my sister Karina to join me, and those years together became some of my favorites.

I studied accounting, interned, and eventually built a career in data analytics. Over six years, I grew from making $15 an hour to a six-figure salary and negotiated the opportunity to run my own mortgage branch.

During that time, my team and I built the data analytics department for Mutual of Omaha’s mortgage division, part of a Fortune 500 company. Reporting directly to the CFO, we developed reporting systems, automated processes, and improved decision-making across the organization.

I was fortunate to work with an incredible team.

Together, we built systems that transformed how the business operated.

Love & Real Estate

Around that time I met my husband, Rod, who had been immersed in real estate from a young age.

We shared dreams of real estate investing and finally took the plunge, Rod left his 9-to-5, and we began transforming ugly homes into beautiful, country-inspired unique stays right here in Texas.

We created vacation homes inspired by our love of different cultures -- Bali, Italy, France, Greece, the Maldives, and Japan.

The bookings started pouring in.

It felt like magic.

For the first time, I felt like I had built the life I always wanted.

But life shifted again.

Zeroing Out

Losing the company I had poured my heart into was one of the hardest chapters of my life.

It forced me to slow down and take a step back for the first time in years.

During that time, I reflected deeply on what I truly wanted to build and the kind of impact I wanted to have.

That’s when Unique Stays was born.

Today I run Unique Stays, where I work with vacation rental hosts and micro-resort operators who want to create exceptional places to stay.

Through my community and programs, I help hosts improve their properties, refine their operations, and bring new hospitality projects to life from the ground up.

My mission is to help people achieve financial freedom through hospitality businesses they love.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading.

I’d love to hear your story.

Anastasia