The (financial) Payoff of Following Your Why.
Perhaps you’ve heard of and/or follow religiously the work of Simon Sinek. If you’re unfamiliar, he is an English-born American author who focuses on business leadership. He rose to popularity in 2009 following his TED Talk around the concept of “WHY” and companion book “Start With Why.” The gist, as evangelized by Sinek’s “WHY,” is effectively to inspire people to pursue their passions and work together to improve the world.
This concept probably would have been laughed out of existence in the heyday of big corporations offshoring, outsourcing and doing anything to increase revenue (think Michael Douglas in Wall Street). Today, however, purpose and passion have become intertwined with business. It has become commonplace for businesses to lead with their values and for consumers to put their dollars behind brands that have a purpose. And as this “pay it forward” ethos has become more customary in the business world, it’s shown that purpose can also equal profit. There are several examples of brands built on this model like Toms and Bombas, with an ever growing chorus of large corporations dedicating resources to worthwhile causes.
For the purpose of this post, I want to focus on Postcard Cabins because I had the pleasure of staying in one of their cabins – and also because the origin story of Postcard Cabins will probably resonate with pretty much everyone who feels consumed by the modern world! Postcard Cabins are not cause-related per se, but they definitely started with a “why,” and one could argue that their cause is promoting a more balanced life (to that end, the importance of nature has gained traction as our lives have become forever tethered to screens).
Per their website, “At 25 years old, Founder and CEO Jon Staff found himself longing for simpler times of his youth spent in nature, burned out on the heels of a hyper demanding startup job. He quit and lived in a 26’ Airstream trailer while traveling the American West where the idea for Postcard Cabins, formerly Getaway, took shape—Jon thought that if he needed to escape to nature to reflect, recharge, and unplug, then he was sure others did, too. That summer of 2015, Jon and his college buddy Pete Davis launched Postcard Cabins.”
After I booked the cabin I was genuinely curious to see how this would all work. The location I went to was a little over an hour north of Detroit, which is not remote wilderness. As I approached, there was a little oasis nestled in a rural, wooded area dotted with these tiny cabins. There was a simple road that encircled the grounds with minimal signage or obstructions – just enough to let you know where to go, park your car and unplug. The cabins, while truly tiny, packed a lot of amenities in a small space. What was noticeably absent was a TV and/or other technology distractions, capped off with a box for your phone and several books to peruse. The sweet bonus was a great fire pit with plenty of supplies to make s’mores.
Fast forward from that lone Airstream in 2016 to today when Postcard Cabins operates 29 properties with more than 1,200 cabins. Per Skift, a news and intelligence company that covers the travel industry, “Postcard Cabins, formerly known as Getaway, has seen rapid growth since its founding in 2015. The company previously raised $81.8 million in venture funding, including a $41.7 million Series C round led by Certares and a $22.5 million Series B round led by Starwood Capital in 2019.”
Coming full circle to the financial payoff – hotel juggernaut Marriott acquired Postcard Cabins in December 2024. The amount was not financially disclosed, but it’s safe to assume that when an innovator (or disruptor) in a space makes enough noise to be purchased, a premium was paid. The purchase also further reinforces the undeniable shift that even large corporations need to pay attention to start ups that start with their “why.”
Added bonus: the cabins are dog friendly!
Photo credits: Postcard Cabins
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