Owner Story
How did you become the
new owners of Lochaerie?
It was NOT a straight line :) In 2016 my wife (Brooke) and I were both working for large companies in the Seattle area, when we took a trip to Bali. On that trip she decided to quit her job and buy a women's clothing boutique, Magnolias. She knew nothing about owning her own business, but it was her opportunity to control her own fate and have a creative outlet.
Then two years ago we moved our family and the business to Seabrook, WA so we could enjoy a slower pace of life, be closer as a family, and do something fun while our kids are young (Evie is 7 & Grey is 9). While living on the coast my heart was in the mountains. I started looking for a little cabin in the woods or a piece of property somewhere that I could make my own. I found a great resort for sale in Canada, but at the time we weren't looking for another business to buy. We took a vacation to go see it and I was 100% in, but Brooke wasn't sure about that big of a move.
I was pretty bummed, but Brooke had seen a listing for Lochaerie and showed it to me to cheer me up. We got back on a Wednesday and by Thursday morning we were at Lochaerie with our realtor. While we weren't initially looking for another small business, Lochaerie presented an opportunity for us to get our little place in the mountains and own something the whole family gets to be involved in (Grey talks about wanting to take over Lochaerie, and Evie talks about wanting to take over Magnolias). It's also awesome being able to share our love of the mountains
with guests.
- Derek and Brooke Beals
