Episode 034: Hygge Over Hustle
Why This CPA Walked Away From the White House (Literally)
Reading time: About 6 minutes
Trading Tax Codes for Chalet Keys
Happy Thursday, everyone! Can you believe it’s almost June? Somehow, we’re nearly halfway through 2025. It’s one of those moments on the calendar that makes you pause, look up from the keyboard, and take stock. How’s the year shaping up for you so far? Are you feeling proud of what you’ve accomplished—or caught up in everything still left to do?
(For me, it’s feeling a bit like Groundhog Day over here, with the repetitive change-eat-sleep routine of my almost three-week-old lulling me into a state of unproductive boredom. Luckily, my “threenager” has no problem keeping things unpredictable.)
That idea of taking stock—of checking in with where you are and where you really want to be—is something this week’s guest, Kerri Gibson, knows well. As the Co-Founder of Experiences Hygge, Kerri is a boutique motelier, chalet host, and hospitality enthusiast creating what she calls her “life 2.0”. After a wildly successful corporate accounting career—including being invited to the actual White House—Kerri left it all behind to create a life that better aligned with her personal core values.
hyg·ge (sounds like hyoo·guh) — noun
a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).
Why should you listen?
What first began as a sabbatical to recover from burnout quickly turned into a passion for hospitality, renovation, and creating warm, welcoming spaces at Chalets Hygge and Motel Boutique Hygge. Kerri’s story is a powerful reminder that following your curiosity—and having the courage to reinvent—can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life than you ever imagined. Here are just a few of my favorite moments from our chat:
Success is Personal: Kerri built a powerhouse career as a CPA, co-chairing the committee that implemented the Affordable Care Act into the U.S. tax system. Because of her role in this, she was invited to the White House—twice! But despite the accolades, she hit a crossroads. Dreading work every day, she knew something had to change. A sabbatical gave her space to reconnect with what made her feel most alive. Her safety net? “Worst case scenario, I could always go back.” Spoiler alert: she never did.
Life 2.0: Inspired by Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, Kerri realized that even the place she lived needed to align with her core values. That epiphany brought her to Quebec, where the pace is slower, the coffee is stronger, and nobody asks about her résumé at brunch. Kerri knows how hard it is to make big life changes, but shares it’s so much tougher it is to wake up another 5, 10, 20 years down the line to a life you don’t love.
An American Living in Canada: After a decade of holding dual residency, Kerri reflects on the growing political tension between the U.S. and Canada—something she never thought would be an issue. She shares her candid thoughts on her adopted home, the biggest cultural differences she notices between the two countries, and the two things she misses most from America.
The Difference Between You and Your Job: Feeling stuck? Kerri shares the simple exercise she did when she wanted to leave her career as a CPA: Write down your skills. Separate them from your job to see everything you’re capable of. It’s how she gave herself permission to pursue something completely different, while still honoring what she’s great at.
Kerri’s Framework for Decision-Making: Based on some pivotal life experiences of her own, Kerri shares the two questions she asks herself whenever she needs to make a big decision:
When I’m on my deathbed, which decision am I going to regret?
And what’s the absolute worst thing that could happen from this decision, and am I prepared to live with that?
Favorite Quote from the Episode: “I lost my shyness with learning a second language. That's the biggest thing that that came out of those three months. You're going to make errors and you're going to make mistakes, just like anything in life. But if you don't just go for it and start doing it, you are never going to figure it out. You're never going to improve. Learning a [new] language is like doing a mid-career pivot: you just do it and you start learning. You have to be open to making mistakes, which is hard for a lot of us to do—myself included. I had to spend a year, sitting in discomfort, really uncovering who I was and being honest with myself about where I wanted to be and what I wanted to push myself through. That's an uncomfortable place to be—to allow yourself to sit back and recognize what you need to let go of and what you need to change."
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On this week’s episode, you’ll hear Kerri and I wax poetic about our shared love of Lodgify. I recently started using this property management software for my two short-term rentals (Trout Landing and Gallant Fox) and have been blown away by how easy they make it to manage your calendar, update cross-channel listings, automate guest messages, connect with OTAs, and even build a direct booking website. Best of all, they offer every new customer a personalized, one-on-one onboarding session—that meeting alone taught me more about my listings in one hour than a full year with my former provider. Use code SUITE20 for 20% off their annual plans.
Last Week on Suite Success
As a data nerd, I have a bit of an obsession with travel trends. Last week’s guest, Misty Belles, Vice President of Public Relations for Virtuoso, transported us all (virtually, at least) to the world’s most in-demand hot spots. She shared an exclusive first look at the biggest trends shaping summer 2025 travel—from where luxury travelers are booking now to what experiences they’re prioritizing more than ever. Her episode titled, Exclusive First Look: Virtuoso's Summer 2025 Travel Trends, is available wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
If you know anything about me, you know that I’m obsessed with capturing memories with family and friends, especially when traveling. That’s why I’m so in love with Flytographer. They connect you with hand-picked professional photographer in more than 350 destinations around the world. They also have an incredible Travel Advisor program. Add a photoshoot to your customer’s itinerary and earn a 10% commission. Visit Flytographer.com/SUITESUCCESS for $25 off your first shoot or to sign up as an affiliate or Travel Advisor.
Until next week, here’s to your suite success.
xx Katie
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