I am a country girl; I love the feeling of being outdoors, but this moment in July of 2014 was particularly peaceful. I inhaled a breath of fresh air and soaked it all in as I sat on the front deck of my very own tent in Mountain View, Hawaii, looking up at the stars and listening to the coqui frogs and crickets around me.

I had intended to stay in the tent just to experience it; to see why all the tenants love it so much. Little did I know that I'd end up wanting to live in it because the experience was so amazing.

Things weren't always so serene, though. In 2012, I was employed at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as a motor vehicle operator and I was desperate to do what I love. I was tired of working for other people; I wanted to be my own boss.

So, I made a brave and risky decision and in October of 2013, I decided to leave my job. At the time, I had very little savings and was living alone. In order to get by, I decided to move back in with my parents again, while picking up some extra cleaning jobs on the side.

During that time, I was also creating a vision board for my future goals, to motivate me. While flipping through countless magazines, I found a page that felt really special; it included a picture of a couple sitting at the edge of a tent beside these really beautiful pine trees.

I remember telling myself, "I'm going to build something like that one day." Less than six months later, my vision board came to life!

I built my first "glamping tent" in April 2014 on my family's property in Mountainview. Luckily, the land where I built was already clear, so I mowed the tall grass with my tractor and bought gravel to lay down the foundation. After ordering lumber, I hired my brother-in-law to build the tent with me, as this is his line of work. From post-and-peer, to installing the shower, we went through the whole process together. We built a platform that is 3 feet off the ground with a plywood floor, and just on top of that, we placed the tent, which consisted of one room, a shower, a kitchenette, and a serene outdoor space.

Overall, building a homely environment inside the tent cost me $8,000, and the tent itself was only $300. After the construction work was complete, I bought the finishing touches, like the bedding and kitchenette accessories, and arranged everything exactly how I wanted it to be. It reminded me of the picture that I'd cut out of the magazine in 2012 and placed on my vision board in my bedroom.

Over the months, I had looked at it every day and drawn out these exact ideas; where I'd want the bed to be placed, the color of the lamp, all down to the littlest detail. It looked exactly how I envisioned it, which was a special moment.

I started on AirBnB as a regular host in 2014, advertising the tent. While picking up more cleaning jobs on the side, I'd host regular customers and slowly acquire good reviews. Just six months later, to my surprise, I became a super host, which means I have a higher rank than regular hosts. I've had guests come back repeatedly because they loved their experience so much.

People love the tent. Mainly because although it's an actual tent on the outside, inside it's laid out like a hotel room. It's all enclosed with a second canvas to protect against rain, thunder, or harsh weather. But the location also plays a big part; I'm in Hawaii! Everybody wants to come and see the beaches and volcanoes, which are only 12 miles from the tent.

I decided to stay in the tent myself just three months after renovating it. It was surreal because although I wasn't making profit at the time, I had officially started my own business.

Although staying there was magical and made me consider moving in myself, hiring out the tent on AirBnB became so successful in the following years, that I decided to build a larger one nearby in 2017, comprising two rooms. That tent cost me $10,000 to build and I earn approximately $4,000 a year from renting it out so far, as it was finalized in 2020.

Right now, I'm making roughly $30,000 a year from both tents. Most people are looking for a reasonably priced, simple place to stay and don't want to spend a bunch of money sleeping when they will be out all day. My price is reasonable but I maintain a luxurious, homely vibe by providing a nice comfy place where they can shower, go out for the day, come back and repeat the routine.

My first tent is pretty solid, in terms of reviews, and gets booked up very quickly. I think my communication with my guests has a lot to do with that because people have lots of questions and want to be taken care of.

I'm happy to help at all times and try to respond as quickly as possible so that they can get on with their day. Putting other people first and treating them how I want to be treated is what led me to this position, for which I am so grateful.

Having the flexibility and availability to adventure, travel, and spend time with family and friends is what I love the most about having my own business. I no longer live with my parents, as the money made from renting out the tents allowed me to move out two years ago into my own place in Hawaii.

But this is just the beginning; I am planning to build a few more tents; although I'm not sure of the exact location, I know they will be in Hawaii. Currently, I have saved $5,000, which will go towards this.

One piece of advice I'll give to someone who is looking to start their own business is this: If you want it, you've got it. You just have to take that leap of faith and follow your dreams. Anything is possible.

Kehau Hall lives in Hawaii and rents out two glamping tents in Hawaii on AirBnB, hosting guests all year round.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

As told to Carine Harb.

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