Episode
From City Life to Boutique Empire: Building The June Motel with April Brown & Sarah Sklash
- Podcast
- The STR Sisterhood
- Published
- Jan 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2854
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://staceystjohn.com/
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Summary
Have you ever fantasized about quitting your corporate job to buy a run-down motel and turn it into a boutique empire—even if you have zero experience in hospitality or design? Most people keep that dream in their head; April and Sarah actually did it. In this episode, I’m joined by the visionary co-founders of The June Motel, April Brown and Sarah Sklash, two friends who traded their steady city lives for power drills, YouTube tutorials, and a lot of pink paint. We talk about: The "Wine-Fueled" Leap: How a casual brainstorm in Toronto turned into the bold acquisition of an aging roadside motel. The Reality of "DIY" Hospitality: From learning to use power tools on the fly to handling mountains of laundry and mid-reno panic. Building an Instagram Icon: Why "Instagrammable" was just the hook, and how they built a deep, meaningful brand culture to back it up. The Netflix Pivot: The behind-the-scenes chaos and courage required to scale a business while the cameras are rolling. But this isn't just a story about pretty renovations. It’s about the grit behind the glamour. April and Sarah pull back the curtain on the financial hurdles, the steep learning curves, and the power of a partnership built on radical trust. If you’ve ever felt like you’re waiting for "enough experience" to start your dream project, this conversation will be your wake-up call. Get ready to stop playing it safe and start building your own version of "The June Way." HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS: [01:05] A short introduction about our guests April Brown and Sarah Sklash, how they met, and what got them thinking about the world of hospitality [04:20] April and Sarah’s mindset shift from cautious transition to shared conviction while building a new hospitality vision [07:14] April and Sarah’s transformation of…