Maja Bacon: Elevating the standards of vacation rental styling

Maja is a Vacation Rental Styling Specialist who helps rental owners create beautiful spaces that attract more guests and increase bookings. She’s also a licensed REALTOR® in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, but she is currently focusing on this exciting new direction in her design career. At Groundwork, Maja looks forward to growing her business, refining her brand, and connecting with other members. Read on to learn more about Maja and her journey!

What’s your profession?

I’m a Vacation Rental Styling Specialist which means that I love to help vacation rental owners who are ready to uplevel their decor but have no idea where to start! My goal is to work with them to come up with a simple, streamlined plan so they can create a beautifully styled property that gives their guests the best experience, attracts more bookings, and creates more income. I’m also a licensed REALTOR® in MA and RI…but I’m sort of at a pivot point in my career and I’m looking forward to digging into this new niche of my design business!

Describe a typical work day for you.

Is there such a thing?! Now that I’ve found Groundwork, I’m so happy to be able to settle into a bit more of a routine. I love heading into the flex space in Fall River and setting up for a few focused hours of work. Right now, I’m working on building out the business and nailing down my brand, services, and products… so, lots of Macbook time at the moment. I’m also the Vice-President for the South Shore Women’s Council of REALTORS®, so depending on the day I may also be attending a board meeting or heading to one of our events. I also have a 14 year old son, so at some point during every work day I’m being dispatched as a teen Uber!

What’s the biggest challenge you face at your job?

How I answer this question might depend on the day…but right now I’d say it’s navigating my way through the muddy waters of social media. I find it so difficult to deal with the algorithm and finding my people there! I’d also say I’m a recovering perfectionist, so decision-making and taking action can be a bit of a challenge for me!

Do you have a morning routine?

I’m trying to get better about this! Every day has to start with coffee (lotssss of it!) and some sort of attempt to exercise and move my body in some way. If the weather cooperates, I like to get some time outside. After getting my son off to school, I’ll set my biggest goals for the day, review my planner (I’m a paper girl!), and recently started trying to journal regularly. I also LOVE to read (and usually read mostly at night) but I’ll try to sneak a little in at the beginning of the day as well.

What are your favorite productivity tips or hacks?

Two things that have helped me lately are batch working and setting timers. Batch working lets me stay in the zone when I’m in the zone! If I’m writing an email, I’ll try to write a few while my brain is doing the job of putting words together. Setting timers has helped me stay focused on what I’m doing. My attention can wander at times and I’ve found that I can stay focused more easily if I know I’m digging in for an hour before taking a quick break. I also love a good list- what’s better than checking off a to-do task!?

What do you listen to during the day?

I don’t usually work with headphones…but if I do, lately it’s been some sort of Parisian café playlist (I think mostly so I can pretend that’s where I am). I’m also a huge podcast fan and am usually listening to either a true crime, personal development, or business themed podcast while I’m driving, cleaning, or walking the dog.

What do you hope to benefit from using a coworking space?

I decided to look for a coworking space as it was getting super tough to stay accountable while working from home, so I love the structure that it’s already bringing me! I also love having a space to go to that feels so great and cozy to work from. Being a solo business owner can also feel pretty isolating so I’m looking forward to meeting and learning from other members.

What’s in your digital toolbox?

I currently have a pretty small toolbox if I’m being honest! I’m most often on Instagram, Google Docs, Flodesk or Canva.

What inspires you?

I love to travel and I feel like I always find some sort of inspiration no matter where I go or how long the trip. I think part of it is simply being able to step back from the everyday and see things from a new perspective. It’s also amazing to find and incorporate bits and pieces that I love from all the different cultures, atmospheres, design elements, foods, etc…Inspiration also comes from hearing from others’ wins and successes. I love the idea of collaboration over competition and hearing how others have “made it” definitely fires me up!

What are some of your goals for the future?

Personally, I’m always looking to travel more and I’ve got my sights set on Positano at the moment. Professionally, I’d love to create a series of digital courses and guides to help vacation rental owners uplevel their decor at their own pace.

Find Maja on Instagram!