Celebrating Women's History Month: what led you to become a Host?

[Catherine-Powell]

 Hi there, 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month in the US, UK and Australia, I want to honor and thank our millions of women Hosts from around the world. I also want to share with you some really hopeful, optimistic and exciting news about our women Hosts on Airbnb, a story that highlights the many wonderful accomplishments of the women in our community since the start of the pandemic.

You will see I focus in particular on Jenny Radick, a Superhost who lives in Pennsylvania, USA, who was able to turn her life around with the earnings she used from listing on Airbnb. Jenny’s hosting story is so deeply inspiring and reminds me how special it is to be connected to her and to all of you. 

It also reminds me that each of you has a special hosting story, so please tell me, what led you to become a Host on Airbnb? 

And, before I go, thank you for taking a moment to watch our new films and, most of all, for sharing your theme songs with me! It was such great fun reading through the comments this week. Thanks to @Angélina0, I’ve had Nina Simone’s Feeling Good in my head for days! 

Please keep sharing your thoughts and feedback with me here. I do my best to read through your comments and to respond to as many as possible. 

With gratitude, 

Catherine 

[Mary996]

I would describe myself as a Feminist since attending one of the early National Women's Liberation Conferences in London in 1974 at ULU (University of London Union). The first having been in Oxford in 1970. It was amazing to feel the solidarity and to go on to participate in the broader Women's Liberation movement, to decide to learn a trade, and to engage in Women Only culture which had such a positive effect particularly, in addition, on male friends who, it would seem out of a kind of panic at becoming unnecessary(!!) started to shape up, do the washing up, volunteer to do childcare at Women's events , and to start up or join 'Anti-sexism Men's Groups'. There was this amazing flow to life at that time with a glut of empty properties malingering to such an intolerable extent that a band of us started a Campaign to get them re-utilised, the Empty Properties Group, which led to the birth of a Housing Movement, 'Short-Life Housing'  and a whole methodology to occupying the properties whilst charging ourselves rent and then going on at organised meetings to  decide which Charity we wished to support from the proceeds. I got a chance to practice my manual labour skills and was a member of a women-only household. In another part of the area was an entire street which was women-only. Also around that time the pacifist Anti-nuclear movement was going on and Women took strong leads in this realm too. But it was the way of working from caucases in both arenas that appealed to me. Endeavouring to obtain concensus on issues and ways of organising and the fact that we went on to employ staff and were so successful that eventually the whole model was absorbed by the Council that I'm most proud of. I actually feel a connection with the spirit of those times here behind the endeavour of Airbnb.

It was my daughter's idea that we start a Listing on Airbnb once we finished converting the attic. She had the main room as our primary Listing and I took on a second for the back room at the top as a supplement for when a couple might have children in tow. We have both enjoyed the experience and may go on to List jointly just so that we can utilise the 'Linked Listings' option for the two spaces, though it will be sad to lose the Reviews that we've each had. We have experimented with 'Women only' space' and are consolidating our offerings.

The next stage for me is participating here in this well supported Community Centre exploring the ways forward. Might this be more orientated towards self-help with effective automation and management and oversight of that?

I am aware of the need to have an effective and responsive but affordable workforce and one that is motivated and satisfied. I know we have issues currently and ideas of reappraising and re-modelling and being a part of that swirls around in my mind as I get to know other participants and Hosts here in the Community Centre and contemporaneously we have the creation of a HAB Group #HostAdvisoryBoard   

forming a think tank that will become a responsive force likely to see us through some forms of re-shaping, trialling and re-organising to get things right in this enlightened company that to my mind serve as our "Agents". I think there is a need to move closer to that model now with Members seeing ourselves as part of the Management and in taking responsibilty for solutions and positive ways forward.

Thank you Catherine for taking the helm here. It is so lovely to see you. In particular I would like to appreciate the skill you displayed when interviewing the Customer Services Manager calling to account in a very tactful way our expectations whilst also skillfully sharing the challenges faced by that team and revealing to us  all the goodwill at the same time. 

I am so proud to be a part of this Organisation that is Airbnb and I want to hug each of you. Especially the Originators. I salute you and understand the pressures and challenges that you've faced to keep things going. Well help is at hand. I think the HAB will serve you well and we will all together keep this boat afloat. I do not ever see it sinking................ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Dale711]

Cher @Mary996  , 

“ Vous es incroyable !”  

I’m so pleased to see you accomplishing great things.

You light up the room and always with a great sense of humour.

If the cartoon bluebirds are real, a couple of ‘em would be sitting on your shoulders singing right now.

Thank you for always speaking up in CC and providing a unique perspective.

Keep up the good work! 

Women History Month 2021

Honoring the contribution of all women 🌹

[Mary996]

Cher @Dale711 

"Vous es incroyable aussi....."

Thank you so much. I am deeply touched. 

You are also a light. You have arrived here with a noble courageous spirit putting forward the most natural of suggestions to be taken forward such as that we unify.  I see you as a sweet bird that sings in the morning light and I always look forward to your contributions. 

I honour you for your writing and for your reason. Please also continue to participate in your own style!

Women History Month 2021

Honoring the contribution of all women 

Mary xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Yuan100]

@Catherine-Powell 

I wish more women able to step out of their comfort zone and just take a little more risk. I started my hosting journey 9 years ago when an ex-colleague mentioned this home-sharing platform. He knew I have an extra room and asked why not I give it a go? Since then, I am hooked.

With so many life-changing stories (which most of us have), it challenges me to think about what I want out of my life, how should I overcome my fear, how to live a fulfilling life without any regrets. 

Today, I am proud of who I am as a woman.  I am not sure if it's gotta do with age, but the opportunity to be exposed to various type of people definitely helps to accelerate that. 

Thank you for your time to engage with us on this platform! It would be nice if you're able to share when was your defining moment being a woman. 

❤️ Yuan

[Lizzie]

I know your response is to Catherine, but I just wanted to say how inspiring your words are here @Yuan100. I feel so upbeat reading this. Thank you. 

I hope you are keeping well and your partner has managed to get back to Singapore now. Catch-up soon. Lizzie

[Yuan100]

Thanks @Lizzie  !

We're now in Thailand actually. Not possible for him to be back in Singapore with me at the moment. See you soon!

Take care

Yuan

[Ann72]

@Catherine-Powell  It started with an attempted break-in.  I had been staying at my cottage over New Year's and left on the first.  The next night, my tenant across the field saw light and as she was trying to determine what it was, the hapless criminals shone their flashlight straight at her, revealing their position.  She called another neighbor, who jumped in her pick-up truck and gave chase.  The vandals got lost in the icy woods and were eventually apprehended.  Their attempted break-in had been foiled by two women!

I needed a way to keep the cottage from sitting empty most of the time, and a friend told me about Airbnb.  It seemed perfect, allowing for random comings and goings that would not have a predictable pattern.  Within the first few months, I was hooked.  Hosting spoke to a deep wish I had always held to share the cottage with others, because I had always found the woods and fields around it to be so magical and healing.  My guests have found that, too.

The bonus to that bonus was making enough money to keep the place going.  I talk a lot on this forum about charging more and making money, because women have for too long not asked to be paid what their work is worth.  Put women in a domestic setting, like a house they've decorated and cared for, and ask them to charge for something they love doing, and you've got a recipe for yet more income disparity.  Yet I find pride in providing something of value and getting paid for it.  My wish is for women to stop apologizing - for taking up space, making money, having ambition, wanting something more.  I took this picture outside my apartment building on Monday - let's have Fearless Girl be our inspiration.  The artist's statement read, "Today's broken glass ceilings are tomorrow's stepping stones."