Heather Weiermann

Hi, I'm HEATHER​

GET YOUR BUSINESS BACK ON TRACK

Before you started your business, you were full of big plans and nothing but glass-half-full optimism.

You felt unshakeable in your determination. Maybe once you needed permission to show up, but not anymore. You’re one of the strong ones—once you set your mind on a goal, you make it happen.

At some point, your dream business hit reality face-first, and it started to feel really hard. You know you need help, but you don’t really know who to look for.

You refuse to take any more courses, and if one more business “guru” promises you a million-dollar launch, you’re going to punch them in the throat.

I’ve been there, multiple times (throat punching included). Whether you’re on the edge of a breakthrough or you know you need to level up. I’ve been there with my own businesses and with my clients. I’ve been there plenty of times, so I know I can help.

There’s always a way through—a direction and a path to success. It won’t always be easy, it might not be clear, but I’m here to get you on your feet, dust off your boots, cheer you on, and keep you on track. If you venture off your path, you’ll find me there, hands on my hips, pointing in the direction that you need to go.

I’VE BEEN BUILDING STRONGER BUSINESSES FOR 20 YEARS.

I didn’t have a typical childhood. Instead of Barbie and Ken, I grew up with circuit boards and binary logic. By grade school, I was building my own video games. I started my first business at 12 where I’d dress up as a clown and entertain sugar-stuffed kids at birthday parties. The kicker—I hate clowns. Intensely. But, business is business.

I started fresh out of university as a researcher working for a startup, building software that was ahead of its time. The great thing about startup jobs is that you can get your hands into everything. When I took on a marketing role serving a region with no customers, I pulled up my bootstraps and said, “Guess I’d better get some!” And I did just that. I sold our product all over the land because in a startup, you just do it.

After cutting my teeth at my first startup, I thought I’d jump head first into the dot-com boom where I managed the creation of a multi-million dollar web property and shepherded it through the bust. My 7-day-a-week schedule was both exciting and traumatic, and we all learned what not to do in business.

LIKE A FINE TEA, I’VE BEEN STEEPED IN SMALL BUSINESS.

I started my first “real” business (meaning I invested very real money) with my partner in 2007—a boutique consulting firm that built business solutions and designed transformation projects for big companies.

By most definitions, I was a success. But running a business on my own was hard. I knew only how to keep going, ramping up everywhere to try and stay above water. If things got tough, I’d just work more hours.

During this time, I birthed two babies, and could see burnout on the horizon as it got harder and harder to keep the pace.

I couldn’t do it anymore. I tried to power through the fatigue and the gnawing feeling that something wasn’t right, but it just wasn’t working. I was pinned against the wall and had to admit that this work was no longer supporting my vision or my goals.

I was so emotionally invested in what I was building that I never stopped to ask, “Is this right?”

I took a step back, and finally said, “There’s nothing more to do, I can’t be successful like this.”

I divorced myself from the emotional attachment of the business and walked away. I felt like an utter failure and questioned everything I knew.

I FAILED, BUT I WON.

I began freelancing with small companies that didn’t understand how to be small. They wanted to behave like the big guys but hadn’t let their businesses percolate, found their differentiators, or watched their market. They rushed to appear like they were accomplished but couldn’t figure out why they were always on the verge of going under.

I tried to help, but founders sometimes don’t like to listen when they’re in the thick of their startup phase. I knew why their businesses were headed into the ground. And I knew I wanted to coach them rather than work for them. I could see exactly how they could shift to gain some traction and start growing.

I began my immersion in The Lean Startup and Lean Launchpad (thank you, Steve Blank), where everything came together and started making perfect sense. I became a practitioner of the Business Model Canvas and started leading my entrepreneur friends through strategy sessions and assessments to great success. I had a knack for seeing what they couldn’t because they were too close to their battles.

I was invited to work with the Entrepreneurship program at the local university as an entrepreneur mentor, helping aspiring startups figure out how to define, structure, and pitch their ideas to eventually become funded and birth their business babies.

After I supported a local startup accelerator and organized our first regional Startup Weekend, I knew I was hooked. I had to focus my future on helping small businesses grow.

EXPERIENCE AND GRIT - THIS TIME, I WAS DOING IT RIGHT.

I was also getting antsy because I’m an entrepreneur in my bones, with an itch that needed to be scratched. I used what I knew to structure a new business with two new partners, building software that filled a gap in the market.

We bootstrapped for four years, and despite being scoffed at by investors and advisors for not asking for money, we stayed the course, listened to our guts, and are happily enjoying a profit-rich business that’s taking off like a bullet train. I’ve learned to trust my intuition and experience and stick to what feels right.

Small business owners now come to me to help them pivot and scale because of my experience, education, and pragmatic optimism.

IF YOU’RE READY TO DO THE WORK, I’LL HELP YOU BUILD A BUSINESS TO LAST.

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My name is Heather Weiermann. I am a coach, mentor, public speaker and strategic entrepreneur. I owned and operated a successful vacation rental management company in San Diego for over 14 years.  I sold my business and am now able to use that experience, knowledge, and understanding of the intricate details of a professional vacation rental management business, to create realistic achievable solutions for my clients.

Call me old-fashioned, but the term consultant still conjures up an image of a self-proclaimed expert who can make great presentations, generate recommendations and leave you to do the hard work of implementation. This may work for big companies who have specialized staffs, but it doesn’t work for most vacation rental businesses who many times are already understaffed and overloaded.

I thrive on helping my clients to create better experiences for their guests, homeowners, and employees which result in a positive, more efficient work environment and increased revenue. I love nothing more than to learn about someone’s business and their goals, and helping them come up with improvements that will change the way they do things today and for the future.

Life’s too short to be anything but happy, there is nothing better than waking up every day to a new challenge, new goals and the drive to be a better you.

You believe in your people, and you want to inspire them to achieve more. More engagement. More satisfaction with their work. More passion for what they do. More connection with your organization’s goals and with each other.

You are not alone in wanting to lead a business that your people never want to leave.

As a coach, mentor, facilitator and speaker I’m your guide. Together, as Alison Crabb Consulting, we will change, grow, and create positive and enduring outcomes. Not only within your team and culture but also on your bottom line.

All businesses have unique challenges and a one-size-fits-all approach does not always apply. Utilising the leadership and business philosophies that I have developed and successfully implemented over 25 years, I design and deliver programs in a variety of engaging and measurable methods.

Heather lives near the beach in San Diego, CA and in the mountains of Bend, OR with her husband Mark and their adventurous dog Willard.  She’s certified as a Coach from Gallup University. Heather is a speaker, writer, and entrepreneur, and a served in leadership positions in both vacation rental industry and charitable non-profit associations.

Antonio helps property owners and managers getting more bookings, streamlining their workflow and maximizing their rental income.

Speaker, coach and host of the Vacation Rental World Summit, Antonio shares his personal hands on experience developed as successful VR owner and complements it with that of the best minds in the industry.

Adrian has a life balance that includes his family, friends colleagues, clients, health, his love of food and wine, all things hospitality and an amazing appetite for daily adventure. In his spare time he has mentored entrepreneurs for the Mowgli Foundation and raised funds for Youth at Risk.

His passion is supporting Bricks and Mortar businesses thrive in an increasingly digital world by leveraging their one clear advantage #ILoveMyJob

I have presented at many industry conferences, including:

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• VRMA National Conference - 2015, 2016

• VRMA Eastern Seminar - 2015, 2016, 2017

• VRMA Western Seminar - 2015, 2016, 2017

• VRMIntel - 2017

• HomeAway Summits

• Mind and Dine - 2016, 2017

• Navis Leaders Conferences - 2016, 2017

• RezFest - 2014, 2015, 2016

• Vacation Rental Success Summit - 2017

• HomeAway Breakfast Seminars

• New England Vacation Rental Managers Alliance Annual Event

• California Vacation Rental Managers Association Workshops - 2014, 2015