RiverWood Inn, Diane and Brian Glidden
Imagine a place where a hammock swings in the breeze, the sound of a clear bubbling stream, and a comfortable room where you can rest and recuperate. That's exactly what you'll find at the RiverWood Inn owned by Brian and Diane Glidden. Situated ten minutes from North Conway and the base of Mount Washington, the RiverWood Inn is the result of years of plotting and planning to create an escape to a place they wanted to call home, the mountains. Having spent a decade in the fast-paced world of high-tech, the couple wanted more than paychecks just to live on the weekends. With the help of SCORE Seacoast, they created their dream business so they could spend more time doing what they love.
The RiverWood Inn is a Bed and Breakfast destination situated on over five acres of manicured lawns, gardens, and woodlands. Built in 1887, the Inn has undergone extensive restoration and renovation. There are 13 beautifully appointed rooms adorned with antiques and local photography. Customers choose between traditional or suites with an en suite bath for an experience of understated elegance.
Husband and wife owners Brian and Diane realized together that their vision of owning an Inn had to become real. "We knew it was going to flip us upside down" remembers Diane. Both were in high-tech careers, were avid skiers and hikers, loving to spend time in the mountains. They were coming to the conclusion that weekends were not enough anymore. They spent a lot of time thinking about how to transition to the area and their Inn was born for the love of the mountains. "I had this pull for a big change to do something to make us happy," said Diane.
The pair of entrepreneurs wanted their customers to experience something very unique. So they created the look and feel of a quintessential Inn with special stay packages. The couple serves delicious food and even offers concierge services to assist their customers in finding their way around the town.
One day while looking at the Seacoast Chamber of Commerce website, an advertisement for SCORE popped up. Diane reached out and started taking workshops. Eventually, she requested a mentor. "They gave me two mentors and they walked me through the process," said Diane. "They were a non-vested sounding board, it was really helpful."
SCORE helped in so many ways. Diane took finance and business planning workshops. She learned about Seacoast's dual mentoring and was paired with Denny Willson and Mark McVeigh. They were instrumental in helping her understand and sort through all the parts that make up a business plan. After our business was up and running, she reached out to get another mentor for digital marketing and was paired up with Heather Turner. She was extremely helpful in understanding the finer details of maximizing the digital footprint and helped to organize and prioritize the work so that it is attainable.
"Mentorship is a partnership, it has to gel with your personalities, and if not it doesn't work as successfully," said Diane. She recalls that each of her mentors was strong in each of their areas, helping her as if it were a team. "They would volley ideas back and forth, two brains asking questions and giving different perspectives was invaluable" remembers Diane.
"Take small attainable steps, you are not boiling the ocean," says Diane.
"Your goal can feel so lofty, and I can't recommend SCORE enough, they helped me see the big picture but also focus on the step-by-step," says Diane.
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