From corporate marketing to chateau owner & event curator, meet Trish Jasinski of Château de Gère, a 14th-century stone fortress tucked into the Vallée d’Ossau in southwest France.
Sometimes a joke turns into a new life.
Trish Jasinski had built a fulfilling, decades-long career in corporate marketing—and she really loved it. But during the pandemic, while working remotely from a very tiny Paris apartment, she started joking with friends that châteaux in the countryside were cheaper than her shoebox of a flat.
Just for fun—and with zero plans to actually buy—she went château shopping.
And then it happened. She stepped into Château de Gère, a 14th-century stone fortress tucked into the Vallée d’Ossau, and something inside her said, “This is it.”
So she did the unthinkable: she bought it. With no plan. Just heart.
Now, Trish lives in a quiet French village where sheep outnumber people, and she’s turned the château into a beautiful retreat and event space. She’s taken everything she learned from her corporate years and poured it into this new life—this wild, magical, entirely unexpected next chapter.
In this episode, we talk about:
Connect with Trish
Trish 00:00:00 If I had just passed this by, I would always wonder, you know what? If I had bought that place, you know, and and at that time, I was just thinking, I just love this, and I really just want to do it, and and and I'll figure it out. And you know what? If it doesn't work out, then then I'll figure that out.
Jenny 00:00:22 Welcome to the Career Flipper podcast. I'm Jenny Dempsey, your host, a furniture flipper and someone who knows just how tangled and emotional career changes can be. You know, this show started during one of those what now? Moments I got laid off from my job and customer experience, and after sending out hundreds of applications and getting hundreds of rejections back, I decided to get scrappy. I taught myself how to restore junky furniture. You can check out my furniture flips on Instagram and TikTok under San Diego Furniture Flipper if you're curious. But as I went from the startup tech world to being covered in paint and sawdust in the garage, I started to wonder, how the heck do other people get through career changes like this? Am I the only crazy one out here? So I started sliding into other people's DMs who I saw were talking about this, and I just started asking them questions.
Jenny 00:01:22 And let me tell you, the stories I heard were full of honesty, resilience, and hope. Now, every week I talk to everyday people who flip their careers, sometimes by choice, sometimes because life gave them a big ol push. Their journeys are messy, inspiring, and might just give you that little nudge that you need right now. Because I sure know they gave me the nudge all the time. So, because there are new episodes every week, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode. And if you got a takeaway from an episode or something resonates, just leave a review and share what you think. Okay, now I got a serious question for you. Have you ever sat at your desk working? Maybe it's a busy, busy day. You just can't focus. You're staring out the window and you're thinking, oh, what if I just. What if I just bought a chateau in the south of France? Like, packed up the burnout, the to do list, the zoom fatigue and ran away to a place with cobblestone streets, freshly baked baguettes and sheep for neighbors.
Jenny 00:02:35 Well, meet Trish Kosinski. Trish spent decades building a career she truly loved in corporate marketing. But during the pandemic, stuck in a very tiny Paris apartment, she started joking with friends that chateaus in the countryside were actually cheaper than her shoebox of a flat. lot. So just for fun, with absolutely zero intention of buying, she went Chateau shopping. And then it happened. She stepped into Chateau de jour, a 14th century stone fortress tucked into the Valle de Oso in the barren region of southwest France. And her heart said, this is it. There is no plan, no five year forecast, just a full hearted. Yes, she bought it. Now Trish lives in a quiet village where sheep outnumber people, and she's transformed that ancient chateau into a retreat and event space filled with soul stories, delicious food and second chances. And she's using everything she learned from her years in corporate to build something entirely on her own. In this episode, we'll talk about listening to your gut, especially when it makes zero sense using old skills in wildly new ways and creating a life that's slower, sweeter, and deeply yours.
Jenny 00:03:59 Let's get into the episode with Trish now. What is this? Because usually you see these DIY shows or, you know, houses, just regular houses. And here we are something different. And while I was watching this, there was this one woman on here who was building a bridge. And I know that probably sounds so random. You'd have to see it. But the thing about this, it was a bridge at a chateau that she purchased, and I'm not going to give away the details of the full story, because you'll share this here soon. Trish. Everyone's going to meet you here soon. But what stood apart was that you didn't know how to build this bridge over the stream that was on the property of the chateau that you are now living in and maintaining, and your creativity and resourcefulness to put it together using reclaimed wood and kind of watching, you know. I think you even mentioned you watched some videos or learned how to read blogs to figure out how to do it, and you made it work.
Jenny 00:05:02 And then at the end, you know, with your friend, you're sitting there drinking a glass of wine and you're cheering on this bridge that you made. And I was like, oh my gosh. When you also shared your story about how you got to the chateau, I was like, I have to just see if I can send a message in and have you on. So everyone I just enough of me ramble and Trish. Welcome to the career flipper.
Trish 00:05:26 Thanks, Jenny. It's great to be here. And I love the way you told that story in the introduction and how you just randomly, you know, popped along on, on this television show and, and, and here we are. I think that's great.
Jenny 00:05:41 And here we are. And. Yes, and thank you for letting me just, like, randomly slide into your DMs and be like, hey, I have this little show. Your story sounds amazing, but true. Tell everybody who you are, where you are, and what you're doing now.
Jenny 00:05:55 And and I think everyone will kind of get an idea of why I was so just gravitating towards you and your story and your journey.
Trish 00:06:04 Okay, sure. My name is Tricia and I'm originally from a small town in Connecticut. And, long story short, I had an opportunity in 2008 to move to France, to Paris. I actually created the opportunity, and, I, moved over here and, fast forward, to Covid. I bought a 14th century chateau in the southwest Pyrenees. And, now I host, small group retreats, getaways and events here at the chateau.
Jenny 00:06:40 Wow. Yeah, that is a pivot right there. Like many pivots, not only the career part, but like moving to a different country. Like, that's there's so many things there. And I love that you said you created that too. You know, you created this opportunity to go to a different country, put yourself in a different culture, and now you're in a place where it sounds like you never saw yourself ever being there, but here you are.
Jenny 00:07:06 But how did this all start, Trish? Where? Where did it begin? How did you even create that opportunity? What type of work were you doing? Just. Yeah. Share it all.
Speaker 3 00:07:17 Okay, okay.
Trish 00:07:18 I was, working for an international company doing marketing, and, I was based out of Boston, which I absolutely loved. The city of Boston loved living there. And, there were some organizational changes that were happening at that time and some relocations that were happening. My department was going to be moved to a different part of the country, and I just wasn't excited about where we were going in terms of that location. And so I was thinking, you know, I've been doing more international travel for work. I was totally bitten by the travel bug. I absolutely loved it. And I was thinking, you know, maybe this is an opportunity for an international assignment. And I worked with a bunch of colleagues in Boston who, you know, were from different countries. So, you know, this type of company, you know, it provides those types of opportunities to work, in different locations.
Trish 00:08:16 And, and around the same time, one of my colleagues out of, our Singapore office had had resigned. And I was thinking, okay, you know what? I'm just going to send an email to the head of that Asia Pacific operation and think and see, do you need any help in marketing over there? Because, you know, this guy had resigned. And, I was surprised that the, ahead of that operation was receptive to the idea. And he's like, yes, you know, I'm going to be in town in a few weeks. Let's, let's meet and let's have a chat about it. I was like, wow, I didn't expect it, you know, to to get that kind of response. And so I was thinking, well, you know, Singapore is absolutely lovely. but it's also a very long way from home. And so I was thinking, well, if it was this easy to send an email to the head of the Asia-Pacific operation, maybe the European operation that was just outside of Paris and and so it was the same thing.
Trish 00:09:14 You know, I'd only met that person a couple of times. I didn't think he would even remember me. But you know, how how how difficult, you know, what's the worst that can happen in sending an email? You know, if he if he ignored it, then fine. But but what if you know and and sure enough, he had done an international assignment when he was younger, saw the value in it, and he was receptive to it. And before you knew it, I was moving to Paris. So that's, that's that's how I created that opportunity. And, yeah, it was great. I mean, you never know what can happen if you don't ask, right?
Jenny 00:09:50 Great. Yeah. The power of asking you just sent an email. Like, how many of us will not do that because we're so worried about, oh, what are they going to think? Or is this the right thing and all these things? But like you said, what's the worst that could happen? They could just ignore it or never reply or say no.
Jenny 00:10:07 Like and then you I don't know, you figure it out from there. But you did it. So you sent these emails, you created this opportunity and now you're living in Paris.
Trish 00:10:17 Exactly, exactly. And Paris, what an amazing experience that was. I mean, it's just such a wonderful city. And I lived there from 2008, right up until, Covid, I did have an opportunity within that time frame. Actually, it was just a few years after I had moved to Paris. Again, more organizational changes, and I had an opportunity to go to London. So I was thinking, you know what? Why not? And I got to London. And as much as I loved traveling to London, living there was a bit different. And my heart was in France. And so I was like, you know, I've tried this and I, I want to be in France. So I, you know, actually ended up finding another job to move back to France. And, and I've been here ever since.
Trish 00:11:09 I've since gotten my, my French nationality, and I've switched jobs a couple of times and really just built a life here.
Jenny 00:11:18 Wow. And so throughout this whole path, when you're kind of bouncing around through the roles and going to different places or different companies, did you like your job? Was it something that you enjoyed doing? were you in an office? Were you working remote? Like what was the kind of, I guess day to day, like at these roles that you had even when you were working abroad.
Trish 00:11:45 I really liked my job. I mean, I worked in marketing. It was a large international company. So you got to, you know, interact with people from all over the world and, and in large enterprises like that, a lot of times you have an opportunity to kind of, you know, get your hands in a lot of different areas. So I had the amazing opportunity to just, you know, experience so many different aspects of marketing from, you know, communications to digital and content marketing to events.
Trish 00:12:14 You know, PR, you know, all these different things. I was able to, you know, get experience in doing so. I really did like my job, and I loved the travel that came along with that. And so it was great. And I was in the office most days, you know, a couple of days, you know, I would work from remote from, from time to time, but before Covid it wasn't that often. So. But then. But then Covid hit and everything changed.
Speaker 3 00:12:42 Yeah.
Trish 00:12:43 So, so during Covid, I was in my tiny Paris apartment, which I absolutely loved. but, you know, the last few years I had been in Paris. I think it's, you know, the older I get, the less tolerance I have for the noise in of a city.
Speaker 3 00:13:02 Yeah.
Trish 00:13:04 I grew up in a small town. And, you know, I'd been thinking, you know, maybe maybe I want to move out to the suburbs or something. Or maybe I want to just move to a quieter place even, you know, maybe I can work remotely.
Trish 00:13:16 So I was starting to explore opportunities like that. And then Covid hit and being confined to a small apartment kind of kind of, you know, put me over the edge in terms of.
Speaker 3 00:13:26 You know what?
Trish 00:13:27 I'm done with city life. And I, I put my apartment on the market and, listed it for a price that I didn't expect to get. But, you know, right time, right place, I guess. And, and it sold within a few weeks. And, you know, I was like, okay, well, I, you know, planned on just going to the suburbs at that point. And a friend of mine planted this idea, of a chateau. She said, you know, you can buy a chateau for the price you sold your apartment. And I'm thinking what? You know, because you you think these, like, large, ginormous castles and stuff. You know, I never imagined that it was, you know, accessible for somebody like me, you know? so, of course, I was curious.
Trish 00:14:15 And I started to just look online and, you know, well, what kind of chateau can you buy for the price of a Parisian apartment, you know? so. And I was surprised. I mean, France has over 40,000 chateaux, so it's not like, you know, there's few and far between. You know, they come in all shapes and sizes. so around the same time, my 50th birthday was approaching and, you know, for my 40th, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. So I needed to do a big adventure for my 50th.
Jenny 00:14:46 Yes.
Trish 00:14:46 And Covid and confinement and limited travel. You know, my options. You know, there weren't that many options for a big adventure. So I was kind of feeling. All right. Well, you know, 50 the big milestone is going to come and go without, you know, much excitement. And, I didn't know what I wanted to do. And one night, I'm having virtual cocktails with a friend of mine, and we, you know, she she was, training as a, you know, a coach.
Trish 00:15:13 And so she's like, well, let me practice on you. And, and, you know, a few glasses of wine. Later in the end of the conversation, I was going chateau shopping in the southwest of France for my birthday.
Jenny 00:15:26 Yeah. I love that. so you're you're just you're out there chateau shopping and you're like, okay, let's see what happens. Like, so what did happen when you were out there looking around?
Trish 00:15:40 Yeah. And, you know, I was half serious about it. I mean, it it took me ten months to find my Parisian apartment. Like, you know, this one little chateau shop trip. I made a few appointments, you know? You know, I didn't really expect to find anything, but, sure enough, the third one I looked at, it was. It was love at first sight, and it was just one of those moments that I. I just didn't think, like I made the decision completely with my heart and absolutely no thinking went behind it.
Trish 00:16:12 I'm like, I'm going to just make an offer because I'm going to regret it if I don't. And, you know, we were all working, you know, remotely at the time. And so I was thinking, well, let's just see what happens, you know? And and if it doesn't work out, you know. Fine. I'll figure something else out.
Jenny 00:16:33 So.
Trish 00:16:33 So I made an offer a few hours later. And before you know it, I'm moving down. And, you know, Bill, you know, I'm before I'm going to say that again. So I made an offer a few hours later. And before you know it, I'm. I'm a Shetland, you know, which is the French word for a chateau owner. It's just the craziest thing.
Jenny 00:16:59 Oh, so you you just move in and, like, what? What kind of happens next? Because this decision was made from your heart, and now there's, like, real paperwork and actual things, and, and, you know, this new type of ownership that's a lot bigger than a tiny Parisian apartment.
Jenny 00:17:20 So like how. And then also working remote, like, you know, was there. This is probably a silly question, but was there internet there? Like, I mean, how did all of the kind of like details work out? And then. Yeah, how did how did this all come together?
Trish 00:17:36 Well, it was it was a process. And I, you know, actually when I first sold my apartment and I bought this, I was thinking, you know, I'm still employed in Paris. You know, we're working remotely. and so I did rent an apartment in the suburbs, and my plan was, well, I'll rent out the chateau because the previous owner had told me that, you know, he would rent it because it's in a location where there's just a ton of stuff to do. You know, all the mountain sports that you can imagine, lots of culture and history. And, you know, if you're a foodie, you know, tons of great stuff to, to eat and, and wine tasting, all this other stuff.
Trish 00:18:15 So, you know, I was like, it doesn't sound like it's going to be too difficult to rent it out. So, you know, it'll be a vacation home and I'll rent it when I'm not using it. Well, he, You know, stepped in again, and the person at the bank processing my loan put it down as a primary residence. And I was like, okay, well, if I have to be there for eight months out of the year, we're working remotely, so why don't I just move there? And then if and when I have to come back to Paris, you know, to go back to the office, I'll figure it out, you know? So. So I gave up my rental in the suburbs, and then I moved down here, and it it was not what I expected. You know, first of all, I'd only been here for about 20 minutes making an offer, and I didn't. I mean, I didn't know anything about the area, I couldn't remember.
Trish 00:19:08 Is it in a village? Is it isolated? Like there was so little thought that went into it? It sounds ridiculous that I actually did this, but, but, yeah, I was surprised being in a little village where families have lived here for generations. How welcoming my neighbors were. You know my my bad French. They're very patient. They're very generous. They're very friendly. I mean, it was just a real shock. A pleasant surprise, though, you know? so. And everybody in the community, honestly, it's amazing how wonderful the people are in this area. And, as far as, you know, living in a chateau, I mean, this place, it's older than the United States. It was built in 1388. I mean, wow, isn't that crazy to think about?
Jenny 00:20:02 It's crazy. And the history of it that you shared, it's, like fascinating. Can you tell a little bit about that, too?
Trish 00:20:09 Yeah, yeah. King Henry the Fourth used it as his hunting lodge.
Speaker 4 00:20:13 It was just pretty funny.
Trish 00:20:16 Yeah. I named my cat after his first wife, Marguerite. So that she can hunt any critters that kind of want to, you know, try to come in and be my roommate. No, actually, it's not too bad, but, Yeah. So, and, you know, a long history of, you know, nobility, you know, the King Henry and, you know, a feudal lord, John, who, who lived here. You know, I, I don't know a ton about the history. I'm still learning. Yeah, but, but, yeah, I mean, some of the, you know, the, the aspects of this is just really interesting. So, so, yeah, I, you know, moved in and, I've spent the last four and a half years making it my home. You know, the, previous owner did a lot of work, so it was perfectly habitable. But, you know, you kind of have your own taste, your own decorating style, and, you know, certain things be refreshed and, you know, so I've done a lot of work with that.
Trish 00:21:18 And then, you know, the one thing I didn't anticipate was the yard work. Oh my gosh. You know.
Jenny 00:21:24 It's on. How big of a property. How big is that?
Trish 00:21:28 It's about five acres. Yeah. and but I only have to maintain, I would say, about maybe two of those, because I have a big field that my neighbor sheep graze on. And so they maintain that field, which is wonderful. And so I get to watch the sheep playing out in the yard all day. And, and then my neighbors give me cheese, which is a wonderful thing.
Jenny 00:21:52 I mean, that's a trade right there. Yeah. So, so you, you know, you move here on a whim, listening to your heart. You've been there for 20 minutes, so to say. And then by, you know, some random twist of fate, the paperwork mentions this as your primary residence, and you kind of have to continue with that. And you just, you know, you're no longer in the city.
Jenny 00:22:17 You're no longer even in the suburbs. You're now in this village that you are. You know, you're learning about. You're not sure, like you know who's here and how they're going to respond. And then you're finding, like a new community and how kind people are, even when there's maybe a little bit of a language barrier. And what happened then to the corporate job that you had been working? Because I know, you know, initially you're like, I'm going to do this and work remote. And then, you know, if I have to go back in, depending on how things go with Covid and everything. So what kind of happened with that transition?
Trish 00:22:55 Well, I had intended to continue working my corporate job until a round of layoffs were announced and I was impacted. And so before you know it, you know, and this was actually it's a year ago next week that I left the corporate world. And and again, I think it's another twist of fate that, you know, I was thinking.
Trish 00:23:17 I'm going to become an entrepreneur for the first time in my life. Leave the corporate world, the security of the corporate world, which is really scary to do. But, you know, I had so many friends and family that had come to visit here and just absolutely fell in love with the area. And they're like, you know, you have a real opportunity if you ever did something with this place in terms of a business. So, you know, the wheels had been turning for a little bit. If I'm honest. And then when these layoffs happened, I'm like, this is it's now or never. You know, I'm going to go do this and see what happens. And so I started the business a year ago and, it's, it's still, you know, slow ramping up. but it's it's great to be able to, you know, welcome people from, you know, different parts of the world and, you know, different backgrounds. And, you know, it's great to be able to just welcome people here.
Trish 00:24:15 And, I love everything about this area. And so I get really excited about, you know, oh, well, you can go and do this and oh, you've got to taste this and, you know, you're going to do the wine tasting here. And my neighbor's cheese is the best in the valley. And, you know, so, so I get really excited about helping people to, you know, really, you know, experience the culture and, and, everything there is to, to do in this and see in this beautiful part of the world that's incredible.
Jenny 00:24:46 It's absolutely incredible to be able to also to go into it with such like, you know, open eyes and to be able to like, let it all absorb for yourself. But then now to open that for others to experience. And I think, Trish, one of the things that stands out and then I hear from a lot of other career flippers, which may resonate with you, is this idea of what I think in like corporate lingo is called transferable skills.
Jenny 00:25:11 But also what I like to call is kind of this golden thread that like when we start something new, we're actually not really starting something new because we have all of these skills and experiences from our past that we can use and repurpose. And so, you know, you had worked in marketing for so many years, as well as working with an international company and your own personal experiences of travel. And then when you got laid off a year ago, you know, like to start this kind of entrepreneurial journey, how how do you feel that the skills that you have built up for someone from the past are playing into what you're doing now? Are there things that are kind of standing out as more or less that you can really lean on? Are there? Of course, there's so many new things to learn, but just curious, like how how are you finding that to work? Because diving in to entrepreneurship is such a different, is the word adventure or beast? I don't know, those words come to mind because it's so different.
Jenny 00:26:15 Yeah.
Trish 00:26:16 Yeah.
Jenny 00:26:17 So how how are you kind of finding that at this point?
Trish 00:26:22 You know, you're absolutely right about the transferable skills. And I just am so grateful for all of the experience that I did have in working for those large international companies. Because like I said before, you get an opportunity to get exposed to so many different things, you know? So I knew how to write a business plan. I knew how to develop a marketing strategy. I ran a lot of events and, you know, so I know what it takes and how you do your, your, your run of show to make sure that you've got, you know, your color coded spreadsheet with all the details of what needs to be done, when to make sure everything runs smoothly, like, you know, all these things I had done before and you know, it is very much transferable. So I feel like I was really well positioned in the journey that I'm taking now, just because of all of that experience that I had before.
Trish 00:27:15 And of course, there's surprises. But, you know, I think the most difficult thing for me right now is navigating the French system, because it's it's complicated. And I'll be honest, I'm not fluent in French. You know, I can speak it well enough to, to manage, you know, day to day. But, you know, some of this stuff is a bit complicated and it does get confusing. So that is very difficult. And the other thing, if I'm honest, that I find very, very frustrating is, you know, I'm in marketing, I know how to run a campaign. I know, you know, I've got my target audience and I, you know, know how to craft messaging and all this other stuff. And, you know, I've built these amazing retreats that I think are amazing and and I'm struggling to fill them, you know. So and I think that's just it takes time. It takes time to, you know, build up an awareness and also, you know, get the word out and, and, you know, rise above the noise because there's a lot of people that do this all over the world.
Trish 00:28:17 So, you know, it does take a little bit of time, but, you know, of course I want it to happen overnight.
Jenny 00:28:23 Of course. Yeah. So that all that all makes so much sense. And I think that that emphasis on that it takes time is so crucial because I know a lot of people listening are like, I just I want to do something different and I want to do it now. And in order to kind of build things up, sometimes it it does. It can take a while, but taking those small, small steps towards that and giving yourself permission to be patient, which kind of sounds nuts, but I had to do that for myself. I mean, I still do, even as I'm building things up and trying to figure it out. And I think that that's so important and it sounds like you're really giving yourself that even when it's like, oh, this is difficult and I can't, I can't even imagine trying to navigate something like paperwork and permits and all this type of stuff in a different language like that sounds.
Jenny 00:29:16 Yeah, that's that's tricky. And so but you're doing it. You're doing it the small steps and you're making it happen. And I just think that that is so admirable and just so inspiring. Trish. Like, it's so inspiring that, you know, you had this, you didn't set out to buy this and you really leaned into your heart. And I think touching on that. You know, when we make decisions a lot of the times it's like, you know, use logic, use fact, like really think about it. But when we make decisions from the heart, it's such a different story. And of course, all the other stuff, the logic and fact and all the day to day stuff will be there even when we make the decisions from the heart. And so just kind of curious, you know, when you look back on, you know, when you were touring and you were just looking at this place and you really fell in love with it? What? I guess if you can't even put it into words, what were kind of some of the things going through your mind at that time that your heart was saying that really led you to lean into this, even if it might seem kind of crazy and was kind of a joke with your friends.
Jenny 00:30:24 Like how what was going through your mind at that point?
Trish 00:30:28 It was just one of those things that I feel that if if I had just passed this by, I would always wonder, you know, what? If I had bought that place, you know, and and at that time I was just thinking, I just love this and I really just want to do it and, and and I'll figure it out. And you know what? If it doesn't work out, then then I'll figure that out. You know, I'll sell it, you know. So it's I usually, you know, again, I didn't put a lot of thought into this because it was very much driven with my heart. But I did, you know, have the thought of, you know what? I'll do this. I'll rent it out. You know, if it if it works, great. And if not, I'll sell it, you know. So I usually try to think about what's the worst case scenario. And, you know, what do you do in that case? And and you know what? It's it's not catastrophic.
Trish 00:31:22 So why not? You know, because, you know, imagine what could happen, right?
Jenny 00:31:26 Right, right. I always love to say what's the best that could happen? You know, like looking at it from both sides, like there's a war side, but there's also a really good side of all of these things that could happen. And, yeah, I just think that's so interesting because I know a lot of, like, people listening really have these things that their hearts might be leaning towards, but it's so easy to just be like, no, that's not realistic or that's, that's a funny idea. Or people might think I'm crazy or whatever it is, and we don't do it, but kind of leaning into what you said, that it would be something you would always think about. And I think a lot of us, you know, when we go through life, as we get older, we start to think back on those things of like, oh, well, if I would have done that, like it hasn't left my mind and I didn't do it, you know, or whatever it is.
Jenny 00:32:16 And, and I think that's just such an important part of this whole career flipper thing that, that I am kicking off and talking to people because it's not just about careers that were changing, like it's lives, like it's our entire life decisions that we make, things that we say yes to, things that we say no to, and how we spend this precious time that we have. And you are now in a in a place where you are bringing these experiences to people's lives and you are enhancing their lives and, you know, to pull the, pull out the credit card and book a trip to go to France isn't always the easiest thing either. But now people are coming to stay with you and to have these experiences and, you know, just on a personal note, I want you to share a little bit more about, you know, the types of events that you do and like, you know, the sheep next door and you get the cheese like, and I think I remember you maybe mentioning there are more sheep in the village than people and like, and you know, all of the outdoor, you know, wonderful like opportunities of sports and hiking and all kinds of things.
Jenny 00:33:26 Can you talk a little bit about the, you know, your place, your chateau, what you offer and then the surrounding area? I just want everyone to really, like, let that sink in.
Trish 00:33:38 Sure, absolutely. And let me start by saying, yes, there are more sheep than people in my village. My village has about 200 people. And my my neighbors who sheep graze on my field, they have they alone have 400 sheep. So, So yeah, only twice the, twice the, the sheep relative to people. But, well, you know, really the, the experience that I'm trying to offer people is really about discovering what I call this little slice of Paradise, because it really is. I mean, a lot of people, you know, they know France, they know they know Paris, they know the Alps, they know Provence, you know, and and those places are wonderful. This place isn't really all that well known relative to those others. And so it's a bit off the beaten path.
Trish 00:34:27 And I think that's kind of what makes it so special because it's still very authentic. You know, it's we, we often, you know, if you're, if you're going down the road a certain time of year, a certain time of day, you know, you'll get caught in what we call a barrens traffic jam because I'm in the Bayan region, and it's basically when the farmers are herding their sheep from one field to the next, and, and, and you just have to sit there and wait, you know? Sorry. That's a bit of a tangent.
Jenny 00:34:57 I love.
Trish 00:34:57 It. You know, that's that's life here. You know, it's not all commercially built up, but, you know, there's there's just a lot to to see and do and appreciate. I mean, the scenery, I mean, you just got these stunning mountain views in every direction, which I absolutely love. And, I actually had a group of women here this past weekend, one who was celebrating her 60th birthday, and she wanted to do a girls weekend to celebrate.
Trish 00:35:24 And so, you know, I spoke with her ahead of time and, you know, just kind of shared a bunch of different ideas of things that we could do or that, you know, she and her friends could do. And, and so, you know, she just kind of narrowed it down. And then I went and created the experience for them. So, you know, they arrived, I picked them up at the train station or at their, their, hotel up in the, in the city. And they came down. And the first thing was, you know, we had lunch and then they went out for one of the many charming villages to do a walk through that. It was actually a three village walk. So they just kind of started exploring some of the villages. And then the next day we went to the weekly outdoor market, where I know a lot of the vendors. So, you know, you go around and you chat to everybody and, you know, there's all kinds of, you know, in addition to the fruits and veggies and stuff that people sell.
Trish 00:36:16 You know, there's a woman that sells soaps in another that sells, you know, a different aperitif, you know, type of wine type of thing. So, you know, a lot of different, you know, unique vendors. And then they rented e-bikes and they toured the entire valley on e-bikes. there's bike paths and these, you know, small country roads. And they just had the best time doing that and were able to see so much. And then they, went to a spa, a local spa to to relax after all their bike riding. And and then we went to a local outdoor concert that evening and and we also did I had somebody that I know in the area who, comes to your house and does wine tastings. And so we did that, you know, the next night. And, I'm trying to remember. Oh, and they also took a ride on the highest narrow gauge train in Europe, which offers spectacular views of, you know, the the surrounding mountains and stuff.
Trish 00:37:18 So, you know, that's just an idea, an example of, of one of, you know, the experiences that I create here. So some of them are customized like that, others I create. For example, I did an immersive, French course. there's a woman from my hiking group who is a French professor, and I asked her if she wanted to get together and do, an immersive week of French instruction. And so she would do a few hours of class in the morning, and then we would go and, and do an activity that, allowed them to interact with some of the locals. So we went and met with the beekeeper and saw how should they make honey? we had a local chef come and do a cooking class. We, you know, did a visit to a vineyard and, of course, some wine tasting. So, you know, these are just some, some different examples of some of the things that I'm offering here.
Jenny 00:38:16 I love that, and it's so curated to your guests and to what people will want.
Jenny 00:38:22 I mean, that girls, I'm like, count me and sign me up for all that. That sounds amazing. Like, I mean, you're in such a unique spot where you can offer this and with your very like, event focused mindset, you're able to create that. And then they stay with you right at the chateau, like you have different rooms. Is that right?
Trish 00:38:43 Yes, yes. The chateau. I mean, let's let's be clear. It's it's not a palace. It's not one of these big, large castles that, you know, people often think about as chateau as, like I said, they come in all shapes and sizes. And mine is actually, what they call a chateau fort, which is kind of like a fortress. So it's small. It's compact. I only have, four guest rooms and, and so, you know, it's a very much like a family style living. You know, it's, not, you know, a West Wing where you can, you know, have, like, a few bedrooms down there and, you know, it's it's a big open living space.
Trish 00:39:25 And then the guest rooms and then, you know, I've got a pool outside and, you know, the grounds that you can, you know, go relax in the hammock and, you know, look at and so.
Jenny 00:39:35 Oh my gosh. And just geography wise I apologize. How far is it from Paris. Like do you get there by train? Is there? How do like, how does that work?
Trish 00:39:45 there's a city called Po p a. That is, about 35 minutes north of me. So they have direct flights from Paris into Po, or direct trains from Paris into Po or Bordeaux or Toulouse. So it's situated in, the southwest at the foot of the Pyrenees. And actually I'm only about 45 minutes from the border of Spain. So is that far south?
Jenny 00:40:12 Okay?
Trish 00:40:13 About two hours from the coast.
Jenny 00:40:15 Incredible. Oh my gosh. Like I am dreaming of a career flipper retreat at some point there. Like, I mean.
Trish 00:40:24 You just let me know when you're ready.
Jenny 00:40:27 Yeah, yeah.
Jenny 00:40:28 I'll be like, let's curate this. Let's make this happen. If anyone listening right now wants to do that, let's make this happen because I have no idea. Event planning is not my forte at all, but, I would love that, but I think, I mean, honestly, like Trish, like, there's so many key things that are standing out for me here. You had the, you know, you curated your own corporate job to be exactly what you wanted to. Move to a different country by asking you put yourself out there and you asked. And then when, you know, you had this idea come up from a friend and you're like, oh, this is funny, you still went out and looked like you didn't just keep it in your mind, you still went out and looked, and then you made a decision with your heart, something that I think a lot of us wish we could do more of. But we feel so, so scared because we don't think that that's really allowed.
Jenny 00:41:21 And you did it. And then there's still the day to day things. There's still the hard things that you're navigating and then a layoff and then trying to reevaluate what to do and picking up the entrepreneurial flag and being like, all right, we're going in. And I think, you know, Trish, for anyone listening right now who who might be sitting at their desk and whether or not they like their job, they may feel like they want to change, or maybe they just got laid off or, you know, they're also watching Chateau DIY and wishing they could do this. Like, who knows, like one piece of advice or multiple pieces of advice would you have for someone who might be feeling scared of making a change like this? Because there's so many unknowns, but they really, really want to make it happen. What is something that you could share with them to guide them on their journey?
Trish 00:42:13 I think it's as simple as what we've already what what what I said and what you said, which is you just think about what's the worst that can happen and you plan for that and what's the best that could happen.
Trish 00:42:25 And you aspire to that. You know, I think I think that's what it's all about. You know, and again, things don't always work out my business. You know, it may not work out, but you know what? I tried it. And if I have to go get another job, so be it, you know? But I've done this, and and I'm having a great time right now, and I'm not going to regret it if it doesn't work out. I hope it does. But if it doesn't, you know, that's fine. You know. So I think it's it's really about, you know, you have to be I mean, some of my decisions were, you know, very spontaneous. It's funny, it takes me longer to make a decision about what restaurant to go to than it did to buy a chateau, you know. So I'm very inconsistent in that sense. You know, I can overanalyze things, but I think, like we do often overanalyze. And what if, what if, what if, you know.
Trish 00:43:18 But I think you have to look at the what ifs, both in the negative and the positive sense. And and so I think that's my advice is, you know, what's the worst, what's the best that can happen.
Jenny 00:43:28 That's great. That's great advice though. We really factor in all of the things but not overthink it. Like just finding it to the point where it's like, if we try it, we can always either return to what we had or, you know, sell it, whatever it is, and just know that at the end of the day, it's something that we're not going to be thinking about for the rest of our lives, wondering what would have happened if we had if we had done that. Trish, thank you so much for being on here and talking with me about this. I just I think what you're doing is amazing and so inspiring. And I know, like because of, like I'm going to be there one day and I will be walking on those grounds and looking at those beautiful mountains and, you know, watching the sheep.
Jenny 00:44:15 I can't wait what, some point it's going to happen. I'm putting it out there, but just tell everyone where they can find you, how they can come book an event with you, how they can stay, all of the things. How can they connect?
Trish 00:44:28 Sure. Well, my website is probably a great place to start, which is shattered. I think we can probably provide the link to that. And I'm also on Facebook and Instagram as well, where I post, some of the many things that you can see, do and taste here in the Valley Doso as well as, you know, some of my DIY projects. So, you know, you're welcome to follow me on that.
Jenny 00:44:53 I love it. Well, I hope everyone does. And thank you so much again, Trish. I appreciate you being here.
Trish 00:45:00 Thank you Jenny, and I look forward to your visit.
Jenny 00:45:04 Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Career Flipper podcast. To connect with Trish, check out the links in the show notes.
Jenny 00:45:12 If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review because doing so helps other career flippers find the show. And let's be real, figuring out this career stuff is a lot easier when you know you're not the only one winging it. If you have your own career flip story to share, I would love to hear it. Visit the career flipper. Com to submit your story for a future episode. You know what I love most about hosting this podcast is the chance that these stories might be the nudge someone needs to take that first step toward whatever it is they want to change. That first step is so scary, for sure, but it's also where the magic begins. So just know that every single tiny step you're taking, it's worth it. Keep going, my friend. What's the best that could happen?