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Behind the Build with Kelly Straka
Escaping Corporate Life to Running a Thriving B&B: The Story Behind Guesthouse Castagnola’s Swiss Success
In this episode of Behind the Build, we head to Lugano, Switzerland—a dreamy spot where palm trees meet snow-capped mountains. I sit down with Kristina Delnevo, the mastermind and host extraordinaire behind Guesthouse Castagnola, one of the top-rated B&Bs in the Ticino region. Kristina’s journey started in finance, working for a Swiss bank, until she made an unexpected pivot—turning a “too big” house into a thriving hospitality business. With a Superhost rating of 4.99 and over a decade in the game (she was one of Airbnb’s OG listings back in 2012!),
Kristina spills all:
✔️ The reality of running a small hospitality business
✔️ Balancing bookkeeping and housekeeping
✔️ Hosting international guests with Swiss precision
✔️ Why she loves travel—but prefers being home
If you’ve ever dreamed of turning your home into an income stream, or just love a good entrepreneur story, this one's for you! Tune in now. 🎧✨
Follow Kristina and Guesthouse Castagnola at Instagram (@guesthousecastagnola)
Book directly at Guesthouse Castagnola Website.
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1. WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION: Your Why- What happens When You’ve Made “Enough” Money with Pamela Bardhi
52:36||Ep. 1From moving to America as a kid to making 7 figures by 30, Pam Bardhi has changed her & her family's lives by dominating as a woman in construction & real estate. Featured in Times and Forbes, she talks about the mistakes along the way, the challenges being a female in construction, and how she plans to revolutionize the construction and development industry.Here are the key topics we discussed: How Pam’s early responsibilities shaped her entrepreneurial mindset.Balancing restaurant management while stepping into the real estate world.Learning the importance of delegation and overcoming control issues.SOS calls and the value of a trusted tribe of advisors and friends.Pivot to creating intentional housing solutions like accessory dwelling units (ADUs).Why time freedom is essential for entrepreneurial fulfillment.Facing fears to avoid regrets and embracing the bigger mission.Pam BardhiYOUNG HUSTLER- family in the restaurant businessPodcast Underdog in the top 1.5% in over 90 countries for 5 years, interviewed stars like Kevin Harrington from Shark tank. Can be followed on instagram at @pamela_bardhiWebsite: https://pamelabardhi.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelabardhi/