How a Single Airbnb Listing Unlocked $150K and a Whole New Artist Life
What if one bold move could change everything?
A few years ago, I listed our main home in California on Airbnb. We were packing up to move across the country, I had no plan, no coach, and honestly no idea what I was doing. I just thought, “Why not?”
Within 24 hours, it was booked.
That single booking paid for our rent across the country.
Then the next one paid for the month after that.
And then… we never looked back.
That one creative risk has now generated over $150K in income and opened the door to an entirely new life as full-time artists, entrepreneurs, and humans who now live, perform, and work in a way that actually aligns with our values.
Here’s the full story and what it might mean for you.
From Professors to Performers (Again)
At the time, my husband and I were both full-time musical theatre professors on the West Coast. We had a solid routine, consistent paychecks, healthcare, and a home we loved.
But something was off.
We were clocking 60+ hour weeks, feeling creatively stuck, and longing for a more flexible, artistic lifestyle. After 2020, that desire became impossible to ignore.
We wanted to perform again.
We wanted to live in NYC part of the year.
We wanted to say yes to gigs — not grade papers.
We wanted a life that matched who we were becoming.
So we made a move… with no clear roadmap.
The Airbnb Experiment
My husband took a university job in Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma in their musical theatre BFA program as a professor for a year that then led him to accepting the position of Chair at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee leading the BFA musical theatre and theatre programs for another year. I shifted fully into performing and coaching. But we didn’t want to sell our California home.
So I had a wild thought:
What if we just listed it on Airbnb?
No course. No coach. Just a gut instinct.
I took some quick photos. Filled in our listing. Hit publish.
The next day: booked.
That Booking Changed Everything
That first reservation wasn’t just rent money. It was proof.
Proof that we could earn income in new ways.
Proof that we didn’t have to stay stuck in one zip code.
Proof that this dream life might actually be possible.
Since then, our calendar has stayed fully booked. We’ve hosted people from across the globe — folks needing a healing place to stay, creatives on sabbatical, families visiting loved ones, and travelers wanting to test out life in Southern California.
Airbnb became a key income stream that let us live in NYC, Boston, Oklahoma, and our place in Mexico — all while growing our businesses.
A New Chapter (Fueled by Flexibility)
With that financial support in place, everything else began to align.
I built out my coaching practice and began working with performers online from anywhere in the world while expanding my performing onstage in musicals to adding in on camera work in commercials, print and film/tv.
My husband, after several years in academia, returned to his passion as a full-time electric violinist for luxury wedding and events world wide.
We created a schedule that supports our careers and our joy.
All of this stemmed from one listing. One choice. One creative risk.
What This Means For You
I’m not sharing this to tell you to list your house on Airbnb. That might not be your move — and that’s okay.
I’m sharing this because every artist deserves income streams that support the life they actually want… not just the one they’ve been told to settle for.
If this sparked something for you, here’s where to go next:
📥 Download my free guide: 50 Ways I Make Money Not Onstage
🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: $150K From Airbnb: The Creative Risk That Let Me Live My Artist Life
🤝 Ready to explore your next chapter? Book a coaching session
You never know what one idea could lead to.
Ashlee Espinosa, MFA is a professional actress and creative business coach helping performers and artist-entrepreneurs build bold, burnout-free careers onstage and off.
With over two decades of experience and a unique bi-coastal perspective, Ashlee blends mindset, marketing, and business strategy to help multi-hyphenate artists grow their impact without sacrificing their well-being. Through 1:1 coaching, free weekly resources, and digital tools, she helps creatives design careers that feel as good as they look.
