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The Building Culture Podcast - #43 Isaac French: You Can Just Do Things – How a First-Time Developer Built One Of The Most Beloved Retreat Brands In The Country
In this episode, I talk with Isaac French, founder of Live Oak Lake and one of the most thoughtful voices I’ve come across in the world of experiential real estate. Isaac’s story reads like an adventure novel: raised with eight siblings on a Texas farm, homeschooled, steeped in grit. Well before turning 30, he walked five acres of tangled brush – no money, just a vision – and figured out how to design and build a seven-cabin, Nordic-inspired retreat that went viral, grossed over $1M in bookings, and sold for $7M. All in under two years. And plenty went wrong along the way.
He’s basically a case study in the idea: you can just do things.
We talk about how Isaac blends hardware – design, layout, light – with software – hospitality, scent, story – to create spaces that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. He shares how a glitch in the Airbnb matrix led him to build a direct-to-consumer brand from scratch, and how beauty often begins by submitting to constraint, whether it’s the land, the budget, or your own limits.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would mean to build with your soul, not just your spreadsheet, this one’s for you.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Creating Community Through Built Environments
03:48 The Journey of Live Oak Lake
17:54 The Art of Hospitality and Experience
27:40 Exploring New Urbanism and Placemaking
36:54 The Power of Saying No
39:02 Exploring Sacred Geometry and Beauty
44:16 Biophilic Design and Human Connection
49:45 The Role of Humans in Environmental Stewardship
54:43 Navigating Success and Humility
01:00:19 Future Visions and Community Building
MENTIONED RESOURCES:
Live Oak Lake | Modern Cabins in Waco, Texas
CONNECT WITH ISAAC FRENCH
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.isaacjfrench.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/isaacfrench_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaacfrench_
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacjfrench/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/c/IsaacFrench
CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL
Newsletter: https://playbook.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/
https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell
CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE
https://www.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/buildingculture/
View all episodes
By Think & Act LocallyIn this episode, I talk with Isaac French, founder of Live Oak Lake and one of the most thoughtful voices I’ve come across in the world of experiential real estate. Isaac’s story reads like an adventure novel: raised with eight siblings on a Texas farm, homeschooled, steeped in grit. Well before turning 30, he walked five acres of tangled brush – no money, just a vision – and figured out how to design and build a seven-cabin, Nordic-inspired retreat that went viral, grossed over $1M in bookings, and sold for $7M. All in under two years. And plenty went wrong along the way.
He’s basically a case study in the idea: you can just do things.
We talk about how Isaac blends hardware – design, layout, light – with software – hospitality, scent, story – to create spaces that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. He shares how a glitch in the Airbnb matrix led him to build a direct-to-consumer brand from scratch, and how beauty often begins by submitting to constraint, whether it’s the land, the budget, or your own limits.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would mean to build with your soul, not just your spreadsheet, this one’s for you.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Creating Community Through Built Environments
03:48 The Journey of Live Oak Lake
17:54 The Art of Hospitality and Experience
27:40 Exploring New Urbanism and Placemaking
36:54 The Power of Saying No
39:02 Exploring Sacred Geometry and Beauty
44:16 Biophilic Design and Human Connection
49:45 The Role of Humans in Environmental Stewardship
54:43 Navigating Success and Humility
01:00:19 Future Visions and Community Building
MENTIONED RESOURCES:
Live Oak Lake | Modern Cabins in Waco, Texas
CONNECT WITH ISAAC FRENCH
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.isaacjfrench.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/isaacfrench_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaacfrench_
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacjfrench/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/c/IsaacFrench
CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL
Newsletter: https://playbook.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/
https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell
CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE
https://www.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/buildingculture/