It’s taken me a long time—until just recently, in fact—to finally call myself a resort owner.

To be fair, I have another title: A doctorate in nursing. And for years, that felt safer to lead with than the idea of being “a resort owner.”

Tom and I have co-owned White Eagle Resort with his family since 2013. Yet for most of that time, I introduced myself simply as “Tom’s wife.” I stayed in the background, convincing myself that what I did—managing the website, running our social media, writing emails, scrubbing cabins, doing laundry, and helping with renovations—wasn’t the real work of a resort owner. In my head, ownership looked more like driving boats, cleaning fish, and doing the jobs Tom and his family had been doing here for 35 years. Most of our guests knew him, but not me.

I’ll never forget one of the first times I tried to step out of that shadow. After Tom and I bought out his sisters in 2019, I started becoming more forward-facing. I proudly introduced myself to a couple of long-time guests and offered to show them to their cabin. With a kind smile, they let me know they’d been coming for 25 years and knew exactly where they were going. Thankfully, we all laughed it off, but inside, I felt like I was still trying to prove I belonged.

Then this past summer, something shifted. During Pilates, a guest looked at me and said, “You’re Steph”—like she really knew me. It was such a simple moment, but for me, it was everything. For the first time, I felt seen as an owner. Not just Tom’s wife. Not just someone doing “side tasks.” But as part of the heartbeat of this place.

So, to that guest—thank you. You helped me see what was right in front of me all along: I am a resort owner. It’s a title I’ve been trying on for years, but now, it finally feels like it fits.