Jim Matthews
Location: Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia
Since: 2011 — Why did you choose the city / state you now live in? I gave up my career as a business consultant and full-time business traveler to be an innkeeper in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. The Village of Sautee is the heart of the thriving arts community of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Nestled in the pass between the Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys, the Village is an eclectic and artsy enclave that has drawn in creative people for hundreds of years. I love the openness and energy of the Village community, along with the natural beauty of the valleys and surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
Age Group: 46-59
Favorite Restaurant: Bernie’s Restaurant
Favorite Movie: “American Beauty”. Best cinematography ever!
Pets: Gracie, Miniature Schnauzer and awesome deer chaser.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? Gardening and hiking
Favorite Season: Spring, because the mountains and valleys are so beautiful and there is some much potential in everything.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Hire a good attorney, a very good financial planner, and then real estate agents specializing in small Caribbean islands and Paris apartments.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? To make homemade pasta from scratch. I’m not afraid to do anything in a kitchen – cakes, soufflés, a crown rib roast, a full Indian meal – except homemade pasta.
If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? The first public announcement in Sub-Saharan Africa of a cure for AIDS
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? Anthony Edwards in his pre-ER days, around the time of Top Gun, when he had more hair and I still wore glasses.
Where do you work? Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn & Spa
What is your title? Breakfast cook extraordinaire, chief dishwasher, local wine authority, reservation whiz, uber-concierge, spa aficionado, extreme housekeeper and ultra-host. Or simply, “Innkeeper”.
How long have you worked there? 2 years
What do you love most about your Job? Every day I’m surrounded by happy and relaxed people from all over the world. Everyone is having a good time and that type of attitude is very contagious.
What is your Experience and Background in the Travel Industry? I started working the week I turned sixteen at one of the largest convention hotels in the US. While working there I earned a Bachelor degree in Tourism, Food and Lodging Administration and, after twelve years, I started a second career as a business consultant. For the next 20 years I traveled extensively throughout the US and internationally, experiencing the best and worst of the travel industry from a traveler’s point of view. Now I’ve jumped back to the other side, and run a small luxury inn and day spa in the mountains of North Georgia, using what I learned from both of my previous careers.