The Local Tourist
Mary Beard Grodsky
In a world where it’s hard to find people to work, the Happy Hippie doesn’t stop. An entrepreneurial spirit led Brian Riley to start his own business, offering concierge services to the Pickwick Lake area. This was a much-needed position, given how many people use their homes as secondary residences. A dream that started from deciding to rent his primary home as an Airbnb destination at Pickwick Lake and a Facebook request to deliver food to a group of visitors, eventually landed him a permanent career.
When I asked Brian about meeting to discuss an article for the paper, I requested an interview around the Labor Day weekend. Selfishly, that timing worked best for me since I had a long weekend in town. He was so excited to be included in the Vidette, but I could hear the hesitation in his voice. Labor Day weekend is one of his busiest times and. while he assured me he would make it work, I asked him to meet with me later as taking care of customers always comes first. And that’s why he thrives as a business owner.
His list of services is impossible to pin down. He literally will help anyone with almost anything at any time. The most memorable I’ve seen are rescuing a dog in the lake, stocking refrigerators before guests’ arrival, trash pickup, and most recently, his own Happy Hippie Retreats.
When I asked Brian about his most memorable task, he stated it was a child’s Christmas wish. A client he serves in Pickwick, also a Memphian, had a Santa request from his 4-year-old to have a puppy for Christmas fall apart at the last minute. As Brian had saved him many times in Pickwick, the client asked if he would help him once again. This time it was a delivery to Collierville, TN, but the backup puppy was coming from Georgia. Without pause, Brian agreed to do the 10-hour drive there and back to make the cutoff of Christmas Eve. After picking up the puppy, he realized it was a special breed that could be stolen due to its value. Because of this, Brian loaded up as much water and necessities for the puppy to make the full drive back without stopping to be sure the puppy arrived unharmed and unattended. The sheer joy of the family and child having a new puppy on Christmas Eve is one neither he nor the family will forget.
His most recent adventure is his 15-acre purchase of land in Counce, TN to start Happy Hippie Retreats. This scenic place will feature 21 RV camping spots with septic and electrical hookup, with 6 pads already up and running within weeks of ownership. While I had asked to adventure into the land, I was not expected to find a bamboo palace, unlike anything I’d seen at Pickwick Lake before. Being a land realtor, I love to explore the options for use of space and I was excited to brainstorm his upcoming ideas.
When asked why he does what he does, it’s for his daughter. He wanted her to see the importance of hard work and sharing kindness around. In a world where everyone is pushed to the ideal corporate career, he hopes to show her there multiple ways to produce revenue streams through the visioning and assisting others.
