Amy Smith & Dan Smith of Historict District of McConnelsville on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Amy Smith & Dan Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Amy & Dan, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A typical day for us begins early — usually before the sun is up. Dan and I like to ease into our mornings so we can show up as our best selves for our guests. That means enjoying coffee and a few quiet moments together before heading next door to The Stone House kitchen to prepare breakfast. These early hours are some of our favorites — setting tables with fresh-cut flowers from the garden, placing vintage dishes, and making sure every detail feels special. While Dan is in the kitchen preparing breakfast, I’m putting on the final touches.

Once breakfast is served, we spend time connecting with our guests, sharing local tips, and swapping stories. We call this our “Golden Hour” — the time when we really get to know our guests and they get to know us.

After breakfast, we shift into “behind-the-scenes” mode: tidying the kitchen and common areas, turning rooms, answering emails, and planning our weekly marketing content. I carve out time each day to focus on the business side of the Inn — refining guest communications, brainstorming seasonal packages, and working on projects that keep the Inn profitable and running smoothly. Meanwhile, Dan jumps into any repairs that need attention before heading off to our other business, No Pressure Services, here in McConnelsville.

By late afternoon, guests are checked in, and our evenings slow down. We use that time to catch our breath, share a meal at a favorite local spot, or sit on the patio reflecting on the day. We’re often reminded why we love this life — it’s about creating a place where others can relax, reset, and feel at home. Not just for our guests, but for us too. We live our daily life together intentionally, and we call it hospitality with heart.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We’re Amy and Dan Smith, the Innkeepers and owners of The Inns at 8th and Main, a boutique bed and breakfast in the heart of historic McConnelsville, Ohio. Each day, we welcome travelers from around the world to our two beautifully restored properties, The Stone House (1835) and The Morris House (1844), where we serve a hearty breakfast, share local tips, and create a space where guests can truly unwind and relax.

Our brand is built around what we call “hospitality with heart.” For us, it’s all about the thoughtful details — fresh-cut flowers from the garden, vintage dishes on the breakfast table, and meaningful conversations during what we call our “Golden Hour” with guests. We want every stay to feel warm, personal, and unforgettable. A stay that they will want to experience again and again.

Right now, we’re focused on streamlining and simplifying the Inn’s operations to keep it running smoothly and profitably, while continuing to offer the five-star experience that keeps guests coming back. Looking ahead, we’re excited about expanding our offerings to include more extended stays and curated retreat weekends, providing guests with even more ways to experience our little corner of Ohio. Our goal is to create a space where people can relax, reset, and reconnect — not just for a night, but for as long as they need.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
For both of us, it’s each other. Being partners in life and in business has shaped the way we see ourselves more than anything else. Running The Inns at 8th and Main together has been a constant reminder that we are stronger as a team — not because we are the same, but because we balance each other’s strengths.

Dan brings calm and steadiness to the kitchen, while I love connecting with guests and creating experiences that make them feel at home. Working together has taught us patience, trust, and the importance of letting the other shine in each of our strengths. It’s shown us that we can navigate challenges, build a vision, and create something beautiful — side by side.

This relationship has helped us both see ourselves differently: as capable, resilient, and able to live out our values in a very real way. At the end of the day, it’s not just about running an Inn — it’s about living intentionally together, every day, and inviting others into that space of connection.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes — several times along the way. When we began renovating The Inns at 8th and Main in the fall of 2019, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I went through treatment and learned how to live without a thyroid while watching our vision for the Inn take shape. It would have been easy to stop right there, but we chose to keep going and open our doors — even with life feeling uncertain.

Fast forward to this past year, and it has been one of the most challenging seasons yet. Dan was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I’ve spent months navigating a weakened immune system and am now preparing for sinus surgery, and my dad passed unexpectedly last September. On top of it all, we made the difficult but necessary decision to close Percy’s Antiques and Vintage — a business we loved — so that we could protect our health, simplify, and focus entirely on the Inn.

Closing Percy’s wasn’t a moment of defeat — it was a turning point. It gave us room to breathe, to grieve, and to get clear on what truly matters. These experiences have reshaped the way we do business. We’ve streamlined our operations, slowed our pace, and built a model that allows us to take care of ourselves and still give our guests the five-star experience they come for.

When we watch guests linger over breakfast, laugh together on the patio, or leave telling us they feel completely at home, it reminds us why we kept going. These hard seasons have made us more grounded, more compassionate, and more committed than ever to what we call hospitality with heart.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Our closest friends would say that what matters most to us is people — creating a space where they feel welcomed, cared for, and truly seen. Whether it’s friends around our own table or guests staying at The Inns at 8th and Main, we want everyone to leave feeling lighter, more connected, and more at peace than when they arrived.

We care about hospitality that goes deeper than a comfortable bed and a good breakfast. For us, it’s about the little details — fresh flowers on the table, meaningful conversations during our “Golden Hour,” and a sense of home that lingers long after checkout. Our friends know that we don’t just run a business — we live this every day.

At the end of the day, what really matters to us is using our gifts to make a difference in the lives of others, even if it’s just for a weekend. We believe in slowing down, being intentional, and reminding people — and ourselves — that connection is what life is really about.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
We are absolutely doing what we were born to do. Running The Inns at 8th and Main isn’t just a job for us — it’s a calling. Creating a space where people can rest, connect, and feel cared for is the most natural extension of who we are as individuals and as a couple.

This work allows us to use our gifts every single day — Dan’s gift for creating meals that nourish both body and soul, and my passion for making people feel welcomed, seen, and at home. Together, we get to create moments that matter for our guests, from fresh flowers on the breakfast table to conversations that often turn strangers into friends.

Even through the challenges — health battles, loss, and the tough decisions we’ve had to make along the way — we’ve never lost sight of the fact that this is precisely where we’re supposed to be. This life has taught us to slow down, to be intentional, and to build something that’s not just successful, but meaningful. In many ways, running the Inn has allowed us to live out our purpose daily — to offer what we call hospitality with heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.innsat8thandmain.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinnat214main/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-dearinger-smith-30184b4/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innsat8thandmain