After 15 Years, I'm Flying Under My Own Name

Building a life, not just a living.

15 years ago, I started sharing bits and pieces of my life under the name Flown The Coop on Social Media.

At the time, I had no idea where life would take me, what businesses I would build, the people I would meet, or how many times I would reinvent myself along the way.

But one thing has remained pretty consistent. I've never been particularly good at staying in one lane.

And I'm finally realizing that's not something I need to change.

A Little Bit of Everything

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know my interests are all over the place.

I'm a wife, a mom, a grandmother who goes by Fancy (because why be conventional?), a gardener, a chicken keeper, a dog mom to Charlie, a traveler, a small-town advocate, and a hopeless entrepreneur.

I love my family, my country, and the freedom to think for myself.

I love old things, simple living, getting my hands dirty in the garden, and spending time at home. But I also love exploring unfamiliar places, meeting interesting people, learning something new, and dreaming up ideas that might sound a little crazy to someone else.

I'm what you might call a multipotentialite. Someone with lots of interests, passions, and creative pursuits.

For years, I thought perhaps I should narrow my focus. Pick a lane. Become known for one thing.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that all those different interests are what make me who I am.

I'm rooted in tradition, but I've never been afraid to think outside the box.

Small Towns, Big Possibilities

When Jeff and I moved to Burton, Texas, in 2014, I couldn't have imagined how much this little town would shape the next chapter of my life.

I fell in love with the pace, the people, the history, and the sense of community.

But I also started seeing possibilities.

What if more people knew about the wonderful experiences hiding in our rural communities? What if small businesses could benefit from visitors who genuinely appreciated what makes these places special? What if tourism could help small towns thrive without changing their character?

Those questions eventually became more than ideas.

Through Flown The Coop Stays, Burton & Beyond, and my involvement with Destination Burton, I've been working to connect visitors with the people, businesses, and experiences that make rural Texas special.

And I have a pretty ambitious goal.

I want to help build a sustainable model for rural communities that works right here in Burton and can eventually serve as proof of concept for other small towns.

Not by turning them into something they're not, but by helping them recognize the value of what they already have.

I believe small towns don't need to become big towns to have big opportunities.

And I'm determined to see what we can accomplish.

Building a Life, Not Just a Living

There's another reason I'm so passionate about what I'm building.

Jeff and I are looking toward the next chapter of our lives together.

We want to create something that gives us financial freedom, allows us to work together, and provides the flexibility to spend our time doing things we genuinely enjoy.

I'm not particularly interested in the traditional idea of retirement where you simply stop working.

I want to keep creating, exploring, learning, and contributing. I just want the freedom to choose how and when we do those things.

And I want Jeff to be part of building it with me.

Will every idea work? Probably not.

Will I change direction a few times? Almost certainly.

But that's part of the adventure, isn't it?

So Why the Name Change?

After 15 years, I've decided it's time to retire Flown The Coop as the name of my personal social media presence.

Not because I'm leaving anything behind, but because my life and interests have grown beyond what that name originally represented.

Flown The Coop Stays will continue as our hospitality business. Burton & Beyond will continue connecting people with experiences. And I'll continue supporting the work of Destination Burton.

But the person behind all of those things is simply me.

Tiffany Eckhardt

And I want this space to reflect all of who I am, not just one business, project, or passion.

One day I might share a new experience in Washington County. The next, a renovation project, a lesson learned in business, something growing in my garden, an adventure with Jeff, or a funny story about my chickens.

I might even have something to say about getting older, trying something that scares me, or the importance of thinking for yourself.

And yes, I'll continue sharing what I'm learning about rural tourism, entrepreneurship, and building stronger communities.

Because all of those things are connected by one common thread: the life I'm choosing to build.

The Next Chapter

I've always considered myself a cockeyed optimist.

I tend to believe things are possible long before I've figured out exactly how to make them happen.

Sometimes that gets me into trouble. Other times, it leads to something pretty wonderful.

But I would rather try something and learn from it than spend my life wondering what might have happened.

I believe in individualism and community. In honoring tradition while being willing to challenge convention. In working hard, loving your people, supporting your neighbors, and getting out into the world to experience something new.

I believe in growing where you're planted, then inviting others in.

So, if you've been following Flown The Coop all these years, I hope you'll stick around.

Nothing about me is changing. I'm just putting my own name on the story.

There are still businesses to build, places to explore, gardens to plant, chickens to tend, people to meet, and a whole lot of life left to live.

Same woman. Same curiosity. Same cockeyed optimism.

Just a new name for the next chapter.

And after all these years, I'm still flying the coop whenever I get the chance.

— Tiffany

Rooted in tradition. Wired for possibility.