Terriers InBiz is a series that highlights Boston University alumni who have been innovative leaders in their field and have played a significant role in businesses, locally or globally.
After graduating from Boston University’s School of Law in 2006, Cliff Johnson searched for a field more fulfilling than simple tax law. A few years later, he found himself working with colleague Eric Breon to found a Portland-based startup, Vacasa. The company is now the second-largest vacation rental management company in the United States, and has grown from two to more than 1,300 employees.
Throughout all of the success, Johnson, the co-founder and chief development officer at Vacasa, has prided himself on growing a large, multilayered company with a relatively “anti-corporate” attitude.
“We always had a lot of pride in the fact that we had bootstrapped the company,” Johnson said. He and Breon built the company from the ground up, without external investments.
Throughout the company’s early stages, Johnson explained, he not only managed the business, but also served as the company’s emergency contact and as a cleaning service. He recalled cleaning toilet bowls and removing rodents from homes before they were occupied, as well as receiving late-night calls from guests.
“With employees, I love to go out and clean with them still so they see that I appreciate what they’re doing and I know it’s hard work,” Johnson said.
The work ethic came largely from his upbringing, he said.
“I grew up on a farm [in Missouri] so nothing phased me,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t ever afraid of working hard.”
Johnson stayed in Missouri to attend Drury University, as an engineering major on a theater scholarship. After changing over to advertising, Johnson went on to attend law school at BU. He noted memorable BU professors Jay Wexler and Susan Akram.
A true turning point for Johnson was his experience traveling to Cambodia with BU’s Public Interest Project, “a student-run organization whose mission is to foster a commitment to non-profit, government, and pro bono work,” according to its website.
“One of my best pieces of advice for anyone going through school, or recent grads, is to just figure out what you love,” Johnson said.
In Cambodia, he found his interest in social justice.
“I found more by volunteering my time as an attorney than I have in the legal career that I had prior to Vacasa,” Johnson said.
Now, years later, Johnson works with Vacasa to combine this same love for social justice with his interest in law and business.
“We’re able to make social statements and progress through the policies of our business,” Johnson said. He explained he was always interested in using the law to solve real problems, but law often moves much slower than business in terms of enacting change and progress.
Johnson pointed out that a notable progressive policy at Vacasa is the company-wide minimum wage of $15 per hour.
“We have a lot of entry-level employees who are able to start a career with us at a living wage,” Johnson said. He said he believes the federal minimum wage is too low.
“There’s a type of person we hire at Vacasa,” Johnson said. “Somebody that cares about more than himself and about more than making money.”
As Vacasa continues to expand, Johnson said he is excited about expanding to locations like Cambodia. Since launching in 2009, Vacasa has grown from three properties in Oregon to several properties throughout the United States, Italy, Spain, Chile, Costa Rica and Belize, Sarah Tatone, the director of public relations at Vacasa, wrote in an email.
With exponential growth on the horizon, Johnson has remained true to the grass root values that Vacasa was built on.
“[The expansion is] not gonna drive the revenue growth of the business, but it’s gonna introduce more really great careers for people in a place where it’s hard to find a great career,” Johnson said. “I think one of the things we can do as a business is try to dispel rumors or stereotypes about countries all over the world and really encourage people to explore these places.”
Johnson received the BU School of Law’s Young Lawyer’s Chair award during the Annual Silver Shingle Awards Gala on Oct. 1. He was congratulated for his success within 10 years of graduation. During his acceptance speech, Johnson spoke about the significance of his company.
“We’re providing vacation rental experiences, but what we’re really doing is creating memories for people every day and creating careers for people,” he told the crowd. “That’s what’s really inspiring, and that’s what gets me into work each day.”
A previous version of this story stated Vacasa was launched in 2010 rather than in 2009. This correction is reflected in the story above. We regret the error.