Shows
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow to Scale to 4 Hospitality Properties Without Raising Millions in Capital | Sam Degenhard E70What if there's a way to scale a hospitality portfolio without having to own the real estate? For operators looking to grow quickly without raising millions in equity or navigating complex bank financing, the OpCo-PropCo model offers a compelling alternative path.In this episode, you'll discover how to build a hospitality brand by leasing properties instead of buying them, command premium ADRs without real estate risk, and scale across multiple markets using the OpCo-PropCo model.An outdoor hospitality founder who operates campgrounds, backcountry lodges, and micro-hotels across Colorado, Arkansas, and California shares how he scaled...
2026-02-1055 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookThis 3-Step System Automated His Real Estate Business to 4 Hours a Month | Mark Podolsky E69Most investors think they're building a business, but they're actually building themselves a job. The truth? If you died tomorrow, your "business" would die with you.A real estate investor who scaled from 80-hour weeks to just 4 hours per month reveals the exact automation framework that freed him—and how to apply it to any real estate asset, including hotels.Mark Podolsky built a multi-million dollar land flipping operation, lost 50% of it in 2008, then rebuilt it into a passive income machine that runs without him. His approach isn't about working harder—it's about systematizing smarter.
2026-02-0334 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow Small Hotels Use Staff Content to Drive Direct Bookings | Scott Eddy E68Most hotel owners think the only way to reduce OTA dependency is to throw more money at Facebook ads or hire expensive marketing agencies. But the real solution isn't more budget, it's leveraging what you already have: authentic stories and staff who actually care about the guest experience.A hospitality marketing veteran who's advised VCs and built a 1.6 million social following reveals the direct booking playbook that independent hotels are using to reclaim revenue from OTAs. Scott Eddy has spoken at hundreds of conferences worldwide, doing the unexpected: giving away strategies that agencies charge thousands for.
2026-01-2751 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow an Ex-Space Force Engineer Bought a $2.45M Motel With 10% Down | Jordan Malara E67Most first-time motel buyers don't lose money on the purchase price. They lose it by underestimating CapEx, guessing on underwriting, and assuming they can "market" their way to higher occupancy. That's how people get smoked.In this episode, you'll learn a simple, real-world way to sanity-check a value-add motel deal, including what "light reno" actually costs per key and which levers really move ADR.My guest is Jordan Malara, an ex-Space Force engineer who went from managing short-term rentals to building a 60+ key hotel portfolio in just a few years. He's breaking down his first...
2026-01-201h 06
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow a Pilot Bought a $10M Hotel With Zero Hotel Experience | Curt Marker E66Think you need hotel operations experience to invest in boutique hotels? That belief may be the only thing standing between you and building serious commercial real estate wealth.In this episode, you'll discover how a Gulfstream pilot raised $1.5 million and became co-GP on a 130-room boutique hotel in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains - without managing a single employee or making a single bed.A private jet captain who flies billionaires by day reveals his exact framework for partnering on commercial deals, vetting operators, and bringing value to the table through capital raising and deal analysis...
2026-01-1355 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookAttorney Reveals Why Most Hotel Syndicators Are Breaking the Law | Bethany LaFlam E65Most first-time hotel syndicators are already breaking the rules; they just don't know it yet. If you've ever taken money from friends and family without the right structure, you may have accidentally sold securities. And if you're paying someone just to raise capital? That's another violation waiting to happen.In this episode, you'll learn exactly how to raise money for hotel deals without putting yourself or your investors at risk.A securities attorney who's structured hundreds of capital raises and lost $1 million on her own failed fund shares the hard lessons that transformed how she...
2026-01-061h 00
The Hotel Investor PlaybookStop Treating Your Front Desk Like An Expense. It's A Profit Center | Geoffrey Toffetti E64Stop treating your front desk like an expense; it's costing you hundreds of thousands in property value. The biggest mistake boutique hotel owners make isn't about the property itself. It's ignoring the untapped revenue sitting right at your check-in counter.In this episode, you'll discover how to turn your front desk into a profit center that can add 5% to your bottom line and potentially $500,000 to your hotel's valuation.A hospitality revenue expert who helped pioneer the car rental upsell model and has spent 25+ years turning frontline employees into sales engines joins us to break down...
2025-12-3040 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookWhy Most Investors Never Buy Their First Hotel (And How You Actually Can) | Brian Resendez E63Why do so many people dream about buying a hotel but never actually close one?In this episode, Michael sits down with Brian Resendez, CEO of SVN Northwest Hotel Advisors. Brian has been involved in hundreds of hotel transactions across the Pacific Northwest and brings rare insight into what separates buyers who close deals from buyers who stall out.You will learn: • The real reasons most buyers never get their first deal • How successful investors overcome fear, uncertainty, and inexperience • Why third-party management opens the door to bigger and better hotels
2025-12-2346 min
MhChem Chemistry with Dr. Michael RussellGetting Started in Chemistry with Dr. Russell! (Winter 2026 Version)Welcome! This is a video to help students get started in Dr. Russell’s chemistry classes at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, USA. (Winter 2026 Version)
Website: https://mhchem.org
Let me know if you have any questions! Peace!
2025-12-2224 minMhChem Chemistry with Dr. Michael RussellWelcome to Chemistry 222!Welcome to Chemistry 222 with Dr. Michael Russell!
2025-12-2203 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookGlobal Resort Design CEO: Stop Wasting Capex on the Wrong “Upgrades” | Scott LaMont E62Boutique hotel investors often lose money in the same place: they renovate what’s visible, and ignore what actually drives guest behavior.In this episode, we talk about design as a business tool, not a decoration budget. The goal is simple: create a guest experience that feels intentional, sells itself, and supports your NOI, even when you’re operating without brand-level resources.My guest is Scott LaMont, CEO of EDSA, a globally recognized design and planning firm. Scott and his team work on hospitality projects worldwide, from master planning new destinations to repositioning existing resorts.
2025-12-1649 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookThe 3 Distress Signals That Make the Next 12 Months a Buyer’s Market | Suraj Bhakta E61Is now a terrible time to buy a hotel, or the best buying window you will get this decade?In this episode, Michael sits down with Suraj Bhakta, CEO of NewGen Advisory, a national hotel brokerage that has closed deals in 44 states. Suraj explains what he is actually seeing in today’s market, from the SBA shutdown fallout to the quiet distress building under the surface.In this conversation, you will learn:Why are the 2021–2022 performance numbers misleading so many sellers and buyersWhere distress is most likely to show up first, and how to spot...
2025-12-0942 min
The Hotel Investor Playbook7 AI Tools To Help You Buy and Operate Hotels (With No Staff and No Time) | Jake Heller E60Click here to start your free 7-day trial of the AI for CRE Collective.Most boutique hotel investors are running lean. No analyst team. No data department. No six-figure tech budget. Yet the demands of buying and operating hotels keep getting heavier.In this episode, I sit down with Jake Heller, founder of the AI for CRE Collective, to break down the most effective AI tools that give small operators the firepower of a full investment team without hiring more staff or burning more hours.We workshop real tools you can start...
2025-12-0259 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookThe Private Island Resort Built With Sweat, Not Millions | Odis Martin E59Turning an international hospitality dream into reality sounds exciting, until you’re standing on a swampy patch of land in Belize, wondering how many years it will take to shape it into something guests will love.That’s where today’s guest, Odis Martin, began. He and his wife spent nearly a decade transforming a remote island into Sindiri on the Reef, a private eco lodge built without outside investors and rebuilt multiple times after hurricanes. Odis and his wife went from small US multifamily to hand digging a swampy island, navigating Belize regulations, rebuilding after h...
2025-11-2541 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow to Get Brokers to Send You Deals | Hunter Johnson E58Most hotel investors struggle to get brokers to take them seriously. The result is the same handful of buyers getting the first look at every good deal while everyone else fights over leftovers.In this episode, Michael sits down with Hunter Johnson, President of Investment Sales at US Hotel Advisors, to break down how brokers actually decide who gets deal flow. Hunter shares what he looks for in a real buyer, what turns him off immediately, and the simple behaviors that make brokers want to send you deals before they ever hit the market.
2025-11-1847 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookThe Husband and Wife Duo that Scaled from 5 Airbnbs to 2 Boutique Hotels (Without Burning Out) | E57Want to know what it’s like to go from short-term rentals to owning boutique hotels while still maintaining a healthy relationship?This week on the Hotel Investor Playbook, Michael Russell sits down with Mitch Ehly and Katie Wanzer, the husband-and-wife duo behind Fresh Coast Motel and Spruce & Shore Motel in Door County, Wisconsin.They share how they scaled from Airbnbs to a full-fledged hospitality brand, revived two historic motels, and used automation to stay profitable without losing the guest touch.You’ll learn how they:Transitioned from STRs to hotels (and what...
2025-11-1147 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHotel Technology You Can Install To Boost NOI | Sue Graves E56Looking for hotel technology that can actually increase profit and reduce expenses without hiring an IT department?This week on the Hotel Investor Playbook, Michael Russell sits down with Sue Graves, founder of Experience Alive, who has spent over 30 years in hospitality and now helps hotel owners implement practical, affordable tech solutions that make a real financial impact.In this episode, you’ll discover several technology use cases you can implement today, including:Offload up to 50% of front desk calls through conversational AIUse delivery robots to run leaner night shifts and boost service speedTrack li...
2025-11-0443 min
Across the LochAcross the Loch Episode 14 - 1st November 20252025 sees the 50th anniversary of the opening of Kilmodan Primary School in the Clachan of Glendaruel , in Argyll, Scotland. This brought together two small primary schools in the ColGlen area. In the view of one of the contributors to this special episode of the local podcast for Colintraive and Glendaruel this also helped bring the two neighbouring communities together, a process which was accelerated in 2010 when Argyll and Bute Council tried to close the school along with 26 others. Kirsty and Michael hear from one of the first pupils in the new school who was also active in opposing the...
2025-11-0141 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow to Replace a Six-Figure Job with Boutique Hotel Investing | Tim Ensmann E55Ever dreamed of quitting your six-figure job to build real wealth through hotels? This episode shows you what it actually takes.Tim Ensmann, founder of the T.C. Hotel Fund, shares how he went from tech sales to owning a multi-million-dollar boutique hotel portfolio in under five years. He reveals the sacrifices, systems, and strategies behind turning a $1.5M property into a $4.5M success story. He then shares how you can follow the same path without losing your sanity.You’ll learn:The real moment he knew he couldn’t stay in corporate anymoreHow he u...
2025-10-2850 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookReal Estate Syndications 101: How Investors and Operators Actually Get Paid | Michael Russell E54Ever wonder where the money actually goes in a hotel deal?In this episode, Michael Russell breaks down real estate syndications in plain English. How investors and operators really get paid, what fees are fair, and how to structure deals that build long-term trust.Whether you’re looking to raise capital for your first project or invest passively, this is the playbook for understanding the math behind every syndication.You’ll learn:The simple breakdown between LPs and GPs and how each gets paidHow preferred returns, profit splits, and waterfalls actually workThe most overlooked risk in s...
2025-10-2124 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookWhat It Really Takes to Buy Your First Hotel in 90 Days | Jacobo Hernandez E53When most people say they want to buy a hotel, it’s just talk.Jacobo Hernandez sold his entire $10M short-term rental portfolio, packed his car, and hit the road for 90 days to find one.He toured 35 hotels, underwrote 2,000 deals, and slept in random motels across the U.S. before discovering a hidden gem, a 59-room hotel on 10 acres in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for just $1.2 million.Now he’s turning it into Forest Springs Hotel & Spa, a wellness-focused retreat with saunas, cold plunges, and outdoor cinemas funded by investors who believed in his visi...
2025-10-1454 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookBuilding a Lifestyle Hotel Brand in Costa Rica | Bill Graf E52We’ve all dreamt of quitting our bland corporate jobs to buy a hotel in Costa Rica… well, today’s guest did that.After leaving a private equity career in San Francisco, Bill Graf traded suits for surf towns and founded Onda, a hospitality brand in Costa Rica that blends the style of a boutique hotel with the social energy of a hostel.You’ll learn:How to uncover hidden opportunities in small hotels that big players ignoreWhat U.S. investors should know about buying real estate in Costa RicaHis unique strategy for keeping his prop...
2025-10-0758 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookThe “Hotel Guru” on Where to Invest Next & How to Fund Deals | Bob Rauch E51The hotel industry is changing: costs are rising, AI is here, and investors are getting more selective.This week on the Hotel Investor Playbook, we sat down with Bob Rauch, better known as The Hotel Guru. From starting out as a dishwasher to building and selling a 20-hotel management company, then launching Brick Hospitality and managing nearly 1,000 rooms, Bob has seen it all.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to spot hot markets (and avoid the ones that eat your profits)The truth about using robots and AI inside hotelsThe 4 core skills Bob be...
2025-09-3057 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookWhy 2026 Looks Rocky for U.S. Hotels And Where Smart Investors Can Hit Big | Jan Freitag E50Where is the hotel market headed in 2026, and how can investors succeed in a challenging environment?This week on the Hotel Investor Playbook, we sat down with Jan Freitag, National Director of Hospitality Analytics at CoStar. With over 30 years of experience analyzing hotel performance data, Jan is one of the most respected voices in the industry.Here’s what you’ll learn:How to use data and analytics to spot opportunities others overlookWhy conviction and strong operations can outperform market averagesHow investors can protect margins as costs continue to riseWhy the sub-$10M space stay...
2025-09-2346 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookHow to Craft a Hotel People Will Actually Remember | Bashar Wali E49The most powerful part of a hotel stay isn’t the design or the amenities, it’s the feeling guests take home.That’s the philosophy of Bashar Wali, one of the most candid and creative voices in hospitality, who's spent 30+ years building, operating, and reinventing hotels around the world.In this episode of the Hotel Investor Playbook, Bashar shares:Why “give-a-shit-ability” beats corporate playbooksThe power of emotional intelligence in hotel teamsThe biggest mistakes first-time owners makeThe difference between the three types of hotel deals (core, value-add, and opportunistic)Bashar doesn’t hold back. Whethe...
2025-09-161h 03
Divorce, Healthy!Divorce in the Workforce: A Refined HR Approach with Attorney Ashley-Nicole Russel and Attorney Ashley MichaelThis episode of Divorce, Healthy! features Attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell and her business partner Attorney Ashley Michael. They discuss the profound impact of divorce, not only on the immediate family but also on co-workers, employers, friends, and the broader community. They emphasize that divorce can change how people approach the world, both individually and as a community.They advocate for a better way forward in divorce and conflict resolution, drawing on their personal and professional experiences in collaborative family law. They aim to shift the conversation around divorce by providing insights into the culture of conflict and its...
2025-09-1039 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookWhat Makes a Hotel Succeed or Fail? | Naveed Khan E48How do you turn a struggling hotel into a profitable asset?This week on the Hotel Investor Playbook, we sit down with Naveed Khan, co-founder of London Rock Partners, a hotel management and advisory firm that oversees everything from branded hotels like Holiday Inn to boutique independents and even a 650-bed hostel in London.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why the first step in turning around a hotel always starts with people, not P&LsThe advantages (and risks) of branded vs. independent hotels for investorsHow management companies can become a true partner in va...
2025-09-0949 min
The Hotel Investor PlaybookFrom CEO of Days Inn to Launching Marriott’s Autograph Collection | Richard Kessler E47Few people have left a mark on hospitality like Richard Kessler.He started his hospitality career by helping scale Days Inn into a household name as the early CEOThen he founded the Kessler Collection, one of the leading boutique hotel portfolios in the U.S., which ultimately helped launch Marriott’s Autograph Collection.In this episode, Richard shares the biggest lessons from his 50-year career, including: • How to lead through downturns and find opportunity in distress • Why reputation as an operator attracts financing and partners • The role of vision, tea...
2025-09-021h 06