Shows
Behind the StaysWe've Got a HUGE Announcement — Sponstayneous is Now "StayWatch"I’ve got a huge confession to make…
Something I’ve never admitted publicly before…EVER.
Behind the Stays' parent company's name, Sponstayneous, sucks.
No one can say it right. We’ve been called everything from “spoon stayneous” to “spontaneously.”
I’ve fought this so hard, but today, I’m here with my white flag.
So, I’m here with exciting news — as of today, Sponstayneous is now StayWatch!
StayWatch brings you the best deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com that match your travel preferences.
Planning a beach trip? Cr...2024-07-0821 minBehind the StaysHow He's Building a No-Fee Booking Platform for Vacation Rentals: Stories, Ideas, and Hot Takes with Eric GoldreyerMeet Eric Goldreyer, a legend in the world of travel and hospitality. Eric is the founder of bedandbreakfast.com, a platform he launched in the late '90s that revolutionized the bed and breakfast industry by bringing it online.
At a time when most innkeepers relied on guidebooks and phone calls, Eric saw the potential of the internet and created the largest database of B&Bs in North America.
Eric’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t stop there. After selling bedandbreakfast.com and later reacquiring it, he sold it again to HomeAway. He then turned his atte...2024-07-021h 11Behind the StaysExploring the Huge Potential of Hostels: How They're Bridging Affordability and Experiential Hospitality in Hawaii (And Beyond)Meet Nathan and Michael, the founders of Howzit Hostels, who are revolutionizing the hostel experience in Hawaii today, and across the rest of the US tomorrow.
Nathan and Michael, broadcasting live from the beautiful island of Maui, share their journey from real estate sales to creating upscale hostels that blend affordability with a boutique hotel feel. They dive into the origins of their business, explaining how the local greeting "Howzit" inspired their brand name and how an unexpected listing led them to explore the untapped potential of hostels in the U.S.
Nathan, Michael, and...2024-06-2852 minBehind the StaysWhere to Build (or Buy) Your Next Unique Stay: Trends, Insights, and Data with Jamie Lane from AirDNAIn this episode, we welcome back Jamie Lane, SVP of Research at AirDNA, to discuss the booming trend of unique stays in the hospitality industry.
Over the past few years, the demand for unique stays—think A-frames, yurts, and treehouses—has skyrocketed. Jamie and I delve into the data behind this trend, exploring how travelers' preferences have shifted towards distinctive and memorable accommodations and the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to break into this niche market.
Jamie and I discuss:
Just how many unique stays exist on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo
How the n...2024-06-2557 minBehind the StaysCrafting Consistent Luxury: Omar Boubess on Boutique Hotels and Unique STR BrandingMeet Omar Boubess, Creative Director at Studio Circa, a luxury branding agency that works with boutique hotels and unique collections of STRs.
Growing up, Omar wanted to be a National Geographic photographer — or a soccer player — depending on the day you asked him.
And, while neither dream quite came to fruition, Omar did pursue his creative interests and wound up finding a love for developing unique and novel brands in travel and hospitality.
In this episode, Omar and I discuss:
The importance of consistency in brand story and identity across all guest touc...2024-06-211h 03Behind the StaysFrom Family Gap Year to Glamping Pioneers: How a 14,000-Mile Bus Trip Changed Their LivesMeet Ruth Wimpory — the entrepreneur behind Skoolie Stays and The Vacationist, two of the UK’s favorite off-grid escapes.
In 2019, Ruth and her husband, Guy, along with their two young children, decided to take a year off from their “normal” lives in Brighton in the UK, to embark on an adventurous year-long journey across the United States in a converted school bus.
What started as a quest for a new perspective and family bonding turned into a 14,000-mile odyssey through national parks, homeschooling on the road, and navigating the unexpected challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tune...2024-06-1851 minBehind the StaysFrom Video Game Designer to Travel Tech Entrepreneur: Philip Kennard on The "Rentalpreneur" RevolutionMeet Philip Kennard — Founder and CEO of Futurestay.
Growing up, Philip loved video games. And for Philip, video games were about so much more than the playing experience…he loved the art, the logic, and the business behind creating worlds.
This love sparked his entrepreneurial spirit and led him to work in game development for Sega, one of the world’s leading game design companies, and, eventually, would lead to the founding of FutureStay.
In this conversation, Philip and I explore the evolution of the vacation rental market, discussing the critical role that small-sc...2024-06-141h 13Behind the StaysThe Future of Vacation Rentals: Annie Holcombe on OTAs, Loyalty Programs, and Industry ChallengesMeet Annie Holcombe, a seasoned hospitality industry expert with a passion for vacation rentals and an impressive track record at major travel tech companies.
Annie's journey in the vacation rental industry is nothing short of inspiring. Starting from property management, she moved on to pivotal roles at Expedia and Homes and Villas by Marriott, gaining invaluable insights into the world of travel and hospitality.
In this episode, Annie dives into the current state of the industry, emphasizing the importance of standardization and safety in vacation rentals. She shares her thoughts on how new entrants can...2024-06-111h 05Behind the StaysHow they Built a Luxury A-Frame in the Highest Incorporated Town in North AmericaMeet Yvonna and Darren Grandfield, a dynamic duo who’ve turned their passion for real estate into a thriving business of unique and stunning short-term rentals.
Growing up, Yvonna and Darren never imagined they’d one day be the proud owners of a collection of charming properties, but a chance encounter at an Ace Hardware store set them on a path they couldn’t have anticipated — who’d a thought they’d date, start a business, and then ultimately get married and have kids together?!
In this episode, Yvonna and Darren share the story of their first ren...2024-06-0758 minBehind the StaysBuilding Magical Stays: The Surprising Success of Thematic Vacation RentalsMeet Josh Luttrell, the innovative entrepreneur behind Home Theme Orlando, a company transforming vacation rentals into immersive themed experiences.
As a kid, Josh dreamed of being a basketball player, but life had other plans. However, he took his competitive spirit and he channeled it into real estate, eventually carving out a niche in Orlando's short -term rental market by creating uniquely themed homes.
From Marvel superheroes to Disney princesses, Josh's properties are designed to captivate and delight, ensuring unforgettable stays for families visiting the magic of Disney.
In this episode, Josh and Zach...2024-06-0455 minBehind the StaysHow He's Building the Kayak.com for Outdoor TravelMeet Cody Watson, the entrepreneur behind Explorely, a groundbreaking platform poised to revolutionize outdoor travel planning and experiences.
Growing up, Cody dreamed of being an inventor. And while he didn't end up creating the next big gadget, he did channel that inventive spirit into the entrepreneurial world, ultimately founding Explorely — a platform designed to be the Kayak.com for outdoor travel.
Explorely simplifies the often fragmented process of finding and booking RV rentals, campsites, and glamping spots.
In this episode, Cody and I discuss:
The inspiration behind Explorally and how it evolved from...2024-05-2858 minBehind the StaysHow They're Designing the Ultimate Group Getaway: The Story of Nova Haus Meet Tyler Jordan, the co-founder of Nova Haus —a ground-breaking hospitality brand that's redefining luxury stays for larger groups and corporate retreats.
Tyler and his business partner, Martin Papp, are on a mission to create the ultimate group getaway experience. Think luxury villas equipped with everything from gyms and saunas to podcast recording studios and content creation rooms, all set in breathtaking locations like Costa Rica.
In our conversation, Tyler shares the fascinating story of how personal experiences and a gap in the market led to the birth of Nova House.
We dive deep...2024-05-241h 02Behind the StaysHow He Created the UK's Most Popular Glamping Site — The Story Behind Secret Garden GlampingMeet Derry Green — the creator and visionary behind The Secret Garden Glamping — the UK's most booked, most wished-listed, and most viewed glamping site with a 2+ year waiting list.
Derry has always loved the outdoors – growing up, he and his family were avid campers. Some of his childhood memories involved playing in the woods with his brother and sitting around the campfire telling stories.
When Covid hit, Derry and his children were, like most of us, stuck inside a lot. On one particular day when his kids were going a bit stir crazy, Derry asked if they wa...2024-04-3055 minBehind the StaysHow They Built a Micro Nature Resort in the White Mountains — The Story of LumenMeet Boris Mordkovich, who created Lumen Nature Retreat — a luxury waterfront glamping resort nestled in the heart of New Hampshite’s White Mountains — in partnership with his wife Susan.
The idea for Lumen was born while Boris and Susan traveled from Boston to Argentina over a 6-month road trip for an extended honeymoon. During this trip, their Toyota Land Cruiser car had a rooftop tent that allowed them to camp at some of the most spectacular places — from bush camping in the middle of the salt flats and next to volcanoes to little campgrounds and campsites all over Nor...2024-04-2651 minBehind the StaysFrom Potato Hotels to Hobbit Inns: How She Built the World's Most Famous AirbnbsMeet Kristie Wolfe — the entrepreneur and builder behind some of the world’s most famous Airbnbs including the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, The Big Island Treehouse, The Hobbit Inn, and several others.
Growing up, Kristie always wanted to do her own thing – she convinced her parents to let her drop out of high school because she felt like she could learn more about business outside of the classroom.
Kristie is a true creative — she gets an idea in her head and just has to execute it…even if, and arguably especially if, it doesn’t make sense t...2024-04-231h 00Behind the StaysHe's Building a Next Generation Glamping Company That Allows Everyone to Invest in the Hottest Trend in TravelMeet Nick Purslow, who is both the Co-Founder of Glampitect North America, an incredible educational and consulting resource for setting up a glamping site, and also the co-founder of a new start-up called Posh Outdoors, which supplies owners of iconic properties with high-end glamping units and backend support, at no up-front cost to the landowner, through an attractive revenue share model.
Growing up, Nick wanted to be a lawyer — but after graduating from university with a law degree he realized that being an entrepreneur would be a heck of a lot more fun and rewarding.
Ni...2024-04-1950 minBehind the Stays"Hotel Brands Won't Matter in 10 Years" — And Other Hot Hospitality Takes with Peter FaborMeet Peter Fabor, an entrepreneur building a portfolio of niche hospitality businesses from marketplaces to industry newsletters.
Peter is a product designer by trade and has spent his career working in and around hospitality and technology companies.
In this conversation, Peter shares hot takes he has on the relevancy (or lack therefor) of hotel brands over the next decade, how he built a marketplace for company off-sites and corporate retreats, why the best hospitality entrepreneurs can run both hotels and vacation rental portfolios, the future of loyalty programs in the travel industry, and so much mo...2024-04-1651 minBehind the StaysBuilding the Extraordinary: How to Design Getaways for the Next GenerationsMeet Louis Thompson — Founder and CEO of Nomadic Resorts, a consultancy that designs and builds some of the world’s most innovative and unique hotels and homes.
Growing up, Louis wanted to be a chef — and while he never pursued his culinary aspirations he did wind up designing some of the world’s most memorable restaurants.
In this conversation, Louis and I discuss how he thinks about designing luxury, unique stays, how he predicts short-term rental collections and hotel brands will partner in the coming years, the unique opportunities that exist in Europe to lease land from...2024-04-1254 minBehind the StaysSetting the AI Search Bar: How Homes & Villas by Marriott is Outpacing Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking at Reimagining the OTAMeet Nitin Sood, Vice President of Innovation at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy.
Nitin and his team launched the first AI-powered search experience of any travel site so I invited him to come on the show to talk about how they built the tool, how folks are engaging with the experience post-launch, and what they’ve got cooking up behind the scenes to improve the product.
Tune in to hear Nitin and I discuss:
How Marriott built their Search with AI tool
What they’ve learned since allowing users to craft a prompt rather than f...2024-04-0959 minBehind the StaysHow a Former Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Built a $1.5 Million Airbnb Co-Hosting Business in 12 MonthsMeet Cameron Weeks — a former coast guard rescue swimmer turned hospitality entrepreneur.
From a young age, Cameron dreamed of owning his own business — he used to listen to audio books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad with his father in the car when he was in elementary school.
After high school, Cameron enlisted in the coast guard and became a rescue swimmer — yes, like one of those guys who jump out of helicopters to save people stranded in the middle of the ocean.
In this conversation, Cameron shares his story of leaving the coast guard to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams...2024-04-0549 minBehind the StaysHe Dropped Out of School to Build a Short-Term Rental Portfolio — Here's What He's Learned So Far.In just a moment you’ll meet Antonio Bafia, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who dropped out of college to pursue his dream of building hospitality businesses.
Growing up, Antonio was a competitive hockey player — he dreamed of one day playing in the NHL. And while that dream never came to fruition, the discipline he learned playing hockey equipped him wonderfully for the exciting and taxing journey of being an entrepreneur.
In this episode, Antonio and I discuss:
how he built a portfolio of short-term rentals across the country in partnership with his dad
why he’s so bul...2024-04-0244 minBehind the StaysMeet the Muralist Who Transforms Ordinary Airbnbs into Extraordinary ExperiencesMeet Bella Linchenko, a muralist, STR investor, and creative finance community builder.
Growing up, Bella wanted to be a dog groomer…or an olympic gymnast…or both.
And while neither of those dreams panned out, she does get to apply her love of art, form, and problem solving to the work she gets to do each day.
In this conversation Bella and I discuss:
How murals can elevate the value of your STR
Why Bella started a creative financing community for women real estate investors
What she’s learned from h...2024-03-2946 minBehind the StaysHe's Building a Next-Generation Landscape Hotel in Public — Meet Oasi Hill CountryHowdy friends! In this episode Zach sits down with Ben Wolff, Co-Founder of Onera and Oasi — two of the most innovative brands in the experiential hospitality space.
Ben Wolff is an incredible entrepreneur who has built some of the world's most unique and social-media-famous Airbnbs — if you haven't checked at his work, it's time to change that.
In this episode, Ben announces his latest project, Oasi Hill Country, a $39 million luxury landscape resort that he's building in the Texas Hill Country.
Ben shares:
Why he's building Oasi Hill Country
Why he's building the res...2024-03-2639 minBehind the StaysSo, Was the Level Up Your Listing Summit Actually Worth It?One of the newest and hottest industry events, Level Up Your Listing, host by Natalie Palmer and Tatiana Taylor-Tait, just wrapped last week — and we wanted to know what people thought about the event!
In this episode, Zach sits down with Sage Nathan (Head of Partnerships at Minoan and a sponsor of the event), Tyann Marcink, an industry veteran and one of the most respected voices in vacation rental management, and Bella Linchenko, a designer and muralist who is new to short-term rental investing and made the decision to attend the event on a whim!
He...2024-03-2256 minBehind the StaysHere's Where Google Says You Should Buy Your Next AirbnbIn this episode, Zach explores what Google Trends says about where to buy or build your next unique Airbnb.
Zach shares fascinating insight into how search behavior for unique stays like treehouses, container homes, yurts, and A-frames has changed over time and where these searches for unique stays are most and least popular.
You're not going to want to miss this one folks!
This episode is brought to you by our friends at AirDNA
Want to see if a Treehouse resort in Dubai pencils? You can do so in AirDNA.
...2024-03-1930 minBehind the StaysHow Growing Up in the Amish Community Helped Him Become a Hospitality EntrepreneurMeet Elam King — founder and CEO of Kingly Vacation Renta;s, a collection of short-term rentals and soon to be motels located across Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Elam grew up in the Amish community and it was here that he learned the importance of discipline, hard work and craftsmanship.
After leaving the Amish community as a young adult, Elam began to learn everything he could about real estate investing.
Elam has a knack for dilapidated homes that others have looked over and being able to see how to transform a piece of crap into a pi...2024-03-1555 minBehind the StaysHe Left Banking to Become a Hospitality Entrepreneur — Here's What He's Learned Building a Collection of 100+ AirbnbsMeet Fred Boothby, Founder of Enjoy Unique Stays, a collection of 100 short-term rentals across Chattanooga, Michigan, North Carolina, and North Georgia.
Fred was a banker — it seemed like a safe and stable way to build a nice life for his family. But there was something about the “safe way” that never felt quite right to Fred.
One day he got a call from a friend who was looking for someone to help scale a landscaping business in Central Florida.
And while he didn’t know it at the time, that call would change the traje...2024-03-1348 minBehind the StaysFrom CIA Aspirant to Travel Entrepreneur: Why He's Building a Platform Where Airbnb Hosts Can Travel for FreeMeet Landon Wilkinson, Co-Founder of Hostshare — a new platform that enables short-term rental hosts to trade unbooked nights in exchange for free travel.
Growing up Landon wanted to be a spy — he went so far as to write a letter to the CIA asking them to recruit him …he even had a code name which you’ll hear about shortly!
And while Landon never wound up pursuing a career in espionage, the boldness he had as a child has followed him along his journey of becoming an entrepreneur.
In this episode, Landon shares:
Where...2024-03-0841 min
SmartStay Show - Short Term Rental Counsel + Coaching | Airbnb Hosting TipsWhy UNIQUE Airbnb Stays Are the New Standard for Travelers | Zach BusekrusToday we're joined by a special guest, Zach Busekrus, the founder of Sponstayneous, the internet's best place for travelers to uncover amazing last-minute Airbnb deals.As the host of the popular podcast and YouTube channel "Behind the Stays, " Zach features the stories behind the next-generation of hospitality entrepreneurs. He has welcomed hundreds of guests and built a loyal following through his insightful conversations.In this conversation, we are excited to share Zach's experiences and perspectives on trends in the short-term rental industry, notably highlighting trends in unique Airbnb experiences...2024-03-051h 00Behind the StaysHans Lorei on Building an Instagram Audience from 0 to 100k in 100 DaysWhat’s up friends got a special episode for y’all today featuring my friend Hans Lorei one of the best if not THE BEST designer in the short-term rental space.
While I am a real sucker for the traditional, interview syle pod, I also know that sometimes you need content that is short, sweet, and super practical.
So, once or twice a month, I’ll be dropping episodes on the pod that are slightly more tactical.
Each of these episodes will featuring an industry expert andbe just 10-20 minutes in length.
In this e...2024-03-0531 minBehind the StaysHe Buys RV Parks: Predictions on the Future of Camping and Outdoor HospitalityMeet Matt Whitermore, a hospitality entrepreneur who buys, builds, and manages RV parks.
In this engaging conversation, Matt shares how he got started buying RV parks and why he believes there’s huge opportunity to disrupt and reimagine this category of travel and real estate investment.
Tune in to hear:
- The lessons Matt learned after buying his first RV park
- How he see experiential hospitality and RV parks intersecting in the near future
- Why camping is getting younger and cooler and the opportunity this presents for folk...2024-03-0145 minBehind the Stays5 Ways OpenAI's Sora Will Revolutionize Hospitality EntrepreneurshipIn this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach shares five tangible and tactical ideas for how OpenAI's new Sora model will fundamentally change hospitality entrepreneurship.
Sora is an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions.
Sora is able to generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background. The model understands not only what the user has asked for in the prompt, but also how those things exist in the physical world.
See Sora in action here.
T...2024-02-2021 minBehind the StaysHow They Built a Cabin Collection That Landed in Vogue — The Story of North Country Cabin Co.Meet Stephanie Gutierrez, the creator of North Country Cabin Co. — a boutique collection of short-term rentals located just 90 minutes from Minnesota's twin cities in Comstock, Wisconsin.
Growing up, Stephanie wanted to be an artist — her grandmother had an incredible eye for art and design and Stephanie dreamed of emulating her.
And while she didn’t become a professional artist, her knack for creativity would wind up leading her to launch a boutique hospitality company in partnership with her husband Eric.
In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss:
How and why she and Eric go...2024-02-1641 minBehind the StaysSo, Was the STR Wealth Conference Worth It? Here's What This Year's Attendees ThoughtOne of the newest and hottest industry events, STR Wealth Con, just wrapped last week — and we wanted to know what people thought about the event!
In this episode, Zach sits down with Wil Slickers (emcee of the event), Sean Wilkinson (Co-Founder of Hostshare and first-time conferences attendee), and Heidie Henriksen ( a vacation rental industry veteran, to get their thoughts on the content, the community, and the networking at the event.
Let us know what you thought of the event by joining the conversation on LinkedIn!
This episode is brought to you by our...2024-02-1358 minBehind the StaysBuilding the Prequel to Airbnb: Jeremy Gall on the Story of Flipkey and the Foundation of BreezewayMeet Jeremy Gall, Founder & CEO of Breezeway — the leading property care, operations and messaging platform for hospitality entrepreneurs.
Growing up, Jermey wanted to be a professional basketball player. And while he never made it into the NBA, he did make it into Law School.
But Jeremy’s professional career as an attorney wouldn’t last long because he was bit by that sneaky, but ever so enticing, entrepreneurial bug.
Tune into hear the exciting story of how Jeremy co-founded and built Flipkey, the first online marketplace for vacation rentals, which was ultimately acquired by Trip...2024-02-091h 00Behind the StaysShe Wanted to Be a Cat, a Vet, or an Anesthesiologist — So, Naturally, She Got into Vacation RentalsMeet Meaghan Moylan, Executive Director of Outpost — a Vacation Rental and Property Management company located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
If you were to have asked Meaghan what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have told you a cat, a veterinarian, a nurse, or a lawyer — depending on whether she was 3, 10, 15, or 18.
As fate would have it, Meaghan did not become any of the aforementioned and, after graduating from college with a degree in public relations, decided she was going to move to Thailand to teach English. One night at a bonfire she was...2024-02-0655 minBehind the StaysMarriott’s Venture into Vacation Rentals: The Story Behind Launching Homes & VillasMeet Chris Stephenson, Vice President of Global Development at Marriott Homes & Villas.
Chris has spent his career building new, innovative products and services across travel and hospitality.
In February of 2019, Chris was a part of the founding team of Marriott Homes & Villas and in charge of thinking through how best to bring Marriott’s vacation rental home product to life.
In this episode, Chris and I discuss:
What it’s like incubating a new product offering within a legacy business
Why Marriott Homes & Villas has had a different business model from Airbnb since...2024-02-0244 minBehind the StaysHow She Designed a Luxury Haven in the Blue Ridge Mountains That Got Wander's AttentionMeet Taylor Bates, the creator of The Afton House — a stunning, luxury home made for gathering and nestled in the heart of Virginia wine country.
Growing up, Taylor wanted to be an architect or a Fortune 500 CEO — she’s always loved the intersection of marketing, design, and business.
After working in a few marketing management and nonprofit leadership roles, Taylor wound up starting her own boutique interior design firm focusing on residential and commercial projects.
And it was around this time when the idea of building a luxury short-term rental that was conducive to mult...2024-01-3045 minBehind the StaysHe Dreamed of Being a Farmer, But Wound Up An Entrepreneur: The Story of Back Forty GlampingMeet Scott McIntosh, Co-Founder of Back Forty Glamping, a luxurious glamping oasis on 26 acres of land in Meaford, Ontario.
Growing up, Scott wanted to be a farmer — he loved being outdoors and the notion that you could make a life from tilling fields and harvesting crops was incredibly attractive to him.
And while Scott wound up pursuing a career as an educator instead, a few years ago he and his brother Ben had an idea which would enable Scott to trade the classroom for the great outdoors…
And that idea? Well, it was to buil...2024-01-2648 minBehind the StaysHow He's Reimagining Outdoor Hospitality Through the Restoration of 970 acres of Texas Hill CountryMeet Dylan Barahona, General Manager at Canyon of the Eagles, a nature resort and preserve on 940 acres of land, located just 1.5 Hours from Austin, Texas.
If you were to have asked Dylan at ten-years-old what he wanted to be when he grew up, he’d tell you either a professional baseball player or a chef.
And while neither of those dreams quite panned out, the latter, dream set him on path to pursue a career in hospitality, and, over the last decade, Dylan has become a highly-regarded and respect voice in outdoor hospitality.
In t...2024-01-2342 minBehind the StaysHow They're Building the Hottest New Tiny Home: The Story of ÖÖD Mirror HouseMeet Antonio Gonzalez, President of ÖÖD House — the company behind the instagram famous mirror houses.
Antonio is an engineer by trade, but always had a heart for entrepreneurship…
So, when the opportunity to co-found Jupe along with past-podcast guest Jeff Wilson and take it through Y Combinator, the world’s most prestigious of startup accelerators, came about, he took it.
Antonio learned SO much from the accelerator where the Airbnb founders also graduated from and had an incredible couple of years at Jupe before realizing that his heart was really in hospitality.
Tune i...2024-01-1950 minBehind the StaysFrom Music Producer to Hospitality Entrepreneur: The Story of Cameron Ranch GlampingMeet Garett Brown, the visionary and creator behind Cameron Ranch Glamping, a collection of luxury glamping units on 11 acres just an hour outside of Houston, Texas.
Garrett is a professional music producer and traveling DJ who has always loved dabbling in real estate investing. When he wasn’t performing on stage or out on a tour, he’d find himself scrolling through listings dreaming of what it’d be like to build his own portfolio of homes.
He wanted to learn more about real estate so he decided to get his real estate license so he could...2024-01-1649 minBehind the StaysMeet the 19-Year-Old Who Builds (and Buys) Unique StaysMeet Brett Deas, a 19-year-old entrepreneur who owns and operates unique stay vacation rentals across the U.S.
While his high school buddies were scrolling through TikTok before school and playing video games afterwards, Brett was binging Bigger Pockets podcasts to understand the world of real estate investing.
After graduating from high school, Brett decided to try his hand at real estate investing and entrepreneurship before pursuing a college degree. And so far? That decision is paying off dividends.
In this episode, you’ll hear the story behind how Brett raised capital to both...2024-01-1255 minBehind the StaysThe New Era of Exploration: How Today’s Travelers Think About Loyalty, Independent Hotels, and Experiential StaysMeet Mollie Reese, the host of the popular Stay in Good Company podcast and an experienced community builder who has spent her career working with leading brands across the the food & beverage and events & hospitality industries.
Having recently left the world of corporate burnout and the hustle and bustle of city-living behind for a slower way of life, Mollie set out to pursue personal passions in travel.
Throughout her journey, she is in search for authentic stories to share, curious about different cultural experiences, and inspired to curate a community who, like her, seeks to b...2024-01-0951 minBehind the StaysHow He Built the Uber for STR Cleaning: The Story of TurnoMeet Assaf Karmon, Co-founder & CEO of Turno — a marketplace that helps vacation rental hosts and property management companies simplify and automate cleaning.
Assaf was born and raised in Israel and as a kid his dream was to be a professional soccer player.
And while that dream never came to fruition, in part because Assaf spent most of his early sports career sitting on the bench, the determination, boldness, and focus he garnered as a child trying to level up his game, has enable him to become the entrepreneur he is today.
In this ep...2024-01-0546 minBehind the StaysHow They Transformed a 100-Year-Old Beach House into a Chic Airbnb (And Booked it Fully in Just 11 Days)Meet Jake and Leslie, the creators of the Lighthouse Cottage, an oceanfront escape in Cape May, New Jersey.
Jake and Leslie had always dreamed of owning a beach house, but acquiring a property in the competitive Cape May market seemed out of reach.
That is until one day Leslie was scrolling on Zillow and noticed a new listing for a 100 year old property located right on the beach.
The home clearly needed a lot of work but something about its character spoke to Leslie…and within hours she had called the realtor, packed the...2024-01-0255 minBehind the StaysReflections and Ideas on Leadership, Branding, and Innovating from Best Western’s Former CEOMeet Rob Patterson, an incredible hospitality leader whose most recent post was as the CEO of Best Western in the United Kingdom.
Rob grew up in a very remote town in the country of Australia. Growing up, Rob dreamed of becoming a professional footballer — so much so that when an opportunity to move to Sydney to pursue his dream came to fruition, he left home without thinking twice.
And while he never wound up playing football professionally, Rob did stumble into another profession while living in the big city — and that profession, well, you guessed it fol...2023-12-1952 minBehind the StaysHow to Merge Luxury, Sustainability, and MICHELIN-Star Experiences — The Story of the Kabn CompanyMeet Amber and Charlie Pledge — the founders of Kabn Company, a new hospitality brand focused on creating luxurious, and sustainable nature-immersed escapes.
Amber and Charlie have always loved to travel. The couple has been fortunate enough to live and work in major hubs of innovation like London, San Francisco, and Dubai.
And while Amber and Charlie both love working hard, climbing the corporate ladder just started to feel, well, a bit unfulfilling.
Tune in to hear the story behind how this couple left their day jobs to go and build their first two esc...2023-12-1551 minBehind the StaysHe Worked in Luxury Hotels for 20 Years — Now He’s Building the Future of Experiential TravelMeet Steve Turk — a decorated professional who has spent over two decades working in luxury hospitality.
Steve’s father was a susccessful attorney. From time to time, his dad would bring him along on work travel and Steve remembers being in total awe at the hotels he and his dad would stay in.
There was something so magical about walking into an ordnately decorated hotel lobby and being greeted as if you were some kind of royalty that left a significant impression on Steve.
As Steve began thinking about what he wanted to do w...2023-12-1252 minBehind the StaysThey Sold Their Auto Body Shop — Then Built the Country’s Most Wish-Listed Summer Escape on AirbnbMeet Ashley and Andy — the creators of The Glass Treehouse, a stunning couple’s stay in Banner Elk, North Carolina close to downtown Boone.
Andy is a mechanic by trade. After spending years working in the airline industry, he decided to open up his own auto body shop in Charlotte, North Carolina. While Ashely and Andy loved the benefits that came with owning a small business, the couple dreamed of one day leaving Charlotte to move to the mountains.
One day while scrolling through Zillow, Andy stumbled upon a house that had been on the market...2023-12-0845 minBehind the StaysWinter Housekeeping: Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays in 2024You've been asking what we've got planed for 2024 — so here's a sneak peak!
I'm calling this episode our "Winter Housekeeping" pod so if you’re just here for the guests I bring onto the show and don’t care too much about what we’re building at Sponstayneous or the community we’re cultivating through Behind the Stays, I am not offended, just ignore these episodes when they pop-up into your feed.
But, if you ARE cheering us on and curious about what’s been happening behind the scenes of Behind the Stays, then lend me your ears...2023-12-0518 minBehind the StaysFrom Hops to Hospitality: Crafting a Curation of the World’s Top Glamping SitesMeet Jake Pontius — Co-Founder of Nook, a collection of North America’s most remarkable landscape hotels and outdoor accommodations.
After working as a business analyst at a timeshare company, Jake left the corporate world to pursue his passion of brewing craft beer and it was during this season of his life where he first fell in love with hospitality.
Now while Jake fell in love with the industry while working in food and beverage, his family is no stranger to hospitality. Jake’s father, David, actually spent his career working in executive capacities at RCI, Hilton...2023-12-0152 minBehind the StaysFrom Apple Intern to Hospitality Tech Entrepreneur: How Margot Schmorak Built HostfullyMeet Margot Schmorak, Co-Founder and CEO of Hostfully — one of the hospitality industry’s leading technology companies.
Margot started her career working in marketing at Apple during one of the company's most pivotal eras. She remembers the launch of the very first iPhone quite vividly since she was the only person on the marketing team to NOT receive a phone since she was just an intern at the time.
In this conversation, Margot and I discuss:
The lessons she learned about marketing, startups, and company culture during her time at Apple
Where the idea for Ho...2023-11-281h 00Behind the StaysHow to Build the Next Generation of Great Vacation Rental BusinessesWelcome to Episode 3 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my friend, Conrad O’Connell, Founder and CEO of BuildUp Bookings, one of the most respected marketing agencies for vacation rental managers and hospitality entrepreneurs.
Conrad just published an incredible book “Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing” which serves as a strategic guide designed for vacation rental managers, hosts, and STR professionals eager to scale their business without becoming overly reliant on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com.
Over the next three weeks, y...2023-11-2253 minBehind the StaysHow a Former Airbnb Employee is Reimagining How to Buy a Vacation Home — This is the Story of SummerMeet Paul Kromidas, an industry trailblazer who transitioned from a strategic role at Airbnb to founding Summer, a company revolutionizing the vacation rental space.
This episode delves into Paul's insights on the shifting dynamics of property management and his innovative approach to vacation home ownership.
Tune in as we explore:
Paul's key learnings from his tenure at Airbnb and their influence on Summer's vision.
The concept behind Summer: Empowering aspiring vacation home owners with a risk-free trial of property ownership.
The unique 'gradual ownership' model: A gateway for hesitant investors to step into the v...2023-11-171h 06Behind the StaysHow to Design The Right Marketing Strategy for YOUR Vacation Rental BusinessWelcome to Episode 2 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my friend, Conrad O’Connell, Founder and CEO of BuildUp Bookings, one of the most respected marketing agencies for vacation rental managers and hospitality entrepreneurs.
Conrad just published an incredible book "Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing" which serves as a strategic guide designed for vacation rental managers, hosts, and STR professionals eager to scale their business without becoming overly reliant on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com.
Over the next three week...2023-11-161h 00Behind the StaysHow He Won Airbnb’s ”OMG!” Contest and Used the Cash to Build Bubble RetreatsMeet Tim Harper, an innovator who left the digital marketing world to create Bubble Retreats, a unique hospitality experience in Victoria, Australia.
This episode takes you through Tim's inspiring journey from a memorable stargazing night in France to becoming a winner in Airbnb's OMG campaign.
In this conversation, Tim and I explore:
Tim's transition from online marketing to hands-on entrepreneurship in the hospitality sector.
The birth of Bubble Retreats: How a transparent tent in France sparked an innovative idea.
Overcoming the challenges of building a unique property with no prior construction experience.
The strategy b...2023-11-1550 minBehind the StaysHow to Build a Supernatural Hospitality Company — The Story of ArcanaMeet Jeremy Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of Arcana — a next generation nature resort complete with seasonally immersive science-based experiences that help guests feel nature’s true restorative powers.
Jeremy was working in banking and had climbed the proverbial and prestigious corporate ladder for years. But one day, as he was staring out the window of his beautiful corner office, the question “what the heck am I doing with my life?” assaulted his brain!
While he couldn’t have known it at the time, this moment would be the beginning of a major career pivot…it was this mome...2023-11-1058 minBehind the StaysMastering Vacation Rental Marketing: A Special 3-Part Podcast Series with BuildUp BookingsWelcome to Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my friend, Conrad O’Connell, Founder and CEO of BuildUp Bookings, one of the most respected marketing agencies for vacation rental managers and hospitality entrepreneurs.
Conrad just published an incredible book "Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing" which serves as a strategic guide designed for vacation rental managers, hosts, and STR professionals eager to scale their business without becoming overly reliant on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com.
Over the next three weeks, you’ll get...2023-11-0849 minBehind the StaysWhy She Left Her Successful Career in Accounting to Build a Hospitality Brand in the North Carolina MountainsWant to save 30-40% off West Elm purchase for your Airbnb? Or hundreds off of instagram famous mattresses from Bear or Purple? Then you'll want to create your free account with our partner Minoan.
Minoan provides hosts with a one-stop-shop to get hundreds of discounts on the world’s leading brands, and a system where you can manage all of the ordering, tracking, returns, etc. in one place. Saving you time and money! Sign up and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way.
Meet Catherine Morris, the creator of Edenwod — a 6-a...2023-09-2256 min
Vacation Rentals with JohnLast Minute Airbnb Deals with Zach Busekrus from SponstayneousToday, we have Zach Busekrus from Sponstayneous on to talk short term rentals.Connect with Zach on InstagramLast Minute Airbnb Deals on sponstayneous.comConnect with Me: john@vacationhomehelp.comThis episode is brought to you by the Vacation Rentals with John Newsletter my very own email newsletter every Friday that features 4 bullet points highlighting cool things I found this week in the short term rental world including apps, books, tech, new hacks, tricks, articles, and other weird but interesting short term rental stuff of value that I stumbled upon. It's free and will always be free. You can subscribe here.2023-09-2016 minBehind the StaysThe Story Behind Sponstayneous and the Behind the Stays PodcastIn this special podcast episode, Zach Busekrus, host of the Behind the Stays podcast and co-founder of Sponstayneous shares the stories behind the inception of both brands.
- Uncover the story of how Zach and his wife broke their lease in Washington D.C. in the fall of 2020 to live full-time on Airbnb
- Discover how Sam Parr, Founder of The Hustle and host of the My First Million podcast, played a role in Sponstayneous' early growth
- Hear how Guy Raz from NPR's How I Built This inspired Zach to start Behind...2023-08-2935 minBehind the StaysHow He Built the MIT of Vacation Rental Communities — Meet Matt LandauMeet Matt Landau, the founder of VRMB — a vacation rental marketing blog and community for the world’s most innovative vacation rental professionals.
When Matt was a senior at the University of Richmond, he stumbled upon an alumni magazine that wound up changing his life.
On the cover of this magazine was an alum sitting in a hammock while on a beach in Costa Rica. While Matt had no idea what this guy did that enabled him to chillax in such a pristine aesthetic, he made up his mind then and there that he wanted to do...2023-07-181h 02Behind the StaysHow He Built the Airbnb for Pools — Meet the Founder of SwimplyMeet Bunim Laskin, Founder and CEO of Swimply — the Airbnb for Pools.
Bunim grew up in Israel and moved to the states with his family when he was 15 years old.
He is oldest of 12 children and the idea for Swimply came to him when he was looking for a way to entertain his younger siblings in the heat of a New Jersey summer.
His next door neighbor had a pool that she didn’t use much and Bunim asked her if his family could use the pool when she wasn’t using it they agr...2023-07-141h 03Behind the StaysGoogle Flight Alerts but for Airbnbs, a Community of Professional Guests, and other Sponstayneous UpdatesIn this episode Zach shares some exciting new updates on what we're building at Sponstayneous and asks for feedback from listeners on how to improve Behind the Stays. Got ideas for Zach? Reach out to him direct at zach@sponstayneous.com or find him on Twitter @zboozee or on LinkedIn at @zacharybusekrus.
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behin...2023-06-3030 minBehind the StaysThe Past, Present, and Future of Vacation Rental Software — Insights from OwnerRez Co-Founder, Paul WaldschmidtMeet Paul Waldschmidt, Co-Founder and CEO of OwnerRez — one of the industry’s most beloved property management platforms.
Paul is a software developer through and through. He has always loved leveraging technology to solve problems. So, when he and his business partner Chris began experiencing problems with their property manager on their recently purchased vacation rental in the Blue Ridge mountains, the technical duo saw an opportunity.
Tune in to hear the story of how Paul and Chris bootstrapped the creation of one of the most respected, loved, and powerful PMSes for STR owners and property...2023-06-271h 02Behind the StaysHow to Build a Portfolio of Unique (But Really Affordable) AirbnbsThis episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and...2023-06-2352 minBehind the StaysMeet the Guy Airbnb Doesn’t Want You to Know AboutThis episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and...2023-06-201h 09Behind the StaysHot Takes on Hospitality, New Ideas for STR Entrepreneurs, and The Founding Story of Behind the StaysThis episode is a special one! Wil Slickers from Slick Talk invited our host, Zach Busekrus, to come and share his story on Wil's top-rated hospitality podcast.
Enjoy this rebroadcasted episode!
Be sure to subscribe to Wil's show here or wherever you get your podcast.
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Sponstayneous — a carefully-curated newsletter that sends subscribers 150 of the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb twice a week. You can subscribe for free at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus (@zboozee) — Co-Found...2023-06-1654 min
Slick Talk: The Hospitality PodcastRethinking the Approach of Direct Bookings & LoyaltyZach is the Co-Founder of Sponstayneous, a newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb twice a week, and the host of the Behind the Stays podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Zach to hear his personal story as a young entrepreneur in our industry but I would even go as far as saying that Zach has become one of the most impressive rising stars of the short-term rental industry and is someone everyone should keep on their radar. Zach's Social Media Links & Website:https...2023-06-1450 minBehind the StaysShe Worked in PR for The Ritz, St. Regis, and Le Méridien — Now She’s Building Her Own Luxury STR BrandThis episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and...2023-06-1354 minBehind the StaysHousekeeping: Exciting Updates from Sponstayneous and Behind the StaysSo there’s been a LOT happening over the last couple of months and I wanted to give you all a quick update on some exciting happenings at Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays...
Say hi to Minoan
Sign up for Minoan
Subscribe to Behind the Stays on YouTube
Follow Behind the Stays on Instagram
Say hi to DEN Outdoors
Join the Sponstayneous Host Partner Program
Subscribe to Sponstayneous
Say hi to Uplisting
’m going to call this episode and future episodes like it...2023-06-0914 min
Zero To Travel PodcastHow to Get Incredible Airbnb Deals (and Save More Money) with Zach Busekrus from SponstayneousWant to save thousands of dollars on Airbnbs and short-term rentals? Of course you do!Today I'm joined by Zach Busekrus to talk about how to save money on Airbnbs and tips for starting your own short-term rental business. Zach and his wife spent 15 months traveling and living in Airbnbs full-time. They now operate a business called Sponstayneous, which sends last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb directly to your inbox.This episode has a ton of gold that you won't want to miss! Zach breaks down his tactics for scoring epic last-minute d...2023-05-301h 32Behind the StaysHow (and Why) He Bought a Roadside Attraction and Transformed it Into a Hospitality ExperienceIn just a moment you’ll meet Doug Heestand, the owner of the Desert of Maine, a unique and intriguing roadside attraction located in Freeport, Maine.
In this podcast interview, Doug shares his journey of transforming the Desert of Maine from a simple tourist attraction to a thriving hospitality company.
We explore the origins of the Desert of Maine, its unique geological features, and the challenges Doug faced when taking over the business. He shares how he implemented innovative strategies and creative ideas to rebrand the attraction and turn it into a destination that offers a r...2023-04-0753 minBehind the StaysBudgeting for Your A-Frame Airbnb Build: Tips from The Back Country A-Frame CreatorMeet Janice Stitzer, the creator of The Back Country A-Frame in Kremmling, Colorado.
One afternoon Janice was flipping through a Dwell magazine when she stumbled upon a piece about a new start-up called DEN, which was selling plans for some of the most beautiful cabins she had ever seen.
Janice was so impressed by the gorgeous DEN designs, particularly their designs for A-Frames, that right then and there she decided it was time to put her dream of building a short-term-rental from the ground up to life.
In this podcast, Janice shares her journ...2023-04-0457 minBehind the StaysWhy The Hospitality Industry Needs More Entrepreneurs — Strategies, Ideas, and Musings with Andrew KitchellMeet Andrew Kitchell, a hospitality and proptech entrepreneur currently leading the team at Wheelhouse — a technology platform that helps you manage your short-term rentals as professionally and efficiently as major hotels—from understanding performance to better nightly pricing.
Andrew is no stranger to tech or hospitality…in fact, he was building companies in Silicon Valley while a then-small start-up “Air Bed and Breakfast” was working their way through Y Combinator, the most exclusive of startup accelerators in the world.
In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:
- The revenue management strategies that the best hospi...2023-03-311h 03Behind the StaysThey Left NYC’s Fashion Industry to Build the Next Great Hospitality Brand — Meet the Creators of Casa NevanaMeet Jen and Michael Penchansky, the creators of Casa Nevana, the first short-term rental in the couple’s newly founded portfolio, Nevana Properties.
Michael and Jen met while working in the fashion industry in New York City. Michael founded a software company in fashion tech and Jen was employee number one, so the couple know a thing or ten about how to work together.
Michael grew up going to Hunter, New York in the Catskills with his family and always had an appreciation for the reprieve the mountains offered from life in the city.
So, when Michael and Jen beg...2023-03-2846 minBehind the StaysWhat Airbnb Hosts Can Learn from an Ex-Hotelier About the Future of Hospitality — Wil Slickers, Hospitality FMMeet Wil Slickers — founder of Hospitality FM, the largest network of hospitality podcasts, and the co-founder of Recreation Rentals, a boutique collection of vacation rentals with luxury hotel-like operations.
While working as a hotel manager in the pacific northwest, Wil stared a podcast called Slick Talk — a show that explores the dynamic nature of the hospitality industry — from short-term rentals and boutique hotels to Michelin star restaurants and five star resorts.
Now this show Wil started as a fun side project? Well, a lot of people liked it…and before too long, Wil quick his job as a hotel manag...2023-03-2151 minBehind the StaysHow ”Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and Twitter Help Him Build a Portfolio of Airbnbs RemotelyMeet Michael Albaum — a professional remote real estate investor, Airbnb superhost, and fellow podcaster.
After getting an engineering degree and moving to the Bay Area, Michael stumbled upon a book that would forever shift his perspective on work and wealth…and that book was Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
In this episode of Behind the Stays, Michael shares candidly about how he’s been able to grow a portfolio of short-term and longer-term rentals that are mostly remote — as in, he doesn’t live in close proximity to his properties.
Michael and I chat a...2023-03-141h 01Behind the StaysHe’s Building the Ritz-Carlton of Short-Term Rentals — Meet Jonah Hanig, Founder of RoveMeet Jonah Hanig, Founder and CEO of Rove — a premium portfolio of luxury Airbnbs designed for discerning travelers.
Jonah grew up in the Chicago suburbs and always had a knack for tinkering with business ideas.
After going to school in New York, Jonah decided to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur and was fortunate enough to get accepted to Y Combinator — the most prestigious of start-up accelerators in the world. Fun fact — Airbnb is a YC company!
Soon after being accepted to YC covid hit…and, well, Jonah’s startup wasn’t immune to the...2023-03-0746 minBehind the StaysMarketing Mondays: 10 Creative(ish) Email Marketing A/B Test Ideas for Airbnb HostsWelcome to Marketing Mondays — a new, weekly segment on the Behind the Stays podcast that covers specific marketing strategies and tactics that Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs can immediately use to promote their stays.
On this third episode Zach covers all things Email A/B testing!
Email A/B tests are incredibly important...yet many Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs fail to conduct them regularly.
I did a recent poll with some of the hosts in the space whose brands I respect the most and asked if they’ve run A/B tests to th...2023-03-0627 minBehind the StaysHow to Get The Industry’s Best Discounts on Everything You Need for Your Short-Term Rental BusinessMeet Jeff Iloulian — Founder and CEO of HostGPO, a buying group for the short term rental industry.
After graduating with a degree in Economics from Columbia, Jeff thought he wanted to be an attorney, so went to Law School.
But after practicing law for a few years, Jeff was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug so he founded a real estate and technology investment company called Winthorpe Valentine which grew to manage over 250 short-term rentals.
Managing more than 250 properties meant that Jeff spent a lot of time buying furniture and other furnishings for his hom...2023-03-0359 minBehind the StaysHe Spent $500k Building a Massive Airbnb Container Home — Meet The Pacific Bin by Devon LoeropMeet Devon Loerop, the creator of The Pacific Bin — a luxurious escape made of 5 shipping containers, just an hour outside of Seattle.
Devon grew up in the midwest but was born with a New York City mindset — from the time he was young, he hustled hard, and enjoyed proving people wrong when they said “he couldn’t, shouldn’t, or wouldn’t” do something.
Devon is a mechanical engineer by trade, but after being bored out of his mind during his first job after college, he decided to try his hand as a creative and became obsessed...2023-02-281h 04Behind the StaysHow WeWork, Jimmy Kimmel, and Instagram Helped Him Build DEN OutdoorsMeet Michael Romanowicz, the founder and CEO of DEN Outdoors.
Mike is a software designer by trade, but has always had a love for the natural world.
So, when he wasn’t busy leading the product team at Conductor, which was a content marketing platform owned by WeWork, Mike was tinkering with some designs for a minimalist, beautiful cabin he could build in the woods one day.
After sharing his designs with some buddies and seeing their positive reactions he thought that there might be an opportunity to sell these plans to others.
...2023-02-241h 01Behind the StaysHow Teslas and Levi Kelly Helped Them Build an Unforgettable Airbnb in Southern CaliforniaMeet Chase Charifa, the creator of the Lightfoot Cabin — a cozy, unique escape nestled in the foothills of Big Bear Mountain in Southern California.
A few years ago, Chase and his wife April started a production studio as a side hustle.
The couple regretted not having a videographer at their wedding and this inspired them to start their own studio to shoot weddings and events.
In doing research for how to bring their studio to life, they stumbled upon Levi Kelly’s Airbnb tours. Levi Kelly is one of the OG Airbnb influencers and has...2023-02-2158 minBehind the StaysHow He Went from 0 to 500 Vacation Rentals in 5 YearsMeet Brooke Pfautz, founder and CEO of Vintory — a sales and marketing platform exclusively dedicated to helping professional vacation rental managers and short-term rental entrepreneurs grow their inventory.
Brooke built one of the largest mortgage banking firms in the DC Metro Area, but when the financial crisis of 2008 hit, Brooke began to reconsider what it was he wanted to do with his life.
After a serendipitous conversation with an investor-friend of his, Brooke decided that building a premier, boutique vacation rental company would serve as an exciting next chapter in his professional journey, so he foun...2023-02-1554 minBehind the StaysMarketing Mondays: Why You Need a Website for Your Airbnb — Even if You Don’t Have a Direct Booking Site.Welcome to Marketing Mondays — a new, weekly segment on the Behind the Stays podcast that covers specific marketing strategies and tactics that Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs can immediately use to promote their stays.
On this second episode of this new Behind the Stays segment, Zach covers:
Why you should build a website for your Airbnb even if you don't have a direct booking site
How to start ranking
The CMSes that Airbnb hosts should consider building their websites on
Let us know what you think about this new segment by sending us a DM on Instagram @sponstayneous, shooting our found...2023-02-1325 minBehind the StaysHow to Design an A-Frame on a Budget (That Still Gets Featured by HGTV)Meet Whitney and Andrew Bradberry, the creators of the Front Range A-Frame in Bailey, Colorado, just an hour outside of Denver.
Whitney is a freelancer marketer by trade, and her husband Andrew is a firefighter paramedic.
Given their non-traditional jobs, the couple has always enjoyed tinkering on creative projects together.
Whitney’s father loved Colorado and it’s because of him that she fell in love with the mountains. So, when he passed away unexpectedly after a battle with cancer, the couple thought it would be fitting to honor his legacy by creating a spac...2023-02-0757 minBehind the StaysMarketing Mondays: How to Best Leverage Influencers to Promote Your Airbnb (The Do’s and Don’ts)Welcome to Marketing Mondays — a new, weekly segment on the Behind the Stays podcast that covers specific marketing strategies and tactics that Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs can immediately use to promote their stays.
On the first episode of this new Behind the Stays segment, Zach covers:
Why you should work with creators
A framework for how to discern who to work with and how to work with them
How creators can help you increase direct bookings
Ideas for how to partner with creators in unique ways
Let...2023-02-0625 minBehind the StaysHow to Increase Your Airbnb’s Ranking on Google (And Other Musings on Direct Booking Strategies)Meet Damian Sheridan, founder of The Book Direct and Scale Rentals Shows — a couple of the leading events for short-term rental hosts and property managers interested in building their direct booking strategies.
Growing up, Damian wanted to be a professional footballer…but, he quickly learned that in addition to passion for the game, you needed the skill as well!
Years later while working at a travel agency, Damian developed an affinity for Search Engine Optimization — also known as SEO.
The idea that, with the right set of strategies and tactics, you could rank #1 on Googl...2022-12-0657 minBehind the StaysHow She Built an Insta-Famous Airbnb — The Story Behind the Cozy Rock Cabin.Meet Janice Smith, the creator of the Cozy Rock Cabin (@cozyrockcabin), a 750 square-foot cabin on 3 acres of wooded land in Freeport, Maine.
Janice has always had a knack for project management — and this skill has served her well as she led an ed-tech startup, launched her own video production agency, and brought not one, not two, but three cozy Airbnbs to life.
Now Janice has used instagram to promote all of her homes, but one in particular, the Cozy Rock Cabin, has become what some might call “insta-famous” having garnered over 70k followers.
Tune in t...2022-11-291h 02Behind the StaysHow Vacation Rental Managers Can Leverage AI and Machine Learning Like the Big OTAs DoIn just a moment you’ll meet Evan Dolgow, Head of Predictive Hospitality at Jarvis ML.
Jarvis ML was founded by the guys over at Google who built the machine learning platforms powering Google Ads and Payments.
Evan and his team have a vision of democratizing the data and technology that OTAs have and making these tools and insights accessible to short-term and vacation-rental hosts in order to increase direct bookings.
Tune in to discover what short-term rental and vacation rental hosts can learn from the ecommerce space about building independent brands and moats...2022-11-0351 minBehind the StaysHow They’re Building Canada’s Premier Luxury Treehouse CompanyMeet Lauren and Cam Green, the founders of The Fort Treehouse Company — Canada’s premier luxury treehouse company.
Cam and Lauren met at summer camp. They were a part of the same friend group for more than 15 years before they started dating, but once they did, it was clear that they were a perfect match.
Both Lauren and Cam are quite entrepreneurial. Lauren tends to have the big ideas and Cam is incredible at finding ways to bring them to life.
While working on staff at the camp that he and Lauren met at, Cam...2022-11-0159 minBehind the StaysHow to Inspire the Next Generation of Real Estate Investors — Meet Ali Nichols, Co-Founder of GetawayMeet Ali Nichols — Co-Founder of Getaway.
Getaway is on a mission to make vacation rental real estate accessible to the next generations of investors and to reimagine travel memberships by allowing investors to stay in the premier homes they own.
Ali has been interested in real estate since she was a young child. She’d come home on Sunday mornings after church and circle listings in the newspaper with open houses she wanted to visit.
After working for technology companies like Uber and Bungalow, Ali was bit by that entrepreneurial bug and began desiring...2022-10-2553 minBehind the StaysHow a Single Mom Built One of Vermont’s Most Popular Airbnbs — The Story of the Stone City TreehouseMeet Heather Davis, the creator of the Stone City Treehouse in Hardwick, Vermont.
Heather grew up in New York but always had great affinity for the Green Mountain State — so much so that her only criteria for where to go to college was that it had to be in Vermont.
In 2012 Heather started renting her home on Airbnb in order to help pay the bills. Being a single mom with two teenagers in Vermont was not always easy!
She had such a positive experience with the platform and the guests who stayed in her...2022-10-2148 minBehind the StaysThe Top Airbnb Secrets and Strategies from a Former Airbnb EmployeeMeet Daniel Rusteen.
Daniel is the self-proclaimed “world’s best at Airbnb.”
And before you laugh or roll your eyes, he’s got a pretty solid case for why this title is fitting.
Daniel worked at Airbnb for several years, launched his own Airbnb property management business, is building his own collection of luxe Airbnbs, has a plethora of courses, tools, and resources he’s developed for Airbnb hosts AND has spent more than 2,000 nights staying at Airbnbs!
So, yeah, the dude knows a thing or two about the Airbnb ecosystem.
Tune i...2022-10-1855 minBehind the StaysHot Takes on the Future of Travel and Hospitality with Nate Ritter, Co-Founder of Room StealsMeet Nate Ritter — founder of Room Steals, a travel membership that provides customers with incredible deals on hotel rooms.
Nate is a technology executive who has started, bought, and sold companies and who has also consulted for companies like Microsoft and Land Rover.
Fun fact — Nate also popularized the use of the hashtag on Twitter…pretty cool, huh?
In this episode, we talk about:
Where the idea for Room Steals came from and how it compares to Expedia and other OTAs
How to build a productized experience for your STR collection
Hot tak...2022-10-111h 05Behind the StaysHow to Go from Zero to One as an STR EntrepreneurMeet Bryce Garcia. Bryce works in sales for a SaaS company by day and is building his own collection of STRs by night.
When Bryce’s mom found out he had bought a condo in Austin, site unseen, during the middle of the pandemic, and planned to live in one room and rent out the other on Airbnb she thought he had gone NUTS.
But when Bryce made enough money over one holiday weekend to pay his mortgage for the month, she told Bryce’s father, “maybe the kid is on to something.”
In this ep...2022-10-0555 min
Short Term Rental Secrets PodcastEp 80 - Guest Perspective: Lessons For Hosts From a Digital Nomad with Zach Busekrus
GUEST'S BIO
Zach Busekrus and his wife are the founders of Sponstayneous, a weekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb. They are full-time digital nomads and have stayed in 50 Airbnbs since last October and have learned a thing (or ten) about what separates the best stays from the rest of the pack. Zach can riff on any of the following topics: 10 Things I've Learned After Staying in 50+ Airbnbs, X Thoughts on Where You Should Invest (and Where You Should Save) from a Guest's Perspective, We're Full-Time Digital Nomads, Here's How We...2021-12-1339 minBehind the StaysHow to Choose a Design Style for Your Airbnb and Why It MattersIn a minute, you’ll meet Valerie Malone — Creator and Founder of Quill Decor, a design consultancy that specializes in short-term rentals.
Valerie studied interior design at Auburn University, but always had a knack for entrepreneurship. After running a successful Airbnb out of her basement in Bloomington, Indiana, Valerie fell in love with the Airbnb community and felt a calling of sorts to make an impact in the budding short-term-rental economy.
After she landed her first Airbnb design gig, Valerie decided it would be worth documenting the entire process so that she could one day teach current and aspiring h...2021-07-0152 min