Behind the Stays

Meet 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 in to hear the story of how ÖÖD House, founded in Estonia, came to be, what their game plan for expanding in the US in 2024 and 2025 looks like, and the kind of hospitality entrepreneurs they are looking to partner with to make this happen. Learn more about ÖÖD House here. Follow ÖÖD on Instagram Connect with Antonio on LinkedIn here. This episode is brought to you by our friends at StayFi. StayFi is enables you to create a custom branded WiFi splash page for your short-term rental’s WiFi — similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. StayFi enables you to collect the contact info of every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need the wifi? So if you want a frictionless way to capture guest contact info and empower your direct booking strategy with more data, sign up for StayFi at StayFi.com and use the discount code “BTS” for 20% off of your first year… If you chat with the team there, be sure to tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way! Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 get an inside look at how the industry actually works. Tune in to hear the story behind how Garrett quickly swapped showing homes to others for building his own and the series of events that led him to fall in love with hospitality. In this episode, Garett shares: The importance of considering both novelty and variety of structures when building a unique stay to increase virality and attract repeat guests. Why he believes you should determine the unit type you want to build and THEN go find the land (rather than the other way around) Why you shouldn’t overlook smaller content creators and influencers when marketing your stay And how the tragic loss of his brother inspires the work he does today Book a Stay at Cameron Ranch Follow Cameron Ranch on Instagram This episode is brought to you by our friends at Turno. Turno is the smartest way to schedule, pay, and find vacation rental cleaners — think of Turno as an Uber or Task Rabbit for STR hosts. Simply create an account, describe your listing’s cleaning needs, and Turno will match you with cleaners near you. Turno offers simple, affordable pricing for STR hosts of any size. Single property accounts and Marketplace users get access to all the platform’s tools and features for FREE. And they make working with your existing teams easy too, with plans as low as just $6/month per property. Learn more and earn a $150 Amazon Gift Card after you complete your first cleaning. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 build new unique stays and buy existing ones. Brett shares tips on: What he’s learned about assessing the value of a unique stay Why hospitality entrepreneurs might be better off buying a unique stay rather than building one from the ground up The importance of building a consumer-facing brand to help consolidate a portfolio of differentiated stays How he thinks about investing in 2024 and 2025 And so much more Follow Brett on Twitter Connect with Brett on LinkedIn Book a Stay at The Hideaways This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 be in good company. In this episode, Mollie and I discuss: Lessons she learned while working for brands like Anheuser-Busch, True Food Kitchen, and a couple of startups in hospitality Mollie’s thoughts on how the next generation of travelers will discern where to go and where to stay Her hot takes on how the next generation of travelers thinks about loyalty programs The biggest opportunities she sees for folks to build successful brands and businesses in this space Stream Stay in Good Company Visit Mollie's Website This episode is brought to you by our friends at StayFi. StayFi is enables you to create a custom branded WiFi splash page for your short-term rental’s WiFi — similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. StayFi enables you to collect the contact info of every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need the wifi? So if you want a frictionless way to capture guest contact info and empower your direct booking strategy with more data, sign up for StayFi at StayFi.com and use the discount code “BTS” for 20% off of your first year… If you chat with the team there, be sure to tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way! Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 episode, Assaf and I discuss: The founding story of Turno The recipe for a successful working relationship with your cleaning team What separates the best cleaning teams from the rest of the pack His thoughts on working with one team in a market vs a multiple teams in the same market to reduce risk And the biggest opportunities he sees for entrepreneurs building new companies in the hospitality space Oh, and one last thing — Turno has graciously offered Behind the Stays listeners a $150 Amazon Gift Card after you complete your first turnover with them! Simply go to turno.com/behindthestays to claim this offer before March 31st, 2024. This episode is brought to yo buy our friends at Booklee. Booklee like a Linktree designed exclusively for Airbnb hosts and STR property managers. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re a hospitality entrepreneur that cares about building a brand for your Airbnb/STR business and that’s why many of you invest so much time into building your presence on Instagram. Knowing where to direct your Instagram followers to is always a challenge: Should you send them to your Airbnb listing directly to show off your incredible reviews? Or to your direct booking site which is a little clunky to navigate on mobile but will save you 10-15% if your follower books direct? Or maybe you’re testing out VRBO and Booking.com Well, what’s amazing about Booklee is that you don’t have to decide. Booklee allows you to create a stunning link-in-bio page that showcases everything about your property across all platforms. Booklee pulls in and aggregates your reviews across Airbnb, VRBO, and other OTAs, and invites guests to book via your direct booking site or their preferred OTA. Get 20% off your first year of Booklee when you reference Behind the Stays at checkout. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

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 car, and paid the place a visit. And that visit? Well, it’d end with Leslie calling Jake to convince him that this was the place they’d been searching for. Tune in to hear the story behind: How the couple renovated the home to dramatically improve its aestetic without losing the heart and soul of the property The pros and cons of DIY How they used design, photography, and Instagram to book the home out for the entire season in just 11 days What the future holds for the couple And so much more Alright friends, without further ado, get ready to meet Jake and Leslie. Follow The Lighthouse Cottage on Instagram Book your stay at The Lighthouse Cottage This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 folks, was working in hospitality. In this episode you’ll discover: What Rob learned during his first hospitality job working in housekeeping at a Hilton How dynamic pricing and the internet revolutionized the hospitality industry How Rob led Best Western through the pandemic and gained brand equity at a time when so many other hotel companies were struggling Why he believes branding in the industry has lost its way and been driven more by investor needs than consumer needs and the opportunity for independent brands to stand out with clear, distinctive identities in light of this reality And so much more Alright friends, without further ado, get ready to meet Rob. Connect with Rob on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by our friends at StayFi. StayFi is enables you to create a custom branded WiFi splash page for your short-term rental’s WiFi — similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. StayFi enables you to collect the contact info of every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need the wifi? So if you want a frictionless way to capture guest contact info and empower your direct booking strategy with more data, sign up for StayFi at StayFi.com and use the discount code “BTS” for 20% off of your first year… If you chat with the team there, be sure to tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way! Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 escapes on the west coast of Scotland. In this conversation we discuss: How their travels to Japan, India, and Africa all helped inspire the design of their first cabins The benefits of long-term leases when building your first site What Amber and Charlie learned about how to balance sustainability and luxury when building their cabins How they secured a MICHELIN-Star chef to offer incredible personalized dining experiences for their guests And so much more Book your stay at The Kabn Company Follow The Kabn Company on Instagram This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 with his life during his later high school years, he assumed he’d just become a lawyer like his dad was. But there was an idea that Steve just couldn’t shake…this nagging that pulled at his heart. And that nagging was a desire to work in hospitality. Tune in to hear the remarkable story of: How Steve worked his way up to executive roles at Loews, Nobu, Mandarin Oriental and other luxury hotel brands Why he wound up leaving these coveted roles to become a hospitality entrepreneur And why he’s now building a luxury micro resort focused on sustainability and agritourism in South Florida. Follow Steve on LinkedIn Listen to his podcast The Hospitality Mentor This episode is brought to yo buy our friends at Booklee. Booklee like a Linktree designed exclusively for Airbnb hosts and STR property managers. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re a hospitality entrepreneur that cares about building a brand for your Airbnb/STR business and that’s why many of you invest so much time into building your presence on Instagram. Knowing where to direct your Instagram followers to is always a challenge: Should you send them to your Airbnb listing directly to show off your incredible reviews? Or to your direct booking site which is a little clunky to navigate on mobile but will save you 10-15% if your follower books direct? Or maybe you’re testing out VRBO and Booking.com Well, what’s amazing about Booklee is that you don’t have to decide. Booklee allows you to create a stunning link-in-bio page that showcases everything about your property across all platforms. Booklee pulls in and aggregates your reviews across Airbnb, VRBO, and other OTAs, and invites guests to book via your direct booking site or their preferred OTA. Get 20% off your first year of Booklee when you reference Behind the Stays at checkout. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 for 3 years…and, while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this dilapidated home that had been passed over hundreds of times would one day become one of Airbnb’s most wish-listed stays in the entire United States. Follow The Glass Treehouse on Instagram Book a Stay at The Glass Treehouse This episode is brought to yo buy our friends at Booklee. Booklee like a Linktree designed exclusively for Airbnb hosts and STR property managers. If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re a hospitality entrepreneur that cares about building a brand for your Airbnb/STR business and that’s why many of you invest so much time into building your presence on Instagram. Knowing where to direct your Instagram followers to is always a challenge: Should you send them to your Airbnb listing directly to show off your incredible reviews? Or to your direct booking site which is a little clunky to navigate on mobile but will save you 10-15% if your follower books direct? Or maybe you’re testing out VRBO and Booking.com Well, what’s amazing about Booklee is that you don’t have to decide. Booklee allows you to create a stunning link-in-bio page that showcases everything about your property across all platforms. Booklee pulls in and aggregates your reviews across Airbnb, VRBO, and other OTAs, and invites guests to book via your direct booking site or their preferred OTA. Get 20% off your first year of Booklee when you reference Behind the Stays at checkout. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

You'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 for the next few minutes. We'll chat about: Hitting 1,000 subscribers to our YouTube Channel — if you haven't watched our videos, you can do so here. A big update to Sponstayneous StayWatch — Google Flight Alerts but for Airbnbs How hosts are using our Ping product to increase their nightly rates The expansion of our host partner program I want to hear from YOU! Send me an email at [email protected] with your ideas on how we can take the show up a couple of notches in 2024!

Meet 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, and Bluegreen Vacations. In this episode, Jake and I discuss: Why he and Michael Goldin from Storied Collection and building Nook The value of building soft brands in hospitality What his predictions on the future of experiential travel are Why he’s bullish on landscape hotels and outdoor accommodations And so much more Connect with Jake on LinkedIn Learn more about Nook This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 Hostfully first came from How Hostfully grew from a digital guidebook to a full-fledged property management platform How much money Hosttfully has raised so far Why she started a community for venture-backed founders who are also moms The gaps she seems in the hospitality tech space And so much more… Learn more about Hostfully here Listen to Margot's Episodes of The Pitch Podcast This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Welcome 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, you’ll get a sneak peek into the frameworks, case studies, strategies and data that Conrad shares in his book. If you’d like to purchase the book, you can do so via the Amazon link below OR if you’d like a digital copy of the book Conrad is offering a free digital version to Behind the Stays listeners (you can find a link to download the book in the show notes below). Stream Episode 1 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Stream Episode 2 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Buy Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing on Amazon Download a free copy of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Connect with Conrad on LinkedIn Learn more about how BuildUp Bookings can help you scale your business Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it’s the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 vacation rental market. How Summer addresses the quality versus quantity debate in property management. The challenge of balancing brand consistency with local uniqueness in vacation rentals. The future of vacation rental management: Predictions and strategies from a seasoned insider. Learn more about Summer Connect with Paul on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by Summer. Summer takes the headache out of owning a vacation rental by taking care of sourcing, designing, furnishing and managing your home. What makes Summer especially unique is the pathway to ownership that they offer — think of this as an option to “try before you actually buy an Airbnb” Here’s how Summer’s Gradual Ownership model works: You work with Summer to find the perfect vacation rental — one that’s in a market that you want to vacation to and also in a market that makes sense for a vacation rental. Summer guides you through the whole discernment process of where, when and what kind of home to buy. When you find the right home, put down a downpayment of 15+% but Summer buys the home for you and holds it for up to two years — during this time you can buy back the home from them any time you are ready or, after the two year period you can decide you DON’T want the home and get a full refund of your down payment. Also, Summer covers all of the closing costs and fees for the upfront purchase on the home, as well as furnishing and design. This means you pay far less out of pocket than you would if you bought the home yourself from day one. So if you’ve been looking for a way to beta test the whole Airbnb game, this is your sign. Go and chat with my new friends at Summer and tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Welcome 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 weeks, you’ll get a sneak peek into the frameworks, case studies, strategies and data that Conrad shares in his book. If you’d like to purchase the book, you can do so via the Amazon link below OR if you’d like a digital copy of the book Conrad is offering a free digital version to Behind the Stays listeners (you can find a link to download the book in the show notes below). Stream Episode 1 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Buy Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing on Amazon Download a free copy of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Connect with Conrad on LinkedIn Learn more about how BuildUp Bookings can help you scale your business Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 behind choosing bubble structures for a standout guest experience. Winning Airbnb's prestigious OMG competition and the journey from concept to reality. Future plans for Bubble Retreats: Expansion, partnerships, and creating a sustainable business model. And so much more This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 moment that would ultimately lead Jeremy to leave the corporate world behind, jump into entrepreneurship, and set out on a mission to build a supernatural hospitality brand. In this conversation, Jeremy and I discuss: How to build a truly experiential and multi-sensory hospitality brand How Arcana is reimagining food and beverage for its guests in a truly innovative way How much money he raised to get Arcana’s first site off the ground And so much more Learn more about Arcana Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by Minoan! Want 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. If you liked this episode, you might also like: 1. He’s An Accountant, Artist, and Airbnb Superhost — Meet Isaac French the Creator of Live Oak Lake 2. How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Welcome 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 a sneak peek into the frameworks, case studies, strategies and data that Conrad shares in his book. If you’d like to purchase the book, you can do so via the Amazon link below OR if you’d like a digital copy of the book Conrad is offering a free digital version to Behind the Stays listeners (you can find a link to download the book in the show notes below). Buy Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing on Amazon Download a free copy of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Connect with Conrad on LinkedIn Learn more about how BuildUp Bookings can help you scale your business Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Bill Faeth — one of the most popular and well-respected voices in the short-term rental industry. Bill Faeth has been involved in real estate for almost 25 years with both commercial and residential investing. In 2015, he switched the majority of his residential portfolio to short term rentals from long term after seeing an opportunity to increase profit and reduce risk. Bill currently has a multi-million dollar portfolio of short term rental properties primarily located in vacation rental markets with a focus on beach, lake, and mountain properties. In addition to his own portfolio, he hosts the popular STR Unfiltered podcast and he’s the co-producer of STR WealthCon, one of the hottest industry events for vacation rental entrepreneurs. In this episode Bill and I discuss: The story behind how he traveled to golf tournaments with Tiger Woods How he built, scaled, and sold his first businesses How much money he makes off of his content vs. his portfolio How much money the STR Wealthcon makes and what the long term vision for the event is What he’s recently changed his mind about And so much more This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Max Gagliardi — founder of Mountain Fork Resort, a 140-acre waterfront development in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Max is an entrepreneur who builds businesses across energy, real estate, & technology — he has a knack for finding opportunities in places others are convinced no opportunity exists. After stumbling upon an incredible piece of land in Broken Bow, one of the hottest up and coming vacation destinations in the southeast, Max began dreaming about how he could build a next generation resort that would become a destination in and of itself. In this episode, Max and I discuss: What inspired him to start a hospitality brand Some unpopular opinions he has about the current state of the short-term rental industry The biggest opportunities you see to build thriving businesses in the space And what’s he learned by hosting a popular entrepreneurship podcast called “Always Be Building” Connect with Max on LinkedIn Follow Max on X/Twitter This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Brooke Pfautz, founder and CEO of Vintory, the only sales and marketing platform on the planet exclusively dedicated to helping professional vacation rental managers grow their inventory. Brooke is one of the industry's most respected experts, so it was an honor to get him back on the podcast to discuss his new book, Vacation Rental Secrets, which is a collection of the short-term rental industry’s top experts disclosing their biggest mistakes and sharing their hard-earned wisdom. Brooke and I discuss some of the most meaningful lessons garnered from these interviews, some unpopular opinions he has about the current state of the industry, the opportunity he sees for entrepreneurs to build new businesses in and around hospitality, and some hot takes he has on the future of the industry. Connect with Brooke on LinkedIn Buy Brooke's book on Amazon Learn more about Vintory This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet David and Andy Heyman — the two brothers who brought one of the newest and most unique glamping sites in the Blue Ridge Mountains to life, which they call Glamp Blue Ridge. David has a background in finance and Andy is a graphic designer by trade. The guys had long dreamed of being able to work on a business venture of some kind together but the timing and the idea never seemed right… That is, of course, until the idea of building a collection of unique Airbnbs on an actual waterfall in Cherry Log, Georgia began to percolate. David is the idea guy and Andy is the creative who brings the ideas to life. The brothers purchased dozens of acres of land that will eventually be home to a number of unique units like treehouses, a-frames, and maybe even airplanes, but the first iteration of Glamp Blue Ridge is a collection of 7 massive domes that all have their own brand, character, and unique furnishings. In this conversation we discuss: Lessons learned trying to build unique Airbnbs on-top-of a waterfall How they generated over 100k followers on Instagram in their first few months Why they’re bullish on direct bookings Why their occupancy rate is over 90% even as travel slows down a bit And so much more Visit Glamp Blue Ridge Follow Glamp Blue Ridge on Social Media This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Mike Harrington, a true legend among vacation rental managers. Mike’s career in hospitality started by accident. After graduating from business school, Mike received a call from a recruiter to join a vacation rental management company on Hatteras Island. He learned the ropes of the industry at this first gig, grew to love the art of the business, and eventually decided that what he really wanted was to own and operate his own vacation rental management company. After working at one of the largest vacation rental managers in the Outer Banks, Mike decided to take the leap and founded Carolina Retreats, a vacation rental management firm that would grow to serve nearly 400 properties across the state of North Carolina. Along the way he’d answer the call to serve his colleagues in the industry by becoming the president of VRMA, the largest professional trade association for vacation rental managers, and serving in that role for over 6 years. While Mike had no intention of selling his business, in 2021 he got an offer from V Trips, one of the world’s most respected vacation rental management brands, that he just couldn’t refuse. Tune in to hear the stories, lessons and insights Mike has garnered throughout his career and get an inside look at the company he’s building next. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by Hostlabs — Say goodbye to the daily hassle of running your short-term rental business. Free up your time and watch your business thrive with Hostlabs. Learn more and qualify for an exclusive discount here. Recent episodes you might enjoy: How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Josiah Mackenzie, Founder of Hospitality Daily — a community, podcast, and email newsletter that helps hospitality professionals stay informed and inspired in this ever-changing and dynamic industry. Josiah has spent his entire career creating, innovating and building in Hospitality. He founded a company called Hospitality Marketing Strategies which went on to become the #1 hotel marketing website in the world. Josiah then spent several years working for hospitality tech companies leading go-to-market strategies and helping these start ups get off the ground, scale, and in some cases even get acquired. In this conversation, Josiah and I discuss: What STR owners and operates can learn from some of the leading boutique hoteliers about brand building and marketing The most interesting insights he’s garnered from hosting a daily podcast Why he’s bullish on building his brand and the Hospitality Daily community on LinkedIn The biggest opportunities he sees for hospitality entrepreneurs today And so much more This episode is brought to you by our friends at OptimizeMyBnB I’ve been trying to find someone who I think understands the platform and marketing strategy better than me that I can refer you all to… And I’m happy to say that I think I’ve found him. Meet Daniel Rusteen — he’s a former Airbnb employee, full-time digital nomad, and author of “Optimize Your BnB” which has sold over 50,000 copies by word-of-mouth alone. Daniel has lived on Airbnb for more than 2,500 nights and has helped hundreds of hosts via his consulting, his program, and his thought leadership, increase their listing’s rank on Airbnb. If you’re newer to the STR space, or if your listings are starting to drop in rank, I want to encourage you all to do one of two things — if not BOTH — of the following: Buy Daniel’s new book, “Profitable Properties: Airbnb Insider Secrets” — you can get it on Amazon for just $10 Join Daniel’s 9-week program and he’ll teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your STR for Airbnb, VRBO, Google Search, and beyond. You can use the discount code BTS for 40% off the program between now and the end of the 2023 calendar year. Daniel will teach you what the top 1% of short-term rental owners and managers already know about how to fully optimize their STRs across OTAs and beyond. Recent episodes you might enjoy: How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Tanner Cummings — Co-founder and Owner of Thin Spaces, a new hotel brand that’s building its first micro-resort called Cypress at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Jasper, Georgia. Tanner has always loved finding issues and solving problems, which is why he spent most of his professional career working in quality assurance engineering for software companies like Calendly. But in 2021, Tanner was bit by the entrepreneurial bug and decided to join the e-commerce start up his wife Melissa founded called, Cedar and Ink. And while the couple couldn’t have know it at the time, this venture would ultimately inspire them to dream bigger. Tune in to hear the exciting story of why Tanner and Melissa decided to go all in on building a brand new hotel brand and what their first project, Cypress, a remarkably intentional micro-resort with luxurious and unexpected amenities will look like when it launches next year. Connect with Tanner on LinkedIn Follow Cypress on Instagram Follow Tanner on Instagram This episode is brought to you by Minoan! Want 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. If you liked this episode, you might also like: 1. He’s An Accountant, Artist, and Airbnb Superhost — Meet Isaac French the Creator of Live Oak Lake 2. How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet James Varley — Founder of the Holiday Cottage Handbook and Varley Media. James has had an impressive career in media — taking jobs around the world to work in print, TV, radio, digital advertising and social media organizations large and small. For the last ten years, James was living in Qatar leading corporate communications for last year’s FIFA World Cup organizing committee — how cool is that? James first got into short-term rentals as he’d rent out his flat in London when traveling abroad for lengthy work assignments. He was amazed by how much he loved the experience of hosting and by how lucrative this asset class could be. After the World Cup finished in Qatar, he saw a gap in the STR media space for practical, helpful content that would help property managers grow their businesses. And, while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this observation would lead to the founding of a new platform for STR owners, operators, and media partners to connect, learn and grow. This episode is brought to you by our friends at OptimizeMyBnB I’ve been trying to find someone who I think understands the platform and marketing strategy better than me that I can refer you all to… And I’m happy to say that I think I’ve found him. Meet Daniel Rusteen — he’s a former Airbnb employee, full-time digital nomad, and author of “Optimize Your BnB” which has sold over 50,000 copies by word-of-mouth alone. Daniel has lived on Airbnb for more than 2,500 nights and has helped hundreds of hosts via his consulting, his program, and his thought leadership, increase their listing’s rank on Airbnb. If you’re newer to the STR space, or if your listings are starting to drop in rank, I want to encourage you all to do one of two things — if not BOTH — of the following: Buy Daniel’s new book, “Profitable Properties: Airbnb Insider Secrets” — you can get it on Amazon for just $10 Join Daniel’s 9-week program and he’ll teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your STR for Airbnb, VRBO, Google Search, and beyond. You can use the discount code BTS for 40% off the program between now and the end of the 2023 calendar year. Daniel will teach you what the top 1% of short-term rental owners and managers already know about how to fully optimize their STRs across OTAs and beyond. Recent episodes you might enjoy: How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet John Andrew Entwistle, Founder and CEO of Wander, Sief Khafagi, Co-Founder and CEO of Techvestor, and Cameron Wu, VP of Investments at Arrived. I invited these incredible gentlemen onto the podcast for a panel discussion on the future of fundraising, portfolio building, and passive investing in short-term rentals. I’ve been curious, as I’m sure many of you all have been, how these short-term rental funds, REITs, and other forms of fractional ownership of vacation rentals businesses are panning out, and thought I’d bring some of the finest folks in the arena to share their stories and insight with you all. In this vibrant chat you’ll learn: How these business overlap and how they are distinct How the strategies for each business have evolved given the changes we’ve seen in macro economic environments over the past year Why today’s consumers are ready for altgernative forms of real estate investment What exit strategies for each of these companies might look like And loads more Moderating discussions with such incredible people is always so hard — and while we didn’t get to half of the questions I had hoped to because of time, I believe there’s so much value to be garnered from this discussion around how the industry as a whole is evolving and what these entrepreneurs believe the future of travel, hospitality, and vacation rental investing, just might look like. Learn more about Wander Learn more about Techvestor Learn more about Arrived This episode is brought to you by Minoan! Want 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. Like this episode? Here are a few others you'll love: How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences How to Build a Franchise-Worthy Hospitality Brand — The Story of Casiola How AI Will Enable Hospitality Entrepreneurs to Scale Their Brands (and Portfolios) Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet John Sutton — Co-Founder and CEO of Mansion, a new fractional ownership offering for those looking to get into short-term rental investing without needing to own or operate an Airbnb. Before starting Mansion*, John was the Chief Digital Officer at Red Ventures — the parent company for brands like Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, Reviews.com, and many others, so it’s safe to say John knows his way around building and scaling brands at the intersection of travel, hospitality, and technology. In this conversation, John talks about: Mansion’s vision of making real estate investing more accessible and exciting — fun fact, you can own a piece of your own Mansion for as little as $9/share. Some of the learnings he garnered while at Red Ventures about the future of travel and hospitality How Mansion’s approach is different from that of Techvestor’s, Here, or Wander who have similar offerings. And what he predicts will happen over the next 5-10 years as more of these branded, professionally managed STR funds continue to grow. Learn more about Mansion here Follow John Sutton on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by Minoan! Want 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. Like this episode? Here are a few others you'll love: How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences How to Build a Franchise-Worthy Hospitality Brand — The Story of Casiola How AI Will Enable Hospitality Entrepreneurs to Scale Their Brands (and Portfolios) Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee. *The Issuer is conducting public offerings pursuant to Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, through this Website. The most current offering circular for Mansion Collection I is available here. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments such as those on the Mansion Group platform are speculative and involve substantial risks to consider before investing, outlined in the respective offering materials and including, but not limited to, illiquidity, lack of diversification and complete loss of capital. Key risks include, but are not limited to, limited operating history, limited diversification, risk of asset damage or theft and lack of voting rights. An investment in an offering constitutes only an investment in a particular series and not in the underlying asset(s). Investors should carefully review the risks located in the respective offering materials for a more comprehensive discussion of risk.

Meet Jake Tucker, founder of Roav — a collection of urban and luxury retreat STRs located in the Pacific Northwest Jake began co-hosting Airbnbs while in college as a side-hustle. He had no experience in real estate or hospitality whatsoever, but after Googling "how to make a lot of money as a college kid", he stumbled upon the plethora of rental arbitrage content on YouTube and began to binge. When he graduated, all of his friends started getting real jobs and Jake felt pressured to do the same. But as he thought more and more about it, the idea of working for someone else seemed untenable to Jake… So, he decided to trust his gut and go all in on building his STR property management business. And now, just a few years later, Roav is one of the largest short-term rental hosting companies in the Inland Northwest. Tune in to hear Jake share how he got started with his first few properties, how he navigated COVID, his tips for acquiring new property owners as customers, the pros and cons of managing both traditional STRs AND unique stays, and much more. Book your stay with Roav Follow Roav on Instagram This episode is brought to you by our friends at OptimizeMyBnB I’ve been trying to find someone who I think understands the platform and marketing strategy better than me that I can refer you all to… And I’m happy to say that I think I’ve found him. Meet Daniel Rusteen — he’s a former Airbnb employee, full-time digital nomad, and author of “Optimize Your BnB” which has sold over 50,000 copies by word-of-mouth alone. Daniel has lived on Airbnb for more than 2,500 nights and has helped hundreds of hosts via his consulting, his program, and his thought leadership, increase their listing’s rank on Airbnb. If you’re newer to the STR space, or if your listings are starting to drop in rank, I want to encourage you all to do one of two things — if not BOTH — of the following: Buy Daniel’s new book, “Profitable Properties: Airbnb Insider Secrets” — you can get it on Amazon for just $10 Join Daniel’s 9-week program and he’ll teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your STR for Airbnb, VRBO, Google Search, and beyond. You can use the discount code BTS for 40% off the program between now and the end of the 2023 calendar year. Daniel will teach you what the top 1% of short-term rental owners and managers already know about how to fully optimize their STRs across OTAs and beyond. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Want 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 Luca Zambello, Founder of Jurny, a tech company with the mission of bringing hospitality into the age of AI and Automation. Luca was born and raised in Italy but moved to California to pursue his dreams of becoming a tech entrepreneur more than 15 years ago. Pretty soon after arriving in LA, he stumbled into real estate and quickly realized there was massive opportunity in the short-term rental management space as Airbnb was quickly gaining popularity. In the process of scaling his Airbnb management company to over 300 units, Luca had to change PMSes not once, not twice, but five different times! Luca was convinced that there had to be a better way to build tooling and solutions that could grow with a property manager as their business and portfolio grew. So, he took a big risk, and left his successful management company to go all in on an idea he had for levaragin AI to create a One-Stop Shop Property Management solution to help short term rental hospitality entrepreneurs save copious amounts of time and money on operations so they can focus more time on growth. Tune in to hear the inspiring story of how he started and scaled Jurny and how he predicts AI will enable the next generation of hospitality entrepreneurs to scale their brands, increase their revenue, and decrease their expenses in hugely significant ways. Have you signed up for Minoan yet? In this episode we feature a Minoan customer review from Alyson, the founder of SmartStays — discover what she loves most about Minoan and how Minoan has helped her save thousands of dollars setting up her short term rentals. Create your totally free Minoan account here. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Want 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 Sief Khafagi, Co-Founder of Techvestor — one of the hottest new services that allows folks to passively invest in short-term rentals. Sief has spent his entire career working in tech, and helped scale one of Facebook’s largest engineering organizations from a couple hundred to thousands across the world. It was during his time at Facebook where he met his now Co-Founder Sabrina who owned a couple of Airbnbs. Sief was shocked by how successful her short-term rentals were that he asked Sabrina if he could just give her money to go buy and operate his own STRs. And, while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this ask would be the seed of the idea which would ultimately blossom into Techvestor. Today, Techvestor owns and operates nearly 100 short-term rentals in some of the country’s most desirable vacation markets. Tune in to hear: - the story of how Sief helped build Techvestor - why Techvestor is bullish on single-family homes - what their secret sauce to sourcing, designing, and launching STRs looks like - the opportunities he sees to build new tech and new businesses in the space, and his hot takes on the future of travel and hospitality. Learn more about Techvestor here Have you signed up for Minoan yet? In this episode we feature a Minoan customer review from Alyson, the founder of SmartStays — discover what she loves most about Minoan and how Minoan has helped her save thousands of dollars setting up her short term rentals. Create your totally free Minoan account here. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Want 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-acre oasis in the North Carolina mountains just 45 minutes outside of Asheville. Catherine is an accountant by trade and spent nearly two decades climbing the corporate ladder taking on big roles in both finance and human resources. And she loved the work she did. But, when COVID hit, and her 9-year-old son was stuck at home doing school virtually, Catherine realized that it might be time for her family to make a change. She and her husband had always loved hosting people for dinner, and the two of them had recently discussed extending their love of hospitality into other arenas when the pandemic hit. Once it became clear that life wasn’t going to return to normal anytime soon, Catherine decided to take an idea she had been noodling on, of creating a unique getaway for folks looking to reconnect with a loved one and nature, into reality. Tune in to hear the story of how Catherine found the perfect plot of land through cold calling, how she worked with a local architect to build a one-of-a-kind barn and treehouse, and how she hopes to fully replace her former salary with revenue from Edenwood over the next year. Book Your Stay at Edenwood Follow the Edenwood Treehouse on Sponstayneous Follow the Edenwood Barn on Sponstayneous Follow Edenwood on Instagram Have you signed up for Minoan yet? In this episode we feature a Minoan customer review from Alyson, the founder of SmartStays — discover what she loves most about Minoan and how Minoan has helped her save thousands of dollars setting up her short term rentals. Create your totally free Minoan account here. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Jacob Mueller, Co-Founder and CEO of Renjoy — a next generation short-term rental management firm based in Colorado Springs. Growing up, Jacob never would’ve guessed he’d be an entrepreneur, he studied economics in college and thought he’d go into policy. But during his senior year, Jacob had the opportunity to work on a school project as a part of his thesis that revolved around launching a business in rural Michigan — and while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this project would inspire him to leave his dreams of working in Washington DC to own and operate businesses. After graduating, Jacob wound up getting really into coffee and bought a local chain of coffee shops in the Colorado Mountains. But after a couple of years of working in the restaurant businesses, Jacob desired a pivot — and so he began binging episodes of Bigger Pockets and learned as much as he could about real estate. Tune in to hear the exciting story of how Jacob wound up going all in on real estate as he believes it’s one of the best ways to help people achieve financial freedom, and how this mission of his led him and two of his friends to start Renjoy and scale it to over 150 properties under management in just a couple of years. Discover Renjoy Follow Jacob on Twitter Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCONon SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Stephen Pellicano — a hospitality entrepreneur in the Catskills focused on building simple glamping structures with everything you need and nothing that you don’t! Stephen is a graphic designer by trade and fell in love with travel and hospitality after winning not one, but two free, round-trip tickets to Europe on British Airways as a part of a giveaway they were running back in the late 90s to promote the Concorde. This trip abroad would inspire Stephen to spend the next decade living, working, and traveling across Europe. It was during this time abroad where Stephen had his first encounter with Airbnb and while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this experience would ultimately inspire him to start a glamping hospitality business a decade later in the Catskill Mountains in New York. Follow Stephen on YouTube Follow Stephen on Instagram Elena's Cosmetics & Essential Oils Store Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCONon SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Eric Carrico — founder of the The Woodford Hotel, a boutique invisible service hotel in Versailles, Kentucky. Eric is a civil and environmental engineer by trade and has spent his career solving complex civil engineering problems for some of the largest heavy industrial earthwork construction projects in the country. After the housing crisis in 2008, Eric had the opportunity to buy a couple of properties and start his real estate investing journey. Eric’s investment journey was quite traditional until this little known start-up at the time, which we now all know as Airbnb, began expanding into the south east and the midwest. Eric being the early adopter that he is, decided to test it out…and, well, that would ultimately lead him to grow a meaningful portfolio of STRs in the great Louisville area which he’d then wind up parlaying into an experiential boutique hotel for Bourbon aficionados. Tune in to hear the dynamic story of the unique approach Eric took to launching this boutique hotel and why he believes other hospitality entrepreneurs should get bullish on hospitality offerings catered to niche audiences. Follow Eric on Twitter Follow Eric on Instagram Follow The Woodford Hotel on Instagram Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCONon SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Dennis Goedheid, founder and CEO of Casiola — one of the hottest vacation rental management companies in the short-term rental space. Dennis is no stranger to entrepreneurship — he started and sold two companies in his native Belgium before moving to Silicon Valley to find inspiration for his next big thing. And while he couldn’t have known it at the time, that next big thing would be a vacation rental management company based in Orlando, Florida that is helping to write the book, in real time, on how to build such an exceptional hospitality brand that short-term rental managers from around the world want to franchise. In this episode, Dennis and I discuss: Why Casiola builds their own software in-house Why Casiola is quick to grow regionally, but slow to grow nationally Why he’s bullish on franchising in the STR and vacation rental spaces The entrepreneurial opportunities he sees for founders in the hospitality industry Learn more about Casiola Connect with Dennis on LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by our friends at 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! Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way! Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCONon SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Justin Hauge, Co-Founder and CEO of Storied Collection — a collection of castles and historical stays across the UK and Ireland. While Storied Collection is Justin’s first rodeo as a founder, it’s not his first rodeo working in startups. Back in 2009, Justin was hired as the 13th team employee at a little start up that had just graduated from the most prestigious of startup accelerators, Y Combinator. And, yes, you guessed it — that startup was Airbnb. In this riveting and insightful conversation, Justin talks about the 10+ years he spent working at Airbnb and how he helped build the company into the memorable brand that it is today. Justin also shares: - The story behind the founding of his new company Storied Collection, from a slightly different perspective than what his co-founder, Michael Goldin shared a few weeks ago on this very podcast - His ideas for the opportunities he sees to build great companies in the hospitality tech space - His thoughts on memberships and loyalty programs in STRs - Some spicy takes on the future of travel and hospitality as a whole. Have you signed up for Ping yet? Ping makes it easy for guests to be notified when their favorite Airbnbs become available — and it's the secret tool the best Airbnb hosts use to maximize bookings. Sign up today at bnbping.com Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCONon SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

In 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 the Stays - And get a behind-the-scenes look at what Zach and the team at Sponstayneous are building (and why they're building it!) Reach out to Zach with questions, comments, and ideas at [email protected] Subscribe to Sponstayneous Sign up for Ping Join the Sponstayneous Host Partner Program Meet Zach in Person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite Zach to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and he can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. Zach would love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Daniel Johnson, founder of Deacon Stays — a collection of curated stays near Wake Forest University. Daniel has always been interested in real estate and investing and started his hosting as many do in the Airbnb arbitrage arena back in 2018. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of hosting and was impressed by the returns STRs could generate compared to other real estate investments (Daniel is also a financial advisor that specializes in working with real estate investors). In this episode, Daniel and I discuss: The surprising pros about building a collection of STRs near a college campus How to build a brand for your STR business ON the Airbnb platform His thoughts on REITs and other more passive investment opportunities in STR funs And how he’d approach buying right now amidst a more challenging market Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn Book a Stay at Deacon Stays This episode is brought to you by OwnerRez — the property management software most-loved by professional vacation rental mangers. If you’re in the market for a better platform to help you manage your STR portfolio, OwnerRez is offering Behind the Stays listeners 30% off the first 3 months…all you gotta to is mention Behind the Stays when talking to a team member at OwnerRez! Also, in about 15 minutes from now, you’ll get to hear an exclusive chat I had with Tyann Marcink, an industry leader who LOVES OwnerRez. So head on over to ownerreservations.com and give OwnerRez a good lookover! I want to meet you all in person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite me to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and I can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. I’d love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Sébastien Long, founder of Lodgeur — a furnished living, on-demand product that gives traveling professionals and digital nomads the service and consistency of a hotel with the spaciousness and function of a stylish home. While Sébastien has spent the better part of his professional career working big corporate jobs he actually grew up immersed in hospitality entrepreneurship — his parents owned and operated a vacation resort on the island of Corsica, just off the coast of France. After traveling around the world working in banking for HSBC, in 2017 Sébastien was recruited to help launch Sonder in the UK. He got a front row seat to the big opportunities and big challenges of launching and scaling a consumer-facing property-management brand. Tune in to hear the exciting story of the series of events that led him to write his master’s thesis on hospitality interior design at Cambridge, leave the UK and move to Houston, Texas, and how he built and scaled Lodgeur. Connect with Seb on LinkedIn Book a Stay with Lodgeur This episode is brought to you by OwnerRez — the property management software most-loved by professional vacation rental mangers. If you’re in the market for a better platform to help you manage your STR portfolio, OwnerRez is offering Behind the Stays listeners 30% off the first 3 months…all you gotta to is mention Behind the Stays when talking to a team member at OwnerRez! Also, in about 15 minutes from now, you’ll get to hear an exclusive chat I had with Tyann Marcink, an industry leader who LOVES OwnerRez. So head on over to ownerreservations.com and give OwnerRez a good lookover! I want to meet you all in person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite me to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and I can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. I’d love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Taylor Jones, Head of Acquisition at Techvestor, one of my favorite STR thought leaders to follow on social media, and a good friend of the Behind the Stays podcast. After losing his sales job during COVID, Taylor spent hundreds of hours watching YouTube videos to learn all that he could about short-term rental real estate investing and the growing trend of experiential hospitality. Today, he leads acquisitions at Techvestor, and in our chat, Taylor talks about everything he and his team have learned while building a portfolio of over 100 Airbnbs over the last 17 months. Techvestor focuses on transforming run-of-the-mill single-family homes into unique, curated short-term rentals and Taylor shares the success they’ve found in sticking to and being bullish about this model. Follow Taylor on Twitter Connect with him on LinkedIn Learn more about Techvestor here. This episode is brought to you by OwnerRez — the property management software most-loved by professional vacation rental mangers. If you’re in the market for a better platform to help you manage your STR portfolio, OwnerRez is offering Behind the Stays listeners 30% off the first 3 months…all you gotta to is mention Behind the Stays when talking to a team member at OwnerRez! Also, in about 15 minutes from now, you’ll get to hear an exclusive chat I had with Tyann Marcink, an industry leader who LOVES OwnerRez. So head on over to ownerreservations.com and give OwnerRez a good lookover! I want to meet you all in person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite me to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and I can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. I’d love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Michael Goldin, Co-Founder of the Storied Collection — an exclusive collection of historic estates, castles and other unique residences-turned-accommodations, situated across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Michael and his wife were searching for a much needed vacation as covid rules across the world began to subside. They dreamed of staying in a beautiful castle, but the search was rather difficult and the historic properties were particularly hard to find. After hours and hours of research, Michael finally found the perfect property… a property his family lineage could actually be traced to! The decision to book that property was a no brainer. Tune into how this experiential feeling at the intersection of exploration and history led him to find co-founders to start Storied, a collection of the most richly historic and enjoyable places to stay in the world. Michael is also one of the hosts of Good Morning Hospitality — stream the weekly morning show here or wherever you get your podcasts. I want to meet you all in person! Annette and Sarah from Thanks for Visiting were kind enough to invite me to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and I can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. I’d love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Annette Grant and Sarah Karakain from Thanks for Visiting — one of the most popular, if not THE most popular short-term rental podcasts out there. Sarah is an actress by trade and was hustling on Broadway when Airbnb first became available in NYC. She somehow convinced her husband to let her list their basement on Airbnb and, well, it wasn’t long before Sarah traded securing auditions for home acquisitions that she’d transform into short-term rentals. Annette is an entrepreneur by trade who has helped launch and scale multi-million dollar businesses in and around Columbus, Ohio. Today, she partners with real estate investors to help them launch and scale their short-term rental portfolios. In the episode you’ll hear the story of how Sarah and Annette met, the founding story of Thanks for Visiting, their thoughts on building a brand, and everything you can expect from their event TFVCON happening in Columbus, Ohio Sept 24th - 26th. Annette and Sarah were kind enough to invite me to come speak at TFVCON on SEO Strategy for STR Hosts and I can’t wait to participate in this dynamic event. I’d love to meet all you listeners in PERSON…so please consider coming to the event. You can use the discount code “BTS” as in “Behind the Stays” at checkout for $150 off any ticket level.

Today you'll re-meet Emily Padan, Ben Wolff, and Isaac French, founders of Hinter, Onera, and Live Oak Lake respectively — all three of these fine people were gracious enough to come BACK onto Behind the Stays. In this first-of-its-kind panel podcast, this dynamic trio shares their experiences of working with hundreds of influencers and creators to promote their hospitality brands. You’ll learn what they think does and doesn’t work when collaborating with influencers, how they structure their agreements and partnerships with folks, what they think about free night stays and giveaways, the gaps they see in the Airbnb creator space, and so much more… Connect with Emily Padan on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn Connect with Isaac French on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn Connect with Ben Wolff on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn This episode is brought to you by our friends at 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! Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way! 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at 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! Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way! Meet Julia Rossi — a Shark Tank alum turned hospitality entrepreneur. Julia has spent the better part of her career working in corporate sales and marketing for a myriad of SaaS companies. Back in 2015, Julia had an idea for a fairly niche product…that product was NeatCheeks — flavored face wipes for children. As a mom of young children, Julia knew how difficult it was to get kids to sit still while wiping their faces after a gooey snack, and that’s when the idea of NeatCheeks was born. After securing an investment for Barbara Corcoran and building the brand over the next couple of years, Julia wound up exiting from the business so she could pursue her other passions of design and hospitality. In this episode, Julia shares the founding story of her design consultancy Grey Domain, how she brought McKenzie Corner, an intelligently designed and fully-shoppable Airbnb, to life, and how Julia thinks STR hosts can leverage their spaces as more than just places to stay. Connect with Julia on Instagram Explore Grey Domain Book a Stay at McKenzie Corner 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Please give a quick thank you to our sponsor for today’s episode, OwnerRez — the most loved and trusted property management software by professional vacation rental managers on the market. Some of my best friends in the industry swear by OwnerRez so I’d highly encourage you to check them out and be sure to tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way and they’ll give you an exclusive discount when you decide to purchase their software. Meet Kevin Reardon, founder of The Shore House Hotel — a beachside lifestyle retreat built from a mid-century motel in North Wildwood, NJ. Kevin grew up in a blue collar family. His idea of “success” looked like working on Wall Street, become a doctor, or becoming a lawyer, so after graduating from undergrad, he decided to pursue law and wound up getting his JD from the University of Pennsylvania. After a couple of years working at a very prestigious firm, Kevin decided that what he really wanted to do was get into hospitality…becoming a hotelier was what he’d dream about on nights and weekends in-between very late nights at his firm’s office. And then an opportunity to buy a fairly rundown motel on the Jersey shore presented itself. And there was something about this particular motel that seemed to speak to Kevin…so, he raised a little bit of money from friends and family and decided to take the plunge. Tune in to hear the story of how Kevin build The Shore House Hotel, why he thinks STR owners and operators can make great hoteliers, and what his hot takes on the future of travel and hospitality look like. Follow The Shore House Hotel on Instagram 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet Adam Norko, a former marine turned hospitality marketer extraordinaire. Adam has spent the last two decades working in sales and marketing for a number of hospitality brands — everything from the PropTech side of the house to leading growth at vacation rental and STR management companies. In this conversation, Adam and I talk about how marketing has evolved in the vacation rental industry, what shifts the smartest hosts are making right now to prepare for the next generation of guests, the opportunities that exist for entrepreneurs to build new brands and companies in the space, whether or not the future of hospitality is boutique, and so much more. Adam is a wicked smart, wonderfully dynamic, and humbly passionate guy — y’all are going to love this episode. Oh, and before we dive in, I want to give a quick thank you to our sponsor for today’s episode, OwnerRez — the most loved and trusted property management software by professional vacation rental managers on the market. Some of my best friends in the industry swear by OwnerRez so I’d highly encourage you to check them out and be sure to tell them that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you their way and they’ll give you an exclusive discount when you decide to purchase their software. 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at 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! Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way! Meet Samantha Pike, founder of The Hosting Societe — a private club for hosts who have mastered the art of experiential accommodations. Back in 2018, Samantha launched her first vacation rental in Ontario — she had poured so much love and intention into the space that when she opened her calendar it booked out for 6 months almost immediately. Samantha was stunned by the response and began wondering whether she had scratched an itch that the next generations of guests had for highly-curated short-term stays. Sam started posting about her approach to hosting on Instagram and, before she knew it, folks with a similar heart for elevated hospitality began asking her to swap ideas and connect to share stories. And it really was these requests that got Sam thinking about what it might look like to design a space where these exceptional creators of some of the world’s most beloved stays could come together. Tune in to hear the inspiring story of how Sam built The Hosting Societe and what she thinks the future of travel and hospitality just might look like… Learn more about The Hosting Societe Connect with Samantha on Instagram 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. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.

Meet 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 whatever it was that this guy did. And as it turned out, this guy had started the top luxury travel agency in Costa Rica. So Matt decided to shoot his shot and ask this guy to get together for a coffee next time he was in town…and, to Matt’s pleasant surprise, he did. This opportunity was Matt’s foray into travel and hospitality and, while he didn’t know it at the time, this job would enable him to buy his own vacation rental management agency and, eventually, build a prolific online platform and membership community that thousands of professional operators all around the world would one day come to learn from and be inspired by. This episode is brought to you by OwnerRez — the smartest property management software for vacation rental hosts. You can get a 30% discount on your first 3 months by mentioning Behind the Stays after booking a call or requesting more information from their team. Learn more about OwnerRez here. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Learn more about the VRMB Community 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-Founder of Sponstayneous. If you know of an Airbnb host you think we should have on the show, please reach out directly to Zach at [email protected] and he'd be happy to talk with them.