STR Investing, The Podcast
Unlock financial freedom through short-term rental investing with hosts Taylor Jones and Mark Lumpkin. Each week, they sit down with the biggest names in the STR industry to uncover what’s working right now — from acquisitions and design to operations, marketing, and scaling portfolios.
Taylor has helped acquire and manage over 500+ STRs, while Mark brings years of hands-on experience transforming properties into high-performing investments.
Together, they break down real strategies, real numbers, and real stories that help investors grow smarter and faster.
Whether you’re buying your first Airbnb or expanding a multi-market portfolio, this show is your roadmap to building wealth and freedom through short-term rentals.
Subscribe and start turning your STR goals into results.
STR Investing, The Podcast
Unreasonable Hospitality with Valerie Gangas
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This week on the STR Investing Podcast, Mark sits down with Valerie Gangas, CEO of Juniper Holiday + Home, author, meditator, and lifelong hospitality pro. Valerie shares how a childhood split between Chicago restaurants and apartment buildings shaped her “guests-first” operating system, why there’s never a checkout chore list, and how sending a real human (often with a pie!) can turn hiccups into five-star moments. She also opens up about boundaries, meditation, and why taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of your team, owners, and guests.
In this episode:
- Valerie’s origin story: restaurants + multifamily → boutique STR management
- Designing for memories (fresh flowers, cookies, wine, pet-name biscuits) vs. overspending on marble
- The Juniper standard: effortless check-in, zero checkout tasks, and mid-stay service that wows
- Hiring & scaling: trusting your gut, team consensus, and filling your own gaps
- Mindset for operators: meditation, boundaries, and leading from a calm center
- OTAs vs direct: grateful for discovery, intentional about repeat bookings
- The education gap in STRs and why community knowledge-sharing matters
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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search
STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 255 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com
