Host as Guest
We turn the tables on vacation rental property managers. We invite PMs to be our guests, and they take us behind the scenes to give us a glimpse of how they work. They share their personal struggles, LOL-moments, insider secrets, and champagne-worthy successes. They reveal how they ensure guests return time after time and maximise their profits.
Episodes
30 episodes
Direct Marketing + Tiktok: Get Right into Your Guest's Screens
In this engaging episode of "The Host As Guest," host Leo sits down with Jeremy Worden, co-founder of BNBCalc, seasoned short-term rental owner, and experiential travel aficionado. Jeremy shares his unique journey from launching a boat rental b...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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30:04
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The Unfiltered Truth of Direct Bookings: Craigslist Bookings & Chargebacks
Join us at the STR Hospitality Summit for an insightful conversation with Stacey St. John of Cozy Getaways, a full-service property management firm in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Stacey shares her passion for creating memorable family vacatio...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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22:38
Money's in Niches: How to Pick Your Niche and Become a Master in It
Join us for an insightful conversation with Kyle James, CEO of Atomic Stays, at the SDR Hospitality Summit! Kyle shares his journey from managing a few properties to overseeing 175 across Colorado, emphasizing the importance of local expertise ...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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18:39
From Zero to 45% Repeat Guests in DB: Return Guests On Repeat with Rose Tipka
Unlock the secrets to skyrocketing direct bookings and cultivating a loyal base of return guests with Rose Tipka, owner of Your Family's Place! In this information-packed episode, Rose shares her innovative strategies for building an independen...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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35:50
A Case Study: Oliver Harper on Sustainable Hospitality, Service Apartments & Building with Vision
In this special case study episode, Katya Kachkovska sits down with seasoned property professional Oliver Harper, Managing Director of Harper Luxe Serviced Apartments, for an insightful conversation on building a purposeful short-term rental bu...
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9:40
Host as Guest – “Furnish It With Love” with Susan Montiel
In this episode, Leo is joined by Susan Montiel, the founder and CEO of Casa Montiel Properties — a short-term and midterm rental co-hosting business that operates across the United States. Susan joined us from her current home base in Virginia...
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31:34
Case Study: How Stay Nordic Built a Host-First Property Management Model with Torbjörn Fredman
In this case study, Katya sits down with Torbjörn Fredman, a seasoned leader in the Swedish and European travel industry. With a career that spans decades and includes high-level roles in both incoming and outgoing tourism, Torbjörn shares how ...
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6:03
Scaling a Vacation Rental Business in Croatia
This episode of Host as Guest was recorded live at the SCALE Eastern Europe conference in Bulgaria, where we had the chance to sit down with Boris, the CEO and founder of Sun Spolato, a property management company based in Croatia.Boris...
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12:09
Scaling a Vacation Rental Business in Croatia: How Sun Spolato Grew to 110 Properties with Quality and Transparency
This episode of Host as Guest was recorded live at the SCALE Eastern Europe conference in Bulgaria, where we had the chance to sit down with Boris, the CEO and founder of Sun Spolato, a property management company based in Croatia.Boris...
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12:09
Scaling Short-Term Rentals with Mihaela from Rentify
In this live episode of Host as Guest, recorded at Scale Eastern Europe, we sit down with Mihaela, co-founder of Rentify. Mihaela shares her journey of turning a single small apartment into a thriving short-term rental...
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13:52
Redefining Hospitality in Short-Term Rentals with Jodie Odlin
In this episode of Host as Guest, Leo Walton chats with Jodie Odlin, a short-term rental host and founder of the Hospitable Host community. Jodie shares how she moved beyond relying on Airbnb by building a direct booking strategy, using social ...
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10:41
Elevating Hospitality with Nicole Pace
In this mini episode of Host as Guest, host Leo Walton welcomes Nicole Pace to discuss the evolving landscape of property acquisition, hospitality, and midterm rentals. Nicole shares insights on how Sojourn has grown its inventory organically t...
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10:45
On saving yourself some sleep with AI: How Jodie Manages Rentals in the UK living in Australia
Welcome to this episode of The Host as Guest, where host Leo Walton is joined by Jodie Odlin, the head of The Hospitable Hosts and founder of Tetbury Escapes. Jodie shares her fascinating journey from living in the UK’s Cotswolds to running a s...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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32:34
The Secret Is to Do the Important Things Right
In this mini episode of Host as Guest, host Leo Walton welcomes Nicole Pace to discuss the evolving landscape of property acquisition, hospitality, and midterm rentals. Nicole shares insights on how Sojourn has grown its inventory organically t...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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12:32
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San Diego’s Agenda Pushes Hosts into Mid-Term Rentals
In this episode of The Host as Guest, Leo sits down with Angela Sillmon, CEO of Peacock Bungalows, to discuss her journey from corporate IT project management to building a thriving short-term and mid-term rental business. Angela scaled her por...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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25:21
Saskia's Secret to Running 50 Self-Catering Villas
I’m chatting to Saskia van der Bolt in this week's episode.Saskia owns Villa in Umbria, a property management company overseeing 50 self-catering villas in this beautiful part of Italy.We learn how Saskia fell ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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36:30
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Built a VR Business in 30 Days with Heather
In this week’s episode, we chat with Heather Fillmore-Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of Stayluxe Properties in Park City, Utah.You will hear how adversity, struggle, and loss have been the most important driving forces behind her growth and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:10
On Creating Desert Hide-Aways and Never Really Working
In this week’s episode, we chat with John Hildebrand, CEO and Founder of Hilde Homes and a leader in the STR community who advocates for fair regulations and sustainable successful futures for short-term rentals.Find out when he got bit...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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37:34
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Upscale Your Portfolio: Strategic Insights from Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Ben Early
Find out how Holt manages to create profit consistently by developing commercially leased properties themselves using a team of architects and renovators.We also learn how Ben’s background as a hedge fund manager helps him manage risk a...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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41:30
Brand Strategy for STR Business: Lessons from Vacation Rentals Brand Strategist
In this week’s episode, we chat with Lisa Roads - founder of The Holiday Property Coach - a short-term rental business and brand strategist.Find out how Lisa created property management services and a market for her rentals in Cyprus, a...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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30:33
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Humor vs Bad Reviews: Being Nice Pays Out Every Time
Lauren Madewell of Ante Bellen’s Cabins in Tennessee talks about the importance of offering hospitality to guests, getting ahead of complainers and bad reviews, and using humor in guest communications.Lauren talks about the importance o...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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32:36
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On Perks of Playing Your Part in Community
In this week’s episode, we chat with Linnie and Kyle, owners of Dwell Luxury Rentals in Flagstaff, Arizona.The power couple shares the secret to their success - consistency, a real connection with guests, and being part of the local com...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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38:04
Stop Scaling, Dominate Locally
Steve tells us what a local STR shop does better than any STR giant and shares why he always chooses honesty over the promise of a moon on a string.Hello Host, would you like to get featured?We're looking for experienced Propert...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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18:23
STR Forever? Plan Exit Strategy Now
We chat with Dave Goodfellow from Noki Stays in Chester, UK.Dave shares how he sees his exit strategy. Hint: by buying offices in the heart of Kent, UK, and converting them into... well, enough hints already hehe. Go and listen to the episo...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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24:25
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Use BRRR to Never Lose Money with Sarah & Annette
Leo chats with expert hosts Annette and Sarah - the brains of Thanks for Visiting - a leading STR community and podcast about the exit strategies they create for each of their real estate units.Stay tuned and learn why you should ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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33:07
