Explore every episode of the podcast Behind the Stays
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Build Fewer, Spend More: A Round Table on The New Formula for Experiential Hospitality with Ben Wolff and Isaac French | 12 Nov 2024 | 01:20:04 | |
In this special crossover episode of Behind the Stays and The Unique Hospitality Podcast, hosted by my friend Nick Purslow, we bring together two of the most innovative names in experiential hospitality—Ben Wolff of Onera and Isaac French of Live Oak Lake. Known for creating standout micro-resorts and unique stays, Ben and Isaac are veterans of the podcast scene, but this time, they’re answering some questions they’ve never been asked before. Tune in for unfiltered insights on what it takes to create deeply personal, experiential stays that go beyond just beautiful design. Our conversation dives into Ben’s big-vision approach with projects like Onera Wimberley, where scale meets seamless guest experience, and contrasts it with Isaac’s preference for smaller, more intimate stays—designed to immerse guests fully in nature and unparalleled design. We also explore how shifts in consumer spending and a growing preference for authenticity and personalization are reshaping the hospitality landscape and why consumers are looking beyond the traditional, finding luxury in boutique, nature-centric stays that prioritize immersive moments over cookie-cutter amenities. You’ll get Ben and Isaac’s takes on:
Listen to The Unique Hospitality Podcast Follow Behind the Stays on Instagram Follow Isaac on Twitter/X or Instagram Follow Ben on Twitter/X or Instagram Learn more about Posh Outdoors Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at joinjourney.com/alliance.
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| From World Traveler to Boutique Hotelier: Lessons Learned on Owning Both Vacation Rentals and Hotels | 08 Nov 2024 | 00:48:48 | |
Meet Adam Dailey – an adventurous soul and hospitality innovator who owns a collection of short-term rentals and boutique hotels in San Diego. From an Olympic sports tour operator to a global family traveler, Adam’s journey into hospitality began with a family sabbatical, taking him, his wife, and their four young children around the world. Today, Adam channels that passion for exploration and authentic experiences into managing boutique hotels and vacation rentals that blend charm, service, and design to create truly memorable stays. In this episode, we dive into:
Alright friends, without further ado, get ready to meet Adam. Follow Behind the Stays on Instagram Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at joinjourney.com/alliance. | |||
| Building Outpost X: How Travis Chambers Created the World's Most Unique Desert Hotel | 08 Oct 2024 | 01:03:32 | |
Meet Travis Chambers, the genius behind Outpost X, a mind-bending desert hotel that’s redefining experiential stays. Travis didn’t just wake up one day and decide to build a viral hotel—he first built an ad agency where he worked with brands like Vitamin Water, Turkish Airlines, and Old Navy to create viral social content. After selling the agency for $17 million in 201, he used that capital to create something completely new in the world of hospitality. In this conversation, we dive deep into Travis’s unique approach to hospitality, where he blends art, adventure, and immersive storytelling to create an experience like no other. His goal? To push guests beyond their comfort zones in a place designed to make you feel slightly uncomfortable—in the best way possible. And here’s the kicker: Outpost X is just the beginning. Travis has developed an elaborate storyline that will eventually connect all of his future properties across the world, building a universe where each stay is part of a larger narrative. Tune in to hear:
This was one of the most amazing, inspiring, and crazy interviews I’ve ever conducted. You’re going to love it. This episode is brought to you by The Content House If you listen to this podcast, you likely care a lot about your brand. You care about building it thoughtfully and purposefully. What I love about Nate and the team at The Content House is that they truly understand this. They care about getting to know your style, your approach, and the unique quirks and features that make your collection of stays special. Their service is full end-to-end social media management and content creation. From shooting stunning videos and photos to editing, posting, and even sourcing influencers to partner with… The Content House specializes in working with hospitality entrepreneurs building well-branded, boutique collections, often in exotic or extra-special locations… Follow The Content House on Instagram About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn. | |||
| Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing: A Special 3-Part Podcast Series with BuildUp Bookings | 08 Nov 2023 | 00:49:09 | |
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:
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 Business of Bill Faeth: A Look at His Content Business, STR Portfolio, and Events Company | 07 Nov 2023 | 01:06:34 | |
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:
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:
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. | |||
| He’s Built Businesses in Energy, Tech, and Media — Now He’s Building a Next-Generation Resort in Broken Bow | 03 Nov 2023 | 01:01:39 | |
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:
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:
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. | |||
| Vacation Rental Secrets: Lessons Learned from 50 STR Experts (with Brooke Pfautz) | 31 Oct 2023 | 00:52:45 | |
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 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:
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. | |||
| How They Built a Dome Micro-Resort on Top of a Waterfall | 27 Oct 2023 | 00:55:10 | |
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:
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:
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 Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President | 24 Oct 2023 | 01:08:43 | |
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. 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:
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.
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| He Built the World’s #1 Hotel Marketing Website — Now He’s Building the Hottest Community in Hospitality. | 20 Oct 2023 | 01:00:01 | |
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:
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:
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:
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. | |||
| How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch | 17 Oct 2023 | 01:04:31 | |
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 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. | |||
| He Led Corporate Communications for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar — Now He’s Building a Platform for the STR Community | 13 Oct 2023 | 01:01:10 | |
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:
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:
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. | |||
| A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived | 10 Oct 2023 | 01:09:59 | |
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:
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. 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 CasiolaHow 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. | |||
| How They're Reimagining Affordable Experiential Travel by Building a National Hostel Brand | 04 Oct 2024 | 00:26:09 | |
Meet Nathan St Cyr, the co-founder of Howzit Hostels, a next-generation travel brand transforming hostel stays in the U.S. Nathan and his co-founder Michael have been on the pod before, but Nathan joined us at the recent Unique Stays Summit that Ben Woldff and I hosted so I wanted to bring him back on to share some more details on what he’s building. In this episode, Nathan shares the bold and inspiring journey behind building Howzit—a hospitality brand focused on creating affordable, community-driven, and experiential stays that challenge the traditional hostel model. Nathan and I discuss:
Tune in to hear Nathan’s thoughtful insights on what it takes to build a large-scale hostel brand in an overlooked market and why Howzit Hostels is perfectly positioned to shape the future of affordable experiential travel in the U.S. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Hostfully. Upselling sounds great in theory, but how do you actually do it? How do you know what to offer, and how do you make it seamless for your guests? Well, that’s where Hostfully’s latest eBook comes into play. This isn’t just another generic guide; it’s a goldmine of insights drawn from real transaction data collected from June 2023 to June 2024. We’re talking about the most popular upsells that guests actually buy — from early check-ins to premium amenity access — and how these can significantly enhance your bottom line. But here’s the best part: this eBook doesn’t just leave you with data; it gives you practical advice and checklists to help you start implementing these upsells right away. Whether you’re just getting started with a simple upsell or looking to expand your offerings, Hostfully has you covered. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn.
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| He Wants Everyone to Own a Mansion — The Future of Vacation Rental Ownership with John Sutton | 06 Oct 2023 | 00:59:04 | |
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:
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 CasiolaHow 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. | |||
| How to Build (And Then Scale) a Unique Airbnb Co-Hosting Business | 03 Oct 2023 | 00:47:13 | |
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. 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:
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. | |||
| How AI Will Enable Hospitality Entrepreneurs to Scale Their Brands (and Portfolios) | 29 Sep 2023 | 01:00:20 | |
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. | |||
| How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences | 26 Sep 2023 | 00:58:33 | |
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. | |||
| Why She Left Her Successful Career in Accounting to Build a Hospitality Brand in the North Carolina Mountains | 22 Sep 2023 | 00:56:48 | |
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. Follow the Edenwood Treehouse on Sponstayneous Follow the Edenwood Barn on Sponstayneous 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. | |||
| How to Build the Next Generation of STR Management Companies | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:56:15 | |
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. | |||
| How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills | 15 Sep 2023 | 00:54:39 | |
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 StoreHave 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. | |||
| How He Launched a Boutique Hotel for Bourbon Lovers — And Why He’s Bullish on Building for Niche Audiences. | 12 Sep 2023 | 00:52:21 | |
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. | |||
| How to Build a Franchise-Worthy Hospitality Brand — The Story of Casiola | 05 Sep 2023 | 00:56:22 | |
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:
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. | |||
| He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like | 01 Sep 2023 | 00:59:30 | |
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. | |||
| How a Land Blunder Turned into the Most Instagrammable Stay in the Mountains of Quebec: The Story of LD Cabin | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:57:59 | |
Meet Melissa and Sacha Leclair, the dynamic duo behind LD Cabin, an awe-inspiring modern cabin retreat nestled in the stunning mountains of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. In this episode, Melissa and Sacha share the inspiring journey of how they transformed their love for design and nature into a hospitality brand that allows guests to experience relaxation in its purest form. Melissa, Sacha, and I discuss:
Tune in to hear Melissa and Sacha’s thoughtful approach to designing experiences that not only captivate guests but also immerse them in nature, inspiring repeat visits and creating lasting memories. If you're passionate about unique stays, design, and creating unforgettable guest experiences, this episode is packed with ideas and insights that will leave you inspired. Follow Melissa and Sacha on Instagram This episode is brought to you by Enso Connect: My new friends at Enso Connect have created a tool that’s putting AI to work in a way that’s saving hospitality pros countless hours every week. Here’s how it works: Enso Connect’s Guest Messaging Insights tool dives into your guest messages across all booking platforms. Using AI, it analyzes these interactions and pulls out hidden opportunities that you might be missing. And the best part? It’s FREE, and you’ll get your personalized report in just 72 hours. Here’s what this AI-powered report will do for you:
This episode is also brought to you by Hudson Creative Studio: This episode is brought to you by Hudson Creative Studio — the leading web design agency for vacation rental managers. Hudson Creative is offering a special deal for Behind the Stays listeners. When you mention Behind the Stays during your discovery call, you’ll get 10% off any service level option. If you’re serious about taking your hospitality brand to the next level, head over to HudsonCreativeStudio.com/behindthestays. Trust me, Eli and his team will make your website something truly special. And don’t forget to listen to our series, "Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Hospitality Websites," which we’ll link in the show notes below, for a deep dive into what makes these guys the best in the biz. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn.
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| The Story Behind Sponstayneous and the Behind the Stays Podcast | 29 Aug 2023 | 00:35:49 | |
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 zach@sponstayneous.com 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. | |||
| Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses | 25 Aug 2023 | 00:56:01 | |
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:
Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn 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. | |||
| He Launched Sonder in the UK — Now He’s Building Lodgeur, a Flexible Living Product in Texas | 22 Aug 2023 | 01:06:24 | |
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. 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. | |||
| Lessons Learned While Building a Portfolio of 100+ Airbnbs AFTER the COVID Boom — with Taylor Jones | 16 Aug 2023 | 00:59:54 | |
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. 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. | |||
| How to Build the Future of Soft Brands in Short-Term Rentals — Michael Goldin, Storied Collection | 11 Aug 2023 | 00:54:00 | |
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. | |||
| How They Founded, Built, and Scaled ’Thanks for Visiting’ | 08 Aug 2023 | 00:56:50 | |
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.
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| The Secret Sauce to Airbnb Influencer Marketing — Thoughts from the Founders of Hinter, Live Oak Lake, and Onera | 04 Aug 2023 | 01:11:35 | |
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.
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| From Shark Tank to Shoppable Airbnbs — Meet Julia Rossi | 01 Aug 2023 | 01:06:14 | |
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 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.
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| From Vacation Rental Manager, to Wall Street Attorney, to Boutique Hotelier | 28 Jul 2023 | 01:06:56 | |
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. | |||
| How to Build the Future of the Vacation Rental Industry | 25 Jul 2023 | 01:07:07 | |
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. | |||
| The Changing Landscape of Vacation Rental Marketing with StayFi's Arthur Colker | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:52:51 | |
Meet Arthur Colker, the founder of StayFi,a marketing platform for short-term rental hosts and operators. Arthur and I explore the evolution of marketing in the vacation rental industry. Since StayFi's inception back in 2018, Arthur has observed a dramatic shift in how hospitality entrepreneurs and property managers approach marketing, especially as reliance on OTAs like Airbnb has become less sustainable. Arthur and I discuss
Whether you're a vacation rental host with one property or a property manager with a large portfolio, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you future-proof your business. This episode is brought to you by StayFi. StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi. The best part is that once you have their information, you can use StayFi’s email and text marketing tools to keep in touch and make sure they become a guest for life. Head on over to StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months. Want to book a consulting brainstorm with Zach? Send him an email directly at zach@staywatch.ai or complete this payment link and get immediate access to his schedule where you can book some time with him! About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn.
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| How She Built a Private Club for Hosts Who’ve Mastered the Art of Hospitality | 21 Jul 2023 | 01:00:49 | |
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. | |||
| How He Built the MIT of Vacation Rental Communities — Meet Matt Landau | 18 Jul 2023 | 01:02:53 | |
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. 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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| How He Built the Airbnb for Pools — Meet the Founder of Swimply | 14 Jul 2023 | 01:03:26 | |
Meet Bunim Laskin, Founder and CEO of Swimply — the Airbnb for Pools. Bunim grew up in Israel and moved to the states with his family when he was 15 years old. He is oldest of 12 children and the idea for Swimply came to him when he was looking for a way to entertain his younger siblings in the heat of a New Jersey summer. His next door neighbor had a pool that she didn’t use much and Bunim asked her if his family could use the pool when she wasn’t using it they agreed to pay 25% of the pool’s annual costs…to his surprise, she agreed. Tune in to hear the remarkable story of how Bunim raised his first million dollars, wound up pitching Swimply on SharkTank, how he and the team navigated COVID, and what the next 12 months for the company will look like (hint: it includes being able to book more than just pools!). 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. 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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them.
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| A Masterclass on Experiential Hospitality with Isaac French (Creator of Live Oak Lake) | 11 Jul 2023 | 00:48:50 | |
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! Issac French, Creator of Live Oak Lake, joins Zach for a chat about his latest project — a Masterclass on Experiential Hospitality. This 9-hour, 45-videos-course, is your complete guide to financing, designing, building, marketing, and automating a boutique hospitality experience. I’ve interviewed over 100 hospitality entrepreneurs on my podcast, Behind the Stays, and I’ve never met someone in this industry so committed to excellence in ALL he does. Isaac is humble, smart, and has zero tolerance for ‘just OK.’ What he’s built at Live Oak Lake is truly extraordinary and I for one can’t wait to see what he does next. A few decades ago, a young entrepreneur named Issy from Canada had a simple vision for creating exceptional experiences…that vision became Four Seasons. If I was a betting man, I’d bet that the creator of the “next generation” Four Seasons might come from Waco, Texas…and chances are his name will be Isaac. 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. | |||
| His Hospitality Business Helps People Detox from Their Digital Lives — Meet the Co-Founder of Unplugged | 07 Jul 2023 | 00:54:55 | |
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 Hector Hughes, Co-Founder of Unplugged — a collection of off-grid cabins around the UK designed and optimized for guests seeking a digital detox. Hector started his career working in sales at a start-up, but it wasn’t really his thing. So, he gave product management a try and, well, that wasn’t much better. So he was REALLY excited when he finally got the opportunity to join the growth team…but, as it turns out, that wasn’t really his thing either. So Hector did the only thing he could do…he went soul searching at a two-week silent retreat in the Himalayas. Tune in to hear how that retreat inspired him and his now-Co-Founder Ben to build a hospitality business focused on helping young professionals from the city escape the matrix for a couple of days by locking up their phones, disconnecting from the internet, and booking a stay in an impeccably-designed tiny cabin nestled in nature. 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. | |||
| Google Flight Alerts but for Airbnbs, a Community of Professional Guests, and other Sponstayneous Updates | 30 Jun 2023 | 00:30:07 | |
In this episode Zach shares some exciting new updates on what we're building at Sponstayneous and asks for feedback from listeners on how to improve Behind the Stays. Got ideas for Zach? Reach out to him direct at zach@sponstayneous.com or find him on Twitter @zboozee or on LinkedIn at @zacharybusekrus. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb. You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee. | |||
| The Past, Present, and Future of Vacation Rental Software — Insights from OwnerRez Co-Founder, Paul Waldschmidt | 27 Jun 2023 | 01:02:23 | |
Meet Paul Waldschmidt, Co-Founder and CEO of OwnerRez — one of the industry’s most beloved property management platforms. Paul is a software developer through and through. He has always loved leveraging technology to solve problems. So, when he and his business partner Chris began experiencing problems with their property manager on their recently purchased vacation rental in the Blue Ridge mountains, the technical duo saw an opportunity. Tune in to hear the story of how Paul and Chris bootstrapped the creation of one of the most respected, loved, and powerful PMSes for STR owners and property managers. In this episode, Paul and I discuss:
Finally, Paul and his team have generously offered a 30% discount for new customers for their first 3 months. Just mention Behind the Stays after booking a call or requesting more information from their team. Learn more about OwnerRez here. 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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| How to Build a Portfolio of Unique (But Really Affordable) Airbnbs | 23 Jun 2023 | 00:52:24 | |
This episode is brought to you by StayFi! StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi. Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months. Meet Jessica Foster, the creator of Ironton Island — a collection of unique glamping stays in Ironton, Minnesota. Jessica is a product designer by trade and has always had a love for the outdoors — something she and her husband Chad have in common. Jessica and Chad have always enjoyed working hard and dreaming about ways to create valuable assets that enable others to encounter the natural world in more meaningful ways. So, when the opportunity presented itself for the couple to begin designing and building unique, but affordable, Airbnb escapes, they jumped at it. Tune in to hear the story of how Jessica and Chad have strategically acquired overlooked land, built simple but memorable unique stays — with little-to-no financing — and how they plan to take a more “bootstrapped” approach to building their collection of insta-worthy short-term rentals. 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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| Meet the Guy Airbnb Doesn’t Want You to Know About | 20 Jun 2023 | 01:09:02 | |
This episode is brought to you by StayFi! StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi. Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months. Meet Mark Simpson — the founder and CEO of Boostly, the leading direct booking website builder for STR and vacation rental hosts. Mark literally grew up immersed in the hospitality industry. His family lived on a 200 acre farm in Scarborough, England where they ran a bed and breakfast and farm-to-table restaurant for folks around the UK looking for a relaxing getaway from the city. After a career as a football, or as we call it here in the states, soccer coach, Mark wound up returning to the farm to help usher the family business into the 21st Century. And while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this move would wind up laying the groundwork for Mark to become one of the most trusted and inspirational voices in hospitality. Tune in to hear the story of how Mark recognized a massive opportunity to help STR owners and operators build and scale their businesses, reduce their reliance on OTAs like Airbnb, and increase their portfolio’s revenue. In this episode we talk about:
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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| Hot Takes on Hospitality, New Ideas for STR Entrepreneurs, and The Founding Story of Behind the Stays | 16 Jun 2023 | 00:54:00 | |
This episode is a special one! Wil Slickers from Slick Talk invited our host, Zach Busekrus, to come and share his story on Wil's top-rated hospitality podcast. Enjoy this rebroadcasted episode! Be sure to subscribe to Wil's show here or wherever you get your podcast. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Sponstayneous — a carefully-curated newsletter that sends subscribers 150 of the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb twice a week. You can subscribe for free at www.sponstayneous.com. Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus (@zboozee) — Co-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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| How to Build a Hospitality Empire in Rural America: Motels, Contactless Boutique Hotels, Wedding Venues, and More | 24 Sep 2024 | 00:57:49 | |
Meet Austin Phippen, a hospitality entrepreneur balancing the demands of multiple ventures in the heart of Chama, New Mexico. Austin and his wife Karlee are redefining what it means to build a rural hospitality empire, managing everything from a boutique motel to an event venue and even vacation rentals. Tune in as Austin shares his journey from construction to hospitality, how his family’s legacy property sparked a wedding venue business, and the surprising lessons he’s learned about running a motel in one of the most remote, yet scenic, areas of the country. Discover how Austin transformed a family cabin into a top wedding destination, navigated the complexities of managing a motel, and how seasonal challenges shape his business strategy. If you’re curious about what it takes to run multiple hospitality ventures in a small town or how to grow a business with little initial experience, this episode is packed with insights for you. Austin and I also discuss the power of organic growth, the balance between low-touch and high-touch hospitality, and why Austin believes hands-on interaction is key to guest satisfaction. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in rural tourism, family-run hospitality businesses, or those dreaming of building their own legacy in the industry. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Hostfully. Upselling sounds great in theory, but how do you actually do it? How do you know what to offer, and how do you make it seamless for your guests? Well, that’s where Hostfully’s latest eBook comes into play. This isn’t just another generic guide; it’s a goldmine of insights drawn from real transaction data collected from June 2023 to June 2024. We’re talking about the most popular upsells that guests actually buy — from early check-ins to premium amenity access — and how these can significantly enhance your bottom line. But here’s the best part: this eBook doesn’t just leave you with data; it gives you practical advice and checklists to help you start implementing these upsells right away. Whether you’re just getting started with a simple upsell or looking to expand your offerings, Hostfully has you covered. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you by StayWatch — the internet's best resource for deals on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can subscribe, for free, at www.staywatch.ai Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Co-founder of StayWatch, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee or on LinkedIn.
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| She Worked in PR for The Ritz, St. Regis, and Le Méridien — Now She’s Building Her Own Luxury STR Brand | 13 Jun 2023 | 00:54:50 | |
This episode is brought to you by StayFi! StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop. This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi. Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months. Meet Katie Cline, creator of Trout Landing in Lake George, New York. While new to the STR space, Katie comes from a background of luxury hospitality PR, having worked for brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Edition, and Le Méridien in both New York and London. In this episode Katie and I discuss what STR hosts designing, building, and hosting luxury stays can learn from some of the most highly-regarded hospitality organizations in the world. We chat about how the communication tone and style differs within Marriott's luxury collection, some of the most noteworthy experiences Katie had while working in PR, how she’s applying her learnings from luxe hospitality to the building of her own hospitality brand, and some lessons she thinks STR owners and operators can learn from luxury hotels. Book Your Stay at Trout Landing 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 zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them. | |||
| Housekeeping: Exciting Updates from Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:14:17 | |
So there’s been a LOT happening over the last couple of months and I wanted to give you all a quick update on some exciting happenings at Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays... Subscribe to Behind the Stays on YouTube Follow Behind the Stays on Instagram Join the Sponstayneous Host Partner Program ’m going to call this episode and future episodes like it “housekeeping” 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 On the agenda for today:
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. | |||
| Why Airbnb Hosts Should Invest Way More in Design — Hot Takes with Hans Lorei | 06 Jun 2023 | 01:06:49 | |
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 Hans Lorei — Head of Design at Investmet.com and one of the most beloved designers in the short-term rental and boutique hospitality corners of the internet. Hans was working at a bar in Nashville when he overheard a couple of real estate developers discussing a new luxury build they were working on nearby, and something about their conversation sparked inspiration in Hans. He asked if he could come and check out their project and the duo said yes. And while Hans couldn’t have known it at the time, this would prove to be a pivotal moment in his life and the first step in his journey to becoming a realtor, learning the ropes of development, and applying his creative talents to the hospitality space. In this conversation, Hans and I discuss: - Why STR hosts should invest way more in design - Why hosts should think about their yards as an extension of their homes - How to ensure that every item you buy for your STR is aligned with your brand - And loads more. Get excited for a riveting and inspirational conversation with one of my favorite follows on Twitter. Create your free Minoan account 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. | |||