Hectic Host: The CEO Playbook for Ending STR Overwhelm

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What happens when an STR operator keeps trying to fix chaos with more hires, more tools, or more units, only to realize the real problems were never the ones they were solving?

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Kaye Putnam (Head of Marketing at Freewyld and Freewyld Foundry) and Eric Moeller unpack the hectic host stage, the operational limbo where everything feels urgent, priorities constantly shift, and growth never creates the relief operators expect. They break down why so many STR businesses stay stuck in firefighting mode, why operators chase “squirrels” instead of closing the hole in the roof, and how strategic cadence, clearer systems, and better decision making change the trajectory of a company.

Whether you manage a small team or a fast-growing portfolio, this episode shows what actually moves a business out of overwhelm and into intentional, sustainable scale. Kaye and Eric share the behind-the-scenes lessons from a recent Freewyld offsite, including how they restructured workflows, redesigned communication rhythms, and tapped into external expertise to accelerate problem solving.

You will discover:

• Why operators stay stuck in the hectic host stage even as they grow

• How to identify whether a problem is worth solving right now

• Why fixing symptoms instead of root issues keeps teams overwhelmed

• How daily huddles and weekly cadences expose bottlenecks quickly

• Why operators should let small fires burn to stay focused

• The role of external experts in speeding up problem solving

• How to use long-term vision vs urgency to prioritize decisions

• Why overloaded roles create hidden friction across the company

Kaye and Eric also explore how offsites transform clarity, why KPIs only matter when tied to action, and how the “jobs to be done” exercise reveals exactly where a CEO is overextended. They discuss how marketing and operations teams can create alignment through lean metrics, why remote teams need intentional structure, and how specialization increases output across every department.

💡 Topics Covered:

• Hectic host stage and operational overwhelm

• Team structure, delegation, and role clarity

• Systems thinking and root-cause problem solving

• Meeting cadences, daily huddles, and offsite strategy

• KPI design, metric prioritization, and accountability

• Project management workflows and process rebuilding

• Decision making for scale and CEO mindset

🔗 Relevant Links:

Learn more about Freewyld Foundry → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com

Follow Kaye Putnam → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayeputnam

Follow Eric Moeller → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmoeller

Follow Freewyld Foundry → https://www.linkedin.com/company/freewyldfoundry

Keywords:

airbnb, hectic host, STR operations, business systems, delegation, team leadership, project management, meeting cadence, KPIs, short term rentals, operational overwhelm, CEO mindset, property management, business scale, Freewyld, Freewyld Foundry, process improvement, STR growth, organizational clarity, team communication, remote teams, workflow design

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