Behind the Stays

Meet Bryce Garcia.  Bryce works in sales for a SaaS company by day and is building his own collection of STRs by night. When Bryce’s mom found out he had bought a condo in Austin,  site unseen, during the middle of the pandemic, and planned to live in one room and rent out the other on Airbnb she thought he had gone NUTS. But when Bryce made enough money over one holiday weekend to pay his mortgage for the month, she told Bryce’s father, “maybe the kid is on to something.” In this episode, Bryce and I talk about: How to get into the game as a new STR investor The tech stack you need from 0 - 3 properties  How to use Twitter to grow your brand and business as an STR entrepreneur The best people to follow on Twitter for tips on STR investing and business building  And lots more. Follow Bryce on Twitter  This week's episode is brought to you by Guesty for Hosts.  One of the questions I get asked a lot from listeners is what they should look for in a PMS or Property Management System. Now, we’re lucky — there are a lot of great options in the market, which can’t be said for software platforms in all industries.  That said, I always encourage them to take a good look at Guesty for Hosts — and here’s why: 1. Guesty’s Channel Manager helps you centralize data across the major booking platforms and stay on top of all activity on your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo.  2. Guesty’s automation tools enable you to ensure you connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion. You can make custom messages for a variety of situations, from a response to an initial inquiry to a post check-out follow up encouraging your guests to leave a review. 3. It includes a Website Builder feature that allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your listing’s brand value and increase your direct bookings.  4. And finally, Guesty just raised over $170 million dollars which means they got some serious cash to continue to seriously invest in their product!   So here’s the deal.  If you’re a STR host without a PMS system or a host looking to explore a new one, I’ve got a treat for you. The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers 20% off of their first year when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” at checkout. Get started with a 14 day free trial today  — no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required — and cancel anytime if you don't love it. Once your 14 day free trial is up, use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” for 20% off of your first year. Guesty for Hosts — it’s the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts.  Try Guesty for Hosts for Free. About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.     You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.  Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee. 

Meet Jon Kreye — an award-winning Airbnb and VRBO photographer. Growing up, you’d often find Jon in the backyard snapping photos of trees, flowers, and wildlife — he has always been moved by the beauty nature offers.  Jon dreamed of being able to do photography full-time, but was sober to the fact that making it as a full-time photographer is super difficult. One day, while traveling in Minnesota, Jon posted photos of the cabin he was staying  at on Instagram — and while he didn’t know it at the time, this decision would change the course of his life forever. Tune in to hear the story of how the success of those first posts on Instagram inspired Jon to focus his photography business around the short term travel space. Follow Jon on Instagram.  This episode is brought to you by BuildUp Bookings.  SEO.  Paid Search. Email Marketing.   You know they are the marketing trifecta needed to build your brand and increase direct bookings to your properties...    But, outside of watching a couple of YouTube videos and listening to a few STR podcasts, you haven’t had the time to really understand how Google ranks content or what subject line and preview text combo are the best when sending an email to your list about last-minute availability.    If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re not just any run of the mill STR or vacation rental host — you’re an entrepreneur who wants to see their portfolio of homes and the brand that encompasses grow.    And this week’s podcast sponsor, BuildUp Bookings, can help you do just that.    BuildUp Bookings is the digital marketing team that some of the best players in the game use to scale their businesses.     I had their founder, Conrad O’Connell on Episode 44 of the podcast...and let me tell you — this guys know his stuff!  In just the last 12 months, BuildUp Bookingshas helped their clients earn over $48 million in direct bookings.   If 90% of your bookings are coming via the Airbnbs and VRBOs of the world, it might be time to audit and augment your direct booking strategy — and Conrad and his team have set up a special landing page for Behind the Stays listeners chock-full of free resources to help you do so.     Head on over to www.BuildUpBookings.com/BTS to learn more.  And be sure to request a free marketing strategy session with Conrad and tell him Zach from Behind the Stays sent you his 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. 

In just a moment you’ll meet Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts —  an RV membership program that allows travelers to stay overnight at unique locations around the country including farms, wineries, breweries, and more. Joel is what you might call a creative hustler.  As a young teenager, you could either find him selling DVDs and books on eBay or out and about shooting video.   Joel loved capturing compelling video content.  So much so in fact, that he launched a business called VideoBlocks, which was a marketplace for stock video footage. He grew the company now known as StoryBlocks and sold it back in 2020 — but not before spending a year RVing around the country with his wife.  After taking some much deserved time off, Joel began looking for his next opportunity. And that’s when he stumbled upon Harvest Hosts. Tune in to hear the serendipitous story of how Joel discovered, bought, and scaled one of the travel industry’s most beloved brands.  Explore Harvest Hosts  Connect with Joel on Twitter or LinkedIn. This episode is brought to you by BuildUp Bookings.  SEO.  Paid Search. Email Marketing.   You know they are the marketing trifecta needed to build your brand and increase direct bookings to your properties...    But, outside of watching a couple of YouTube videos and listening to a few STR podcasts, you haven’t had the time to really understand how Google ranks content or what subject line and preview text combo are the best when sending an email to your list about last-minute availability.    If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re not just any run of the mill STR or vacation rental host — you’re an entrepreneur who wants to see their portfolio of homes and the brand that encompasses grow.    And this week’s podcast sponsor, BuildUp Bookings, can help you do just that.    BuildUp Bookings is the digital marketing team that some of the best players in the game use to scale their businesses.     I had their founder, Conrad O’Connell on Episode 44 of the podcast...and let me tell you — this guys know his stuff!  In just the last 12 months, BuildUp Bookingshas helped their clients earn over $48 million in direct bookings.   If 90% of your bookings are coming via the Airbnbs and VRBOs of the world, it might be time to audit and augment your direct booking strategy — and Conrad and his team have set up a special landing page for Behind the Stays listeners chock-full of free resources to help you do so.     Head on over to www.BuildUpBookings.com/BTS to learn more.  And be sure to request a free marketing strategy session with Conrad and tell him Zach from Behind the Stays sent you his 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. 

Meet Tyann Marcink  — the Queen of Guest Experience at Touch Stay, a digital guidebook platform for short-term and vacation rental hosts.  Tyann has a knack for charting her own path. She’s a resilient creative who owns 2 rental management brands and has been active in the vacation rental industry since 2007. Discover Tyann’s hot takes about the future of the hospitality industry, hear the story behind how she bought a bank and turned it into a vacation rental in the Ozarks, and learn about how she ventured off on her entrepreneurial journey after losing a college scholarship in this episode of Behind the Stays. Alright, without further ado, get ready to meet Tyann.  You can learn more about Touch Stay here. Explore Tyann's Vacation Rentals here. Connect with Tyann on Twitter here.  This episode is brought to you by BuildUp Bookings.  SEO.  Paid Search. Email Marketing.   You know they are the marketing trifecta needed to build your brand and increase direct bookings to your properties...    But, outside of watching a couple of YouTube videos and listening to a few STR podcasts, you haven’t had the time to really understand how Google ranks content or what subject line and preview text combo are the best when sending an email to your list about last-minute availability.    If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re not just any run of the mill STR or vacation rental host — you’re an entrepreneur who wants to see their portfolio of homes and the brand that encompasses grow.    And this week’s podcast sponsor, BuildUp Bookings, can help you do just that.    BuildUp Bookings is the digital marketing team that some of the best players in the game use to scale their businesses.     I had their founder, Conrad O’Connell on Episode 44 of the podcast...and let me tell you — this guys know his stuff!  In just the last 12 months, BuildUp Bookings has helped their clients earn over $48 million in direct bookings.   If 90% of your bookings are coming via the Airbnbs and VRBOs of the world, it might be time to audit and augment your direct booking strategy — and Conrad and his team have set up a special landing page for Behind the Stays listeners chock-full of free resources to help you do so.     Head on over to www.BuildUpBookings.com/BTS to learn more.  And be sure to request a free marketing strategy session with Conrad and tell him Zach from Behind the Stays sent you his 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. 

Meet Marcus Rader — Founder and CEO of Hostaway.  Marcus grew up in Finland.  He was quite a curious kid, but struggled to develop any lasting hobbies as he was easily distracted. After flying for the first time as a six year old, Marcus’ dream was to become a pilot.  Something about being at 30,000 feet was inspirational and invigorating.  Sadly, Marcus was diagnosed with epilepsy just a few years later. And while he didn’t understand much about the disease as a kid, his soul was crushed when he learned he’d never be able to be a pilot. Tune in to hear the inspirational story of how Marcus turned this moment of despair into the pursuit of greatness and how he ultimately built one of the most valuable all-in-one tools for vacation rental property managers on the market. Alright, without further ado, get ready to meet Marcus.  This episode is brought to you by Build Up Bookings.  SEO.  Paid Search. Email Marketing.   You know they are the marketing trifecta needed to build your brand and increase direct bookings to your properties...    But, outside of watching a couple of YouTube videos and listening to a few STR podcasts, you haven’t had the time to really understand how Google ranks content or what subject line and preview text combo are the best when sending an email to your list about last-minute availability.    If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’re not just any run of the mill STR or vacation rental host — you’re an entrepreneur who wants to see their portfolio of homes and the brand that encompasses grow.    And this week’s podcast sponsor, Build Up Bookings, can help you do just that.    Build Up Bookings is the digital marketing team that some of the best players in the game use to scale their businesses.     I had their founder, Conrad O’Connell on Episode 44 of the podcast...and let me tell you — this guys know his stuff!  In just the last 12 months, Build Up Bookings has helped their clients earn over $48 million in direct bookings.   If 90% of your bookings are coming via the Airbnbs and VRBOs of the world, it might be time to audit and augment your direct booking strategy — and Conrad and his team have set up a special landing page for Behind the Stays listeners chock-full of free resources to help you do so.     Head on over to www.BuildUpBookings.com/BTS to learn more.  And be sure to request a free marketing strategy session with Conrad and tell him Zach from Behind the Stays sent you his way! About the Show Behind the Stays is brought to you each 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 

Meet Marc Hostovsky, Founder and CEO of Minoan —  a customizable, curated retail platform for short-term rental hosts.  Marc is a self-proclaimed boutique geek and is passionate about the future of retail.  After spending nearly 6 years working at Jet.com and then Walmart (acquired Jet.com), he quickly realized that the best product experiences don't happen on screens or shelves, they happen in real moments of use "in the wild".  Marc founded Minoan to help hosts: create, and capitalize on, rich moments in their homes save money on everything they need to buy  and spend a fraction of the time on the unsexy things that come along with ordering (tracking, routing, logistics, etc.) Tune in to discover the exciting story of the early days of Minoan and learn how you, as an STR host, can leverage Minoan for a current or future property. Explore the Minoan Experience Website Connect with Marc on LinkedIn Behind the Stays is brought to you each 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    This week's episode is brought to you by Mount. A few months ago, Gabby and I stayed at a quintessential beach cottage in San Diego.    The home was just 3/4 of a mile from the beach — perfect biking distance, right?   There was only one problem — the home didn’t come with bikes, and the nearest bike rental shop was fully committed throughout our stay.    We really wanted bikes — so much so that we asked our host if she knew anyone personally that we might be able to rent bikes from. Alas, she did not.    Today, I want to introduce you to a company who is solving for this very problem.  Meet Mount — a platform that enables STR hosts to transform their homes into full-fledged vacation experiences.    Mount let’s you rent just about anything to your guests — bikes, scooters, golf carts, kayaks, and even private chefs and masseuses!    With the simple scan of a QR code, guests can explore all of the rental amenities you have to offer. Guests can browse, book, and access anything you make available in a matter of seconds.    Mount makes it easy for guests to access anything additional they might need during their stay, and for STR hosts to increase their revenue per booking.    Oh, and if you don’t have a bike or scooter to rent, no problem — Mount can provide one for you.   Learn more about how you can earn more via your STR with Mount and get your first month free by emailing the Mount team at help@RentMount.com 

In just a moment you’ll meet Heather Bien and Adam Shapiro, the creators of Rosehill Cottage — a charming river house on the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  Heather works in marketing at a tech start-up by day and runs her lifestyle and travel blog by night, and Adam works for the federal government.   While the couple lives in Washington DC, they thoroughly enjoy weekend escapes from the city.  And it was on one of these weekend escapes that they fell in love with the charming Virginian towns along the Chesapeake Bay.  Tune in to hear the exciting story of how Heather and Adam found the perfect home in Locust Hill, Virginia and how they brought Rosehill Cottage to life.  Book Rosehill Cottage on Airbnb. Visit the Rosehill Cottage Website. Follow Rosehill Cottage on Instagram. Follow Heather Bien on Instagram. Discover Heather's Lifestyle Blog.  Behind the Stays is brought to you each 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    This week's episode is brought to you by Mount. A few months ago, Gabby and I stayed at a quintessential beach cottage in San Diego.    The home was just 3/4 of a mile from the beach — perfect biking distance, right?   There was only one problem — the home didn’t come with bikes, and the nearest bike rental shop was fully committed throughout our stay.    We really wanted bikes — so much so that we asked our host if she knew anyone personally that we might be able to rent bikes from. Alas, she did not.    Today, I want to introduce you to a company who is solving for this very problem.  Meet Mount — a platform that enables STR hosts to transform their homes into full-fledged vacation experiences.    Mount let’s you rent just about anything to your guests — bikes, scooters, golf carts, kayaks, and even private chefs and masseuses!    With the simple scan of a QR code, guests can explore all of the rental amenities you have to offer. Guests can browse, book, and access anything you make available in a matter of seconds.    Mount makes it easy for guests to access anything additional they might need during their stay, and for STR hosts to increase their revenue per booking.    Oh, and if you don’t have a bike or scooter to rent, no problem — Mount can provide one for you.   Learn more about how you can earn more via your STR with Mount and get your first month free by emailing the Mount team at help@RentMount.com 

In just a moment, you’ll meet Vinny Breslin, founder of Uplisting — one of the industry’s leading short-term rental software & channel manager platforms.  Vinny was born and raised in Ireland. If you were to stumble into his room as a young kid, you might find Vinny taking apart a computer or a radio. When he was 14 years old, he started building websites and was pleasantly surprised when he learned that people would pay him to do such. He went to school for civil engineering and after graduation started working for a SaaS startup building products and services for the travel industry.  And it was during this season in his life where he started thinking about starting his own company in the hospitality management space.  Tune in to hear the entertaining story of how Vinny Breslin brought Uplisting to life.  Explore Uplisting here. Follow Vinny on Twitter here.  Behind the Stays is brought to you each 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    This week's episode is brought to you by Mount. A few months ago, Gabby and I stayed at a quintessential beach cottage in San Diego.    The home was just 3/4 of a mile from the beach — perfect biking distance, right?   There was only one problem — the home didn’t come with bikes, and the nearest bike rental shop was fully committed throughout our stay.    We really wanted bikes — so much so that we asked our host if she knew anyone personally that we might be able to rent bikes from. Alas, she did not.    Today, I want to introduce you to a company who is solving for this very problem.  Meet Mount — a platform that enables STR hosts to transform their homes into full-fledged vacation experiences.    Mount let’s you rent just about anything to your guests — bikes, scooters, golf carts, kayaks, and even private chefs and masseuses!    With the simple scan of a QR code, guests can explore all of the rental amenities you have to offer. Guests can browse, book, and access anything you make available in a matter of seconds.    Mount makes it easy for guests to access anything additional they might need during their stay, and for STR hosts to increase their revenue per booking.    Oh, and if you don’t have a bike or scooter to rent, no problem — Mount can provide one for you.   Learn more about how you can earn more via your STR with Mount and get your first month free by emailing the Mount team at help@RentMount.com 

Meet Arthur Colker, Founder and CEO of StayFi.  Growing up, Arthur thought he wanted to be a politician.  He was intrigued by how power and influence could move society forward. After going to school in DC and interning on The Hill, Arthur realized that while he loved following politics, working in it wasn’t quite for him. And while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this realization was the first major stepping stone in his journey to becoming an entrepreneur and in founding StayFi — a wifi portal for short term rentals that allows hosts to capture crucial data from their guests.  Now you’re going to meet Arthur in JUST a second here, but, before you do so, I have a gift for you.  Arthur has offered listeners of Behind the Stays 50% off their first 3 months of StayFi. So, if you’re inspired by what Arthur and his team are building and want to leverage their tools to grow your STR business, head on over to StayFi.com and use the discount code BTS50 at check out for 50% off the first 3 months of your subscription. You can connect with Arthur on Twitter or learn more about StayFi here. Behind the Stays is brought to you each 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    This week's episode is brought to you by Mount. A few months ago, Gabby and I stayed at a quintessential beach cottage in San Diego.    The home was just 3/4 of a mile from the beach — perfect biking distance, right?   There was only one problem — the home didn’t come with bikes, and the nearest bike rental shop was fully committed throughout our stay.    We really wanted bikes — so much so that we asked our host if she knew anyone personally that we might be able to rent bikes from. Alas, she did not.    Today, I want to introduce you to a company who is solving for this very problem.  Meet Mount — a platform that enables STR hosts to transform their homes into full-fledged vacation experiences.    Mount let’s you rent just about anything to your guests — bikes, scooters, golf carts, kayaks, and even private chefs and masseuses!    With the simple scan of a QR code, guests can explore all of the rental amenities you have to offer. Guests can browse, book, and access anything you make available in a matter of seconds.    Mount makes it easy for guests to access anything additional they might need during their stay, and for STR hosts to increase their revenue per booking.    Oh, and if you don’t have a bike or scooter to rent, no problem — Mount can provide one for you.   Learn more about how you can earn more via your STR with Mount and get your first month free by emailing the Mount team at help@RentMount.com 

In just a moment you’ll meet Jason Neil — the creator of Golden Tiny Homes – a collection of minimalist short term rentals in Golden, British Columbia. Growing up, Jason liked working with his hands.  He always had an eye for making things better and this perspective ultimately led him to become a builder — like his father before him. Jason has also always loved the outdoors — in fact he spends half the year surfing in Mexico and the other half snowboarding in British Columbia. One summer while surfing in Baja, Jason’s buddies started talking about the emerging Cannabis industry and the business opportunities that surrounded it.  Tune in to hear the incredible story of how Jason built up a Cannabis business only to sell it and use the profits of his exit to start building Golden Tiny Homes. Alright, without further adieu, get ready to meet Jason.   This week's episode is brought to you by Wander. In every marketplace, there are the Davids and Goliaths.     While it’s hard to fathom now, Amazon was a David when Borders and Barnes and Noble were the bookstore Goliaths.     And don’t forget that Apple was a David when Xerox, IBM, and Motorola were consumer technology Goliaths.    Today, I want to introduce you to the David of short-term-rental platforms — a company called Wander.   Whether you’re embarking on a family vacation, planning a getaway with friends, yearning for a workcation, or organizing a company offsite, there is a Wander for every occasion.    Wanders aren't vacation homes, they're better. Inspiring views, modern workstations, restful beds, hotel-grade cleaning and 24/7 concierge service are just a few of the guarantees that come when you stay with Wander.  Wander is in search of high-end vacation homes in incredible locations around the US (think national parks, beaches, mountains…) with proven annual revenue.   If you are a short-term rental owner looking to sell your property to someone who will appreciate what you’ve  built, send the Wander team an email with all the important deets (like monthly rev, monthly expenses, yada yada) to www.sponstayneous.com