Podcast Episodes

Tune in for this special episode where we speak with VRMA President, Miller Hawkins, about the recent Spring Forum in Chicago. Advocacy was top of mind at this event, as vacation rental managers came together to find a way to protect the industry from the infringement of short term rental laws that are spreading like wildfire. While local governments are enacting these laws to prevent the problems that come from the "bad apples" that have accompanied the surge in popularity of short term rentals...

Tune in for today's episode with David Krauss, CEO and Co-Founder of Rent Responsibly, the organization that has helped thousands of managers from coast to coast as they deal with the influx of short term rental laws that are infringing on the industry. In most cases, short term rental laws are enacted by municipalities to combat issues created by the new wave of individual hosts that can now easily rent properties on Airbnb and Vrbo. Disruptive guests and hosts that don't pay taxes are among th...

Ali Cammelletti joins us today to discuss all things related to leadership and resilience in the workplace. Ali has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including several years with Navis where she worked with resort and lodging companies around the world to drive revenue and increase sales agent performance. Ali now owns her own consulting company, Spark Your Mindset, and specializes in leadership coaching with business leaders in all industries. While vacation rentals...

Tune in on the 1st of the month for this short and SUITE bonus episode series! In this month's episode we discuss: Changes to booking pace - what happened in March? Annie's trip to Myrtle Beach and HSMAI Event Is Annie really moving to Myrtle Beach?! Or is it April Fool's Day :) Our Fireside Chat (& lunch) with VRMA President Miller Hawkins Importance of aligning local and national trade associations within a destination Alex admits to committing the cardinal sin of vacation planning for ...

As one of Greg Fisher’s partners recently said, “There’s a difference between an Owner and a Founder; and Greg is a Founder.” Greg joins us today to share his entrepreneurial journey and how he grew TripShock into one of the largest online tour & activity marketplaces in the country. When Greg launched TripShock back in 2009, he faced significant headwinds as he battled to get the platform up and running. Most water sports and attractions were still managed by pen and paper during this time, so ...

Tune in to this inspiring episode as Jen Ford shares highlights of an impressive career and the pivotal decisions that helped her build confidence, discover her passions and ultimately, lay a solid runway for future growth opportunities. As Jen reveals, it's all in your mindset! Jen is a seasoned executive with a background in e-commerce, retail, travel, and technology. During her career, Jen has worked in both public and private companies, from start-up to Fortune 100. She has led successful t...

Today we are joined by Pete DiMaio for a very special episode! Pete is Vice President of Travel Boom Marketing, the hotel industry's leading marketing agency and on this episode he joins us to share the Top 5 Things Vacation Rentals Can Learn from Hotels. We recently joined Pete on his show The Hotel Marketing Podcast to share what hotels can learn from vacation rentals. This was a fun switch-a-roo episode and it is packed with helpful information! Pete details the following tips: #1: The On-P...

Lino Maldonado is recognized as one of the industry's most innovative players, known for his collaborative spirit and uncanny ability to see opportunity where most see road blocks. Lino's career includes 23 years with Wyndham Vacation Rentals as VP of Operations, where he managed a staff of 1200 employees and a budget in excess of $500M. Utilizing his wealth of knowledge and experience as an operator, Lino joined BeHome247 in 2019 to lead the charge and development of cutting-edge smart home tec...

On today's episode we are joined by Jennifer Barbee, CEO of Destination Innovate and a dynamic leader who has worked with over 400 hospitality and destination brands. She has been credited with many innovative firsts in the industry; including the first personalized destination website, tapped to lead digital account strategy for the first inbound travel campaign for the US Department of Commerce and the first destination campaign to be used as a Facebook Business Case study. She is a contributo...

Tune in on the 1st day of the month for these short and SUITE bonus episodes with Alex & Annie! In this month's episode we discuss: Booking pace and changes to traveler sentiment Alex shares her experience participating at GNEX Conference in Vegas Big news of a major award! Listener spotlights Preview of March's upcoming episodes and topics Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/u_dxzheyOaU CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE AlexandAnniePodcast.com LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram Alex Husner - Linkedi...

In today’s episode we are joined with Vered Raviv Schwarz, President/COO of the property management platform Guesty. We had the pleasure of meeting Vered at the Women’s Conference at the end of 2021, and got to listen to her speak about being a female entrepreneur in a male dominated tech world. An advocate for women in business and technology, Vered shares with us stories from her career that led her to understand that you can truly do anything you put your mind to, and that with the right amou...

Jim DeVos is the type of business leader and entrepreneur that any employee who takes pride in their job would love to work for. Jim's career started in the airline industry with Piedmont Airlines, where he honed the skill of team building, opening up 3 hubs and 70 new markets. He then went on to work as an advertising exec for 17 years, and got to witness the the tail end of the Mad Men era of agency life and the days when 3 martini lunches were the norm. Jim's experience in sales and marketin...

In this episode we are joined by iTrip CEO Steve Caron, an industry veteran whose tour of duty began in the Air Force as a special operations night instructor. When Steve departed the service, he went on to use his computer science degree as lead technologist for Abbott Resorts, the largest vacation rental company on the Gulf Coast at the time. Abbott was eventually sold to Resort Quest, the first company to attempt becoming a national vacation rental brand. Founded by hotel execs, Resort Quest ...

Wake up, wake up, wake up... it's the 1st of the Month! On this new bonus series, we'll look back on the previous month and look ahead to the next, examining booking trends, pacing and anything timely and newsworthy within travel and vacation rentals. Tune in on the 1st day of the month for these short and SUITE bonus episodes with Alex & Annie! CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE AlexandAnniePodcast.com LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram Alex Husner - Linkedin Annie Holcombe - Linkedin Podcast Sponsored by Cond...

On today's episode we're joined by Julie George, author of the best selling book Million Dollar Host and a renowned leader, speaker and consultant on how to build a business on the backbone of the sharing economy. Recognized as an Airbnb expert, Julie grew her portfolio from 1 unit to 130 in less than 3 years, generating over $8M in revenue prior to selling the business. She now consults and mentors others short term rental hosts seeking to grow their own million dollar businesses. *Special of...

Steve Trover is a 25-year vacation rental industry veteran whose career took off in the 1990's when he founded All Star Vacation Homes (ASVH), a property management company in Orlando that he expanded to include several different business models in 4 total markets. Steve designed, developed, and/or built hundreds of vacation homes during this time, and served as President and Vice President of the Vacation Rental Manager Association (VRMA) over a 5-year period. Steve's deep understanding of the ...

On this first episode of 2022 we dive into the most pressing issues facing the vacation rental industry with Amy Hinote, Founder/CEO of VRM Intel and one of the most recognized and respected thought leaders of the past decade. This is a fireside chat you don't want to miss! Topics we cover: How the unique format of the Vacation Rental Women's Summit was a major benefit for attendees AND vendors How branding has changed for vacation rentals – is the industry giving up on the #bookdirect movemen...

We have so many exciting interviews and topics lined up for 2022 that we had to share a few highlights! Today's episode is a preview of just a few of the amazing guests that will be joining us on the show as we launch Season 2. We also share our predictions for the vacation rental industry in the New Year. Tune in to hear a few highlights from from Amy Hinote, Jim Devos, Greg Fisher, Steve Trover and Julie George. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of us in this journey. Do you h...

20 years at one company is a big milestone for anyone, but for Julie Byrd it's been a labor of love and legacy. Julie recalls the early days of selling newspaper ads to CaboVillas.com founder, Don Hirschaut, which led to a full time position with the company and the beginning of Julie’s inspiring career under his mentorship. When Don tragically passed away in 2019, he left behind a passion for excellence and innovation that remains at the heart of the business and can be easily seen in the effor...

On today's episode we share highlights of an amazing week at the Vacation Rental Women's Summit (VRWS) at The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans. This event was top-notch on every level, and the collaborative atmosphere among attendees was truly remarkable. We had the opportunity to go to dinner with keynote speaker Amber Hurdle, who was also our very first guest on the podcast (Episode 2) and has affectionately become our "spirit woman". More on that in the episode! We share highlights from our very ...

Simon Lehmann is one of the most respected thought leaders and operational experts in the world of vacation rentals. Simon has been our mentor and friend for several years, but it wasn't until a couple months ago at VRMA International that we got to sit down with him and learn more about his personal and professional life prior to entering the industry. This is Simon Lehmann like you've never heard before! His story is one of inspiration, innovation and putting real life experience to work for h...

Join us as we take a behind the scenes look at startup OTA, Got2Go. Built for hosts by hosts, we had the opportunity to speak with Got2Go's founders about the upcoming launch of this game changing new platform. From onion and lettuce farming at the family business in New York, to national leadership roles with timeshare and pharmaceutical companies, to public service and solving major crimes, these founders bring an impressive track record of success across multiple verticals to tackle the chal...

Join us for our 1st live guest interview , Amber “the Velvet Machete” Hurdle to dive into finding your personal power and how being outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens. From her days with Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Attractions to her award-winning talent optimization firm, we uncover the strategies and moments that gave Amber the voice to be a powerhouse businesswoman and helped her to create the Velvet Machete Brand Strategy. This engaging chat is a sneak peek into her upcomin...

In this inaugural episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we explore the spark that started our journey to making this podcast. We provide a high-level overview of our industry background, and highlight two AHA moments that defined the future of our careers. Topics we cover: Who are Alex & Annie? The importance of having a good mentor Two AHA moments that defined our careers Where will this journey take us? Vacation Rental Women’s Summit Thank you for jo...