"Over the years, we’ve gotten so smart we’ve forgotten our heart." In the rush to scale, the vacation rental industry traded some of its community-driven hospitality for corporate efficiency. Technology brought growth and opportunity, but when profit takes priority over people, hospitality loses the very thing that makes it special.…
“Life is too short to deal with unpleasant people… but it’s also too short to be one.” In our latest episode, John Suzuki shares a reminder we all need, especially in a fast-moving, high-pressure industry. Lead with kindness. Lift others up. And stay scrappy enough to spot the opportunities most…
💡 What did we lose in the rush to scale? As vacation rentals went from mom-and-pop to mainstream, the tech got smarter but things also got a lot messier. In this week’s episode, we sit down with John Suzuki, industry expert and host of the Finding Better podcast, to talk…
What did it take to bring vacation rentals into the mainstream and what did we lose along the way? In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we’re joined by industry veteran and Finding Better podcast host John Suzuki, who reflects on the emotional and…
In our latest episode, Paul Kromidas, CEO of Summer, shares a powerful reminder for anyone building in the STR space: The ideas that succeed aren’t always the ones that get funded first. They’re the ones fueled by conviction, grit, and a clear sense of purpose. Whether you're growing a property…
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Paul Kromidas, Founder & CEO of Summer, for a conversation every STR operator, owner, and investor should hear: Why asset intelligence matters when evaluating vacation rental properties. As a former Airbnb product leader and experienced operator, Paul brings a unique lens to the…
In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we sit down with Paul Kromidas, Founder & CEO of Summer, to talk about the growing need for asset intelligence in short-term rental investing, and why gut feel is no longer enough when deciding which properties to…
In our latest episode, we’re joined by Simon Seroussi, Co-Founder of SuiteOp, to talk about the often-overlooked post-booking experience and why it’s the key to guest satisfaction, team efficiency, and scalable growth. While most tech focuses on getting the booking, SuiteOp focuses on what happens next: automating check-ins, syncing smart…
In this episode, we’re joined by Simon Seroussi, Co-Founder of SuiteOp, a guest experience and operations platform built by operators, for operators. With a background in both hospitality tech and short-term rental management, Simon shares how SuiteOp was born from firsthand experience growing a 400-unit portfolio and the operational chaos…
From vacation rentals to city streets, the lack of inclusive infrastructure continues to limit where people with disabilities can go and how they experience travel. In this episode, Lorraine Woodward, CEO of Becoming Rentable, shares why the short-term rental industry has a real chance to lead the way in inclusion,…
How Can You Make Your Vacation Rental More Accessible? In this episode, we’re joined by Lorraine Woodward, CEO and co-founder of Becoming rentABLE, to break down the gaps in accessibility across the short-term rental industry and what property managers can do to bridge them. Drawing from her lived experience navigating…
In this episode, we’re joined by Lorraine Woodward, CEO of Becoming rentABLE, to explore how property managers and hosts can make their vacation rentals more accessible without needing a full renovation or massive investment. Drawing from her lived experience navigating life with muscular dystrophy and raising two sons with the…
What if you didn’t have to turn guests away? That question stuck with Deborah Labi when she was managing a small but thriving vacation rental business in Sydney. So she built what she wished had existed. Have You Got helps property managers refer surplus guests to verified peers, creating new…
Like many in the vacation rental industry, Deborah welcomed the convenience of OTAs until she realized it wasn’t just the fees adding up. She was also losing ownership of the guest relationship. In our latest episode, Deborah shares how that experience led her to build Have You Got, a global…
💬 What happens next when you can’t accommodate a guest? For many independent property managers, that’s where the conversation ends. But for Deborah Labi, it was the beginning of a new solution. With 19 years in the vacation rental industry, Deborah turned the guests she couldn’t host into a new…
This week, we’re joined by Deborah Labi, a seasoned hospitality professional and the founder of Have You Got, a verified global guest referral network designed to help independent property managers expand their reach and maximize revenue without sacrificing the personal touch that sets them apart. With two decades of experience…
💡 Growing doesn’t have to mean giving up control. In our first-of-the-month episode, Stakeholders VR Supergroup co-founder Brady Stump shares why he, Lino Maldonado, and Brandon Ezra are bringing together some of the top operators to build something the industry hasn’t seen before. If you’ve been thinking about growth, succession,…
Getting listed is easy. Getting booked takes strategy. Many short-term rental operators think that getting listed on Airbnb or Vrbo is enough. But in today’s competitive landscape, basic distribution is no longer enough to stand out or to sustain growth. In this episode, we’re joined by Lennart Kok, VP of…
Many short-term rental operators think that getting listed on Airbnb or Vrbo is enough. But in today’s competitive landscape, basic distribution is no longer enough to stand out or to sustain growth. In this episode, we’re joined by Lennart Kok, VP of Distribution and Marketing at NextPax, to explore what…
You might’ve seen the early buzz about StakeholdersVR, but in this episode, we get the full story, and it’s even bigger than expected. In our first-of-the-month bonus episode, we sit down with Lino and Brady to talk about how StakeholdersVR came together, why it’s already drawing interest from top operators,…
In our first of the month bonus episode, we’re joined by two well-known names in the vacation rental industry: Lino Maldonado and Brady Stump, co-founders of the newly launched StakeholdersVR. You’ve probably heard early buzz about this exciting new venture, and today, Lino and Brady are here to tell us…
💭 Are you growing your STR business… or just getting by? In our latest episode, Patrick Stewart, CEO of Grand Welcome, challenges property managers to ask a tough but important question: What if the business you’ve built could be more profitable, more enjoyable, and less overwhelming without working any harder?…
Franchising isn’t the first growth strategy that comes to mind for most STR operators, but it might just deserve a closer look. In our latest episode, Patrick Stewart of Grand Welcome shares how property managers can use the franchise model to reduce operational strain, access better tools, and grow with…
Grand Welcome is a fast-growing franchise-based vacation rental management company that gives local operators the tools, training, and tech they need to scale with confidence. From pricing and marketing support to a strong franchisee network, they provide the operational backbone that lets entrepreneurs focus on growth. Matthew Pesler, franchise owner…