Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals

Matt Landau is one of the most respected thought leaders in vacation rentals. Founder of VRMB, Matt has built an information-sharing media empire, driven by one simple yet effective concept. As he tells us, "If you have a tip, share it!" You will find more like-minded individuals to collaborate with and by sharing information we are all helping each other and the industry grow.

What does it mean to be Limited Edition, and how can you leverage this positioning to create your OWN lane and break free of the competition all together?  Tune in to hear Matt's thoughts on how industry leaders Vtrips and Casago have not only done this, but done it at scale - a feat that becomes much more complicated with growth across multiple markets. 

Matt is  a story-teller at heart, and deeply in tune with how important brand and guest experience is to the success of a business. In today's episode we talk about the upcoming premiere of his TV show, Homerunners, which debuts during VRMA International in Vegas on Sunday evening, October 23rd. We are also very excited to announce that we will be hosting the Red Carpet for this event as the official podcast!

Be sure to RSVP for this event - attendance is limited, and you don't want to miss the most glamorous event to date in vacation rentals - claim your spot here: https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/y8RlVmeS3z93Rvf4B6DyJ

CONTACT MATT LANDAU
VRMB.com
LinkedIn

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Ben Coleman, President of Rev & Research, joins us today for this 1st edition of "Bee Boppin' with Ben" - a NEW series where we'll dive into the most relevant tips and strategies for optimizing your revenue management strategy. As we prepare for 2023 and a year that has a significant question mark around it, it's more important than ever that revenue and marketing teams are working in-step to optimize occupancy and rates. Having the right tools, and knowledge, is key to making this happen. At DARM, we heard several strategies for how these departments should be aligning. Today we kick-off this first edition of Bee Boppin' with Ben with some history and interesting stories from Ben's unusual journey into vacation rentals, and he shares his perspective of the state of revenue management - or rather, revenue performance - in today's day and age.

CONTACT BEN COLEMAN
RevandResearch.com
LinkedIn

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

It's the 1st of the Month! Tune in as we recap the previous month and look ahead to the next, discussing  industry trends, pacing, events and more. Simon Lehmann of AJL Atelier joins us each month for "Simon Says", where we discuss the latest hot-button issue facing the vacation rental  and short term rental industry. 

Simon Says: Human Capital is KEY to Profitability
In a rapidly changing business environment, companies and investors are realizing the importance of human capital in their acquisition strategies. If a particular business model doesn't work out, the right employees can be redirected - finding the right people is most important. Simon joins us today to dive into the top 5 things you must focus on to create a profitable business. This topic is applicable to ANY industry!
 
Alex & Annie's List : Here Comes the A-TEAM!
We are very excited to launch Alex & Annie's List, a curated group of the top suppliers within the industry and our GO-TO experts in their respective categories! Each company on Alex & Annie's List will have a seat on our "A-Team" - these SME's (Subject Matter Experts) will be collaborating with us on Ask-Me-Anything episodes, webinars, live events & more! Next month, we'll announce our lineup of "All-Stars" - these are the Exceptional Property Managers that will join us as we collaborate with the A-Team to connect the dots between what the products and services that are being built and what is TRULY needed.

We're still rounding out a few categories for Alex & Annie's List, so if you're interested in participating, please reach out to us! Our goal is to build this into a community that helps the industry and all of our businesses grow and succeed. Collaboration is the key ingredient that makes our industry so special. We are beyond excited to share this journey with ALL of you! 

CONTACT SIMON LEHMANN
LinkedIn
AJL Atelier

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Terry Whyte joins us today for an insightful look at the past, present and future of the vacation rental industry, and he shares his candid predictions for who will win the long game in vacation rental technology. Named as part of the "Top 20 Most Influential People in Vacation Rental Technology" by VRTech, Terry brings an incredible combination of experience and passion for the industry to any conversation he engages in. Terry and his wife Sandy have built a legacy of excellence over the past 27 years as owners/operators of Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals on Florida's Gulf Coast, and are actively engaged at the national level of the professionally managed vacation rental industry.

What does the future hold for channel managers? Can hotel based software stand a chance to make it in vacation rental tech? Will Track become the largest enterprise property management system in the world? And why should you prioritize getting your website OUT of your PMS? Tune in to find out!

This episode is both interesting and heart warming all at the same time. It's all part of our Spotlight on Exceptional Property Managers - brought to you by Wheelhouse.

CONTACT TERRY WHYTE
LinkedIn
Anna Maria Condo Rentals

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Marc Hostovsky, CEO/Founder of Minoan Experience, joins us today for an enlightening look at e-commerce and how vacation rental companies and hosts now have the ability to make their properties a shoppable, revenue driving experience. Gone are the days of ordering furniture from multiple websites or companies and keeping track of work orders - Minoan Experience allows you to make all the furnishings and decor in your unit shoppable to your guests. Marc's previous experience at Jet.com and Wal-Mart have given him a unique perspective on a service that to this point has not been developed. This is a great listen for anyone interested in marketing & e-commerce!

Want to Learn More About Minoan?
Minoan Experience - Join today -it's free!
LinkedIn
Instagram

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Last week we talked to Matt Loney, CEO of Xplorie about consolidations within vacation rental tech, and one of the areas he projected would consolidate was Operations software.  Today, we have Koryn Okey from Breezeway to share her perspective on why operators are choosing to use an external tool like Breezeway for housekeeping & maintenance, and how they've internally consolidated several similar services into one - from messaging to checklists and vendor invoicing, Breezeway positions their value as a specialist for operators that need more than the generalist offerings of most PMS's.

You'll also notice, there's a story within this episode - Lance Stitcher, owner of Seaside Vacations & Sales, joins us to share how using Wheelhouse for their revenue management has enabled him and his wife Elaine to 10x their business over the past 2 years. It's all part of Wheelhouse's Spotlight on Exceptional Property Managers.

This podcast is brought to you by our Premiere Brand Sponsor, Wheelhouse: The Ultimate Revenue Driving Machine. They're offering listeners of our podcast 50% OFF your 1st 2 months - use promo code ALEXANNIE or mention this podcast when you talk to them!  http://www.usewheelhouse.com/?afmc=Alex%26Annie 

Wheelhouse is a proud member of Alex & Annie's List, presented by Rev & Research - launching soon! Sign up for updates here.

CONTACT KORYN OKEY
http://breezeway.io - Mention this podcast and they will WAIVE all implementation fees!
LinkedIn

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Today we're joined by Matt Loney, CEO of Xplorie, for a conversation about the current state of guest experience and tech in the vacation rental industry and what the future holds for consolidation between overlapping products. 

Matt predicts there will be 3 main sectors of vacation rental technology that will see consolidation: 

1. Guest Communication/Acquisition / CRM
2. In-room technology
3. Operations (housekeeping & maintenance) 

The influx of new technology pouring into vacation rentals has undoubtedly streamlined many aspects of the business, but take one lap around the vendor hall at a vacation rental conference and you'll quickly see the overlap between several of these new providers. At the end of the day, profitability is key and in a low-margin business, there's only so many services you can add on before you start seeing diminishing returns. As Matt says, "the tech stack is just getting too big." 

Developing an exceptional guest experience is a vital part of building a book direct brand that encourages repeat business and reduces your reliance on OTAs. When evaluating products or services to enhance the guest experience, be sure to ask yourself: Will this help me win NEW guests? Will it help me KEEP existing guests so they book direct next time, and don't leave to go stay with a competitor? 

You'll also notice, there's a story within this episode - Lance Stitcher, owner of Seaside Vacation Rentals, joins us to share how using Wheelhouse for their revenue management has enabled him and his wife Elaine to 10x their business over the past 2 years. It's all part of Wheelhouse's Spotlight on Exceptional Property Managers. 

Wheelhouse is offering listeners of our podcast 50% OFF your 1st 2 months - use promo code ALEXANNIE or mention this podcast when you talk to them!  http://www.usewheelhouse.com/?afmc=Alex%26Annie 

Wheelhouse is a proud member of Alex & Annie's List, presented by Rev & Research  https://www.alexandannieslist.com

CONTACT MATT LONEY
Xplorie.com
Linkedin

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

We are beyond excited to have Andrew Kitchell, CEO/Founder of Wheelhouse,  join us just a week before the 4th Annual Data & Revenue Management Conference. In 2021, Wheelhouse WON the prestigious Innovator of the Year Tech Battleground competition and shocked the industry with an unprecedented look into the transparency behind their algorithms. At the 2022 DARM conference being held next week in Nasvhille, we'll hear about Wheelhouse's next wave of innovation - one that puts YOU in the driver's seat. We believe that data should help you make informed decisions - but it shouldn't make decisions for you. Wheelhouse's latest innovation caters to this fundamental principle. 

Wheelhouse is offering listeners of our podcast 50% OFF your 1st 2 months - use promo code ALEXANNIE or mention this podcast when you talk to them!  http://www.usewheelhouse.com/?afmc=Alex%26Annie 

CONTACT ANDREW KITCHELL
Andrew Kitchell
UseWheelhouse.com
LinkedIn

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

It's the 1st of the Month! Tune in as we recap the previous month and look ahead to the next, discussing  industry trends, pacing, events and more. Simon Lehmann of AJL Consulting joins us each month for "Simon Says", where we discuss the latest hot-button issue facing the vacation rental  and short term rental industry. 

Simon Says..."It's Time to Put Egos Aside to Strengthen the Industry"
 
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which organization is doing what, so long as they are working for the betterment of the industry; what matters is that they are working together to effectively leverage resources to help all stakeholders.   Either we win it as an industry, or we lose it all together.  As one of our favorite sayings goes, "if you're not at the table - you're on the menu." It's time for everyone to pull their chair up to the table and tackle the issues that either threaten the existence of our industry - or in rosier terms - create a future in which everyone can succeed and thrive.

Introducing "Alex & Annie's List"
 
Tune in to also hear our BIG announcement of the concept behind "Alex & Annie's List." We're almost done curating the list...and checking it twice! HUGE thank you to the amazing companies that have partnered with us for this exciting journey of upcoming webinars and group episodes. Tune in for the September 1st of the Month Bonus Episode for more details!

In this episode we mention Miller Hawkin's excellent article on Linkedin regarding advocacy - check it out by clicking here.

Shout out to the VIPs we mentioned in this episode - Steve Milo, Anthony Gantt, Lauren Madewell, Stuart Butler and Robin Craigen! 

CONTACT SIMON LEHMANN
LinkedIn
AJL Atelier
Raincatcher 

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Episode in Partnership with AJL Atelier

AlexandAnniesList.com is brought to you by Rev & Research 

Send us a message!

We often talk about the importance of not building your marketing house on someone else’s land (Airbnb, Vrbo, Google etc), but in this episode we discuss how creative marketers are building their brands on their own channels.  

Stuart Butler, CMO of Visit Myrtle Beach and undeniably one of the sharpest minds in all of hospitality marketing joins us today to explain the concept of creating gravity in a destination, and why creating branded entertainment is key to distinguishing your destination or company. 

Stuart brings a wealth of knowledge and insight that is applicable for any type of business – and of course, we share some laughs and fun along the way! Tune in! 

CONTACT STUART BUTLER
[email protected]
Visit Myrtle Beach
LinkedIn

CONTACT ALEX & ANNIE
AlexandAnniePodcast.com
LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!