Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals

Sarah Karakaian and Annette Grant from Thanks for Visiting are here today for a lively discussion about the differences between vacation rentals and short term rentals, and the opportunities that exist to work together to strengthen and professionalize the industry as a whole. We often talk about the "bad apples" in short term rentals that give the professionally managed vacation rental industry a bad name, but rarely do we talk about the GOOD apples that run above-board businesses and understand that they are NOT just an "Airbnb business." Sarah and Annette are 100% good apples! :) 

We first met Sarah & Annette at VRMA International last fall in San Antonio in what was a very unusual encounter. This chance meeting become one of the reasons we started our podcast - tune in to hear the story!

CONTACT SARAH & ANNETTE
https://www.thanksforvisiting.me/
Annette Grant - LinkedIn
Sarah Karkarkaian - LinkedIn

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

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Steve Milo joins us today for a candid Q&A you DON’T want to miss! As founder and CEO of Vtrips, Steve has grown the company from a handful of vacation rentals in 2006 to nearly 7,000, acquiring 10 companies just in the past year with a goal to hit 10,000 by the end of 2022. This massive expansion doesn’t just happen overnight; but as Steve reveals, his success has been as much opportunistic as it has been planned.  

Topics we also cover: 

• Differences between Vtrips and Vacasa’s business models
• Predictions as we head into 2023 (and presumably a recession)
• How keeping local brands in place has been a pillar of their success
• Choosing Track as their PMS – was it a good decision?
• Advocacy efforts – what can other states learn from Florida?
• Importance of establishing that our industry is not the same thing as Airbnb 

Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Js3h_Bjwodw

CONTACT STEVE MILO
CEO VTrips
https://vtrips.com/
LinkedIn
Facebook

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Podcast Sponsored by Condo-World and Lexicon Travel

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Anthony Gantt, entrepreneur and recently retired Officer for the United States Marine Corps after 22 years, joins us today to tell a tale of what it truly means to build a purpose-built startup. During his service, Anthony was relocated from Virginia to Texas, charged with orders to find accommodations for his family which included his wife plus their 6 children. A standard hotel room (or multiple) was not an option - so Anthony booked a rental on Airbnb. Little did he know, the Government did NOT allow this - military personnel could be compensated for hotel stays, but compensation did not allow for bookings made on  these  "new OTAs" (which includes Vrbo and all the other vacation rental based channels.) 

He was not reimbursed for the necessary accommodations to relocate, and soon found out this was happening all across the globe - military families had NO ability to be reimbursed for vacation rentals or short term rentals as a form of relocation OR vacation - a standard practice when a traditional hotel is utilized. 

Anthony now embarks on a new career path as CEO/Founder of At Ease, that will take him into a totally different battle zone: working through the challenges of outdated laws and complexities of OTA / vacation rental technology. If his mission is successful, he will unlock a $4.9 BILLION dollar travel opportunity for vacation rental managers and short term rental hosts alike. 

Tune in for a lively, fun and inspirational episode with Alex & Annie & Anthony  discussing all things vacation & short term rentals, technology, entrepreneurship and more!

Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zYcrURUI6go

CONTACT ANTHONY GANTT
CEO & Founder AtEase
LinkedIn
Facebook

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Podcast Sponsored by Condo-World and Lexicon Travel

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..."The Times They Are a Changin'"

It seems like every day we see an announcement that one of the leading companies in our industry has been acquired. Why are so many legacy operators turning in the keys and selling their businesses?

A properly planned exit strategy is key to attaining the highest valuation when you decide to sell. Whether that time is now, 5 years or 10 years from now - it's never too early to start making the decisions that will set you, your family and stakeholders up for future success.

CONTACT SIMON LEHMANN
LinkedIn
AJL Atelier
Raincatcher 

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Podcast Sponsored by AJL Atelier

Send us a message!

We are so excited to welcome Pete Dimaio, VP Of Client Success for Travel Boom Marketing, back for his second tour of duty! (Pete joined us back in March on Episode 19).  Pete is here today to talk about a very timely and important topic as many of us enter hurricane season: how to manage your marketing/communications strategy when faced with a natural disaster.   From hurricanes and tropical storms to wildfires, if you are in a vacation destination you NEED to hear Pete's candid advice along with stories from Alex & Annie's on-the-scene experience managing resort properties through several major storms.

You may have heard about the 6 P’s, “Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” 

In a disaster there's no time to think creatively and properly address the situation. You must create a comprehensive plan before disaster strikes.

This vacation rental disaster planning guide will consist of the following:

• On Site Content
• Email Communications
• Social Communications
• PPC and Meta Search Management
• PR Outreach
• Guest and Community Assistance

As a vacation rental manager or short term rental host, your job is to help others and be hospitable, and your disaster communications/marketing plan should be based on being empathetic to your guests and those in trouble.  Everything you communicate should be from a helping perspective.  This includes being flexible with your policies.  In times of a disaster you want your guests to know your pet policy is flexible, your cancellation policy is flexible, your check out times are flexible.  By being a great member of your community you can come through disaster stronger and more resilient then ever before.

This is a must-listen episode!

CONTACT PETE DIMAIO
Travel Boom Marketing
Vice President - Director Client Services & Marketing
[email protected]
TravelBoomMarketing
LinkedIn

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Pete DiMaio is the vice president and director of marketing at TravelBoom. With TravelBoom, Pete takes an analytics approach to hotel marketing and works tirelessly to ensure his clients are able to drive occupancy, increase RevPAR, and improve direct bookings; all while providing a granular level of reporting that proves the return on investment. Pete has over two decades of experience in hospitality marketing from both the traditional and digital sides of the business. Pete is active in the hospitality community both with HSMAI and as the host of the Hotel Marketing Podcast.

Send us a message!

We are honored to be joined by two of the most inspirational female leaders in travel, Silvia Camarota and Rachel Humphrey, as they share a behind-the-scenes look at the networking & mentorship organization Women in Travel Thrive. Founded to propel women closer to equality in the travel industry, this organization provides connections, education, and tangible resources designed to support women in their travel careers. 

Silvia leads Expedia as the Senior Director for North America Market Management, and is a founding member of Women in Travel Thrive. Before retiring in August of 2021, Rachel served as the EVP & COO of AAHOA, the nation's largest and most influential hotel owners association and is a board member of Women in Travel Thrive.

CONTACT SILVIA & RACHEL
Silvia Camarota
Senior Director for North America Market Management, Lodging at Expedia Group
Founding Member Women in Travel Thrive
LinkedIn

Rachel Humphrey
Former  EVP & COO of AAHOA
Board Member, Speaker, Hospitality Industry Executive, and Counsel
LinkedIn

Send us a message!

Today we’re diving into a topic that continues to grow in importance for vacation and short-term rental managers: guest screening and property protection. Leo Walton is co-founder of Superhog, a company that has streamlined the process for managers to easily confirm the identity of their guests and protect against fraud, damage and crime. 

The key to providing a good guest experience when it comes to processes like screening and other security measures is to set expectations early and bring them to the guest’s attention as soon as possible.

By clearly communicating your security measures, bad guests will be deterred and good guests won’t bat an eyelid when it comes to completing them if they have been made aware of how you operate and what you expect from them.  

Leo’s positive energy is infectious. Tune in for a lively discussion!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VqQB4YYZVCI

CONTACT LEO WALTON
Superhog.com
LinkedIn | Facebook

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Send us a message!

Fresh off a major announcement that Hostfully successfully raised $4M in funding, Margot is part of only 2% of venture funded companies led by female founders. Margot credits her success to her ability to lead with transparency and authenticity that is rarely seen in the VC world. Mom of 3 beautiful children, she talks to us about how she balances a very busy work and home life and the challenges this has created along the way of building Hostfully into one of the most successful property management companies in the world.

CONTACT MARGOT SCHMORAK
[email protected]
LinkedIn
Facebook
Hostfully

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Podcast Sponsored by Condo-World and Lexicon Travel

Send us a message!

It's the 1st of the Month! Tune in for our short and SUITE bonus episode series where we discuss news, upcoming events. trends, and anything of interest in the world of vacation and short term rentals.

We're at the VRMA Executive Summit this week in Palm Beach, Florida, moderated by the one-and-only Simon Lehmann. We have some BIG news to share today, so stay tuned to the end...you don't want to miss this announcement from Simon Lehmann and AJL Atelier.

CONTACT SIMON LEHMANN
LinkedIn
AJL Atelier
Raincatcher 

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

Alex Husner - Linkedin
Annie Holcombe - Linkedin

Podcast Sponsored by AJL Atelier

Send us a message!

In this insightful and candid interview with Hostaway CEO, Marcus Räder takes us on an eye-opening journey of what companies really learn as they attempt to grow with investment capital. Marcus joins us today as another member of "The Blondies", and while the three of us together look we could also be members of the Brady Bunch, we dive into some seriously impactful topics that are applicable to any business looking to scale and grow. 

Marcus shares how companies can only learn by doing the wrong things. Putting capital where it shouldn't be will only make you learn the lessons faster - you'll hire the wrong people, and put them in the wrong positions. Money can be a catalyst for growth, or for learning - often times, it forces you to make decisions you aren't equipped to make. You will make bad decisions on people that will affect your company culture and performance. It's how quickly you learn from these bad decisions that will determine whether you can turn things around. 

He shares the importance of planting seeds on your journey, and talking to everyone you can. Make sure they know that you are on a mission. When you get your "lucky" break, it won't be luck - it will be a Return on Luck, or ROL. You will know this, but others won't. Let them think it's luck - it's a more newsworthy story that way ;)

We also talk about some technical things like the recent Airbnb update, the difference between Hostaway and other PMS's, etc... but the real magic of this episode is the learnings shared by a self-described war time CEO. This episode is a MUST listen!

CONTACT MARCUS RÄDER
LinkedIn
Hostaway

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

Send us a message!