"Brand is where trust is built. Brand is the reason people say yes."

In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, we welcome back our very first podcast guest—Steph Weber, CEO of The Weber Co. and co-owner of Cabins on the Cumberland, a 12-cabin micro resort in Kentucky. From building brands that emotionally connect with guests to navigating Airbnb's 2025 fee changes, Steph shares raw insights from the trenches of hospitality marketing.

Whether you're managing one property or planning your first micro resort, this conversation covers the critical shifts every STR operator needs to embrace heading into 2026—including why your direct booking website matters only if a marketing strategy backs it.

🔗 Connect with Steph Weber

📸 Instagram (The Weber Co.): @theweberco📸 Instagram (Personal): @stephnweber💼 LinkedIn: Steph Weber🌐 Website: theweberco.com🏕️ Cabins on the Cumberland: cabinsonthecumberland.com

Hotels have spent decades perfecting the art of hospitality, systems, and guest experience. Short-term rentals? We're still figuring it out—and that's actually our most significant advantage.

In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Susan Barry joins Gil to bridge two worlds that are rapidly converging. With over a decade of experience opening hotels for Starwood, nearly 17 years running Hive Marketing, and hosting the award-winning Top Floor podcast, Susan brings a rare perspective on what STR operators can learn from hotels—and where we're actually ahead.

From why hotels struggle to differentiate themselves (and what that means for you) to the single most important thing you can do to attract direct bookings, this conversation will change how you think about your rental business.

Whether you manage two properties or twenty, Susan's insights on brand identity, messaging consistency, and standing for something will help you stop competing on price and start building a hospitality brand guests actively seek out.

🔗 Connect with Susan Barry

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susandbarry
• Instagram: @topfloorpod
• Top Floor Podcast: topfloorpodcast.com
• Hive Marketing: hive-marketing.com
• Digital Guide: LinkedIn Content Made Easy

Make it till you make it—not fake it.

That mindset carried Terri-Leigh Huleis from designing her first multimillion-dollar mountain property to building Found Home Co. into a powerhouse STR design studio, completing 64 projects annually. Her journey proves that scrappiness, customer obsession, and understanding your ideal guest can transform not just properties—but entire businesses.

In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Terri-Leigh Huleis from Found Home Co. reveals how ROI-driven, guest-targeted design transforms ordinary vacation rentals into unforgettable branded stays. From building a custom GPT for guest avatar research to creating boutique-hotel-level branding on Airbnb budgets, Terri-Leigh shares the systems she developed as she scaled from solo designer to leading a team of 15. You'll discover why knowing your ideal guest is the foundation of every design decision, how branded stays create the recognition that fuels direct bookings, and the mindset shift that turned burnout into sustainable growth.

Connect with Terri-Leigh:

• 🌐 Website: www.foundhomeco.com
• 📸 Instagram: @foundhome_co
• 💼 LinkedIn: Terri-Leigh Huleis

🎙️ From Wall Street to Private Chefs: How Siddhi Mittal Built the #1 Chef Marketplace and What It Means for Your STR

"The universe has your back. No matter what you're doing, it'll just work out for the better."

That's the philosophy that guided Siddhi Mittal through the rollercoaster of building Yhangry from scratch—and it's serving her well as she expands into the U.S. market with explosive growth numbers that make even Airbnb's recent services launch look modest.

When 55% of your bookings come from a market you never intentionally targeted, you'd be crazy not to pay attention. That's exactly what happened to Siddhi Mittal, Co-Founder and CEO of Yhangry, when she discovered over half of her private chef bookings were happening at vacation rentals—not private homes.

In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Siddhi shares her unconventional journey from the Wall Street trading floor to building the UK's largest private chef marketplace. She explains why guest experiences are now the deciding factor for travelers—especially Gen Z—and reveals how property managers are earning $150- $200 per booking through a simple affiliate link. Whether you're managing 5 properties or 500, Siddhi's insights on positioning upsells at the top of your funnel (not after the booking) could completely reshape how you think about guest experience and revenue.

🔗 Connect with Siddhi Mittal

📧 Email: [email protected]💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/siddhimittal23📸 Instagram: @siddhimittal23🌐 Website: yhangry.com

Airbnb just changed everything with their new fee structure—and most hosts are sleepwalking into smaller profits.

In this episode of Booked Solid, Sam Mistretta returns to share what he's learned after 18 months in the trenches helping hosts drive repeat bookings through text and email marketing. Sam built a system that grew his own direct booking revenue by 400%, and his company, Go STR Marketing, now helps hosts achieve an average 650% ROI on their guest retargeting campaigns.

We break down why authentic, personal communication outperforms corporate branding, why coupon codes aren't the magic bullet you think they are, and the one rental agreement strategy that's still flying under Airbnb's radar. Whether you're a new host or managing dozens of properties, this conversation will shift how you think about guest relationships and building a direct booking business that compounds over time.

🔗 Connect with Sam Mistretta

• Website: www.GoSTRmarketing.com
• Instagram: @samuelmistrpm

Special offer for Booked Solid listeners: Sign up for an annual subscription and get a free 13th month with promo code CRAFTEDSTAYS at checkout.

From aerospace engineer to acquiring four boutique hotels in just 12 months—Harshad Lalan's journey proves that systems thinking and strategic boldness can transform your short-term rental business.

In this episode of the Booked Solid podcast, Harshad shares how he and his wife Ishita scaled from zero properties to a thriving portfolio by combining her design brilliance with his analytical systems approach. He reveals how they jumped from less than 1% direct bookings last year to over 30% this year, his framework for using AI to streamline everything from listing creation to hotel underwriting, and why surrounding yourself with the right people accelerates growth faster than any spreadsheet analysis ever could.

Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale aggressively, Harshad's honest take on overcoming "analysis paralysis" and building delegatable systems will give you a new perspective on what's possible.

Connect with Harshad:

• Instagram: @harshad.lalan

• Company: 5 Seasons Homestays
• Ishita Interiors: @ishita.interiors

What if the secret to better bookings wasn't flashier photos or bigger marketing budgets—but simply finding the right words?

In this episode, we sit down with Genevieve White, a travel copywriter and coach based in Scotland's remote Shetland Islands. Genevieve helps vacation rental hosts and tourism businesses move beyond bland, AI-generated content to create messaging that actually connects with guests.

You'll discover why copywriting isn't about grammar perfection or clever wordplay—it's about understanding who you're writing for and having the confidence to tell your story authentically. Genevieve shares her proven frameworks for identifying your ideal guest, developing your unique brand voice, and transforming everyday moments (like feeding sheep with apples) into compelling stories that inspire bookings.

Whether you're struggling with a blank page or feeling like your website sounds too generic, this conversation will give you practical tools to write copy that sounds like you—not a travel brochure. If you've ever thought "I'm just not a good writer," Genevieve's approach will change your mind.

🎧 Connect with Genevieve White

Ready to transform how you write about your vacation rental? Genevieve offers both done-for-you copywriting services and coaching to help you develop the skills yourself.

Join Campion Club: Genevieve's twice-weekly email list shares copywriting insights wrapped in stories from her life and work. It's her number one priority for building community with travel professionals who want to write better copy. Sign up at campioncopy.com

Grab Her Book: Boldly Go is the definitive copywriting guide for travel and tourism professionals who want to move beyond generic language toward copy that genuinely connects.

Follow Genevieve:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

"Your website is everything. It's your marketing. It's your digital front door."

Frank Bosi from Hostfully knows what separates hosts who struggle with direct bookings from those who thrive. In this episode of Booked Solid, Frank shares the small, intentional steps that build sustainable direct booking revenue—without burning out. From his luxury hotel background at Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons to leading partnerships at one of the industry's most customer-obsessed property management platforms, Frank breaks down exactly how to build trust, create seamless guest experiences, and finally take control of your booking channels. If you're tired of feeling stuck on OTAs or wondering why your website isn't converting, this conversation will change how you think about your direct booking strategy.

🤝 Connect with Frank Bosi

Want to learn more about how Hostfully can transform your vacation rental operations? Frank and his team are ready to help you build sustainable direct booking revenue.

Book a Demo: Schedule time with Frank
LinkedIn: Connect with Frank Bosi
Hostfully Profile: Learn more about Frank's work

Special Offer for Booked Solid Listeners:

Use code SOLID to receive $500 off your Hostfully onboarding fee.

"We know we can't be there to get guests what they need, so we're constantly thinking—what do they need? What will they think they need, and how can we have it there before they know they need it?"

In this episode of Booked Solid, Moira Sedgwick shares how years of working with luxury hotel chains and the James Beard Awards shaped her approach to short-term rentals. You'll discover why thinking like a boutique hotel operator—not just a host—can transform your guest experience and market positioning. Moira walks through her framework for designing spaces that feel like a "wealthy auntie's home," how to audit your property through a hospitality lens, and why the details guests notice most are often the ones you overlook. Whether you're launching your first property or scaling a portfolio, this conversation reveals what it takes to stand out in saturated markets.

🔗 Connect with Moira Sedgwick

Want to learn more about Moira's approach to boutique hospitality and design? Follow her work and reach out:

Instagram: @achalet.collective
Website: achaletcollective.com
Email: [email protected]

"Now operators are no longer just spending 3% of their business for lead gen from Airbnb. They're now spending 15.5%."

Airbnb's latest fee structure changes everything—but are you ready to take control? Orlie Benjamin, founder of Lasoh and former marketing leader, breaks down why now is the moment for vacation rental operators to build their own direct booking infrastructure.

In this episode, you'll discover why owning your guest relationships is no longer optional, how to think about your marketing budget differently, and the critical first steps to reducing platform dependence. Whether you're just starting your direct booking journey or ready to scale your existing strategy, this conversation reveals the marketing mindset shift that separates operators who survive from those who thrive.

Connect With Orlie 🔗

Website: lasoh.io
LinkedIn: Orlie Benjamin
Instagram: @orlie.benjamin
Lasoh LinkedIn: Company Page
Lasoh Instagram: @lasoh.io
Lasoh Facebook: Facebook Page
Lasoh Facebook Group: Community
YouTube: Lasoh Channel

Orlie is genuinely open to connecting with operators at any stage of their direct booking journey. Book a free demo on the Lasoh website—even if the platform isn't the right fit for you right now, she'll help you figure out your next step and connect you with resources that can help.