Brand & Market - Turning Airbnb Listings into Legacies

What do you do when your dream property faces 18 zoning restrictions? You pivot.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of our Kentucky property—originally intended to be a luxury wedding venue and now a thriving short-term rental on the Bourbon Trail. From unexpected zoning drama to interior design choices that tell a brand story, this one’s a ride.

I share the real estate misadventures that shaped our approach to short-term rentals, how we branded The Commonwealth with themed rooms inspired by U.S. commonwealths, and the specific guest experience strategies we use to maintain a 5-star Superhost status—even while managing remotely.

Time-stamps:

The first short-term rental story (1:04)

Our dreams for the Kentucky property (2:26)

Deciding to make the property a short-term rental (4:07)

Lessons learned from the Kentucky property (6:10)

From wedding venue to short-term rental (9:51)

Building the brand within the rental walls (11:34)

Power Hour (15:06)

Opening for bookings and maintaining 5-star status (16:01)

Running the rental remotely (18:27)

Our ideal guest avatar (21:01)

Next steps for the property (25:05)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 47 Converting Our Starter Home Into a Successful Airbnb: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/converting-our-starter-home-into-a-successful-airbnb

Episode 3 The Best Laid Brand Lessons From a Wedding Venue Venture: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-laid-brand-lessons-from-a-wedding-venue-venture

Power Hour: Power Hour on Mondays at 1PM EST

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Want to rank higher on Google without drowning in jargon? This week’s episode is for you. I sat down with Eden from Maven Made Copy—an expert in SEO and blog content strategy—to break down exactly how small businesses, especially those in real estate and short-term rentals, can boost their visibility online.

We dive into why search engine optimization matters, what makes a keyword worth chasing, and how to make sure your blog posts aren’t just pretty—they’re powerful. Whether you’ve never heard the term “SEO” before or you’ve dabbled in keyword research, Eden’s tips are gold.

Time-stamps:

Get to know Eden of Maven Made Copy (0:58)

Understanding SEO basics (2:57)

Keyword research and how to rank for your audience (5:24)

Using Uber Suggest to boost your SEO (8:43)

Ranking for a geographic location (11:07)

Incorporating SEO into your copy (12:23)

Keyword stuffing and how to avoid it (13:16)

Power Hour (16:02)

Updating old blogs with SEO (16:57)

Ranking for additional keywords (18:13)

Making your website SEO-friendly (20:24)

Mistakenly making your blog too short (22:18)

Seeing the results from SEO (25:05)

DIY-ing your SEO (27:17)

Be the best in your brand and market (28:46)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Eden Sloboth Website: mavenmadecopy.com

Eden Sloboth Instagram: instagram.com/mavenmadecopy

Blog Content Calendar Freebie: mavenmadecopy.com/blog-content-calendar

Ubersuggest: neilpatel.com/ubersuggest

Power Hour: Power Hour on Mondays at 1PM EST

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

What was it like to become a short-term rental host? In today’s episode, I’m sharing my personal story of converting our former home into a long-term rental and eventually an Airbnb. I’m sharing the horrible conditions of the property after a long-term rental, plus how to successful convert your home into an Airbnb.

Time-stamps:

Our history in the North Carolina house (1:21)

Leaving North Carolina and Hurricane Florence (4:02)

A horrific long-term rental experience (6:10)

Airbnb (12:00)

Converting the property into an Airbnb (13:00)

Going live on Airbnb and booking our first guests (17:31)

COVID and ultimately deciding to sell (19:25)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Airbnb: brandandmarket.co/airbnb

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Are you confident in your sales process? In today’s episode, I’m chatting with my new sales coach, Gwen Tinsley. We’re diving into each step of the sales conversation, plus how to focus on serving over selling.

Time-stamps:

Meet Gwen Tinsley of Grit and Tenacity (1:36)

What holds you back from selling confidently (7:46)

Learning to sell based on service value (13:25)

The complete sales process (16:17)

Flodesk (21:04)

Viewing selling as serving (23:40)

Common misconceptions with sales (28:40)

Gwen’s advice to be number one in your brand and market (34:04)

Mentioned in This Episode:

50% off your first year subscription to Flodesk: brandandmarket.co/flodesk

Grit and Tenacity Podcast: gritandtenacityconsulting.com/podcast

Grit and Tenacity Website: gritandtenacityconsulting.com

Grit and Tenacity on Instagram: instagram.com/gritandtenacityconsulting

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Let’s talk truth about social media and short-term rentals: is Instagram a brilliant brand builder or just more busy work?

In this episode, I unpack the truth behind airbnb social media marketing and how to evaluate whether building a social presence is worth it for your Airbnb property, based on your long-term goals. I share personal lessons from managing “The Commonwealth,” our own rental-turned-brand, and highlight case studies like Bolt Farm Treehouse and Pink Dreams Cottage, who’ve done airbnb social media incredibly well.

Time-stamps:

Considering the longevity of your project (1:55)

Property owners that are doing Airbnb social media well (5:32)

The behind-the-scenes of our property, The Commonwealth (8:57)

Power Hour (11:08)

Keeping up with content creation (12:26)

Tips for staying consistent and batching (16:12)

Social media should only be part of your Airbnb marketing plan (17:14)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Take the Quiz: tryinteract.com/share/quiz/67b64381e7fc2f0015f9ad97

Bolt Farm Treehouse: instagram.com/boltfarmtreehouse

Pink Dreams Cottage: instagram.com/pinkdreamscottage

Metricool: metricool.com

Later: later.com/try/trial

Plann: plannthat.com

Power Hour: Power Hour on Mondays at 1PM EST

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Want an inside look at bringing a business to life? In today’s episode, I’m chatting with my clients Lori Webb and Emily Albers about our experience launching their brand new wellness studio, Health House. They share the journey behind the business, plus what it has been like to bring the vision to life through digital marketing.

Time-stamps:

Lori’s health battle of the last few years (1:06)

Emily’s background in Western medicine (5:43)

The purpose behind Health House (9:02)

Building a team of over thirty people (15:09)

Power Hour (20:22)

What differentiates Health House (21:18)

The signature series: a day-in-the-life at Health House (24:28)

Welcoming fifty founding members before opening (31:14)

Building the momentum and success so far (34:11)

Bringing the vision to life through digital marketing (36:17)

Words of encouragement for other business start-ups (41:08)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website: healthhousenc.com

Instagram: instagram.com/healthhousenc

Emily Albers What The Healthcare Podcast: emilyijk.podbean.com

Power Hour: Power Hour on Mondays at 1PM EST

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

What business lessons can you learn from Morgan Wallen? In today’s episode, Ali shares some thoughts on one of her all-time favorite music artists and what marketing strategies you can take from his career.

Time-stamps:

My personal connection to Morgan Wallen’s music (1:10)

A little background on Morgan Wallen (10:52)

Releasing an immense amount of music in a short time (12:11)

Power Hour (16:20)

More Than My Hometown Foundation (17:15)

The Morgan Wallen launch strategy (20:25)

Being relatable while also being private (23:30)

He’s not chasing the quick wins (25:45)

Lessons to apply to your own brand (28:49)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Power Hour: Power Hour on Mondays at 1PM EST

Episode 39 Post Malone’s Country Pivot: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/post-malones-country-pivot

Episode 24 ESC Conference 2025: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/esc-conference-2025

Episode 10 Decoding Chobani’s Brand Strategy: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brand-market

Episode 2 Taylor Swift Building A Billion-Dollar Brand Community: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taylor-swift

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

What does the systems side of your short-term rental business look like? In today’s episode, I’m interviewing online business manager Kassie Layne all about the systems behind a successful rental. She’s sharing key tips for guest communication before, during, and after the stay, plus steps to take on the back-end to manage your rentals smoothly .

Time-stamps:

How your systems save time and increase profitability (2:02)

What short-term rentals owners struggle with the most (4:53)

The most important guest communications to automate (9:58)

Airbnb (19:08)

Platforms and tools for managing your rentals (24:46)

Setting your pricing with systems (26:22)

The capabilities of Host Tools (29:30)

Be the best in your brand and market (36:38)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Airbnb: brandandmarket.co/airbnb

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Connect with Kassie:

Website: kassielayne.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kassielayne

Are you curious about what it’s like to own short-term and Airbnb rentals with your partner? In today’s episode, Ali chats with her husband Caleb about their best Airbnb renter stories, short-term rental experiences, and Caleb’s upcoming birthday plans.

Time-stamps:

Caleb’s favorite birthday memories (1:36)

What Caleb says Ali does for work (4:06)

What really is Ali’s name? (5:48)

Does Caleb listen to the podcast? (8:36)

Reflecting on living in Kentucky (11:30)

Brand Strategy Framework Course (21:10)

Best Airbnb stories (22:30)

Invest, Sell, or Live? (29:17)

Caleb’s advice to be the best in your brand and market (34:39)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 3 A Wedding Venue Venture: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-laid-brand

Brand Strategy Framework Course: brandandmarket.thrivecart.com/brand-strategy

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co

Do you know the value of interior design for your short-term rental? In today’s episode, Ali chats with designer Morgan Wise of Morgan Kay Interiors. Morgan shares her advice for rental owners who are looking to make the best impression of their space, balance functionality and aesthetic, and keep up with design trends while on a budget.

Time-stamps:

Introducing Morgan Wise (1:10)

The virtual interior design experience (5:31)

Virtual versus in-person design (9:09)

Crafting the first impression of your short-term rental (11:56)

Using interior design to reinforce brand identity (16:45)

Airbnb (21:00)

Budgeting for interior design (22:00)

Balancing functionality and aesthetic (31:06)

Trends in the short-term rental industry (34:55)

Morgan’s key piece of advice (37:49)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Morgan Wise Website: morgankayinteriors.com

Morgan Wise Instagram: instagram.com/morgankayinteriors

Airbnb: brandandmarket.co/airbnb

Website: brandandmarket.co

Instagram: instagram.com/brandandmarket.co