How do you scale hospitality without losing quality, trust, or operational control? 

In this episode, Dan Ryan sits down with Ashley Ching, Founder & CEO of Inhaven, for a deep dive into the hidden limits of scale in hospitality and vacation rentals. They explore why service-based businesses often face diseconomies of scale, what leaders can learn from the rapid rise and fall of business, and how complexity, not competition, is often the true threat to growth. Ashley also shares how Inhaven is redefining standardization, elevating local expertise, and rebuilding trust in vacation rentals through consistent bed, bath, and kitchen experiences.

Takeaways:

• Know when scale becomes a liability. Not every business benefits from getting bigger, evaluate whether growth will increase cost and complexity instead of efficiency.
• Reduce complexity early and often. Streamlined markets, clear standards, and simple operations make it easier to maintain quality and respond to change.
• Invest in strong local operations. Empower teams with on-the-ground knowledge to solve problems quickly and uphold service standards.
• Standardize what matters most. Consistent bed, bath, and kitchen experiences, or their equivalents in your industry, build trust and reduce operational waste.
• Grow with discipline, not impulse. Resist “growth for growth’s sake” and prioritize sustainable expansion rooted in quality, clarity, and long-term value.

Quote of the Show:

“Hospitality is really an expression of honor. It's how you honor yourself, your team, your guests, and your ancestors.” - Ashley Ching

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ching-inhaven-b56a843/  
• Inhaven’s Company website: https://inhaven.com/  
• Inhaven’s Case Study: https://inhaven.com/case-study/  
• Inhaven’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhavenkeep/  
• Ashley’s Website: https://ashleyching.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 3:31 - Ball Corporation https://www.ball.com/ 
• 3:50 - SpaceX https://www.spacex.com/ 
• 3:55 - Tesla https://www.tesla.com/ 
• 7:52 - Ambridge Hospitality https://www.aimbridgehospitality.com/ 
• 7:55 - Vacasa https://www.vacasa.com/ 
• 10:59 - Turnkey https://www.turnkey.com/ 
• 15:08 - Small Giants by Bo Burlingham http://www.smallgiantsbook.com/purchase.html  
• 16:37 - Forney School District in Dallas, TX https://www.forneyisd.net/ 
• 21:20 - Sonder https://www.sonder.com/ 
• 23:43 - Seinfeld https://www.sonypictures.com/tv/seinfeld 
• 24:26 - Pappa’s Restaurant Group https://www.pappas.com/ 
• 26:58 - Extended Stay America https://www.extendedstayamerica.com/ 
• 27:58 - Kool-Aid https://www.kraftheinz.com/kool-aid/products 
• 28:09 - Chick-fil-A https://www.chick-fil-a.com/ 
• 30:35 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 
• 30:36 - Hilton https://www.hilton.com/en/ 
• 31:23 - Hyatt https://www.hyatt.com/loyalty/en-US 
• 31:25 - Hotels.com
• 31:26 - Expedia https://www.expedia.com/ 
• 31:38 - Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/ 
• 31:39 - Vrbo https://www.vrbo.com/ 
• 33:14 - Ford https://www.ford.com/ 
• 33:16 - Toyota https://www.toyota.com/ 
• 52:47 - Gold Key Awards https://goldkeyawards.com/ 
• 55:03 - Radical Innovation Ceremony https://www.radicalinnovation.io/insights/radicalinnovation2024-rwej2 
• 55:08 - University of Nevada, Las Vegas https://www.unlv.edu/ 

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
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• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/