Some people find their way into the short-term rental industry. Jodi Cleer built her entire career inside it and has seen every angle of the business from the vendor side, the property management side, and now private equity and M&A. Matt and Austin sit down with Jodi Cleer, equity partner of Deal Sourcing at AwayDay and former CMO of I Love Vacations, for one of the most wide-ranging and candid conversations the show has produced.

Jodi started in hotels in 2010, transitioned to the vacation rental space as a vendor at RealVoice in 2014, and eventually made the rare leap from vendor to property manager by joining the team at Park City Rental Properties. She helped grow that operation from 235 properties to over 800 across Park City, Sedona, Scottsdale, Whitefish, Montana, and right here in the Texas Hill Country before the company was acquired by AwayDay in 2024. She also personally owns 18 vacation rentals across several of those markets and serves on the board of the VRMA, where she is currently running for election to the board of directors.

Here is what you will learn:

Why the leap from vendor to property manager almost never happens and how Jodi pulled it off, the genius strategy of buying a home in every new market you expand into and why it creates instant credibility with homeowners and communities, how social media went from pretty pictures to a serious demand generation engine and what viral content actually means for your bottom line, what the M&A process looks like from the inside when you are on the buy side at a private equity backed company, why being an owner but not an operator with 18 properties is actually a smart positioning move even for someone with Jodi's experience, what it takes to get a vacation rental company acquisition-ready and what buyers like AwayDay are actually looking for, and why the VRMA conference is a must attend for any serious STR operator or property manager.

Jodi also shares her unfiltered take on the "coopetition" culture in the STR industry and why she counts her competitors as some of her closest allies.

Find Jodi on LinkedIn by searching Jodi Cleer, the only one in the world, and reach out directly. She responds to every message.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

Some people chase the biggest portfolio they can find. Michael Friedman did the opposite, and it might be the smartest thing he ever did. Matt and Austin sit down with Michael Friedman, CEO of Simple Life Hospitality and co-founder of Vacation Rental University, for one of the most experience-packed conversations the show has ever had.

With over 35 years in hospitality, vacation rentals, and real estate, Michael has held executive roles at two of the largest franchise operations in the industry, served as COO of the Americas for the ultra-luxury Onefinestay brand where he oversaw more than 3,500 properties, and is now intentionally leading a tight, focused operation of 150 homes across Door County, the Northwoods, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Door County, often called the Cape Cod of the Midwest, is a stunning peninsula wedged between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, and it is the kind of market where relationships and reputation mean everything.

Here is what you will learn:

Why Michael walked away from managing thousands of luxury properties to lead a smaller, more intentional company and what that decision taught him about what really matters in this business, how Simple Life Hospitality built their entire culture around the 3 Cs: Cash, Care, and Communication, and why those three things solve almost every problem in property management, what it actually looks like to manage homes around Lambeau Field for Packers game weekends and why that niche is more lucrative than most people realize, how to think about owner acquisition in a tight geographic market and why being hyper local is a competitive advantage not a limitation, why Michael switched from ChatGPT to Claude for running analytics and KPIs and what difference it made for his business, and his bold prediction about AI search and why the operators who get their properties discovered by AI tools today will have a massive head start when AI starts booking vacations tomorrow.

Michael's closing thought is one every STR operator needs to hear: technology keeps changing, but the business never has. Take care of the home, take care of the guest, tell the owner the truth, and everything else takes care of itself.

Find Michael on LinkedIn at Michael Friedman and learn more about Simple Life Hospitality at simpleliferentals.com.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds

TikTok: @creativecodds

Facebook: @matt.codd.3

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz

TikTok: @austin_spitzz

Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

If you want to know where the STR industry is headed, talk to someone who was doing revenue management before Airbnb and VRBO even existed. Matt and Austin sit down with Michelle Marquis, founder of The Marquis Effect and co-founder of ShortCuts4STR, for a wide ranging conversation with one of the most seasoned and respected voices in the vacation rental technology space.

Michelle started her career as a hotelier doing revenue management manually, tracking pace in Excel spreadsheets before dynamic pricing tools were even a thought. She spent 12 years on the property management side before transitioning to the technology world, first at Navis (now Revinate) where she helped pioneer CRM and direct booking strategies, then at TravelNet Solutions where her leadership helped drive two massive exits, including a north of $250 million acquisition. Today she serves as a fractional CRO and CMO for STR operators and technology companies through The Marquis Effect, and sits on the board of BookingPal.

Here is what you will learn:

Why most STR operators are leaving serious money on the table by ignoring ancillary revenue streams and what to do about it, how distribution strategy has evolved from manual Expedia conversations to AI powered channel management and why most operators still are not using it correctly, what a fractional CRO actually does inside your business versus what a consultant does, why your KPIs need to go beyond occupancy and ADR if you want to truly understand the health of your business, how companies like Abode are generating over $2 million a year in ancillary revenue and what you can learn from that model, why Amazon affiliate links, referral commissions, and upsell services are some of the easiest and most overlooked revenue opportunities for any STR operator, and what the single biggest mindset shift is that separates operators who build real businesses from those who stay stuck.

Michelle also shares her thoughts on AI adoption in the STR space, why operators who are overwhelmed by new tools need a simpler framework for deciding where to start, and why it is time to get serious about running your STR like the business it actually is.

Find Michelle on LinkedIn and at themarquiseffect.com. You can also follow her work with ShortCuts4STR at shortcuts4str.com.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

What if you could generate more revenue with 9 properties than most operators do with 50? That is exactly what Kory Rankine has built in Miami. Matt and Austin sit down with Kory Rankine, founder and CEO of Escape Luxury Hospitality, one of South Florida's premier luxury vacation rental companies catering to high net worth individuals, celebrities, and athletes in the Miami market.

Kory started his career at 27 years old with zero experience in the STR industry, falling into vacation rentals after years of concierge work booking yacht charters, chauffeur services, and luxury experiences for travelers. Thirteen years later he has built a boutique portfolio of ultra luxury homes in Miami with nightly rates that would make your jaw drop, and a service model that goes far beyond what most STR operators are used to thinking about.

Here is what you will learn:

Why Kory spent the first decade of his business learning everything the hard way and how that experience shaped a complete restructuring of his systems and processes, what it actually takes to serve high net worth guests and why concierge level service like in person check ins, yachts, private cars, and on call guest services teams is non negotiable at the luxury tier, why Kory deliberately keeps his portfolio small and curated rather than scaling for volume and why that is a strategic advantage not a limitation, how his properties generate nightly rates that reach $40,000 and what types of guests are willing to pay that number, why portfolio character matters more than uniformity at the luxury level and how properties like his Mykonos style villa in Miami create unforgettable guest experiences, the honest truth about why most STR consultants fail their clients and what Kory had to relearn on his own, and what AI discoverability means for luxury operators and why getting found by AI tools is the next marketing frontier for high end STR brands.

Kory's parting message is one the whole industry needs to hear: stop letting money be the driver, get more hands-on, and focus on building real community through exceptional guest experiences.

Find Kory on LinkedIn and follow along at @escapelux on Instagram and Facebook. Learn more at escapelux.com.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

The Great Smoky Mountains is one of the most visited and most competitive STR markets in the country. Over 12 million tourists a year, but also one of the toughest places to stand out when every cabin on Airbnb starts to look exactly the same. Brendan Davis figured out how to win anyway.

Matt and Austin sit down with Brendan Davis, founder and CEO of Magnolia Vacation Rentals and co-founder of Southern Hospitality by Magnolia in Nashville. Before ever buying a short-term rental, Brendan spent over a decade in law enforcement including training new officers at a large agency. In 2022 he sold a long-term rental, used the proceeds to go all in on STR in the Smokies, and never looked back. He now manages over 109 properties in the Sevierville and Gatlinburg area and is actively expanding into Nashville and beyond, all while stepping out of day-to-day operations and into a true CEO role.

Here is what you will learn:

Why the Smokies is simultaneously one of the best and hardest STR markets in the country and what separates operators who thrive from those who fall behind in six months, what listing fatigue is and why value stacking beyond just adding amenities is the key to standing out in a saturated market, how Brendan scaled to over 100 doors in just four years starting from zero STR experience, why he hired ahead of need and how that philosophy has kept his team from burning out, how his marketing partner built a Key Holders Club loyalty program from scratch that has attracted nearly 9,000 members and an email list of 13,000 subscribers with only a 1% unsubscribe rate, why Brendan is using PriceLabs as an assistant rather than an operator and what that distinction means for his revenue management strategy, and how he thinks about platform diversification and reducing reliance on Airbnb through direct bookings and brand building.

Brendan also shares why earning trust with owners and guests is the single most important thing for anyone just getting started in the STR space, and what he has learned about building a business that can run without you in it.

Find Brendan on Facebook and learn more about Magnolia Vacation Rentals at magnoliavr.net.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds

TikTok: @creativecodds

Facebook: @matt.codd.3

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz

TikTok: @austin_spitzz

Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

Some people come into the short-term rental industry chasing money. Lucas Piper came in chasing something bigger and accidentally built one of the most respected luxury STR brands in Central Texas along the way. Matt and Austin sit down with Lucas Piper, founder of Five Star Vacation Home Rentals in Austin, for one of the most genuine and inspiring conversations the show has had.

Lucas started as a social worker making $26,000 a year, backpacked through Latin America for two years, volunteered with the Mayan community in Guatemala, and eventually stumbled into short-term rentals the way most people do, by renting his own home. What he built from there is anything but ordinary. Five Star VHR is now one of Central Texas' premier luxury STR management companies with over 3,000 five-star reviews, a 95% Guest Favorite rate on Airbnb, and an average property generating over $120,000 in annual revenue. Private equity firms are calling. Lucas is not rushing to answer.

Here is what you will learn:

How Lucas went from Goodwill furniture and a $7,000 startup to managing a portfolio of Lake Austin waterfront estates and Hill Country retreats, why he chose to grow slowly and intentionally instead of scaling fast and why that decision changed everything about the quality of his business, how Five Star VHR achieved 500 Google reviews at a perfect 5.0 rating and what that means for your negotiating power with owners and acquirers, why Lucas merged with another top Central Texas operator and what that partnership unlocked that he could not have built alone, how he thinks about the build versus buy decision for owners in the current Austin market, why Austin STR regulations have shifted and what operators and investors actually need to know right now, and the mindset shift that changed his life, that you do not have to choose between doing good work, making great money, and living a balanced life.

Lucas also runs quarterly STR meetups for the Austin community and moderates two Facebook groups for local hosts and investors. If you are in the Central Texas market, this is someone you want in your corner.

Find Five Star VHR on Instagram at @fivestarvhr and learn more at fivestarvhr.com.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

What if you could get more bookings, give back to veterans, and list your properties for free all at the same time? That is exactly what Matt Hammlett and the team at Crew Dogs have built. Matt and Austin sit down with Matt Hammlett, COO of Crew Dogs and a seriously impressive STR operator in his own right, for a conversation packed with operator insight and a genuinely compelling platform that every host and property manager should know about.

Before landing at Crew Dogs, Matt built a vacation rental management company from scratch near Yosemite National Park, scaling from 4 properties to 200 in just four years before selling to Vacasa in 2021. He then took a stint at Guesty before joining Crew Dogs, a military-exclusive travel platform built by veterans, for veterans, that perfectly combines his background in military service and STR operations.

Here is what you will learn:

How Matt scaled to 200 units in four years starting from zero STR experience, what Crew Dogs is and how the platform connects STR hosts with verified military guests who get a 10 to 20% discount on every booking, how a portion of every booking goes to a military nonprofit of the host's choice including Fisher House and K9 for Warriors, why listing on Crew Dogs is completely free for hosts with no monthly fees and only a 1 to 2% transaction cost on bookings, how the platform integrates directly with your PMS so your calendar, pricing, and messaging all stay in sync, why military guests are some of the most trustworthy and respectful guests you will ever host (and what happens if they are not), how tax collection and government travel bookings work on the platform, and what is coming next as Crew Dogs prepares to expand to 70 to 80 thousand properties with a big UK launch on the horizon.

Matt also shares the story of how Crew Dogs got its name, rooted in military aviation culture and what it means to be someone you truly want on your team.

List your properties for free at crewdogs.com and connect with Matt on LinkedIn as Matthew Hammlett, COO of Crew Dogs.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

there is one person in the vacation rental industry who has literally seen and done it all, it is Steve Trover. Matt and Austin sit down with the co-founder and CEO of Better Talent for a conversation that every STR operator and property manager needs to hear. With over 30 years in the space, Steve has founded 16 companies, built and scaled a four-location vacation rental management company to 400 properties, co-developed LiveRez (one of the first SaaS PMS platforms in the industry), served as President of the VRMA, and helped launch VR Nation as a national trade association. He has seen the entire evolution of this industry up close and has the scars and wisdom to prove it.

Today, through Better Talent, the industry's first subscription-based talent acquisition company, Steve helps over 500 vacation rental and STR companies hire the right people using a combination of technology, behavioral science, and a database of over 700,000 industry professionals.

Here is what you will learn:

Why the people side of your STR business represents 40 to 60% of your entire cost structure and why most operators barely think about optimizing it, why hiring based on a resume is one of the most common and costly mistakes in the industry and what to do instead, how behavioral profiling and personality assessments tell you more about a hire than five years of experience ever will, why Steve always recommends building your org chart with your name in every box first, and then systematically removing yourself from the roles you hate most, what a People Stack is and why every STR operator should have one alongside their tech stack, why Steve would take the right personality profile over industry experience every single time if forced to choose, and what is coming next with VR Pro, Better Talent's new LinkedIn-style profile for STR professionals.

This is one of those rare episodes where you get a true industry legend who has seen it all from the ground floor and is still actively building. Do not miss it.

Connect with Steve at bettertalent.com, book a demo, or find him on LinkedIn at Steve Trover. You can also email him directly at [email protected].

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

Not everyone gets into the short-term rental industry by owning or managing properties, and Stephanie Rounds is proof of that. Matt and Austin sit down with Stephanie, Owner Relations Manager at Beachside VR on Florida's Space Coast, who found her way into the STR world over 12 years ago through photography and conference work with VRMA, eventually landing at Better Talent as a Talent Relationship Specialist before transitioning to the property management side of the business.

This one is a fun, candid conversation about what the owner relations role actually looks like from the inside, what owners really complain about, and why building genuine human relationships is still the most important skill in this industry.

Here is what you will learn:

How Stephanie built her career in STR entirely through relationships and networking rather than property ownership, what surprised her most about the owner relations role (hint: it is a lot more revenue management than you would expect), why "why is my property not booked more" is the most common owner complaint and how to handle it, how to set realistic revenue expectations with owners from the start before it becomes a bigger issue, why reviews, maintenance, and proactive communication are all connected and how one small fix can prevent a cascade of problems, and what it looks like to work for a fast growing company like Beachside VR that currently manages over 300 properties on the Space Coast.

Stephanie also gives a great reminder that there are many ways to build a career in the short-term rental industry beyond owning or managing properties, whether that is through photography, recruiting, hospitality operations, or owner relations.

Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and find out more about Beachside VR at beachsidevr.com.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by marketing your STR or co-hosting business, this episode is exactly what you need. Matt and Austin sit down with Chantell Hammond, business and marketing strategy coach and founder of Strategy Square, who helps short-term rental operators cut through the noise and build marketing strategies that actually fit their business.

Chantell did not start in the STR world. She ran a Pilates studio, sold a marketing agency, and found her way into the vacation rental space after STR operators kept showing up as referral clients. What she found was an industry full of smart operators who were completely lost when it came to marketing and she made it her mission to fix that.

Here is what you will learn:

Why trying too many marketing channels at once is one of the biggest mistakes STR operators make and what to do instead, how to identify the one or two tools that are actually right for your specific business, why paid ads can hurt you if you turn them on too early and what needs to be in place first, how to identify your guest avatar and use that to pick the right social media platforms, why luxury and experiential properties should be prioritizing influencer marketing and high end video content, how to use email marketing to build a direct booking engine that you actually own, and the difference between strategy consulting and just getting told what everyone else is doing.

Chantell also shares how she is currently running Marketing Mondays inside the Systems Society community alongside Marissa Grover, a weekly office hours session built specifically for property managers who want real time marketing guidance. If you are managing between two and 40 properties and want to get serious about your marketing, that community is a great place to start.

Connect with Chantell on Instagram at @strategy.square or find her on Facebook at Chantell Hammond.

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Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @matt.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/

Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/