the no BS podcast

On today's episode we sit down with Ginger and Hunter Harrelson, the owners of Beachball Properties on the Alabama Gulf Coast.

A surprising revelation with this interview is that we are treated to a #CuteMeet story and it defiantly sets the stage.

Much like many other success stories in Vacation Rentals, the Harrelson's had to go all in on their business when their safety nets began to collapse. They sold everything in order to focus on their newly acquired 20 property management company and took a long hard look on how to differentiate themselves from the "old guard" that had been setting the pace locally.

By deep diving into social media, outside the box marketing, and a new focus on brand, Hunter and Ginger were able to hit 100 properties in just under 3 years. Now with around 200 properties they have their sights on 500 by 2025.

There's a lot you can learn from their journey and eyes are on Beachball as they were just named VRMA Vacation Rental Management Company of the year!

Their secret? They put hospitality in Southern Hospitality. You don't want to miss this episode!

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This is the one... the episode where we talk about our much-anticipated side project, DERAILED a fictional mystery podcast!

So how do you go about making a fictional podcast geared toward the true crime/murder mystery genre while bringing attention to the vacation rental industry? Carefully and methodically.

An idea is only as good as the people behind it and we have the absolute best!

This is a no BS production where we co-founded this project with the one and only Neely Khan who is taking the helm with the writing and direction. We also have the very talented Michael Chemaly heading up audio production.

Just when you think you’ve figured the story out, DERAILED will throw you off track and draw you in even deeper, into its twisty turny world. With complex characters, massive cliffhangers, and themes that are relative to real life, our creative team has created a story that will take the vacation rental industry by storm.

Creativity

From epic stereophonic sound production, to unapologetic voice acting, and the bravest kind of storytelling - we’ve pushed creative boundaries with DERAILED, to give you a listening experience like no other.

Inclusivity

Our story hits home on core themes. Although entirely fictional, we “represent the underrepresented”; and ensure that adult listeners (from the vacation rental industry or otherwise) have a plot they can all relate to.

Ingenuity

DERAILED is the first podcast of its kind - and a revelation for the vacation rental industry. Our founders are known for their originality - and they’ve followed this through by continuously reinventing the rules.

The first episode drops this winter!

Our friends who make this all possible: Casiola, Arrived, Lynx, Xplorie, Mount, Seaside Vacations & Sales, Boostly, Auntie Belham's Cabin Rentals, Hopper, Dack, Hospitality.FM, Amplified Audio

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On today's episode, we are live from VRMA in Las Vegas with Margot Lee Schmorak, the CEO and Co-founder of Hostfully.

Margot was looking for her next role when broke into the industry in 2015. She met her Co-founder David Jacoby at their children's preschool and went to work on entrepreneurial ideas in vacation rentals.

As a leader, she prides herself on having an open and transparent culture at the company. Always be open to new ideas, ask for feedback, and see how everyone's feeling daily.

The last few years have been very heavy on us all and Margot discusses why she believes it's so important to take time to manage your own mental health. This is something she is an advocate for not only at home but at her company as well. She discusses what it's like to go full ninja mode and have that work-life balance.

Listen to the end to hear about Hostfully's new product launch and future plans.

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Today we sit down with James Ellwood, co-founder of US Sports Travel.

It's no secret that people all around the world tune into US Major League Sports. What may surprise you is that there are fans of the NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA living in the UK that take their fandom to the next level... this is where James comes in.

Sporting events and the short-term rental industry are similar in that they bring people together to create memories and experiences that'll last a lifetime.

James curates a US sporting experience like no other. He leaves no stone unturned with itineraries that dive into tailgates, local bars, courtside seating, and special pregame/postgame on-the-field/court activities to ensure his guests live the culture that is American Sports.

The possibilities are endless with bespoke sports travel opportunities with all the different cities and franchises to choose from. The future is bright for James and his team!

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75th Episode! Ari Eryorulmaz and Rich Sippos join us from Extenteam.

We all know over the last two years we've seen a drastic change in the workforce across every industry as more and more companies turn to remote and freelance work.

Extenteam has been at the forefront of that changing the way we hire potential remote positions within our industry. They're taking on the HR role that no one else wants or has the bandwidth to own, and are now helping over 95 US-based Vacation Rental Operators hire.

The term "Virtual Assistant" is very common in our industry but there is nothing virtual about those individuals. They are human beings just like the rest of us and Extenteam is helping to bring the same benefits workers here in the States have, overseas.

By taking care of their overseas employees in a way that most companies do not, Extenteam hopes to maintain a low churn rate and keep the top-tier talent the operators need.

They are changing the hiring space within our industry and have much more to come!

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We sit with Madison Rifkin, founder, and CEO of Mount. Madi's introduction to the industry was a bit different from most, as she started out as Mount Locks, a bike lock company before realizing there was a huge opportunity in Vacation Rentals by making amenities accessible to guests.

Her story is equally amazing and empowering. As the oldest triplet in a family with entrepreneurship in their blood, Madi was born to be a leader and driving force in whatever she wanted to do, and her journey to today is fascinating!

Mount has been making moves in the conference space showcasing why they are here to stay in the industry. We tackle everything from liability insurance for amenities, to keeping the industry fresh with new tech solutions, as well as where she plans to take Mount in the future.

Mount plans the change the behavioral culture of travel by making it so guests bring less on vacation renting. You don't want to miss this episode!

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We sit with Carlos Perez-Lanzac De Lorca, the Founder of Vitur Summit & CEO and Founder of Caleta Homes.

This is a super insightful conversation that dives into the pandemic's impact both overseas and in the states. The changes that have come from this have brought much attention to the short-term rental market and changed the way we manage our inventory.

Carlos talks about the importance of technology, how creating smart apartments helps us to better understand our customer's experiences, and how that translates to management services.

The Vitur Summit brings together some of the smartest people from around the world to strategize. Carlos likes to implement "mandatory" conversations between people, companies, and tech that may not organically align but he has a hunch they should. It's some of these conversations where ideas are born that create real change.

We also talk about the importance of building out brand and who should capitalize on brand loyalty programs in our industry and if they can effectively work as the hotel industry does.

This write-up doesn't give this conversation its due diligence.

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We are live from FAVR Xtravaganza with Steve Trover of Better Talent.

Steve came into the vacation rental industry in the late 90s after his mom started selling vacation homes in the Orlando area near Disney. Springboarding off of this drive he started his own company, All Star Vacations, which he scaled from to 400 properties.

Steve's 25+ years of experience includes board seats on 14 different committees. These years have seen so much change within the space making way for his subscription-based talent acquisition company that brings and maintains better talent to our industry.

We discuss the importance of behavioral profiling, recruitment, the impact of company culture, and the importance of making sure the right people find their place in our industry.

A super quick glimpse into the world of Steve Trover.

Special thanks to Wil Slickers who filled in for Mateo on this episode of the no BS podcast!

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On today's episode, we sit down with Lauren Madewell, Operations Manager (Daughter, Sister, All-Around Badass) at Auntie Belham's Cabin Rentals.

Thirty years ago Lauren's Aunt bought a cabin in the Smokey Mountains, named it Afternoon Delight, and started renting cabins. Fast-forward 28 years and Lauren is now managing one of the oldest STR companies in arguably the hottest vacation rental destination in America.

Over the last few years, so much outside money has been flooding into Sevier County, bringing both pros and cons. Auntie Belham's, being one of the original vacation rental property management companies in that market, has managed to maintain its focus on being affordable for lower and middle-class families as well as preserving and teaching the history of the region.

Auntie Belham's Cabin Rentals is family owned and operated. Their down-to-earth attitude with a focus on the guest experience is refreshing to all that visit. There's a lot to be said about being to make quick decisions without having to run it up the "investor flagpole".

Lauren talks about her experience working with her family and how outside-the-box innovation in our industry can attract more visitors.

You don't want to miss this episode!

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On today's episode, we sit down with K. Alexander Shapiro, Co-Founder and CEO of CanMonkey.com.

From business consultant to a start-up that takes out the trash at your short-term rentals. Yes, you read that correctly. Alexander is solving one of the top complaints in our industry and is bringing you the solution.

Starting off with just a few homes during the pandemic, CanMonkey.com now services over 2000 properties across 7 states in 25 markets.

Working with the vacation rental industry has opened up a door into the gig economy as well as giving "can-runners" routes to make money running cans to curbs in a way similar to Uber Eats and GrubHub.

He prides himself in finding a solution to your problem and hates answering no. This company is going above and beyond to come up with solutions for your trash-related needs as well as breaking into the pool cleaning service too.

There are so many operational issues that property managers deal with every week and Alexander is trying to tackle as many of them as he can!

This episode is brought to you by our sponsors at Beyond and Casago!

Beyond Special Offer: https://go.beyondpricing.com/no-bs

Casago Special Offer: Go to https://casago.com/nobs/ to book your discovery call!

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