Jacob Halverson joins Nick and Connor for a bumper Christmas special! We discuss our favorite glamping resorts, glamping naughty and nice lists, and our favorite Christmas movies.

The podcast also begins with an update on our plans for the podcast in 2025. 

Thanks to all the listeners, and have a very merry Christmas!

Links mentioned:

• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Posh Outdoors' Looking Glass mirror cabins
• Ben Wolff's newsletter
• Get Paul Bosley's financial planner for free (email [email protected] for an intro)

The guys' favorite episodes of the year:

• Connor's winner: Bolt Farm - Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Connor's second place: Travis Chambers - Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Jacob's winner: Ben Wolff, Isaac French and Zach Busekrus - Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Jacob's second place:: Will Spurzem - Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Nick's winner: Bygnal Dutson - Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Other links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• Sage Outdoor Advisory
• Bishop's Lodge

Sorry for the delay on this week's episode - my laptop is broken!

Everybody thinks of glamping as a summer activity, with the sun shining and the leaves in bloom. But have you ever considered glamping in minus 40 temperatures?

The good people of Saskatchewan, Canada do, and we think winter glamping will become more and more common as the industry matures. We're certainly making that bet with Posh Outdoors.

We connected with Josh Turner of Blackstrap Glamping to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities winter glamping brings.

Links mentioned:

• Get Paul Bosley's financial planner for free (email [email protected] for an intro)
• Blackstrap Glamping

Other links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Sage Outdoor Advisory

Today's guest is the opposite of every previous operator we've had on the show. And his counter-intuitive strategy may give you your next great idea.

Introducing Travis Chambers, Founder of Outpost X. Travis isn't trying to create luxury at Outpost X. He's comfortable with 20% of his guests not enjoying their experience.

To him, the goal is to transport guests to a whole other world. And while his strategy is unorthodox, most guests love it. And so does social media.

Tune in to learn what makes Outpost X different, why luxury isn't the be-all and end-all, and why Burning Man might spark some inspiration!

Links mentioned:

• Get Paul Bosley's financial planner for free (email [email protected] for an intro)
• Outpost X

Other links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Sage Outdoor Advisory

Derry Green returns to the podcast to reveal his secrets for social media domination. He tells us how Secret Garden Glamping accumulated 1.2 million followers and became an online phenomenon; how he designs his sites around social media engagement; and why TikTok holds the key to succeeding on Instagram.

Links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• The Secret Garden Glamping

Jeremy Budge was one of the earliest hires at Under Canvas, the pioneering glamping brand that was acquired for over $100 million in 2019. 

He left Under Canvas at the peak of its powers to start Backland Glamping, a secluded Arizona retreat, just a stone's throw from the Grand Canyon. He joins us to discuss the lessons he learned at Under Canvas, how he applied those to Backland, and how he plans to scale the current 10-unit resort. 

Links mentioned

• Backland Glamping
• Under Canvas

Other links

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Sage Outdoor Advisory

Today's episode is a special co-production with the "Behind the Stays" Podcast. Zach Busekrus and I were joined by two of the biggest names in the unique hospitality space, Ben Wolff and Isaac French. 

You'll learn why their philosophy is "build less, spend more"; why Ben is betting big on wellness; and how their approaches to scale differ.

Subscribe to Behind the Stays:

• Apple
• Spotify

Ben and Isaac's links

• Onera
• Oasi
• Live Oak Lake
• isaacjfrench.com

Other links

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)

With daily rates of $800+ per night and near-100% occupancy, Bolt Farm Treehouse is arguably the most successful independent glamping business in North America. 

Tori Bolt, one half of the husband-wife founding team at Bolt Farm, joins us to pull the curtain back on how they reached these heady heights. Topics covered include the secret to rave guest reviews, the personal brand approach to marketing, and the growing importance of building code.

Links mentioned:

• Bolt Farm Treehouse
• Tori's workshop

Other links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Sage Outdoor Advisory

There's a growing class of glamping consultants that cut their teeth at the venture-backed brands like Getaway (now Postcard Cabins) and AutoCamp. The experiences they gained from scaling high-end hospitality quickly equipped them with a wide range of skills that they take into client projects today.

Samuel Morton and Nico Turek from Topos Ventures are great examples of this. Sam joined Getaway when they had 3 cabins, and by the time he left they'd rolled out 800+ units across the US.  Nico joined not long after Sam, and he spearheaded their property acquisition strategy.

Sam and Nico are true industry experts, and they joined us to share a wealth of knowledge. We cover everything from finding off-market land deals to the age-old debate of unit volume vs space.

Links mentioned:

• [email protected]
• Topos Ventures
• Reset Hotel

Other links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)
• Sage Outdoor Advisory

Sorry folks, no episode for you this week. The good news is we've got a cracking run of guests between now and Christmas.

• Read this week's Glamping Insider
• Subscribe to The Glamping Insider
• Check out Posh Outdoors

Connor's boss joins us on the pod this week! 

Shari Heilala is the Founder of Sage Outdoor Advisory, the leading provider of feasibility studies in the glamping space. Sage have been collecting data on the American glamping industry for years now, and they presented their 2024 findings at the Glamping Show in Denver earlier this month.

Shari joins us to share the key findings, and we discuss what they might mean for your glamping project and the wider industry.

Links mentioned:

• Read The Glamping Insider (my new weekly newsletter)
• Get the Sage data report
• The Sage glamping map

Other Links:

• Posh Outdoors
• Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors
• Glampitect North America
• Sage Outdoor Advisory