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Ashley Kubiszyn is CEO of River Ridge Rentals in Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone Colorado. The company has been around for 20 years but Ashley took it over form her mother: conducting a full re-haul on systems and technology, while buttressing the aspects that make them market leaders like specialization, localization, and community involvement. Most of the questions in this interview are framed...
In this episode, Matt sits down with Jessica Sheedy Black -- a neighborhood advocate and regional leader of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition -- for a sobering look at the other side of the vacation rental advocacy debate. As a warning Jessica is not a short term rental advocate. So you may be wondering what’s she doing on this podcast? Our big mission of Unlocked is to challenge vacation rental pros to think...
In this episode, Matt shares his big takeaways from Amy Hinote's Data and Revenue Management Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The first, data and revenue management is THE JUICIEST way for vacation rental owners and managers to make more money doing exactly the same job they have always loved. When you make more money, everyone has more fun. Second, asking whether to use manual OR automation is...
Bruce Ikelheimer, a recovering rocket scientist, is currently at THE inflection point of vacation rental growth: profitable with his own 2 properties and now beginning to manage other homes, Bruce is now scaling his business Banjoe Vacations without scaling his workload. The lessons he is learning as he approaches liftoff are valuable for listeners from all over the industry. This episode is brought you by...
This week Matt talks to Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals about the challenges of modernizing and running a family vacation rental business in an era of acquisitions and tech driven hospitality. @Stacy is one of what I refer to as the new class of vacation rental managers: whose extraordinary planning and focus on what she wants (and fierce avoidance of what she finds toxic) leads to a sustainably...
In this special edition, we're airing a favorite episode from the Sarah & T podcast. Sarah and Tim are good friends and their show is a must listen for anyone in the industry. This week, they take a hilarious look at 6 key components to a successful welcome of your guests.
Eric Broughton is the Chief Strategy officer of Inhabit IQ, which owns a number of vacation rental service providers and has frankly not always had the most forthcoming reputation in the vacation rental industry. In his defense, Eric wasn’t in his position in those early days, he’s relatively new, so this conversation was originally designed to clear up some of the air. But as you’ll hear, Eric has a very...
@AlexC is the Founder of Welcome Home Club, a vacation a vacation rental management company in San Antonio, Texas. He's one of the more survival-oriented managers we’ve interviewed. His background in the Military and working with Fortune 500 companies, give him a deep understanding of how things work, how things should work, and the conditions for when things fail and how to avoid these conditions with...
@LindaS is one of our vacation rental heroines. She has one of the clearest, fiercest understandings of what she likes: and it just so happens to be what guests are willing to pay good money for: AND what homeowners and desperate to align themselves with. But here’s the rub: Linda’s expertise is not glamorous: her solutions aren’t cookie-cutter. So when Great Vacation Retreats, the company Linda helped grow...
As part of our divergent thinking series, Matt sits down this week with Bob Pease, President of the Brewer's Association. The extraordinary success of the craft beer industry in the last several decades provides real insight into how vacation rental professionals can band together to achieve a host of goals.
In this episode, Matt sits down with Michelle Hodges of Meyer Vacation Rentals to discuss building on the legacy of a family enterprise and finding creative solutions to the massive staffing problems of a seasonal business. Michelle Hodges is the President of Meyer Vacation Rentals on Florida and Alabama’s Gulf Coast. And when she speaks, it’s like generations of vacation rental experience are talking to you...
Lane is the CEO of Cleancio, vacation rental cleaning on demand. Is among the top subject matter experts in the vacation rental sector. She started off with a problem like a lot of us: figuring out a consistent cleaning solution to her and her husband’s vacation rental properties. But unlike a lot of us, that problem turned into an opportunity for Rocio, as she went way down the housekeeping rabbit hole, peeling...
As a way to offset some of the unprecedented hype our vacation rental sector is experiencing, Season 7 of the Unlocked Podcast is going against the grain...pulling back the curtain...taking off the rose-colored glasses...and revealing HOW the vacation rental SAUSAGE is made. The theme of the season: Unglamorous! Running a vacation rental company is not sexy. It's unpredictable, messy, and incredibly hard...
In this episode, Matt reflects on Season Six and shares thoughts from our guests that come together to create a framework for configuring your vacation rental Magic Zone.
@Sherry Woodhouse and Darrel Looney are two of my all-time favorite vacation rental marketing heroes. They curate their stunning Villa Mais Oui in Jamaica from their home in Central Illinois. A true remote Limited Edition business. It has not been easy for them: but when you hear WHY they do this, a clear and inspirational picture of our industry starts to emerge. Here are some of the powerful lessons that...
For our first in-person recording since early 2020, Matt sat down with Julie Brinkman of Beyond at the recent VRMA Connect event in Sandestin Florida. Julie is part of a new wave of CEOs entering the vacation rental industry with perspectives that benefit us all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and...
This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Most vacation rental professionals tend to over-work because they wear many hats. Over-working is not sustainable...it will eventually burn you from the inside out. In this episode VRMB Communities discusses the solution: a forced break!
In this episode Matt sits down with Andrew McConnell of Rented.com for some must-listen industry analysis and...a few 'twerks'. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. I asked @AMcConnell to share his most startling discoveries from nearly 10 years of vacation rental startup grinding. This...
This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Have you ever come across a product whose presentation is so on point in that it subliminally sucked you in and persuaded you to buy? Finca Victoria is a farmhouse style B&B on the small island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and every vacation rental professional can take something away from their website...
This week Matt speaks with Eddie Gray, the housekeeping and laundry manager for Newman-Dailey Resort Properties. With 17 years in the business, Eddie has amassed wisdom that can benefit every vacation rental business. Best practices, checklists, delegating, software, employees, covid...Eddie covers it all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway...
This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. "Moments of engagement” is one way of thinking about those special interactions in which you win over guests, turning them from stranger to friend (and reviewer/repeat/referral booker). Moments of engagement are interactions that connect us: the openings for lines of communication and meaningful relationships...
This week Matt sits down with Anthony Gantt of At Ease which was created to solve challenges with vacation rentals for military personnel and their families. Anthony's story of discovering and executing in his niche is must-listen content for anyone looking to level up with the biggest current opportunity in the vacation rental business. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart...
This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Any vacation rental property can be made more “limited edition” with the introduction of a landmark feature: a structural, decorative, or recreational aspect of the home’s offering that is unique (in your competitive set), photogenic (for promotional purposes), and perhaps most importantly enjoyable for new...
This week Matt sits down with Amber Carpenter of DemandIQ to talk about a significant source of revenue we've all been missing. What started as a capstone project for Amber's master's degree has become must-use tech for the entire vacation rental industry. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations...
Bob Garner and his husband, Ian, have built their Casal dei Fichi into a powerhouse of repeat bookings, positive environmental action and the profitability needed to achieve a fun, balanced lifestyle. In this episode Matt and Bob dig into the how's and why's, and explore a 'two loops model' for vacation rental businesses that is critical listening for anyone in the industry. This episode is brought to you by...
This week Sibylle Kim gives us a masterclass in the single property lifestyle business. She bought her dream vacation home in Waterbury, Vermont, and turned it into Villa Ausblick, a profitable, family-friendly short-term rental sanctuary, where she created years of memories for her family and her guests. Now, after nearly two decades in business, Sibylle is sharing wisdom that is of value to everyone in the...
In this episode, Matt sits down with Carl Shepherd, co-founder of HomeAway, for an oral history of some of the vacation rental industry's formative moments and a visionary look at its future. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. **Special Note**: The full transcript of this interview...
Part 2 of Matt's sit down with Carl Shepherd, co-founder of HomeAway. This week we get into the fun stuff. Where's the opportunity? How to build brand? What deep trends should you be keeping an eye on as they evolve? This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. Part 1...
In this episode Matt talks finding your niche and your balance with Sheron of Scurlock Farms. Sheron mixes a working farm, famous art, pet friendliness and a friendly family to create the ultimate limited edition vacation rental business. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform.
In this episode, Matt sits down with Kyle Finley of Legalbnb and Briefhomes to talk about how Kyle went from the wild west of vacation rentals to helping other hosts legalize their businesses. They also cover tools and operations, finding work life balance, and recovering from Coronavirus. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class...

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