Thanks For Visiting

Sarah and Annette have generated $5 million through Airbnb hosting, but not because everything went perfectly.
That number came from more than a decade of building, making mistakes, fixing systems, managing guests, growing a team, and learning what actually moves the needle in a short-term rental business.
In this episode, they break down the seven biggest lessons they wish every host understood earlier. These are not just about choosing the right property. They are about the business around the property: clean finances, the right team, backup systems, brand standards, guest feedback, booking diversification, and knowing your why.
They also explain why a full calendar does not mean much if your books are messy, why desperate hiring is expensive, why every host needs backups before they need them, and why Airbnb should not be your only booking strategy.
If you want to build a hosting business that can survive the hard weeks and keep growing over time, this episode is a practical look at what Sarah and Annette have learned after $5 million in Airbnb hosting.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why clean finances should start before your first booking
Why your team is an investment, not just an expense
What systems and backups every host needs in place
How brand standards make better business decisions easier
Why negative guest feedback can become valuable business data
Why hosts need booking channels beyond Airbnb
Why money alone will not carry you through the hard parts of hosting

Resources Mentioned:
Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host!
Mentioned in this episode:
Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.

Most hosts looking to grow their short-term rental portfolio start in the same place: Zillow, public listings, and whatever properties everyone else can already see.
But the best opportunities often never make it that far.
In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down four ways to find short-term rental properties before they hit the open market. They share how co-hosting can become an acquisition strategy, why being visible and vocal matters, how Facebook groups and local communities can surface hidden opportunities, and why working with STR-specific experts can help you spot the difference between a cheap property and a property that will actually perform.
They also share the story of The Audrey, one of their own Columbus properties that started as a co-hosting relationship before becoming an off-market purchase.
If you are trying to grow your portfolio, this episode is a reminder that the next deal may not come from refreshing Zillow. It may come from the relationships you are already building.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why some of the best STR properties never hit the market
How co-hosting can lead to future ownership opportunities
Why your reputation as an operator can make you the obvious buyer
How to make yourself visible to owners, agents, and local networks
Why Facebook groups and online communities can reveal off-market leads
What to look for in an STR-specific real estate expert
Why relationships can matter more than listing sites when finding your next property

Resources Mentioned:
Apply and Learn about Strategic Host!
Mentioned in this episode:
Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.

Most Airbnb hosts plan for the obvious costs: the mortgage, furnishings, cleaning fees, and maybe a few supplies.
But the expenses that hurt the most are usually the ones no one planned for.
In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down 11 short-term rental expenses that commonly catch hosts off guard. Some are small recurring costs. Others can wipe out thousands of dollars if they are missing from your forecast, budget, or profit and loss statement.
They cover everything from short-term rental insurance and permits to platform fees, tech stack bloat, credit card processing fees, chargebacks, utility spikes, seasonal photography, furniture replacement, and the professional team every host should have before they need one urgently.
They also name the most expensive hidden cost of all: hosting without a pricing strategy.
If you are only looking at gross revenue, this episode will help you understand what your Airbnb is actually costing you—and where those expenses belong in your business.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why AirCover is not a replacement for short-term rental insurance
Which licensing and permit costs hosts need to plan for
How OTA commissions and platform fees affect actual profit
Why tech subscriptions should be audited quarterly
What direct booking hosts need to know about processing fees and chargebacks
Why high occupancy can create higher utility costs
How seasonal photography can impact bookings
Why cheap furniture often costs more over time
Which financial professionals belong in your hosting business
Why a missing pricing strategy can cost more than anything else

Resources Mentioned:
Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host!
PriceLabs: Revenue management for hosts and property managers.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.

Gale Golden did not start with a perfect short-term rental strategy.
She started with a family ski house in the Adirondacks, a property that sat empty for years, and a decision: rent it or sell it.
In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with Gale to talk about how Five Star Lodge went from a beloved family property to a more intentional, more profitable short-term rental business. Gale shares how she first got into real estate, why she started hosting, and what changed when her market became more competitive after COVID.
She also breaks down what happened when she stopped treating the property like a side project and started treating it like a business. From learning revenue management and watching PriceLabs every morning to investing in professional photography, improving operations, building her team, and positioning the property around its actual guest experience, Gale’s story is a clear reminder that optimization changes everything.
If you have a great property that is underperforming—or you know there is more revenue sitting inside your current listing—this episode will help you see what can happen when you finally run the numbers and make the business match the property.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Gale turned a family ski house into a short-term rental business
Why market saturation forced her to get serious about pricing
How revenue management helped unlock stronger performance
Why professional photography changed the way guests saw the property
How better systems improved cleaning, maintenance, and team performance
Why direct booking opportunities may already exist inside your current network
How Gale’s property was selected for Staycation USA
Why the right guest experience can outperform generic amenity checklists

Resources mentioned:
Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host!
Learn more about PriceLabs!
Mentioned in this episode:
Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.

Steve Marquis did not stumble into short-term rental success.
Before buying his first Gulf Shores property, he was running seven or eight pro formas a day, studying markets, comparing opportunities, and trying to find the right investment. But once he finally bought his first condo, the real work started.
In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with Steve to talk about how he went from teacher to real estate agent to short-term rental investor, and how he used a data-driven approach to outperform his original revenue projections.
Steve shares why he chose Gulf Shores, how he renovated and repositioned his first beach condo, and why small family-friendly amenities helped him stand out in a market full of generic beach listings.
He also breaks down how he learned to track booking windows, stop panic-dropping rates too early, build a remote team, market to snowbirds, use email to encourage repeat guests, and keep pushing revenue without chasing 100% occupancy.
If you have ever wondered whether your property can make more than the market data says it can, this episode is a reminder that the right mix of numbers, positioning, systems, and guest experience can keep raising the ceiling.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why Steve chose Gulf Shores over more expensive beach markets
How he used pro formas to evaluate investment opportunities
Why family-friendly amenities helped his condo stand out
How booking window data changed his pricing strategy
Why revenue matters more than chasing 100% occupancy
How he manages properties remotely from Ohio
Why he plans to keep building in one market
How email marketing and direct bookings can increase guest lifetime value

Resources Mentioned:
Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host!
PriceLabs: Revenue management for hosts and property managers.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.