Make it till you make it—not fake it.
That mindset carried Terri-Leigh Huleis from designing her first multimillion-dollar mountain property to building Found Home Co. into a powerhouse STR design studio, completing 64 projects annually. Her journey proves that scrappiness, customer obsession, and understanding your ideal guest can transform not just properties—but entire businesses.
In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Terri-Leigh Huleis from Found Home Co. reveals how ROI-driven, guest-targeted design transforms ordinary vacation rentals into unforgettable branded stays. From building a custom GPT for guest avatar research to creating boutique-hotel-level branding on Airbnb budgets, Terri-Leigh shares the systems she developed as she scaled from solo designer to leading a team of 15. You'll discover why knowing your ideal guest is the foundation of every design decision, how branded stays create the recognition that fuels direct bookings, and the mindset shift that turned burnout into sustainable growth.
Connect with Terri-Leigh:
🎙️ From Wall Street to Private Chefs: How Siddhi Mittal Built the #1 Chef Marketplace and What It Means for Your STR
"The universe has your back. No matter what you're doing, it'll just work out for the better."
That's the philosophy that guided Siddhi Mittal through the rollercoaster of building Yhangry from scratch—and it's serving her well as she expands into the U.S. market with explosive growth numbers that make even Airbnb's recent services launch look modest.
When 55% of your bookings come from a market you never intentionally targeted, you'd be crazy not to pay attention. That's exactly what happened to Siddhi Mittal, Co-Founder and CEO of Yhangry, when she discovered over half of her private chef bookings were happening at vacation rentals—not private homes.
In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Siddhi shares her unconventional journey from the Wall Street trading floor to building the UK's largest private chef marketplace. She explains why guest experiences are now the deciding factor for travelers—especially Gen Z—and reveals how property managers are earning $150- $200 per booking through a simple affiliate link. Whether you're managing 5 properties or 500, Siddhi's insights on positioning upsells at the top of your funnel (not after the booking) could completely reshape how you think about guest experience and revenue.
🔗 Connect with Siddhi Mittal
📧 Email: siddhi@yhangry.com💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/siddhimittal23📸 Instagram: @siddhimittal23🌐 Website: yhangry.com
Airbnb just changed everything with their new fee structure—and most hosts are sleepwalking into smaller profits.
In this episode of Booked Solid, Sam Mistretta returns to share what he's learned after 18 months in the trenches helping hosts drive repeat bookings through text and email marketing. Sam built a system that grew his own direct booking revenue by 400%, and his company, Go STR Marketing, now helps hosts achieve an average 650% ROI on their guest retargeting campaigns.
We break down why authentic, personal communication outperforms corporate branding, why coupon codes aren't the magic bullet you think they are, and the one rental agreement strategy that's still flying under Airbnb's radar. Whether you're a new host or managing dozens of properties, this conversation will shift how you think about guest relationships and building a direct booking business that compounds over time.
🔗 Connect with Sam Mistretta
Special offer for Booked Solid listeners: Sign up for an annual subscription and get a free 13th month with promo code CRAFTEDSTAYS at checkout.
From aerospace engineer to acquiring four boutique hotels in just 12 months—Harshad Lalan's journey proves that systems thinking and strategic boldness can transform your short-term rental business.
In this episode of the Booked Solid podcast, Harshad shares how he and his wife Ishita scaled from zero properties to a thriving portfolio by combining her design brilliance with his analytical systems approach. He reveals how they jumped from less than 1% direct bookings last year to over 30% this year, his framework for using AI to streamline everything from listing creation to hotel underwriting, and why surrounding yourself with the right people accelerates growth faster than any spreadsheet analysis ever could.
Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale aggressively, Harshad's honest take on overcoming "analysis paralysis" and building delegatable systems will give you a new perspective on what's possible.
Connect with Harshad:
What if the secret to better bookings wasn't flashier photos or bigger marketing budgets—but simply finding the right words?
In this episode, we sit down with Genevieve White, a travel copywriter and coach based in Scotland's remote Shetland Islands. Genevieve helps vacation rental hosts and tourism businesses move beyond bland, AI-generated content to create messaging that actually connects with guests.
You'll discover why copywriting isn't about grammar perfection or clever wordplay—it's about understanding who you're writing for and having the confidence to tell your story authentically. Genevieve shares her proven frameworks for identifying your ideal guest, developing your unique brand voice, and transforming everyday moments (like feeding sheep with apples) into compelling stories that inspire bookings.
Whether you're struggling with a blank page or feeling like your website sounds too generic, this conversation will give you practical tools to write copy that sounds like you—not a travel brochure. If you've ever thought "I'm just not a good writer," Genevieve's approach will change your mind.
🎧 Connect with Genevieve White
Ready to transform how you write about your vacation rental? Genevieve offers both done-for-you copywriting services and coaching to help you develop the skills yourself.
Join Campion Club: Genevieve's twice-weekly email list shares copywriting insights wrapped in stories from her life and work. It's her number one priority for building community with travel professionals who want to write better copy. Sign up at campioncopy.com
Grab Her Book: Boldly Go is the definitive copywriting guide for travel and tourism professionals who want to move beyond generic language toward copy that genuinely connects.
Follow Genevieve:
"Your website is everything. It's your marketing. It's your digital front door."
Frank Bosi from Hostfully knows what separates hosts who struggle with direct bookings from those who thrive. In this episode of Booked Solid, Frank shares the small, intentional steps that build sustainable direct booking revenue—without burning out. From his luxury hotel background at Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons to leading partnerships at one of the industry's most customer-obsessed property management platforms, Frank breaks down exactly how to build trust, create seamless guest experiences, and finally take control of your booking channels. If you're tired of feeling stuck on OTAs or wondering why your website isn't converting, this conversation will change how you think about your direct booking strategy.
🤝 Connect with Frank Bosi
Want to learn more about how Hostfully can transform your vacation rental operations? Frank and his team are ready to help you build sustainable direct booking revenue.
Book a Demo: Schedule time with Frank
LinkedIn: Connect with Frank Bosi
Hostfully Profile: Learn more about Frank's work
Special Offer for Booked Solid Listeners:
Use code SOLID to receive $500 off your Hostfully onboarding fee.
"We know we can't be there to get guests what they need, so we're constantly thinking—what do they need? What will they think they need, and how can we have it there before they know they need it?"
In this episode of Booked Solid, Moira Sedgwick shares how years of working with luxury hotel chains and the James Beard Awards shaped her approach to short-term rentals. You'll discover why thinking like a boutique hotel operator—not just a host—can transform your guest experience and market positioning. Moira walks through her framework for designing spaces that feel like a "wealthy auntie's home," how to audit your property through a hospitality lens, and why the details guests notice most are often the ones you overlook. Whether you're launching your first property or scaling a portfolio, this conversation reveals what it takes to stand out in saturated markets.
🔗 Connect with Moira Sedgwick
Want to learn more about Moira's approach to boutique hospitality and design? Follow her work and reach out:
Instagram: @achalet.collective
Website: achaletcollective.com
Email: hello@achaletcollective.com
"Now operators are no longer just spending 3% of their business for lead gen from Airbnb. They're now spending 15.5%."
Airbnb's latest fee structure changes everything—but are you ready to take control? Orlie Benjamin, founder of Lasoh and former marketing leader, breaks down why now is the moment for vacation rental operators to build their own direct booking infrastructure.
In this episode, you'll discover why owning your guest relationships is no longer optional, how to think about your marketing budget differently, and the critical first steps to reducing platform dependence. Whether you're just starting your direct booking journey or ready to scale your existing strategy, this conversation reveals the marketing mindset shift that separates operators who survive from those who thrive.
Connect With Orlie 🔗
Website: lasoh.io
LinkedIn: Orlie Benjamin
Instagram: @orlie.benjamin
Lasoh LinkedIn: Company Page
Lasoh Instagram: @lasoh.io
Lasoh Facebook: Facebook Page
Lasoh Facebook Group: Community
YouTube: Lasoh Channel
Orlie is genuinely open to connecting with operators at any stage of their direct booking journey. Book a free demo on the Lasoh website—even if the platform isn't the right fit for you right now, she'll help you figure out your next step and connect you with resources that can help.
"The goal is to automate the annoying so you can focus on the amazing."
In this episode, Gil sits down with Sean McGregor, founder of NoCodeSTR.com, to explore how vacation rental hosts can reclaim their time without sacrificing guest experience. Sean has hosted over 5,000 groups on Airbnb while maintaining a 4.98★ rating since 2018—all while traveling through 40+ countries with his family.
What's his secret? A powerful combination of no-code automation tools and AI that handle the repetitive tasks most hosts dread. From guest communication to review management, Sean shares exactly how he maintains a 100% five-star rating even during a 3.5-week road trip through the Balkans.
If you've ever felt chained to your phone answering the same guest questions or wondered how to scale without burning out, this conversation will show you a better way. Sean breaks down the tools, mindset, and systems that let hosts run professional operations from anywhere in the world.
🔗 Connect with Sean McGregor
Ready to automate the annoying parts of your vacation rental business? Sean offers a free 5-day course at NoCodeSTR.com that walks you through building your first automations step by step.
Follow Sean's journey and learn more:
"As long as you're providing value, hopefully your marketing will be mostly perceived generously and people will want to receive it."
What if the key to competing with major OTAs wasn't just about building a better website—but capturing data from every single guest who stays at your property? Arthur Colker, Founder & CEO of StayFi, discovered this truth while helping a New Orleans property manager escape 99% OTA dependency.
In this episode, he shares how a WiFi-based data capture solution evolved into a full guest marketing platform powering direct bookings across vacation rentals, boutique hotels, and hospitality brands. Arthur reveals why guest data ownership is the biggest missed opportunity in short-term rentals, how diversifying channels matters more than eliminating OTAs entirely, and the groundbreaking StayFinder meta-search tool launching soon that will let travelers compare direct booking prices against major platforms.
Whether you're managing 2 properties or 200, Arthur's insights on guest data strategy and the evolving hospitality tech landscape will reshape how you think about building an independent brand.
🌐 Connect with Arthur Colker
LinkedIn: Arthur Colker
Company: StayFi
StayFinder: Launching soon—the direct booking meta-search tool that lets travelers compare prices directly with property managers
In this episode, Jessica Gillingham, CEO of Abode Worldwide and author of "Tech-Enabled Hospitality," challenges the notion that automation and personalization can't coexist. As a strategic advisor to transformative technology companies across the global hospitality sector and host of the Pillow Talk Sessions podcast, Jessica brings a unique perspective on building category leaders.
From revealing why 90% of hosts only use 30-40% of their PMS capabilities to explaining how Netflix-style personalization could revolutionize guest experiences, Jessica shares insights from interviewing over 30 industry leaders. Whether you're managing one property or a hundred, you'll discover why the future of hospitality isn't about choosing between technology and human connection—it's about using one to amplify the other.
🔗 Connect with Jessica
Building a high-performing short-term rental isn't about throwing money at renovations and hoping for results. It's about strategic design choices that create a destination guests actively seek out—not just settle for.
In this episode, Mark Lumpkin breaks down his proven framework for transforming underperforming properties into revenue powerhouses. From identifying the right foundation before you buy, to niching down with precision, to leveraging photography that tells an irresistible story—Mark shares the exact steps his team at STR Cribs uses to help operators double their revenue.
You'll learn how to analyze your competition without copying them, why most properties fail to differentiate themselves, and the small intentional touches that convert browsers into bookers. Whether you're acquiring your first property or refreshing an existing portfolio, this conversation will shift how you think about design, marketing, and guest experience.
🔗 Connect with Mark Lumpkin
"The way that people choose travel, they consider bookings. It has culturally shifted from even 10 years ago, five years ago, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. They are experience first, location second." - Annie Sloan
The hospitality landscape has fundamentally changed. Today's travelers aren't just booking a place to stay—they're curating entire experiences before they even choose their destination. Annie Sloan, Co-Founder and CEO of The Host Co, joins us to reveal how direct booking amenities are becoming the secret weapon for property managers who want to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
In this episode, you'll discover why the traditional approach of competing solely on location and price is no longer sufficient, and how forward-thinking hosts are building entire brands around the experiences they can provide. From mobile tattoo artists at Coachella properties to barrel saunas delivered to remote cabins, Annie shares real examples of hosts who've transformed their businesses by thinking beyond accommodation.
🔗 Connect with Annie Sloan
Learn more about The Host Co and follow Annie's insights:
"Stop making Airbnb more money. Do not ever send someone another Airbnb link. You are the problem. Owning your customer is the most important part of any successful business strategy."
This raw admission from Nikkei Rosenberg, owner of Staylah Rentals with over 100 properties under management, captures exactly what's broken—and what's possible—in our industry. While most hosts chase occupancy rates and revenue per available room, Nikkei has built her empire on something far more valuable: unshakeable brand standards that turn first-time guests into repeat customers.
In this episode, Nikkei reveals how she scaled from managing individual properties to commanding a portfolio across multiple Southeast markets, all while maintaining the kind of consistency that makes guests choose her brand over browsing endless Airbnb listings. Her approach isn't just about better hospitality—it's about creating a direct booking engine powered by trust.
🌟 Connect with Nikkei
"Digital media is not going away. When business owners are shying away from doing something uncomfortable, putting their business out on social media, you have to meet the world where they're at."
What would you do if your social media following could generate 71% direct bookings on just one property? Brittany Magsig, better known as Mountain Mama on TikTok, turned this dream into reality by authentically sharing her love for the Smoky Mountains and building genuine connections with over half a million followers.
From conducting virtual therapy sessions as a school social worker to managing a thriving vacation rental through social media marketing strategies, Brittany's journey demonstrates how authentic content creation can drive direct bookings without expensive marketing campaigns or complex systems.
Connect with Brittany:
"There's so much incremental bookings our industry could be getting if we just did a better job of managing rates throughout the season. More than anything, drive additional revenue over and above new amenities, new photos—it's just do a better job of how you're setting rates."
The short-term rental landscape has undergone dramatic shifts since 2020, creating both challenges and opportunities for independent hosts building direct booking businesses. From mobile bookings now representing 58% of Airbnb's traffic to supply growth slowing to just 4% in 2025, understanding these data-driven trends isn't just helpful—it's essential for staying competitive.
In this comprehensive discussion, we explore the critical insights every host needs to navigate today's market, optimize their direct booking strategy, and establish sustainable revenue streams that are not entirely dependent on OTA algorithms.
🔗 Connect with Jamie Lane
"The core foundation should be direct bookings, but you also need OTA presence. I think the best way is all three legs of that stool."
Building a hospitality business that generates 95% direct bookings sounds impossible—especially in a town with just 87 residents. But Blake Neitzke, a West Point graduate and former Special Forces officer, proved it's not only possible but sustainable. In this episode of Booked Solid, Blake shares the direct booking strategies that transformed a distressed 7-room boutique hotel into a 15-key destination that books solid year-round, often 18 months in advance.
What makes Blake's approach unique isn't just his impressive conversion rates—it's his balanced perspective on OTA Management while maintaining independence. His story provides a blueprint for operators seeking to establish enduring hospitality brands without compromising growth or guest reach.
Connect with Blake:
"I would have to say collaboration, and that's really been my go-to word for the year because I have noticed such a difference when I'm able to collaborate with others, whether it's something for them or something that benefits me." - Ashley Ramos
What if the secret to consistent direct bookings wasn't found in complex digital funnels or expensive marketing campaigns, but right in your local community? Ashley Ramos, a licensed therapist turned short-term rental strategist, has discovered something remarkable: authentic partnerships with local businesses can become your most powerful direct booking engine.
In this episode, you'll discover how Ashley leverages her clinical social work background to create meaningful guest experiences while building a network of local partnerships that consistently drive bookings to her Arizona properties. From spa collaborations to brand partnerships, she's proving that community-first strategies can outperform traditional marketing approaches.
🔗 Connect with Ashley Ramos
Instagram (Mentorship): @_aramos_
Instagram (STR Properties): @urbanvacays
TikTok: @ashleytravelss
Email: info@urbannestrental.com
"We are 70% direct book. My mentality is we own our business through our website and I treat the OTAs simply as marketing platforms, as billboards." - Kerri Gibson
In this episode, you'll discover the exact framework Kerri used to build her direct booking dominance, from her early website experiments to sophisticated email nurture campaigns that create 40% return guests. Plus, she shares the serendipitous media placement that generated thousands of dollars in marketing reach and why her product management background became her secret weapon in hospitality.
🔗 Connect with Kerri Gibson
Bring yourself to your hospitality journey. There's no one else like you." — Moriya Rockman
The short-term rental industry is evolving beyond the simple host-guest transaction. Today's successful vacation rental operators are building direct booking ecosystems, creating communities, and establishing themselves as destination ambassadors rather than just property managers. Few understand this transformation better than Moriya Rockman, founder of Smiling House Group and Villa Tracker, who has spent over 12 years pioneering luxury short-term rental channels that serve markets largely ignored by mainstream OTAs.
In this episode of the Booked Solid podcast, Moriya shares her journey from being one of Airbnb's earliest international hosts to creating two distinct B2B and B2C vacation rental platforms that connect luxury properties with high-value travelers and travel professionals. Her insights reveal how serious hosts can build independent booking brands that thrive beyond the limitations of traditional OTAs.
🤝 Connect with Moriya Rockman
Want to learn more from Moriya's hospitality expertise and entrepreneurial journey? Connect with her on social media and explore her platforms:
Social Media:
Her Platforms: