Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals

What makes a vacation rental business attractive to a buyer?
Door count may get attention, but it does not tell the full story. Sustainable growth, clean financials, a trusted local brand, strong employees, and direct booking performance can all influence how a business is evaluated.
In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Igor Simkin, CEO of Monarch Collective, for a candid look at what owners should understand before exploring a sale. Igor shares what Monarch looks for in a company, where sellers are often unprepared, and why the conversation should begin long before an owner is ready to step away.
They also explore what happens after the transaction, from protecting the local brand and retaining employees to helping founders choose the role they want in the company’s next chapter.
Episode Chapters:
 05:22 - Why Monarch Collective was created and the opportunity it saw in the market
 08:07 - Preserving local brands, teams, and community relationships
 11:12 - Anchor acquisitions versus tuck-in acquisitions
 11:51 - The qualities Monarch looks for in an established business
 13:57 - When owners should begin preparing for a potential sale
 16:14 - Creating a transition plan around the founder’s goals
 22:16 - The performance indicators buyers consider
 25:03 - Financial readiness, valuation, and common seller blind spots
 28:04 - Building a shared data layer across different technology platforms
 33:43 - How Monarch is approaching AI across operations and marketing
 38:13 - What an acquisition can mean for employees and local leadership
 46:48 - How owners can get feedback before they are ready to sell
Connect with Igor:
Email: isimkin@gomonarch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-simkin-4902993/ 
Connect with Monarch Collective:
Website: https://gomonarch.com/
Thinking about the next chapter for your vacation rental business?
Connect with Monarch Collective to explore what your options could look like and how to prepare before the time comes.
👉 Learn more: https://gomonarch.com/partnerships/

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: 
Reach more direct-booking travelers with Savvy.
List your professionally managed properties for free.
👉 Get started here: https://savvy.com/list

Automate your short-term rental operations with Hospitable.
Start a 14-day free trial and get 25% off your bill for the first 6 months.
👉 Get started: https://hospitable.com/partners/alex-annie 

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #propertymanagement #businessvaluation #mergersandacquisitions
Send us a message!

What makes a vacation rental business attractive to a buyer?
Door count may get attention, but it does not tell the full story. Sustainable growth, clean financials, a trusted local brand, strong employees, and direct booking performance can all influence how a business is evaluated.
In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Igor Simkin, CEO of Monarch Collective, for a candid look at what owners should understand before exploring a sale. Igor shares what Monarch looks for in a company, where sellers are often unprepared, and why the conversation should begin long before an owner is ready to step away.
They also explore what happens after the transaction, from protecting the local brand and retaining employees to helping founders choose the role they want in the company’s next chapter.
Episode Chapters:
01:56 - Why Monarch Collective was created and the opportunity it saw in the market
04:42 - Preserving local brands, teams, and community relationships
07:46 - Anchor acquisitions versus tuck-in acquisitions
09:47 - The qualities Monarch looks for in an established business
10:31 - When owners should begin preparing for a potential sale
12:49 - Creating a transition plan around the founder’s goals
17:17 - The performance indicators buyers consider
20:31 - Financial readiness, valuation, and common seller blind spots
23:31 - Building a shared data layer across different technology platforms
27:36 - How Monarch is approaching AI across operations and marketing
31:10 - What an acquisition can mean for employees and local leadership
40:18 - How owners can get feedback before they are ready to sell
Connect with Igor:
Email: isimkin@gomonarch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-simkin-4902993/ 
Connect with Monarch Collective:
Website: https://gomonarch.com/
Thinking about the next chapter for your vacation rental business?
Connect with Monarch Collective to explore what your options could look like and how to prepare before the time comes.
👉 Learn more: https://gomonarch.com/partnerships/

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: 
Reach more direct-booking travelers with Savvy.
List your professionally managed properties for free.
👉 Get started here: https://savvy.com/list

Automate your short-term rental operations with Hospitable.
Start a 14-day free trial and get 25% off your bill for the first 6 months.
👉 Get started: https://hospitable.com/partners/alex-annie 

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #propertymanagement #businessvaluation #mergersandacquisitions
Send us a message!

In this third episode of First of the Month Wrangle, presented by Lasoh, we are joined by Orlie Benjamin, Founder and CEO of Lasoh, and Patti Ziegler, Orlie’s longtime mentor and former leader at Scotts Miracle-Gro.
Before building Lasoh, Orlie worked with Patti across direct-to-consumer marketing, brand building, innovation, and partnerships. That experience shaped how she thinks about customer relationships, distribution, and the value of knowing the people behind each purchase.
That same thinking applies in vacation rentals. OTAs may help bring guests in, but operators still need a way to understand who those guests are, stay connected, and create reasons for them to book again.
Orlie and Patti also share the mentorship behind that journey, including what it means to take a chance on someone, recognize when a role is no longer the right fit, and support a person as they move toward something bigger.
We discuss:
00:51 - Meet Patti Ziegler and learn how she worked with Orlie
02:04 - Building a direct-to-consumer brand from zero to one
03:19 - How established brands create new pathways to the customer
08:39 - What retail distribution can teach operators about OTAs and direct bookings
11:50 - How direct-to-consumer thinking shaped Lasoh
13:36 - The mentorship behind Orlie’s move into entrepreneurship
21:46 - How a career pivot brought Orlie closer to her purpose
28:33 - What vacation rental operators can learn from full-funnel marketing
30:46 - Why awareness, conversion, and guest loyalty all need attention
36:23 - Building a business in a way that still supports people
40:22 - Why the guest experience is central to Orlie’s work in vacation rentals
Learn more about Lasoh:
Website: https://tinyurl.com/52nvyw8t
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lasoh/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lasohio/61575721958679/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasoh.io
Connect with Orlie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orliebenjamin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585160391720
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orlie.benjamin/ 
Connect with Patti:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-ziegler-4649173/ 
✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: 
Turn every guest interaction into more revenue with Lasoh.
Apply to become a Founding Member and/or get 20% off Lasoh products with code AlexandAnnie. Valid through September 30, 2026.
👉 Learn more: https://explore.lasoh.io/alex-annie
#vacationrentals #vacationrentalmarketing #directbookings
Send us a message!

Nearly 300 episodes in, the Alex & Annie Podcast is entering one of its most exciting chapters yet.
In this special mid-year episode, Alex & Annie are joined by Jinnie Randolph, who has been working behind the scenes to help shape the show’s content, partnerships, strategy, and future growth.
Jinnie shares her journey through vacation rental marketing, technology, and operations, along with the full-circle story of how she went from longtime listener and sponsor partner to becoming an important part of the Alex & Annie team.
Together, Alex, Annie, and Jinnie reflect on the conversations and industry themes that have defined 2026 so far. They discuss the rapid evolution of AI, the continued importance of human connection, and why intentional growth, consistency, and education have become increasingly important across the vacation rental industry.
They also take listeners behind the scenes of the show’s evolution into Aha Moments Media. Alex & Annie share how the Growth Blueprint has shaped this year’s content and how new recurring series, roundtables, on-site interviews, private podcasts, and thought leadership opportunities are helping the platform grow beyond its original format.
Episode Chapters:
04:19 – How Jinnie became part of the Alex & Annie Podcast team
11:24 – The industry themes shaping the first seven months of 2026
16:14 – How AI and human connection are evolving together
22:25 – Why smaller operators need better access to credible education
15:56 – The Growth Blueprint behind this year’s podcast content
13:11 – How the show is expanding into Aha Moments Media
27:30 – New series, roundtables, partnerships, and storytelling formats
31:31 – What nearly 300 episodes have taught Alex and Annie about consistency
36:46 – Alex’s decision to dedicate more time to the podcast
38:49 – Annie’s work with Booking.com and smaller vacation rental operators
49:00 – What the team is building for the rest of 2026 and beyond
Tune in for a candid look at where the show has been, what is changing, and why the second half of 2026 could be its most exciting yet. 

Enjoying the Alex & Annie Podcast?
Leave a rating to help more vacation rental professionals discover the show:
https://alexandanniepodcast.com/review

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: 
Reach more direct-booking travelers with Savvy.
List your professionally managed properties for free.
👉 Get started here: https://savvy.com/list

Automate your short-term rental operations with Hospitable.
Start a 14-day free trial and get 25% off your bill for the first 6 months.
👉 Get started: https://hospitable.com/partners/alex-annie 

Thinking about the next chapter for your vacation rental business? 
Connect with Monarch Collective to explore what growth could look like with the right platform behind you.
👉 Learn more: https://gomonarch.com/partnerships/ 

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #hospitality
Send us a message!

Nearly 300 episodes in, the Alex & Annie Podcast is entering one of its most exciting chapters yet.
In this special mid-year episode, Alex & Annie are joined by Jinnie Randolph, who has been working behind the scenes to help shape the show’s content, partnerships, strategy, and future growth.
Jinnie shares her journey through vacation rental marketing, technology, and operations, along with the full-circle story of how she went from longtime listener and sponsor partner to becoming an important part of the Alex & Annie team.
Together, Alex, Annie, and Jinnie reflect on the conversations and industry themes that have defined 2026 so far. They discuss the rapid evolution of AI, the continued importance of human connection, and why intentional growth, consistency, and education have become increasingly important across the vacation rental industry.
They also take listeners behind the scenes of the show’s evolution into Aha Moments Media. Alex & Annie share how the Growth Blueprint has shaped this year’s content and how new recurring series, roundtables, on-site interviews, private podcasts, and thought leadership opportunities are helping the platform grow beyond its original format.
Episode Chapters:
04:19 – How Jinnie became part of the Alex & Annie Podcast team
11:24 – The industry themes shaping the first seven months of 2026
16:14 – How AI and human connection are evolving together
22:25 – Why smaller operators need better access to credible education
15:56 – The Growth Blueprint behind this year’s podcast content
13:11 – How the show is expanding into Aha Moments Media
27:30 – New series, roundtables, partnerships, and storytelling formats
31:31 – What nearly 300 episodes have taught Alex and Annie about consistency
36:46 – Alex’s decision to dedicate more time to the podcast
38:49 – Annie’s work with Booking.com and smaller vacation rental operators
49:00 – What the team is building for the rest of 2026 and beyond
Tune in for a candid look at where the show has been, what is changing, and why the second half of 2026 could be its most exciting yet. 

Enjoying the Alex & Annie Podcast?
Leave a rating to help more vacation rental professionals discover the show:
https://alexandanniepodcast.com/review

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners: 
Reach more direct-booking travelers with Savvy.
List your professionally managed properties for free.
👉 Get started here: https://savvy.com/list

Automate your short-term rental operations with Hospitable.
Start a 14-day free trial and get 25% off your bill for the first 6 months.
👉 Get started: https://hospitable.com/partners/alex-annie 

Thinking about the next chapter for your vacation rental business? 
Connect with Monarch Collective to explore what growth could look like with the right platform behind you.
👉 Learn more: https://gomonarch.com/partnerships/ 

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #hospitality
Send us a message!