Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals

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Growth in short-term rentals often gets framed as a numbers game. More properties, more markets, more tech, and more scale.
But what if growth isn’t about doing more but choosing better?
In this 1st of the Month Bonus episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Carly Traub, Co-Founder and CEO of Lazy Sunday Rentals, to talk about what it really looks like to build a business intentionally in a fast-moving, information-heavy industry.
Carly launched her company in 2022 alongside her husband, starting with a single property and quickly scaling to a growing portfolio. Like many operators, she said yes to everything early on. Over time, she realized that not all growth is aligned growth.
This conversation explores the shift from reactive expansion to thoughtful refinement.
Episode Chapters:
04:53 Moving from channel-dependent to brand-driven
06:15 Why saying “yes” to everything works at first and why it eventually doesn’t
07:15 Maximizing your existing tech stack before adding more tools
6:26 Evaluating return on time, not just return on money
18:23 Building a direct booking strategy that reflects your identity
27:58 How to define the kind of guest experience you actually want to deliver
31:59 Why smaller operators need a seat at the DMO table
41:26 The realities of operating in a “hot” investment market
45:29 Unrealistic investor expectations and the myth of easy remote hosting
If you’re building in a crowded market and want growth that fits your vision, this episode will help you pause, refocus, and move forward with intention.
Connect with Carly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-traub-6a402325/ 
Website: https://lazysundayrentals.com/ 
✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:

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Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

👉 Click here to get started: https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/alex-annie/

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #intentionalgrowth

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In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Tim Hubbard, CEO of Corzly, to break down how a virtual property management model actually works and what it takes to make it successful.
Tim started in long-term rental investing before shifting into short-term rentals more than a decade ago. As his portfolio grew across multiple states, and eventually internationally, he built the systems needed to manage properties remotely. That operational backbone became Corzly, a virtual management partner now supporting property managers in more than 40 cities.
Tim shares how their white-label backend model works, how they collaborate with on-the-ground teams, and where AI fits into real workflows. Not just automated check-in messages, but layered operational processes that involve owners, cleaners, early check-in requests, and revenue decisions.
Episode Chapters:
1:04 – From Long-Term Rentals to a 40-City Virtual Operation
4:02 – The Idea Behind “Core Operations”
5:28 – What Virtual Property Management Actually Means
6:08 – Why 10–60 Unit Managers Are Their Sweet Spot
7:22 – Running the Backend Without Owning the Listings
11:17 – How Much Can You Really Automate With AI?
11:58 – The Early Check-In Example That Shows How Complex Workflows Get
15:55 – 225 Units Today… 10X Growth This Year?
19:58 – The Hardest Part of Scaling Across Markets
22:21 – Building Culture With a Fully Global Team
27:44 – Developing a 20-Unit Resort in Medellín
29:08 – Two Years of Permitting and What It Took to Launch
If you are exploring growth, efficiency, or a different structure for your management business, this episode offers a clear look at another way to build.
Connect with Tim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-hubbard-str/
Website: https://corzly.com/ 
✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:

Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.

Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

👉 Click here to get started: https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/alex-annie/

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #propertymanagement

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In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Krista Goodrich and Kymberlee Nguyen, the duo behind Salty Dog Vacations, to talk about what it really takes to build a vacation rental company that guests remember and a team that is proud to be part of it.
They share how Salty Dog grew from early investing decisions in Daytona Beach into a full-scale operation, and how their approach to branding goes beyond design choices. It shows up in the details, the guest experience, and the way they protect their people.
The conversation also expands into Krista’s work in local advocacy and zoning, their broader mission to help more women build wealth through real estate, and how their community has grown through retreats and education.
Episode Chapters:
08:20 – How local rules, zoning, and community involvement shape what it takes to operate responsibly
15:07 – Building a brand guests remember: personality, pet-friendly touches, and guest joy
19:37 – Krista’s “Boss Lady Investor” work, and why real estate education needs to feel accessible
25:00 – How retreats and community experiences can become part of a bigger platform, not just a side project
33:32 – What it looks like to build a company culture where your team feels protected and respected
35:44 – The moment they fired an owner, and why that decision mattered for the business long term
40:25 – Why consistency matters more than “cute ideas,” especially once you are scaling
If you’re trying to build a stronger guest experience and a business that holds up as you grow, this one’s worth a listen.
Connect with Kym & Krista:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-goodrich-2823198/
Podcast: https://www.thebossladyinvestor.com/
Website: https://mysaltydogvacation.com/

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:

Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.

Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

👉 Click here to get started: https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/alex-annie/

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #bossladyenergy

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Midterm rentals are moving from a side option to a real strategy. In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnished Finder and former HomeAway and Expedia Group leader, to explain why 30+ day stays are gaining traction as many STR markets move into a more mature phase.

Jeff breaks down what makes midterm rentals different from short-term rentals, what demand is actually driven by, and why midterm can be a strong fit for operators looking for stability, fewer turnovers, and a guest profile rooted in real-life transitions.

Episode Chapters:
01:04 – Jeff’s background and how he views category shifts in rentals
06:16 – What Furnished Finder is, and what “midterm” means in practice
07:24 – Why the category is still early, and what professionalization looks like
08:35 – Who midterm guests are and what they need from a stay
12:01 – How midterm works operationally: screening, leases, deposits, and payments
22:48 – “Return on furniture” and the investment logic behind midterm
26:58 – Regulation, market maturity, and why more operators are taking midterm seriously
32:15 – Why midterm is gaining ground in saturated (mature) STR markets
33:21 – What types of properties fit midterm demand, and what does not

Connect with Jeff:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-hurst-atx/
Website: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:

Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.

Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

👉 Click here to get started: https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/alex-annie/

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #MTR

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Destination marketing is in a pressure test.

Short-term rentals have become a major part of how people travel, yet many DMOs still struggle with how (or whether) to include them. At the same time, AI is speeding up the research-to-booking journey and forcing destinations to rethink what “relevance” even means.

In this episode, Alex and Annie sit down with Stuart Butler (President of Visit Myrtle Beach) and Adam Stoker (President of Brand Revolt) to unpack what’s getting in the way, what alignment can look like, and why the next version of destination marketing is going to require better coordination across the whole destination economy.

You’ll hear practical takes on funding dynamics, stakeholder value, the “illusion of relevance” in reporting, and why the future may turn DMO websites into something closer to infrastructure than a traditional marketing channel.

Episode Chapters:
00:54 – Stuart’s background and how he landed in destination work
02:27 – Adam’s background and how he sees the DMO landscape
05:37 – The “illusion of relevance,” metrics, and why DMOs feel behind
07:44 – The Indianapolis example, why some DMOs leave STRs out
09:28 – Can DMOs stay relevant without vacation rentals
11:53 – Why STRs need a seat at the table and what it takes to get one
14:34 – What STR operators can do in markets without big PM groups
19:16 – Funding reality, stakeholder influence, and how STRs earn attention
22:27 – Why getting involved with a DMO teaches you more than you expect
23:51 – The bigger DMO question, purpose, scope, and identity
30:31 – How performance reporting shaped destination websites
30:54 – Why the booking engine path can be a strategic dead end
36:49 – Stewardship, community trust, and what destinations are accountable for
50:06 – AI as a watershed moment for travel discovery and decision-making
57:59 – What destination content needs to look like in an AI-first world
1:02:21 – Closing thoughts on websites, infrastructure, and the road ahead
Connect with Stuart:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-butler-50aaa45/
Website: http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/

Connect with Adam:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstoker/
Website: https://thebrandrevolt.com/

✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:

Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.

Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

👉 Click here to get started: https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/alex-annie/ 

#vacationrentals #shorttermrentals #DMO