EP 222: Short-Term Rental Investing: What I’d Do Differently Now
Release Date: 12/23/2025
EP 243: The Legal Mistakes STR Owners Keep Making with Katie Johnson
Branded & Booked
Most short-term rental owners spend all their time thinking about branding, bookings, design, amenities, and guest experience… But almost no one talks about the legal side of this business until something goes wrong. In this episode, I sat down with STR attorney, host, and co-host Katie Johnson to talk about the legal mistakes we see owners and property managers making all the time and honestly, some of these are way more common than they should be. We talk about LLCs, insurance, rental agreements, safety compliance, co-hosting contracts, operating agreements, capital raising, and what...
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EP 242: What Virgin Voyages & Coachella Understand About Influencer Marketing That Most Brands Don’t
Branded & Booked
Influencer marketing is not just about getting pretty content. It’s about creating a moment people want to be part of. In this episode of Branded and Booked, I’m breaking down what boutique hotels, micro resorts, and short-term rental brands can learn from companies like Virgin Voyages, 818, COMFRT, and Colorescience when it comes to using creators in a way that actually drives attention, demand, and revenue. Because the brands doing this well are not treating influencer marketing like an afterthought. They are building entire experiences around it. I’m sharing why Virgin Voyages’...
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EP 141: What No One Is Telling You About AI in Hospitality
Branded & Booked
I feel like everywhere I turn right now, someone is talking about AI…how fast it is, how efficient it is, how it can replace entire roles on your team. And while I do think there’s a place for it (and we’re absolutely exploring that on the operations side of our businesses), I’ve had this growing tension around how it’s being used in marketing… especially in hospitality. Because here’s the reality I can’t ignore: so much content is starting to sound the same. Same captions, same emails, same listing language. And when everything feels templated and mass-produced, we lose the...
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EP 240: How to Build a Team So You’re Not “On” 24/7 Anymore
Branded & Booked
If you’ve ever answered a guest message at the dinner table… in the middle of a family moment… or felt like you’re “on” 24/7 in your hosting business… this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m joined again by Marissa Grover, and we’re getting really honest about what it actually looks like to grow a co-hosting or property management business without the right support in place. We talk about the chaos so many hosts are living in… the constant notifications, the pressure to always be available, and the reality that this business is anything but passive when you’re doing...
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EP 239: The Shift You Need Before Peak Season Hits
Branded & Booked
Peak season is here, and I know a lot of you are gearing up the same way you always have… watching your calendar, adjusting pricing, and hoping the algorithm works in your favor. But in this episode of Branded & Booked, I’m challenging that entire approach. Because the biggest shift you can make right now isn’t tactical, it’s foundational. You’re not just managing listings. You’re building a business. And if your strategy starts and ends with OTAs, you’re building it on borrowed land. Inside this episode, I walk through the mindset shift that separates hosts who stay stuck in...
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EP 238: How to Increase Your ADR Without Adding More Amenities
Branded & Booked
A hot tub is not your strategy. Neither is a game room. Or a pickleball court. Or checking every box on Airbnb. In this episode of Branded & Booked, I’m calling out one of the biggest mistakes short-term rental owners are making right now: confusing amenities with strategy. Because here’s the truth… Amenities might help you compete, but they are not what positions your brand. And if your entire marketing strategy is built on what you have instead of how it makes people feel, you’re going to stay stuck competing on price, copying competitors, and relying on OTAs to fill your...
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EP 237: The Fastest Way to Drive Direct Bookings in the Next 30 Days
Branded & Booked
Want more direct bookings… fast? Not from chasing trends. Not from posting more on Instagram. But from leveraging what you already have. In this episode of Branded & Booked, Steph breaks down the number one strategy that will drive direct bookings in the next 30 days: email marketing. And before you roll your eyes… this isn’t about sending a “newsletter.” This is about building a system that captures attention, nurtures trust, and converts guests when they’re actually ready to book. Because the truth is, most short-term rental owners are either not collecting emails at all…...
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EP 236: Designing for Experience (and ROI): How Altitude 22 Hit $100K in 60 Days with Yash Bhatt
Branded & Booked
$100K in bookings in the first 60 days. Not from luck. Not from “just listing it on Airbnb.” But from building something intentionally different. In this episode of Branded and Booked, Steph sits down with Yash Bhatt to break down what happens when you approach your short-term rental like a hospitality brand instead of just an investment. After launching their property, Altitude 22, in December 2025, Yash shares that they secured over $100,000 in bookings within the first 60 days and are now on track to exceed $200,000 in their first year, outperforming...
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EP 235: The Marketing Strategy That Generated 3.7x ROI and 45% Direct Bookings
Branded & Booked
Influencer marketing is one of the most polarizing topics in the short-term rental industry. Some hosts swear by it. Others say it’s a complete waste of time. In this episode, I’m sharing what influencer marketing has actually looked like for our clients... and the results it’s produced when it’s done strategically. We’re talking about a boutique hotel campaign that generated a 3.7x ROI, and another property that went from zero direct bookings to 45% direct bookings after implementing the right marketing foundations and influencer partnerships. But those results didn’t happen...
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EP 234: The 90-Day Hotel Transformation (And How It’s Already Driving 30% Direct Bookings) with Andrés Pérez
Branded & Booked
What happens when you take an underperforming boutique hotel… and completely reimagine it? In this episode, I’m joined by former client Andrés Pérez, co-owner of The Iceberg Tahoe, and we’re breaking down the story behind transforming what was once the Avalon Lodge in South Lake Tahoe. Andres spent nearly a decade working at Google before transitioning into real estate investing. Like many investors, he started with long-term rentals, then moved into short-term rentals. But eventually he realized something a lot of people in this industry are starting to discover. Scaling single...
info_outlineIf I were starting over in short-term rentals today, I wouldn’t rush into the first deal just to say I owned one — and I definitely wouldn’t invest where everyone else is telling you to.
In this episode, I’m walking you through our real journey: buying our first STR, building a six-figure co-hosting business, and realizing pretty quickly what wasn’t the right long-term play for us. We talk about market selection, cash flow vs. equity, why I’d avoid certain oversaturated markets now, and what I wish I had understood sooner about renovations, contracts, and boundaries.
If you’re in the “should we buy?” or “what’s our next move?” phase — or you’re thinking bigger than single-family STRs — this episode will help you slow down and make smarter, more intentional decisions.
We cover:
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The investing choices I’d change if I started over
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Why market selection matters more than ever
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Cash flow vs. long-term equity (and how I think about it now)
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What co-hosting actually looks like behind the scenes
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Why we’re focused on micro resorts and boutique hotels moving forward
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