VRS658 - Who We Are, What We Do, and Where We’re Headed
Release Date: 04/08/2026
VRS658 - Who We Are, What We Do, and Where We’re Headed
Vacation Rental Success
This is a reset episode. After months of working behind the scenes, Heather and Mike Bayer come together to do something they have not done for a while: reintroduce themselves, take stock of where the Vacation Rental Formula Business School is now, and talk honestly about what they are building next. If you have been a long-time listener, this is your update. If you are new, this is the best place to start. The conversation covers the full VRF ecosystem, from the just-completed first cohort of the AI Ambassador Program and what Heather has already learned from running it, to the newly launched...
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VRS657 - When the Calendar Looks Full But the Business Is Bleeding with Sarah Stahl
Vacation Rental Success
High occupancy is not the same as a healthy business. That’s the thread running through this conversation with Sarah Stahl, VP of Marketing at Lake.com and founder of short-term rental marketing consultancy Market Movers. Sarah has spent the last seven years watching operators fill their calendars while quietly losing ground on margins, guest relationships, and long-term resilience - and she’s done being polite about it. In this episode, Heather and Sarah cover the real cost of OTA dependency, the origins of Sarah’s marketing philosophy through her unusual route into the industry via the...
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VRS656 - How STR Businesses Are Using Claude for Smarter Marketing and Better Workflows
Vacation Rental Success
In this episode, Heather sits down with returning guest Jodi Bourne to talk about how short-term rental professionals can use Claude in practical, business-building ways. Rather than focusing on AI hype, this conversation digs into what actually matters: saving time, improving clarity, supporting creativity, and using tools like Claude to strengthen both operations and marketing. Jodi shares why she moved toward Claude, what makes it so useful in her day-to-day work, and how features like Projects, Skills, and Cowork can help STR operators stay organized, create more relevant content, and...
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VRS655 - The Shift from Collecting Prompts to AI That Actually Knows Your Business
Vacation Rental Success
In this solo episode, Heather explores one of the biggest shifts happening in the AI space right now: the move away from relying on prompt libraries and toward building systems powered by context. A couple of years ago, prompt engineering was everything. People were collecting prompt packs, saving templates, and searching for the “perfect prompt” that would magically produce the right result. And at the time that made sense. Early AI tools needed much more structure, narrower inputs, and a lot more hand-holding. But things have changed. Today’s AI tools are better at understanding...
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VRS654 - VRNation, Education, and the Next Chapter of the Vacation Rental Industry
Vacation Rental Success
In this episode, Heather Bayer sits down with Heidie Henriksen, Executive Director of VRNation, to talk about how the organization is helping to strengthen the short-term rental industry through education, collaboration, and community. Heidi shares her 25-year journey in the vacation rental industry - from starting as a host, to working in property management and technology, to now leading a national nonprofit focused on supporting operators across the sector. They discuss the evolution of VRNation, the success of its roadshow events bringing education directly to local markets, and the launch...
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VRS653 - The Authority Shift: What AI Agents Mean for STR Leaders
Vacation Rental Success
We’re at a genuine turning point in how AI is being used in the short-term rental industry - and the language we use right now really matters. In this episode, I unpack the difference between two words that are being thrown around almost interchangeably: assistant and agent. They are not the same. And if you don’t understand the distinction, you could either underestimate what AI can do for you… or worse, hand over more authority than you intended inside your business. This isn’t a technical episode. It’s a clarity episode. Because clarity is what allows you to adopt AI confidently...
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VRS652 - Structure Before Speed: The Smarter Way to Bring AI Into Your Business
Vacation Rental Success
AI is no longer a curiosity in our industry - it’s becoming a priority. In this first episode of a new AI-focused solo series, Heather steps back from tools and prompts to explore something more fundamental: is your business actually ready for AI? Because AI doesn’t fix messy operations - it magnifies them. This episode introduces a practical framework for building real AI readiness across your organization. It starts with leadership setting clear direction. AI adoption can’t be left to individual experimentation; it needs intention, visibility, and someone responsible for connecting...
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VRS651 - Trust, Conversions & The Direct Booking Mindset
Vacation Rental Success
What makes a guest trust your website enough to enter their credit card details? That’s the question at the heart of this conversation with Amber Knight from Bookings Cloud - and it’s one every property manager should be asking. Amber has been in this industry long enough to remember tape charts and highlighters (yes, really). From growing up around her father’s vacation rental business in Sun Valley to helping build corporate development initiatives at Vacasa, she’s seen this industry evolve from fully analog to algorithm-driven. And through all of that change, one thing hasn’t...
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VRS650 - Amber Hurdle – Keeping the Human in the Loop: Building a Strategic AI-Driven Brand
Vacation Rental Success
Amber Hurdle is back for her fourth appearance on the podcast - and once again, she’s lighting up the conversation with her bold, insightful take on branding, leadership, and the evolving role of AI in business. A year after her last visit (when ChatGPT was just becoming mainstream), Heather reconnects with Amber to explore how the AI landscape has shifted - and how short-term rental pros can ride the wave without losing their voice. From crafting a strategic AI approach to retrofitting your team structure and refining your brand voice, Amber offers practical, no-nonsense advice with her...
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VRS649 - Sewn in Soil and Spirit – Designing Guest Experiences with Heather Dunwoody - A Book Direct Day Special
Vacation Rental Success
On this very special Book Direct Day, I’m thrilled to welcome Heather Dunwoody to the podcast for a deeply resonant conversation about the why behind what we do in this industry. Heather isn’t just someone who works in branding and guest experience., she’s someone who truly understands that hospitality goes far beyond service. For her, it’s about creating meaningful connections and welcoming guests into something much deeper than just a place to stay. After reading her article Sewn in Soil and Spirit on Medium, I knew we had to dive into a conversation about designing guest experiences...
info_outlineThis is a reset episode. After months of working behind the scenes, Heather and Mike Bayer come together to do something they have not done for a while: reintroduce themselves, take stock of where the Vacation Rental Formula Business School is now, and talk honestly about what they are building next. If you have been a long-time listener, this is your update. If you are new, this is the best place to start.
The conversation covers the full VRF ecosystem, from the just-completed first cohort of the AI Ambassador Program and what Heather has already learned from running it, to the newly launched THRIVE Essentials onboarding course, the opening of five consultancy slots, and the decision to build community through Substack rather than another standalone platform.
What comes through clearly is that the focus has sharpened. VRF is no longer trying to serve everyone in the STR industry. It is building specifically for professional operators who are ready to bring AI into their businesses in a structured, responsible way, and who want experienced guidance rather than just another tool recommendation.
About Heather and Mike Bayer
Heather Bayer spent 20 years managing CottageLINK Rental Management in Ontario, growing it to nearly 200 properties before selling in 2022. She has hosted the Vacation Rental Success Podcast since 2014, making it the longest-running podcast in the STR space, and has spent the last two years building a focused AI education practice for property management professionals. Mike Bayer is CEO and co-founder of the Vacation Rental Formula Business School. He works across strategy, marketing, technology integration, and community, and joins Heather on the podcast periodically to discuss direction and new programmes.
Key Takeaways
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The AI Ambassador Programme just completed its first cohort. Heather is already rewriting Module 2 because the tools she built the course around have shifted in the months since she wrote it. The second cohort launches in May and will include returning members alongside new participants.
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A knowledge base is the non-negotiable foundation for any meaningful AI adoption. Before touching any tool, operators need documented business context that gives the AI something real to work with. Without it, output is generic.
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The AI Ambassador role is not a tech job. It is the person in a company who understands the business well enough to see where AI can reduce friction, and who has the trust of the team to guide adoption without creating resistance. Think conductor, not programmer.
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THRIVE Essentials is a short onboarding course for new STR employees who may have no background in property management. It covers industry structure, operational roles, technology foundations, values, compliance, and a new AI-in-the-workplace module focused on ethics and safe use.
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The consultancy model is a 90-day intensive followed by nine months of monthly coaching. It is capped at five clients at a time, starts with a free hour-long discovery call, and is specifically designed around AI adoption and integration. It is not coaching in the general sense; it is bespoke problem-solving for a specific business.
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Community is now on Substack, specifically the Grounded in AI group. After trying several platforms over the years, Heather and Mike landed on Substack because it combines articles, short notes, and a chat forum in one place with a genuine mobile app, which has consistently been what makes community work for people who are managing a business during the day.
Resources and Links Mentioned
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AI Ambassador Programme - vacationrentalformula.com/AI [TBC - confirm final URL]
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Thrive Essentials - link in show notes [TBC]
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Grounded in AI Substack community - free subscription, link in show notes
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Consultancy enquiry / free discovery call - link in show notes
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Shortcuts - vetted STR trainers, consultants, and coaches [TBC - confirm URL]
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VR Nation Conference - 28–30 April, Heather presenting on AI foundations
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Scale UK Conference — Brighton, 9 June, Heather presenting on AI adoption foundations
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Shortcuts webinar - 23 April, “What You Need to Know Before the Magic Begins”
Connect With Heather and Mike Bayer
The best place to connect is the Grounded in AI Substack Community, where Heather posts daily and responds to comments. If you are curious about the AI Ambassador Programme, Thrive Essentials, or consultancy, head to the show notes for the relevant links, or reach out directly through Substack.
Heather’s Substack: groundedinai.substack.com [TBC — confirm handle]
Vacation Rental Formula Business School: vacationrentalformula.com
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📣 The AI Ambassador Program
This episode is brought to you in part by our AI Ambassador Program. If you're curious about using AI in your business - whether it's for guest communication, operations, or even marketing - check out our AI Ambassador Program. It's designed to help you learn, lead, and get hands-on with the tools shaping the future of hospitality.
🌐 Learn more and join us at VacationRentalFormula.com/AI
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