Branded & Booked

Let's talk about something that feels personal… but is actually wildly strategic. Naming your short-term rental or micro resort sounds fun (and it is!), but more importantly... it's positioning. It's perception. It's your first marketing asset. And I see so many owners starting with the name before they've ever gotten clear on their guest, their brand messaging, or the experience they're actually...

I need you to hear this story. A stay-at-home mom with a traveling husband hit a breaking point with suburban life and said, "If I'm doing this, I might as well be at the beach." Her husband agreed to buying a beach house only if it made financial sense. So she made it work. Ninety days later, they closed on their first short-term rental on the coast of North Carolina. It performed not because she...

The moment a guest opens your door, you're no longer just a real estate investor, you're running a hospitality business.   In this episode, I'm sitting down with my friend Katie to talk about something a lot of hosts say they care about, but don't always know how to execute: true hospitality. Katie spent years in global PR and communications for brands like W Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Le Méridien, and...

In this episode, I'm talking honestly about wealth, real estate, and the parts of the journey that usually get left out online. The "we went from nothing to millions" stories can make it feel like you're behind, when in reality, a lot of those results were shaped by timing, market conditions, and decisions that can't be duplicated today. Colin and I walk through our actual financial path, from stu...

In this episode, I'm breaking down the real ROI of marketing for boutique hotels, micro resorts, and short-term rental owners, and I'm doing it with actual numbers, not fluffy marketing talk. One of the biggest questions I hear from owners is, "What's my ROI on marketing?" And the truth is, most hospitality businesses are looking at marketing the wrong way. It's not an expense you justify month to...

In this episode, I'm diving into why personal branding in 2026 is no longer optional, especially if you're in boutique hospitality. If you're building short-term rentals, a co-hosting or property management business, a boutique hotel, or a micro resort, your personal brand is becoming one of the biggest drivers of trust, connection, and bookings. We talk through what a personal brand actually is (...

We're kicking off 2026 with a decision that has nothing to do with quarterly goals and everything to do with the kind of life we want to live. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why our family is planning a full year of camper life — how the idea started, what finally pushed us to commit, and why this felt like a now-or-never moment. I share a glimpse into the planning process, the r...

This final episode of Branded and Booked is a year-end reflection on what I outgrew in 2025 and what I'm intentionally carrying into 2026. I talk about finishing a 12-cabin micro-resort and what it really feels like to build something big when the risk is real and personal. I share lessons from growing The Weber Co. and Hosted by the Webers, including getting clearer on alignment, pricing our expe...

It's done. Cabins on the Cumberland is officially complete. In this episode, I'm sharing what it really took to build a 12-cabin micro resort with an event venue, game center, and year-round amenities — from construction milestones and financing lessons to direct bookings, full buyouts, and what's next. We talk through: How the build unfolded over 2.5 years What I'd do differently with underwritin...

If 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 m...

2026 is not the year to play it safe — and it's definitely not the year to keep relying on Airbnb alone. In this episode of Branded and Booked, I break down what I see coming next for short-term rentals, boutique hotels, micro-resorts, and the investors behind them — and why branding, direct strategy, and personal visibility are no longer optional. From platform changes and rising fees to the grow...

2025 has been one of the biggest years of growth I've ever had — across three hospitality businesses, inside my personal life, and in the direction I'm heading for 2026. I'm breaking down what worked, what stretched me, and what I'm changing moving forward. I walk through each business — The Weber Co., Hosted by the Webers, and Cabins on the Cumberland — and share the real numbers, the mindset shi...

In this bite-sized solo episode, I'm breaking down the insane results we've helped our client, Tremont Lodge , achieve since partnering in spring 2025. From stock photos and low engagement to over $40,000 in tracked direct bookings , you'll hear exactly how an integrated marketing strategy — blending social media, email, influencer collaborations, and automation — completely transformed their resu...

Three years ago, it was enough for your Airbnb to have cute décor and a decent location. Today? The game has changed. In this episode, Steph sits down with Jordan, co-founder of Somerled Designs, to talk about what it really takes to compete in the 2025 short-term rental market. You'll learn how Somerled has scaled from a college-friend side hustle to 50+ design projects per month, why they pair m...

You don't have to stay stuck on the OTA hamster wheel. 👏 In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on real short-term rental owners who decided enough was enough—and took control of their marketing. You'll hear from five amazing hosts who implemented the exact strategies I teach inside STR Marketing Bootcamp and saw direct booking results they didn't think were possible: ✨ Kathleen in the Po...

Don't forget — STR Marketing Simplified kicks off today (Sept 23–25)! It's a free 3-day workshop where I'll walk you through how to rely less on OTAs and build a marketing system that works. Save your seat here (or catch the replays if you can't make it live). 👉  Save your seat here! Are direct bookings just a trend… or the future of your short-term rental business? In this episode of Branded and...

If you've ever wondered how to make social media actually work for your short-term rental, boutique hotel, or micro resort—this episode is for you. I'm breaking down my 3 C's of Marketing on Social Media Strategy that I've been teaching since 2020. These tried-and-true pillars have helped businesses across industries grow their brands, book more clients, and build genuine connections. In this epis...

Are you running yourself ragged trying to market your short-term rentals… and still not seeing results? You're not alone. In today's episode of Branded and Booked , I'm digging into the top two mistakes I see STR hosts make with their marketing—mistakes that cost you time, money, and bookings. Here's what we cover: Why splitting your attention across multiple property accounts and brands is actual...

Airbnb just announced another major policy change — and hosts on Facebook are losing it. But here's the truth: panicking won't protect your business. Strategy will. In this episode, I'm breaking down: ➡️ What the new Airbnb host fee structure actually means ➡️ The simple pricing adjustment we're making right now to protect revenue ➡️ Why direct bookings must be part of your growth plan (and the ex...

Are you leaving thousands of dollars in bookings on the table because your website has no opt-in? In this episode of Branded and Booked , I walk you through the exact funnel we set up for Cabins on the Cumberland that grew our email list to over 1,100 potential guests —people who have never stayed with us but are now primed to book. You'll learn: Why simply having a direct booking site isn't enoug...

A question I was asked recently stopped me in my tracks: "Steph, where does your willpower come from?" It made me reflect on my story—and here's what I realized: you don't need everything perfectly lined up to create the life and business you want. I didn't have financial support for college. I didn't have a mic for 200+ podcast episodes. I didn't have a clear, linear path into entrepreneurship. B...

If you run a boutique hotel, micro resort, short-term rental, or property management company, your Instagram can lead to bookings — but only if you're using it strategically. In this episode, I'm sharing why most hospitality brands miss the mark and exactly how to change that. We'll cover: The one account setup mistake that instantly splits your audience (and how to fix it) Why your "pretty pictur...

If you've ever wondered what co-hosting really looks like — the wins, the hard lessons, and everything in between — this is the episode for you. I'm pulling back the curtain on how we've grown our boutique co-hosting business, the boundaries we've had to draw, and the challenges that have shaped the way we operate today. Here's what I cover in this episode: The difference between co-hosting and tr...

Let's be honest—building a co-hosting business sounds easier than it is. You think: I've got systems, I've got listings…now where are the bookings? Or worse—you get the bookings and then spend your nights cleaning up after guests who clearly missed the "no parties" line in your house rules. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Punith Upadhya, who went from managing two properties to twelve in...

In this special solo episode, I get personal and share a raw behind-the-scenes look at where my heart, head, and business are at right now. From influencer beginnings in 2016 to a (game-changing!) pivot into coaching and consulting in 2020, and then again into the world of short-term rentals—this episode takes you through the honest evolution of what it means to build a business and a life that's...