Blue Gems Podcast

In this episode, Aidan and JB sit down with Sam Dundas of Besty AI to discuss innovations in AI-driven guest communications for short-term rental management. The conversation delves into the functionalities and impacts of Besty AI, focusing on guest communications and review management while anticipating future integrations and enhancements. They also explore the dynamics of the short-term rental...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Casey Quinn, co-founder of City Life Residential. Learn how Casey turned getting fired from his corporate job into an opportunity to dominate the real estate game. Discover his dynamic journey from CPA to real estate mogul, his partnership with a former real estate agent, and their incredible growth to over $100 million in assets. Casey shares invaluable...

In this episode of the Blue Gems Podcast, hosts interview Mark Lumpkin, the founder of STR Cribs, a licensed design and renovation company that specializes in short-term rentals. Mark discusses the company's unique approach to transforming properties into standout vacation rentals with eye-catching amenities and designs. He shares insights into the importance of original design, elevating guest ex...

John Bianchi, renowned for his expertise in Airbnb data analytics, joins the Blue Gems podcast to discuss his unique process for identifying profitable Airbnb properties. Bianchi, who has successfully analyzed and selected over 140 cash-flowing properties for Techvestor, the largest short-term rental investment fund in America, shares his insights on training, free resources, and the importance of...

In this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, Syed discusses the importance of learning and taking action, investing locally, and avoiding trendy markets. He shares his journey of managing 300 Airbnb units, operational strategies, and overcoming challenges. Syed also highlights his focus on scale, team management, and future plans for growth.  Top takeaways from this episode include: 1) Balance Learni...

In this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, the focus is on building successful businesses with Steve Rosenberg. Steve shares three crucial aspects for business success, the importance of leadership, creating systems over people-focused operations, and maintaining a forward-thinking mindset to ensure business growth and sustainability. Top takeaways from this episode include: 1) Focus on the Essenti...

In this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, the team dives into the world of short-term rental investments with Sief from Techvestor. They discuss the importance of location, advanced tools, and data-driven decisions in driving revenue and occupancy growth. Sief also shares insights on transitioning from tech to real estate, the benefits of vertical integration, and optimizing revenue management. To...

In this episode, we dive into the intricate world of hotel investments with a focus on acquisitions, financing, and strategic partnerships. The discussion unveils practical insights into navigating the hotel investment landscape, emphasizing the significance of strategic acquisitions, innovative financing options, and the power of partnerships in optimizing hotel operations. The conversation is ri...

In this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, we dive deep into the world of short-term rentals (STR) with Stacy St. John, a seasoned STR investor and property manager. Stacy shares her journey from starting in the real estate space to now owning 10 properties and managing a total of 26. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's goals and vision before diving into the STR business. Stacy al...

In this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, we dive deep into the inspiring journey of JB Bullock, the co-founder of Blue Gems. From his early fascination with real estate in middle school to his professional poker career, JB shares how he transitioned into the real estate world during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses the importance of taking action, even if imperfect, and how he scaled from zero...

Shownotes: On this episode of the Blue Gems podcast, we spoke with Fouad Bazzi, the founder and owner of Crescent Retreats. Fouad shares his journey of opening gourmet restaurants and differentiating himself in a saturated market. He emphasizes the importance of diving into the data and understanding the supply and demand in the industry. Fouad also discusses his transition from a banking career t...

Shownotes: Coming from the STR Investor side, Kenneth Bedwell felt the struggle of finding new markets to invest in. With a smaller budget, it was hard to find a good market that didn’t break the bank and this inspired Kenneth to create a data comparison formula that originally wasn’t going to be shared with anyone other than some of Kenneth’s close connections in the STR world. He has some good f...

From both the guest side and the host side, Daniel Rusteen’s experiences in the STR space have helped him create great strategies for optimizing your Airbnb. A pro in the field, Daniel coaches other STR investors to supercharge their STR properties. In this episode, he is sharing the importance of running your STRs like a business with two main points: using dynamic pricing and direct booking. Dyn...

Welcome to this episode of Blue Gems! In today's show, we have a special guest, Julie Gates, a seasoned real estate investor and agent based in Savannah, GA. With over two decades of experience in the field, Julie has navigated through multiple cycles in the ever-changing real estate market. Julie's journey began in 2004 when she and her husband started investing in commercial multi-family propert...

On today’s episode of Blue Gems we’re welcoming Billy Withers, a short term rental tax strategist. He’s been in the field for 10 years total, focusing on short term rental investors for the past 5 years. When you’re just starting out as a STR investor it’s important to have a tax strategist to make sure you reap the tax benefits and avoid a huge tax bill at the end of the year. Billy talks about t...

In this episode of the Blue Gems Podcast, our very own Aidan Groll shares his story of transitioning from a corporate accountant to a real estate investor. He stumbled upon the concept of house hacking and was infatuated with the idea of buying a duplex and renting out one side while living in the other. Aidan also shares the mindset flip he experienced that's helping him to build a company that g...

Tucked away on an island off the coast of Morocco are twenty five properties managed by Tash Rishardson, an STR investor and property manager. If managing these rentals didn’t keep her busy enough, she also coaches/mentors on the side to help other like-minded people follow in her footsteps. Tash and her partner have been in the STR game for seven years and are looking forward to growing their per...

Today on Blue Gems we’re welcoming Becca Madigan from PriceLabs. She started out as a front desk pricing at her local vacation rental company in Charleston, SC and now has been with PriceLabs for two years. Becca is walking us through what services PriceLabs offers and how STR investors can utilize the analytics from design to amenities to specific markets. She sees lots of data and is talking abo...

If you’re in the real estate STR market, chances are you have heard about mid-term rentals. But what’s the big deal? On today’s episode of Blue Gems your new favorite MTR expert, Zeona McIntyre, is sharing her knowledge with us. From marketing to management differences to lender perspectives, Zeona is giving a short course on how to get into the MTR game.  After managing properties outside of the...

On this week’s episode of Blue Gems we are welcoming Keirra Castle, an STR investor who specializes in arbitrage and coaches on the side. Motivation for Kierra comes from her childhood and has spurred her to the success she is enjoying today. Starting out in finance, making the switch from a steady W-2 job to living off of STRs was a big jump for Kierra and she is sharing with us how she made that...

Welcome to today’s episode of Blue Gems with Brindy Jean, an STR investor and host. She started as a property manager at a tech startup and bought her first home in Phoenix, Arizona. With March Madness coming up, she decided to earn some extra cash by renting out her house and became hooked on the STR game. The biggest hurdle she faced was the gap between a solid, W-2 job to making an income full...

Chris Senegal’s start into real estate came when he dreaded his 9-5 job and knew he needed to get out. Since then he’s acquired whole neighborhoods from distressed sellers who just want to be relieved of a “burden” that they inherited. Part of Chris’ portfolio is in Peerspace and he is getting into the details of renting out a space for events. Getting a space ready for Peerspace is more expensive...

Sean Rakidzich is joining us on today’s episode of Blue Gems. Sean is a STR arbitrage guy who has built his business from the ground up by arbitraging. With this unique strategy, Sean has been able to make STRs truly passive without taking a profit cut. If you want to follow this strategy for your own STR portfolio, Sean is explaining the steps to take to get you from 0 doors to 150 or more. Acros...

Today on Blue Gems we have Julie George all the way from Australia. After selling her short term rental company Julie moved into the mentoring and coaching space and now meets with people all over the world in the STR community. Starting out, Julie did all the work herself. She was the guest experience manager, cleaner, business owner, and more. As her portfolio grew she hired co-hosts and eventua...

Today on Blue Gems is Eddie Garcia, credit specialist. He’s getting into the differences between personal and business credit and how it applies as an entrepreneur or investor. Learn what banks are actually looking when you’re trying to borrow on credit (hint: it’s not your credit score). Positive borrowing behaviors can help you get the bank’s trust and access to lower interest rates. When the ec...