Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast

Chris Adams and his international luxury hospitality consulting firm EAG are currently opening 100 hotels during Q3 and Q4 of this year, partnering with Marriott International to transform locations for The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W, Westin, and Renaissance among others all over the world. He has worked on everything from the acclaimed Italian steakhouse Davio's in Atlanta to the Cosmopolitan in...

John is a short-term rental industry expert, with particular expertise in optimizing and customizing the technology stack, driving up revenue, and continually streamlining operations. Leveraging his experience in building, growing, and operating a successful short-term rental brand from the ground up, John constantly utilizes his own short-term rental business as a fertile testing ground to roll u...

Francois Gouelo is a serial entrepreneur and adventure traveler. Francois graduated from the University of Toronto with an honors degree in Computer Science, and Cognitive Science, and recently completed his Masters of Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge with a focus in prop-tech and real estate. Francois is the founder & CEO of Enso Connect, a travel-focused startup. Francois started...

While I was in Florida, I had the pleasure of meeting Dennis Goedheid who is the Founder & CEO of Casiola Vacation Homes & Guestor. I joined him and Michael Scott-Lester, CFO, to go through his founders' story and dive into the development of Guestor. If you like to talk stocks and investments then buckle up, this episode is about to take you back! This episode is brought to you by our friends at...

This is a bonus episode that was recorded in person at the VRMA Conference in October where I got to sit down with Brandi Canaley who is the COO of Sextant Stays based out of Miami! In this episode, we lightly chat about her story of getting into the industry, the evolution of the brand, and of course... iPad robots! You can tune in to awesome episodes like this on Hospitality. FM or your favorite...

Joining me on the podcast, Mateo Bradford & John Stokinger, the hosts of the No BS Short-Term Rental Podcast. In this episode, we cover the golden nugget conversations that they have with industry leaders and experts and the importance of having the conversations that most are unwilling to face in our industry of hospitality. If you listen all the way through (about 42 min into the episode) you wi...

We have Launched our Industry Podcast Network, Hospitality. FM! With tons of different shows signed and ready to rock and roll, we couldn't be more excited to showcase the One Destination for all of your hospitality podcast needs! About Hospitality. FM: Hospitality. FM is a podcast network dedicated to bringing the best hospitality-focused podcasts to those in and around the industry. From Food &...

After thirty years of forming and growing many different businesses, Steve has now come to the conclusion that his successes and failures hinged on the same thing. Identifying, hiring, and engaging people. When they were with the right people in the right roles, fully engaged, they were extremely successful. When they were not, no strategic plan or amazing vision mattered. They simply could not ex...

Josh Kopel is a restaurateur, tech pioneer and environmental advocate. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the spawn of bootleggers and retail giants, he was bred for the hospitality industry. Throughout Kopel’s 20+ year career in hospitality he has managed venues ranging from the Alligator Bayou Bar, located on Alligator Bayou Road, seated on Alligator Bayou (it was exactly how you’re picturing it in...

Brittany Blackman is full of sunshine, Southern hospitality, and a crazy passion for the vacation rental industry. She’s been working in STR for over 10 years now and hasn’t found a day that's boring yet. After her stint as Operations Manager for the majority of that time, she left in September 2020 (yes, during the worldwide pandemic), to fly freely and start her own gig. It's been fun for her sw...

Matthew Loney currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Xplorie, the leading guest experience platform for U.S. leisure markets. Delivering best-in-life moments for millions of guests annually, Xplorie has nearly quadrupled in size over the past five years under Mr. Loney’s leadership. Prior to joining Xplorie, Mr. Loney served as an attorney and held executive positions at...

An accomplished, forward-thinking, and customer-driven visionary, Brian leverage a strong business acumen with an entrepreneurial mindset to build companies from the ground up, providing the strategic vision for long-term growth and facilitating industry partnerships that drive market penetration, grow revenue, and deliver customer service excellence in diverse enterprises, including the Hospitali...

Since 2009, Greg has worked to transform TripShock into a leading booking engine for tours and activities. Proactive and personable, Mr. Fisher first developed a passion for tourism while studying hospitality at the University of Central Florida. Since then, he has grown TripShock by cultivating strong relationships with partners and employees alike. In his free time, Greg enjoys reading biographi...

Co-Founders of Neat Suites based out of the Cincinnati, OH area, Edward and Jeremiah co-founded the company in 2017 to address the growing need for management in the STR space. Neat Suites recently opened the Pickle Factory Boutique Hotel in Covington KY, which is a product we are really excited about sharing with our guests. Our friends at NoiseAware sponsor this episode! NoiseAware is the only 1...

This is a special bonus episode to feature and recap the LiveRez Partner Conference that was happening in Boise, Idaho this week! In this episode, you will hear from Amber Knight who is the GM of LiveRez and we cover her career and personal story and then, of course, the story and evolution of LiveRez. I was honored to be the Emcee of the Partner Conference and to meet the LiveRez team & partners!...

Jesse is a growth-oriented serial entrepreneur with a passion for Product, UX, and Technology. Jesse is the Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of Frontdesk, a leading tech-enabled urban short-term rental brand. Today, Frontdesk operates in 35 cities with over 250 talented employees. Jesse is a champion for all-things growth at Frontdesk, which includes leading the technology, sales, and marketin...

Lee Curtis, CCHP, co-founded RESIDE Worldwide, Inc. in November 2017. Lee and his partners believe that the traditional corporate housing industry is in a state of evolution and is being driven by the acceleration of interest in alternative housing globally. RESIDE’s core purpose is to transform the way that extended stay travel is purchased with a focus on delivering global travel solutions for e...

Autohost CPO and co-founder, Ela Mezhiborsky, handles the intersection of customer success and product development, setting priorities and driving the product roadmap based on client feedback. Before transitioning to SaaS, her career involved working in risk management, running her own digital marketing agency, and managing a successful short-term rental business in Toronto. In fact, it was her ex...

Michael is the head of business development for NoiseAware and has been a part of the short term rental community since 2015. He is a 2x Phocuswright 35 under 35 leader who is committed to bettering the short term rental industry. Michael's role is focused on collaboration with the OTA's, partnering with cities for sensible regulation, developing key industry partnerships and leading the charge in...

Ryan Killeen’s hospitality career officially began after participating in the hotel management program at Vancouver Community College. While in school, Ryan started cleaning bathrooms and making beds with the housekeeping team at the Fairmont Pacific Rim — considered Vancouver’s definitive luxury hotel. He was climbing the ladder at a healthy pace and was presented with an opportunity to join the...

Alex has led the strategic marketing and business development efforts for Condo-World since 2009. She manages a team that has grown the company from a local vacation rental business into a nationally recognized condo marketing and technology enterprise. Alex has a passion for developing strategies that drive sales overnight and brand over time, connecting all aspects of digital, social and traditi...

Brooke Pfautz is one of the industry's foremost experts in growing vacation rental inventory. He got his start in the industry 14 years ago when he founded Vantage Resort Realty in Ocean City, MD and took an idea on a napkin to more than 500 properties in just five years. After a successful exit, he went on to grow inventory for other major vacation rental brands as a Chief Business Development Of...

Samantha Hardcastle, founder of The Storied Experience and Amore Social, brings a decade of marketing strategy & storytelling to hospitality properties and destinations worldwide. Her passion-driven mission is to transform the way we travel and infuse each moment with more meaning, purpose, and magic. After a not-so-pleasant hotel stay a few years back, Samantha started her journey of exploring gu...

Justin Ford is the Director of Safety & Certification Programs at Breezeway; where he is helping property managers and owners maintain the safety of short-term rental properties. An international short-term term rental safety expert, Justin was the first to elevate awareness of safety in short-term rentals back in 2013. Prior to Breezeway, Justin co-founded On the Water in Maine in 2006 and grew t...

Thanks for Visiting has always been about short-term rentals. Annette and Sarah met at a Columbus, Ohio City Council Meeting fighting for their right to host homes on Airbnb. The two shared a belief that the short-term rental industry needs hosts to be more hospitable. Every resource they'd come across in growing their own businesses was purely profit driven - and "heads in beds" just isn't their...