Unlocked by Matt Landau

In this special episode, Christina Thoreson takes us through the complicated reality of selling a business she'd built from the ground up to a big industry name.   Wondering if you might sell one day or what happens in the aftermath?  Or just contemplating big changes in life? This episode is for you.   This is also the final episode of the Unlocked Podcast in its current form.  We expect you'll h...

In this episode we sit down with Lino Maldonado, the CEO of BeHome247, to discuss where the industry is headed in 2023.  Lino also offers advice on how to navigate the changing landscape of life and capitalize on new opportunities. This episode is brought you by PointCentral:  https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway,  https://www.breezeway.io/vrmb th...

In this episode, we take a look at big leaps, both personal and professional with Alex Husner.  As the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Casago and co-host of the popular podcast, "Alex and Annie," Alex's personal brand has flourished alongside her success in the industry. Join us as we gain insight into her journey and strategies for achieving your own professional aspirations.   This ep...

Matt Durrette is emblematic of the kind of Homerunner that is positioned to be the biggest winner as our industry evolves.  In this episode we'll talk limited edition positioning in the growth to 300 properties, entrepreneurial operating systems and and advocacy in the latest Texas battlegrounds. This episode is brought you by PointCentral:  https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart...

Karen Hunt's pre-vacation rental career included selling everything from candy and rice to Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Francis Ford Coppola and a whole lot of wine.  Now she's running a lifestyle vacation rental business that is the perfect cap to a legendary career.  In this episode she gives us perspective on sales, people, and goal setting that will be useful to industry players of any size. T...

In this episode, Brian Olson, former Point Central Rep and owner of Beachcomber Vacation Homes, discusses the impact of health on our teams and networks after a personal wake-up call. Tune in to hear his perspective on how to prioritize well-being and the well-being of your team in what is often a fast-paced work environment. This episode is brought you by PointCentral:  https://www.pointcentral.c...

In many ways, Sharon Walker is the ultimate Limited Edition vacation rental professional.  She built a business from scratch with great care for guests and employees while raising a family.  Now, with the freedom that business provides, she is heading up the statewide advocacy effort in Texas and blazing a trail for her industry fellows.  In this episode, Matt explores what makes her business grea...

In this episode Matt and Nate Wysk of Point Central talk 'advocacy technology' and upcoming 2023 trends for the vacation rental industry. This episode is brought to you by PointCentral:  https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway,  https://www.breezeway.io/vrmb the best in class property care and automations platform. Point Central's Smart Noise Monitor...

Eddie Love went from renting out a second home to building a full time business with fifteen properties around Harper's Ferry West Virgnia.  In this episode we dive into do's and don'ts of early outsourcing, tools that enhance your version of hospitality and innovation without reinventing the wheel.   This episode is brought you by PointCentral:  https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in...

Our industry talks a lot these days about a departing generation of wisdom.  About the operators exiting their businesses and taking all of their knowledge with them. But what you don't hear about is the new minds, the new leaders who will carry the torch and Amanda Hoffmann is definately a new leader on the rise.  She's building a finance division from scratch at Highgate and she's forging a new...

In this episode two of the industry's top thought leaders reminisce on their friendly rivarly and come together with insights meant to push the whole industry forward.   This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, https://www.breezeway.io/vrmb the best in class property care and automations platform. Join VRM...

Lauren Madewell found her calling when Vacation Rentals unexpectedly became the family business.  In this episode Lauren and Matt discuss finding that calling, how a passion for the family business can unlock tools to work with guests and staff and what the future holds for our industry. This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home auto...

Years ago Terry and Matt started sharing and formalizing their research on tech stacks and property managment software with the wider community.  In this episode they discuss the future of their Keystone project and wider lessons to think about when using a "help don't sell" model in your industry.   This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in sm...

Tiffany Edwards grew up in the vacation rental business and has become one of its foremost goverment affairs experts and fundraisers.  In this episode we dig into what our industry is doing well and what it needs to do better for a fair regulatory future. This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, https://ww...

Our scheduled epsiode for this week was interupted due to uncertainty around Hurricane Ian.  Everyone involved with the show is fine and we'll be back next week with regularly scheduled programming, but for now we're going to archives and resharing Episode 19 with you, where Mike Harrington gives us a big business takeaway from Hurricane Florence in 2018.  These are lessons we all need to be mindf...

Steve Schwab went from living in the back of a bar in Puerto Peñasco Mexico and helping out with HVAC systems to building Casago into a major property management company with thousands of properties and franchises all over the US and Mexico.  He's featured in our second episode of Homerunners and he's become a thought partner to Matt in tackling some of the deepest questions of our industry. This...

Miriam Ramsey is a key player in the VTrips model of growth through local brands and a star of our first Homerunners episode which premieres worldwide on October 23rd at VRMA International in Las Vegas.   In this episode Matt and Miriam discuss what it takes to make it in this industry, how to handle getting bought and how to nail it as a Homerunner. This episode is brought you by PointCentral: ht...

Michelle "MJ" Boyle is a patented inventor, the Hostess of the Tiny House Podcast, founder and creator of My Tiny House Village, Oregon Teardrop Rentals, and My Tiny Creekside Retreat.  In this episode Matt and MJ explore the rushes and reversals inherit in Homerunning...from hitting a niche market at just the right time to real adversity shutting you down.   This episode is brought you by PointCe...

Welcome to Season 9 of the Unlocked Podcast!  Lukas Krause is part of a new generation of industry professionals bringing superpowers from other industries into our own.   He's running a large company in the space but focusing on small hospitality details.   In this episode Matt and Lukas dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of our current high paced acquisitions cycle and talk about what it m...

Prior to launching Season 9: Homerunners this week, Matt sat down with Breezeway founder and perennial Unlocked sponsor Jeremiah Gall to discuss highlights from last season and the state of the industry moving forward. Episode One of Homerunners featuring Lukas Krause of Skyrun Vacation Rentals drops with the VRMB newsletter Thursday September 8th.   This episode is brought you by PointCentral: ht...

In this final episode of Season 8 we speak with the godmother of vacation rentals, Heather Bayer of the Vacation Rental Success podcast, which has featured more than 440 vacation rental innovators and given an enormous wealth of knowledge to our community.  Heather recently sold her vacation rental business after twenty years and we dig into that process, the state of the industry, and how well sh...

In this episode producer Stuart Hooper gives an update on progress at Mangofish Studios, an off the grid creative retreat center in Panama and talks to Matt about his recent article for Phocuswire.com on the challenge of scaling what cannot be scaled.     Phocuswire Aritcle: https://www.phocuswire.com/challenges-scaling-vacation-rentals?fbclid=IwAR131IU5NxRVFt3T_SxGb4Mgfl_IKRin0XMHX5QbGl-fyqv8MwX4...

Victoria O'Connell is the creator of GoLightly, a home sharing platform for women.  In this episode we dive into the genesis of the platform, talk about creating accountability and deep ties in a network and discuss broader concepts in niche marketing.   GoLightly: https://www.wegolightly.com This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/  the leaders in smart home...

Tom Goodwin of Mountain Laurel Chalets in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is celebrating 50 years of making limited edition memories for guests.   In this episode we dive into his direct marketing techniques, which are among the most holistic and comprehensive we have ever encountered.     Mountain Laurel Chalets: www.mtnlaurelchalets.com Rue Bar Rue: https://www.ruebarue.com Track: https://trackhs.com Bomb...

Michael Skinner of Savvy Travels is a member of VRMB's first accelerator cohort and in this episode we'll take a look at achievements like his knowledge base and org chart.   We also talk about retrofitting your business for better decision making.   Savvy Travels: https://www.savvytravels.co Notion: https://www.notion.so Taskrabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com OwnerRez: https://www.ownerreservatio...