
Want to scale your property management or co-hosting business past 10, 20, 50 listings? Book a call here: https://strsecrets.com/applyConnect with Mike Reilly : https://www.instagram.com/mikereillync/Most operators think busy season is the worst time to look for new properties. Mike Reilly just signed 7 new contracts that prove them wrong.Last quarter his team at NC Stays reached out to 1,000 homeowners. They opened 68 real conversations. They signed 7 new properties, and 19 more deals are still on the table. And all of it started in the middle of peak season.Why? Because of one thing most operators never check: the 90 day notice window. Most management contracts renew in the fall. If a homeowner wants to leave their property manager, they have to say so 90 days before the contract renews. So if you wait until September to start talking to owners, they're already stuck for another year.In this 18 minute training, Mike walks through his COHOST funnel step by step:C: Create awareness. A simple website, social posts, and a list of homes you want.O: Open the conversation. Send a free 5 minute video showing the owner what they're missing. Don't ask for a meeting.H: Hold the discovery call. This is where deals are really won, and where you filter out bad-fit owners.O: Offer your solution.S: Sign the contract. Including the $2,500 upgrade rule Mike puts in every contract.T: Take over and onboard. This pairs with last week's onboarding episode.Plus the story of a beach house owner losing $30,000 to $40,000 a year because his best photo was buried at spot #68 in his listing. And why it takes about 4.5 calls before an owner signs.If you have no new leads right now, this episode shows you why. Save it.Want the owner contact lists, the CRM, and a community of operators growing past 50 listings? Check out the STR Secrets Mastermind: [LINK]New episodes every Monday.
Jul 20
19 min

Want to scale your property management or co-hosting business past 10, 20, 50 listings? Book a call here: https://strsecrets.com/applyConnect with Mike Reilly : https://www.instagram.com/mikereillync/How do you onboard 7 vacation rental properties in one month without burning out your team?Mike Reilly breaks down the exact 6 stage onboarding system NC Stays uses for every new property, from the first homeowner call to the post launch celebration.Homeowner trust in property managers is at an all time low.Nearly every owner has been burned before.The managers who onboard properties with a real system are locking in 5 to 10 year relationships and standing out in a market flooded with new co-hosts.In this training you'll learn the full checklist:Why the first 30 days with a homeowner decides the next 10 yearsThe 6 stages of onboarding: Handoff, On-Site Setup, Photography, Listing & Software Setup, Final Touches, and Post LaunchHow Mike's team uses Meta glasses to capture every inch of a home and turn it into checklists automaticallyThe QR code trick that eliminates guest questions about the grill, hot tub, sauna, and game roomThe exact roles to hire: project manager, contractor help, listing team, and data qualityHow one Pinehurst property pulled $30,000 in bookings from mood boards alone, before it was even readyThe review stay strategy that gets Airbnb pushing your listing to page one in week oneTIMESTAMPS00:00 Trailer00:37 Welcome back + what's coming for the podcast02:02 Onboarding 7 properties in one month (all 4,000+ sq ft)03:59 The trust crisis and why onboarding is your biggest advantage05:00 The system and the 6 roles you need on your team07:58 The 6 stages of onboarding explained08:01 Stage 1: The Handoff (welcome email, onboarding form, group text)09:55 Stage 2: On-Site Setup with Meta glasses11:12 QR codes, inventory counts, and the house manual14:30 Stage 3: Photography (lifestyle shots, staging, shot lists)15:35 Stage 4: Listing & Software Setup (custom GPT listings, PriceLabs)16:55 $30,000 in bookings from mood boards before launch17:36 Stage 5: Final Touches (data quality, review stays, financials)19:07 Stage 6: Post Launch (social posts, email list, owner shareables)20:02 Why you can't scale without this process20:41 Inside the STR Secrets Mastermind
Jul 13
22 min

Something big is happening in short-term rentals, and most operators haveno idea.In this episode, Mike Sjogren returns to the show with Mike Reilly. And they open with atrend that changes everything.In 2022, most short-term rentals in the US were run by hosts with fewer than 20 units. By 2025, that share had dropped hard. The reason is not that hosts quit. It is that private equity quietly started buying up management companies, because the margins are good and the industry is wide open.Mike breaks down what that means for you, and reveals the project STR Secrets has spent 16 months building to help members cash in on it.In this episode:→ The data behind the great short-term rental consolidation, and why the big money is moving in now→ Freedom Collective: the new vehicle built to help operators sell their management company for a 6 to 8X exit instead of a 3 to 5X→ How 22 members generated over $3 million in new management commissions in about 7 weeks, including one who acquired a company and added 122 doors in a single quarter→ The full AI Summit recap→ Why the most important hire of the next few years is an AI mplementation specialist, and why the CEO's job is to cast the vision, not tinker in the tools until 3am→ Mike's own Q2 numbers from the new AI-powered CRM: 1,000 leads, 68 opportunities, 7 new clients, and $211,000 in new commissions, while taking only 10 percent of the sales calls himselfWhether you have your first property or your fiftieth, this episode will change how you think about where this industry is headed.Ready to scale and exit the right way? Apply to work with us: strsecrets.com/apply
Jul 6
32 min

Six years ago, E said yes to something he had no idea would change his life.300 episodes later, this is his last one.In this final solo show, recorded from his grandparents' house in Sardinia, Emanuele Pani answers the same question this podcast has asked every guest for six years.What is your number one secret to success?Only this time, he answers it for himself.E shares the 5 lessons that changed his life more than anything else.The lessons that took him from chasing more information, more courses, and more outside validation, to the most peace, health, and happiness he has ever felt.In this episode:→ Why your identity, not your strategy, decides how far you go→ The difference between goals and standards, and why standards are the ones that actually shape your future→ How the story you tell about yourself becomes the life you live→ Why every level of growth costs you the person you used to be→ The inside-out truth about success that no system or strategy can replaceThis is not a goodbye.It is a thank you to a community that has spent six years in E's ears.In your cars. In your kitchens. On your morning walks.And it is a torch being passed.Thank you for everything, E.Free 6-step course to start your day right: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook GroupYou can follow E's next chapter on his new show, CEO Mindset, availablenow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Jun 29
18 min

He was working 80 hours every two weeks in a hospital ICU.Open heart surgery patients. Life or death. No room for error.And in the gaps between shifts, sometimes still in his scrubs, he was quietly building a short-term rental business that would set him free.In this episode, E sits down with Jeremy Rosen for one of the most honest W2-escape stories this show has ever told.Jeremy joined STR Secrets with 4 properties and a full-time nursing job he loved but knew he had to leave. He went from 4 to 8 to 12 to 20 properties, all while clocking 12-hour shifts at the VA. Then he merged his own company into Five Star Vacation Home Rentals, where he now owns the San Antonio division, part of a portfolio of 70 properties across Central Texas. And he finally walked away from nursing for good.Today, based in San Antonio, Texas, Jeremy focuses on revenue optimization, guest experience, property operations, and scaling high performing vacation rental portfolios.In this episode:→ The exact mindset shift that took Jeremy from sick patients to happy guests, and the nurse's instinct that makes him a better host than most operators will ever be→ How he used his days off, while everyone else scrolled, to prospect, sell, and grow→ The "who not how" decision that broke him out of doing everything himself, and the one hire that changed his entire business→ Why he refused to build in secret, and how speaking his goals out loud actually made them happen→ The honest truth about quitting your W2 that almost nobody talks about, including the strange struggle of suddenly owning all of your own time→ Why "everything is figureoutable" is the only belief you need to finally make the leapIf you have a good job you're scared to leave, this is the episode you need to hear.Connect with Jeremy:Instagram and Facebook: @fivestarvhrEmail: [email protected]: fivestarvhr.comFree 6-step course to start your day right: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook Group
Jun 22
41 min

His wife said something to him that he'll never forget."I would let every business burn to the ground if it meant that when it's nighttime and on weekends, we could spend it as a family."Dave Menapace didn't argue. Didn't defend himself.He sat with it. And then he changed everything.In this episode, E sits down with STR Secrets coach and Five Star Co-Host founderDave Menapace — on his birthday — for a raw, unfiltered look at four years ofbuilding, burning down, and rebuilding a short-term rental management companythe right way.Dave left corporate healthcare in April 2022 with two STRs and a vision.Four years later, he's managing 58 properties. He signed number 58 this morning.But the path there? It looked nothing like what he planned.In this episode:→ The "seven streams vs. seven jobs" mistake that keeps most operators brokeand burned out — and how Dave finally broke the cycle→ How he started Five Star Co-Host over from scratch after realizinghe'd built it wrong the first time→ The $100K IRA withdrawal that gave him the team he needed to grow→ Why he went from 30 properties to 58 in just 5 months — and the threeobsessions that made it possible→ The $80,000 trust account crisis that hit in September 2025 — and whyhis response to it doubled the business→ What it actually takes to build a management company worth $100M(and why Dave believes it's just a choice)This is not a highlight reel.It's the version of the story most people are too scared to tell.Want to connect with Dave? Find him on Instagram: @dave_menapaceJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook GroupFree 6-step course: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookTimestamps: 00:00 - "Seven streams of income is not seven jobs"08:07 - Leaving corporate, WealthCon, and the birth of Five Star Co-Host15:48 - The Miami pool moment Kim told E: "my husband is doing a million things"32:21 - The most important thing Kim ever said to Dave35:45 - The three obsessions that unlocked 30 to 58 properties in 5 months48:17 - The $80,000 crisis and what focus does under pressure
Jun 15
55 min

"🔥 LAST CHANCE — STR AI SUMMIT, June 23-24 | Freedom Factory, Beverly, MAOnly 10 seats left. This is where direct bookings, AI agents, and the next decade of STR get built — live, with the operators leading the charge.👉 strsecrets.com/aisummitMost STR operators don't have an information problem.They have an identity problem.In this solo episode, mindset coach and STR Secrets co-host Emanuele Panibreaks down the framework he's been using inside the weekly STR Secrets mindsetcalls — and explains exactly why so many operators stay stuck despite doingall the right things.If your results haven't caught up to your effort, this episode is for you.What you'll learn:→ Why goals are working against you — and why standards change everything→ The thermostat analogy: why your belief system resets your results backto where they've always been→ The LOVE framework for breaking old identity patterns (Liberate, Optimize,Velocity, Elevate)→ Why external validation from clients is a ceiling on your business→ The one question that shows whether your internal story matchesyour external goals→ E's 5 daily affirmations and exactly how to use them morning and night📘 Free 6-step STR course: level.strsecrets.com/pc-book💬 Join us: STR Secrets Facebook GroupTimestamps:00:00 - Why E goes to Italy every summer (and what it actually cost to get there)09:00 - Stop setting goals. Start setting standards12:00 - The LOVE framework: how to free yourself from old stories16:00 - The thermostat analogy: why doing the work is not enough20:00 - Three questions to ask yourself right now23:00 - The 5 affirmations that reset your identity every single day"
Jun 8
24 min

🔥 LAST CHANCE — STR AI SUMMIT, June 23-24 | Freedom Factory, Beverly, MAOnly 20 seats left. Use code "PODCAST" for a flat $1000 discount:👉 strsecrets.com/aisummitThe coupon expires MondayThis is where direct bookings, AI agents, and the next decade of STR get built — live, with the operators leading the charge.Yorkshire, UK — Mark Simpson spent $50,000 on human appointment setters last year. They did almost nothing.Then he built one AI agent named Icarus. In 7 days, it closed a $5,000 deal. Cost? Less than $20.Two months later, Mark has 18 AI agents running inside Boostly. They've generated $54,000 in revenue. And he says he's never hiring a human setter again.Mark Simpson is the founder of Boostly — the company helping STR operators escape over-reliance on Airbnb and own their direct bookings. He grew up on a farm in North Yorkshire, where his family ran a BNB. Over the last decade, he's refined the most complete direct bookings playbook in the vacation rental industry. Now on his 7th appearance on the show, he's back with the rawest, most honest take on AI agents we've had to date.This is his blueprint for direct bookings, AI agents, and what's about to happen to operators who don't adapt.What you'll learn:→ Why Mark predicts Airbnb's commission is going from 15.5% to 20% — and what the data shows→ The 65% direct booking goal — and why going 100% direct is just as dangerous as 100% Airbnb→ The 3 things every direct booking website needs that 90% of operators still get wrong→ The exact story of Icarus: how Mark built his first AI agent in 2 days and made his money back in 7→ How Boostly went from a team of 20 to a team of 150 without hiring a single human→ Why 0.05% of people pay for AI Pro — and how $18 a month puts you in the top 99.5% globally→ The "18 minutes a day" rule that quietly turns operators into AI power users→ How Mark trained his entire 22-person team on AI without overwhelming a single person→ The honest answer to "are you teaching your team to replace themselves?"→ Why "the cream rises to the top" — and which roles are about to disappear🎙️ Guest: Mark Simpson | Founder, Boostly🔗 Website: https://www.boostly.co.uk🔗 Boostly Connect: https://boostlyconnect.com🔗 LinkedIn: Mark Simpson🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boostlyuk🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrmarksimpson🔗 Book recommendation link: http://bit.ly/2WEOm1v─────────────────────────────⏱️ TIMECODES─────────────────────────────00:00 - The $50K wasted on human setters and the AI agent that changed everything01:32 - Mark Simpson returns for his record-breaking 7th episode02:15 - Life update: 4 kids, World Cup tickets, and the UK trip this summer03:29 - "Don't build your home on someone else's land" — Mark's signature line04:00 - Airbnb's fee hike from 3% to 15.5% — and why he saw it coming in 202204:30 - The next prediction: why Airbnb is going to 20% commission06:38 - Top 3 things every operator needs to start direct bookings TODAY07:02 - Why WordPress still wins in 2026 (and why your PMS landing page isn't a real website)08:54 - When to flip from "this is a hobby" to "this is a business" (around property 6-7)09:30 - Why exit-ready businesses always have strong direct booking revenue11:51 - What does "good" look like? The 65% direct booking benchmark13:49 - The two-part myth: high-converting website AND content/SEO effort14:27 - Why hospitality operators are spoiled — and why that's a problem16:40 - The fundamentals of business that STR operators keep ignoring17:26 - The "do you know anyone" referral mindset most operators are too scared to use19:55 - The mirror moment: who do you actually blame for missing your goals?20:36 - AI agents — Mark's full breakdown starts here20:57 - Why The Matrix in 1999 still defines how Mark thinks about AI22:00 - The OpenClaude story: how one weekend GitHub project broke the industry open24:50 - The breaking point: firing the $50K setter and going all in25:30 - Meet Icarus — Mark's first AI agent (and the Greek myth behind the name)26:00 - Real result: $5,000 booking closed in 7 days for under $20 in AI costs26:30 - 18 agents, $54,000 in revenue, 2 months later27:19 - Reality check for the shiny object chasers29:00 - "I'm an idiot" — Mark on why anyone can do this30:00 - All 22 Boostly employees now have their own AI agent31:30 - The Google Chrome extension a non-technical team member built in one week33:00 - The $18 Pro plan stat: why 99.5% of the world isn't paying yet (and what that means for you)34:00 - The 18 minutes a day rule that compounds into mastery35:00 - How Mark rolled AI out to his team without overwhelming anyone36:30 - Comet by Perplexity: the agentic browser changing how teams work38:04 - "Aren't you teaching them to replace themselves?" The hard question38:55 - Mark's brutally honest answer (it's not what you think)41:27 - Why AI Agent Manager is the #1 role being hired for right now41:51 - The danger of going 100% AI (same risk as going 100% direct)43:21 - Life on the human side: paddle, books, and saying goodbye to soccer44:43 - 6 hours back in his day — what Mark plans to do with it46:55 - The two killers of every operator: lack of attention and poverty of imagination47:41 - Boostly Connect — the free tool that pulls your PMS data anywhere49:04 - Mark's #1 secret to AI agent success: just start─────────────────────────────🎁 FREE RESOURCES─────────────────────────────Free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsBoostly Direct Booking Playbook (Mark's book): http://bit.ly/2WEOm1vBoostly Connect (free up to 10 listings): https://boostlyconnect.com─────────────────────────────🔥 STR AI SUMMIT — June 23-24 | Freedom Factory, Beverly, MAThe exact AI systems Mark talks about in this episode? They get built with you LIVE at the summit.Don't just listen to the playbook. Leave with it installed.Only 100 seats.👉 strsecrets.com/aisummit─────────────────────────────#ShortTermRental #DirectBookings #AIforSTR #Boostly #STRSecrets #VacationRental #PropertyManagement #AirbnbInvesting #AIAgents #STRScaling
Jun 1
49 min

Ryan will be showing how to make this and a custom revenue management tool live at the Ai Summit. Grab your spot at the AI Summit: strsecrets.com/aisummit at just $497. Use the coupon : "PODCAST"Every homeowner conversation starts the same way.They want to know what their property can earn.And if you can't answer that question fast, professionally, and with data behind it —someone else will.In this week's training, Mike sits down with STR Secrets coach Ryan Lefebvre to demo the AI-powered comp analysis tool that's helping property managers turn more conversations into signed contracts.Ryan went from 1-2 comp requests a week to 10 a week — from realtors and investors who now send him every new listing because he delivers branded, data-backed reports in minutes, not hours.In this episode:→ The exact tool Ryan built using Claude that generates a full comp report in 2 to 10 minutes (vs. 20-30 minutes manually)→ How to use conservative, base, and optimistic revenue projections to handle any homeowner conversation on the spot→ Why realtors are becoming one of the fastest referral pipelines for new management contracts — and how to tap in→ The AI rabbit hole warning: why building your own tools can quietly kill your business growth→ Mike's financial freedom math: exactly how much you need invested to hit $100K a month in cash flow→ Why arbitrage is a dead end — and what the data on the biggest arbitrage companies actually showsThis is not theory. Ryan runs live comps during the session on real properties submitted by the audience — you'll see exactly how the tool works in real time.Want the comp tool? DM COMP at mike.sjogren and we'll send it straight to you.Ready to install this and a full AI system for your business live?Timestamps:00:00 - Intro & Ryan Lefebvre's background01:42 - From financial crime analyst to AI builder for STR04:22 - How the comp tool works and what it produces06:33 - Live demo: running an Airbnb listing in real time09:26 - Interactive sliders and revenue scenario conversations11:17 - How to handle bad comps and sparse markets13:36 - Live demo: running a property address17:34 - How the tool handles off-market or renovated properties22:38 - Using comp reports to show homeowners the gap between unmanaged and managed26:41 - AI Summit: what's being covered and who's speaking29:04 - Ticket pricing and how to register32:02 - Alex case study: 2 properties to 35 in one year35:29 - The AI rabbit hole warning38:00 - Using AI at any portfolio size41:06 - Mike's financial freedom math ($8M at 15% = $1.2M/year)44:46 - Why arbitrage is a dead model49:27 - Should you replace your channel manager with AI? (No. Here's why)52:45 - Q&A: summit details, recordings, revenue manager AI tool
May 28
58 min

🔥 Get $500 off at STR AI SUMMIT — June 23-24 | Freedom Factory, Beverly, MAUse code "MEMORIAL500" while checking out at strsecrets.com/aisummitYou're doing the work. You're managing the properties. You're showing up every day.So why does it feel like you're spinning your wheels?In this solo show, Chris Petzy and Emanuele Pani get raw about the real reason STRoperators stall out — and it has nothing to do with the market, your pricing strategy,or your occupancy rate.In this episode:→ The 3 silent causes of business stagnation (and which one is quietly killing yourgrowth right now)→ Why split focus will never equal scale — and the one decision Chris made thatchanged everything→ The identity gap: how to stop making decisions from who you've been and startmaking them from who you're becoming→ E's 5 daily affirmations that rewire how you start every single day→ Why hiring for today's need is the biggest mistake scaling operators makeIf the last six months didn't go the way you planned, this episode is your reset.Ready to build the business that funds the life?Apply to work with us: strsecrets.com/apply
May 25
37 min
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