Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals
With more than 35 years of combined experience in vacation rentals, Alex Husner and Annie Holcombe have teamed up to connect the dots between inspiration and opportunity, seeking to find the one story, idea, strategy or decision that led to their guests big A-HA moment. Join them, as they highlight the REAL stories behind the people and brands that have built vacation rentals into the 100 BILLION dollar industry it is today.
Episodes
Is your short-term rental business growing, or just getting harder to manage?
In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Stewart, CEO of Grand Welcome, to explore how franchising offers property managers a scalable and sustainable path to success in today’s competitive STR market.
Grand Welcome is one of the fastest-growing franchise-based vacation rental management companies in the U.S. The brand provides local oper...
In this week’s episode, we’re taking you back to Miami Beach for a special look at one of the most talked-about events in the industry this year, the 2025 VRMA Executive Summit.
It’s been a few weeks since the event, but the insights we gathered still feel just as relevant. Alex & Annie bring you candid interviews with some of the brightest and most respected voices in the vacation rental industry to ...
When media veteran James Varley stepped away from a decade-long career working on the FIFA World Cup, he had no idea that a single Airbnb stay would spark his next chapter: empowering short-term rental hosts through education.
In this episode, James joins us to share how that experience and the glaring lack of accessible resources for new hosts led to the creation of Host Planet, one of the UK’s fastest-growing med...
What happens when one of the world’s most trusted hotel brands steps into the vacation rental space?
In this episode, we’re joined by Jane Gavin (Senior Director of Brand Marketing & Guest Experience) and Keven Wishard (Senior Director of Global & Continent Operations) from Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy.
With decades of hospitality experience between them, Jane and Keven take us inside Homes & Vi...
In our first-of-the-month bonus episode, we are joined by Orlie Benjamin, founder and CEO of Lasoh, a marketing technology platform designed to help vacation rental operators own their guest relationships and drive direct revenue. Lasoh provides a branded digital guest portal and integrated CRM that allows operators to engage with guests from the moment of booking, offer upsells, and run smart, automated campaigns...
In this week’s episode, we're joined by Matt Gurley, Director of Sales and Partner Integrations at the Lynnbrook Group, for a deep dive into the payment side of vacation rentals that most property managers overlook until it’s too late.
From fraud prevention to faster checkouts to smarter cash flow tools, Matt breaks down how Lynnbrook is simplifying payment processing and helping operators keep more of what th...
In this episode, we sit down with two industry powerhouses: Dennis Goedheid, CEO of Casiola, and Shahar Goldboim, CEO of Boom and founder of DesignedVR, to unpack the story behind their groundbreaking new partnership.
As the vacation rental industry continues to mature, operators are finding new ways to grow that prioritize sustainability, clarity, and control. This conversation explores the revenue-sharing agreeme...
Is the short-term rental industry on the edge of a travel recession, or just entering a new phase of normalization?
In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, AirDNA’s Chief Economist Jamie Lane joins us to explain what the data is revealing about the 2025 market. With demand softening among budget travelers, international bookings pulling back, and economic uncertainty on th...
In this empowering episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, Shelley Brown joins us to talk about how breaking outdated expectations and embracing your weird can lead to more authentic leadership and a deeper sense of belonging.
As the original "Rebel in a Gown," Shelley brings her signature blend of authenticity, artistry, and humor to a conversation that challenges the status quo ...
Alex & Annie bring you behind the scenes at VRNation 2025 to explore direct booking strategies, industry growth, tech innovation, and the evolving role of associations in vacation rentals.
Recorded live in Austin, Texas, this special bonus episode captures real-time insights from the conference floor. Alex & Annie had on-the-spot conversations with some of the industry’s most influential voices and rising i...
In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we’re joined by Ian Ackland, Managing Director of the Americas at Booking.com, for a candid look at how one of the world's largest travel platforms is evolving its approach to better serve property managers.
With more than 30 years in the travel industry and over a decade at Booking.com, Ian shares how the company is shifting fr...
In this week’s episode, Matt Landau returns to the show to share one of the most personal and transformational shifts of his career — a journey from building systems and scaling success to rediscovering the power of human connection.
Long known as a community builder and founder of VRMB, Matt opens up about the moment everything changed. After years of being surrounded by the same ideas and doing the same routines,...
In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we sit down with Boogie Wittenburg, the new CEO of TravelNet Solutions, makers of Track PMS. With a background in mission-critical technology powering global brands, Boogie brings a fresh, people-first perspective to the vacation rental tech space.
Building on the strong foundation laid by the company’s founders, Boogie shares how he’s guiding...
In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we sit down with Julie Brinkman, CEO of Beyond, to explore how the company is transforming the way property managers approach pricing and profitability.
From dynamic pricing to market intelligence, Beyond has become a vital tool for short-term rental professionals looking to scale sustainably and outperform their competition. Julie shares how ...
In this soul-stirring episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we sit down with Brittany Blackman, former vacation rental business owner turned leadership coach and founder of Discover Freedom. Brittany gets real about what it took to walk away from the business she built and loved, after realizing that outward success came at the cost of her inner peace.
She opens up about her battle with b...
In this special episode, Alex & Annie sit down with the original queens of vacation rentals: three powerhouse women who helped shape the industry from the ground up. Meet Jeanne Dailey (Founder & CEO, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties), Valerie Hawkins (Co-Owner & CEO, Perdido Key Realty), and Audrey Miller (Co-Founder & CFO, Cottage Connection of Maine) - each with a story full of grit, heart, and g...
In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Jason Gann, a well-established figure in vacation rentals who has carved out a unique path as both a sales executive and an emerging comedic talent. Jason takes us through his fascinating career journey - from selling hair-cutting shears to stepping into the world of vacation rental technology, navigating the fast-changing landscape of property management software, a...
As the hospitality industry evolves, guest screening and verification have become essential components of a safe and seamless guest experience. In this episode, we sit down with Ela Mezhiborsky, President and Co-Founder of AutoHost, to explore how cutting-edge technology is reshaping the way hotels and short-term rental operators manage risk, prevent fraud, and enhance security.
Ela shares her insights on...
We’ve got BIG news to share! In this special bonus episode, we welcome back industry powerhouse Amy Hinote to reveal all the exciting details about the 2025 Women’s Summit!
What better time to celebrate this announcement than during International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025? This global day of recognition honors the achievements of women in every industry—including the incredible women shaping the vacati...
In this episode, we are joined by some of the most influential leaders in the vacation rental industry. From VRMA (Vacation Rental Management Association), we welcome Executive Director Anne Gardner and Chair of the Board of Directors Jodi Refosco. Representing VR Nation, we have President Matt Tisdall and Executive Director Heidie Henriksen. Together, we dive into the exciting evolution of both organizations, the...
Popular Podcasts
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.