No Money, No Problem: How This Designer Turned $0 Into a $3M Real Estate Empire

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Madi Johnson, a design-driven short-term rental investor known for transforming historic homes in upstate New York into impeccable guest-centric retreats. She’s also the co-founder of The Short-Term Rental Book Club, a community for hospitality entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and grow in the ever-evolving short-term rental industry. Madi shares her strategies to find, finance and design unique properties that outperform the competition. Together with her team, they have built a real estate portfolio exceeding $3 million, primarily with little to none of her own money invested in the deal. Madi’s story is an inspiration for anyone who loves design and wants to get started in short-term rentals, emphasizing the importance of taking calculated risks, focusing on guest experience, and building a strong community. Connect with Madi: Madi's LinkedIn - Link Madi's Instagram - Link Madi's TikTok - Link Links: Apple Podcasts - Link Spotify - Link Suite Success Website - Link Connect with Katie  — Suite Success is part of the Hospitality.FM podcast network and a Hospitality.FM Original. If you like this podcast, then you'll also love our other podcasts directly on Hospitality.FM! Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible, and if you like this show, please leave us a review and share it on your network!