There are a lot of great teachers, educators, thought leaders out there teaching about Airbnb, Vacation Rentals and the Sharing Economy. Some teach different things that you might want or need to hear, and I consider it my responsibility to provide you with all of this valuable information.
Hopefully, you will continue coming back and listening to The Hosting Journey so we can walk this host path together, but if you have outgrown me…I understand. No hard feelings. It’s a journey.
Learning from Guests:
In December 2014, my Airbnb guests Cecilia and Antero were back in NY to visit their son in his senior year of college. Like before, they were staying at Eveland. My mom was also in town for the holidays. The house was full to the brim, buzzing with holiday cheer.
Antero started a Bikram practice from the last time he visited me. He had researched my neighborhood and told me about a studio a block away. It had been there for over 10 years. Who knew? He said Wanna go? Since we both wanted to be a bit more zen (yeah, let’s call it that), I said, Sureee.
I stepped into a very hot yoga studio; took a deep breath; and found my tribe. It’s amazing the things you discover about yourself because of your guests.
I’m not a yogi. I don’t have a daily practice, I didn’t even know about this studio. Thanks to Antero, every now and then I will do a Bikram challenge to get myself a bit more into my own skin. As you know from Episode 41: A Healthy and Happy Host Makes for Happier Guests sometimes I get a bit too much in my head.
The Challenge is…
A Bikram challenge is going to a class every day for 30 days. Especially since that nearby studio closed its doors, and now it’s a 40-minute walk. The challenge is scheduling it, but hey, we have to commit to something, right?
I normally go to the same teachers because I like them, but I decided to practice with different ones to see what I might be missing. Maybe, they might say something a different way. Explain the pose differently.
In this current challenge, while doing a pose instead of being in the moment and breathing, I thought of you, my dear hosts, and how I want to provide you with an episode about the educators that I know in the world of Airbnb and Vacation Rentals.
Obsess Me?
I listen to podcasts all the time. I just did a road trip with my brother and mother to Miami, and the fun part was discovering podcasts to listen to during the drive. My family calls me a podcast junkie. little did they know.
Before I tell you about the educators, I want to share some fun podcasts and business ones that I listen to because I like sharing. You can always skip this part. Hey, it was a long drive to Miami…and I found many fun shows. There are far worse vices, but that is a dialogue for another day.
Fun Shows:
These are podcasts for a long drive or a deep cleaning. Some are series and have an ending. Others have seasons. Here are a few of my favorites.
I listened to the first season on a previous trip, and my brother and I were instantly hooked. This is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, and it has won every major award in broadcasting. This podcast tells one story. A true story. In Season 1, they investigate the 1999 murder of an 18-year-old high school student in Baltimore.
Every season is a new case. Get ready to buckle up hosts.
John is a doctor. He is handsome, attentive, and just back from a year in Iraq. He is available. Debra a very successful interior designer and she thinks he checks every box, but her family doesn’t like him. Why?
We binge listened to this series from Miami to Savannah, Georgia. Oh Yeah. That good. This podcast is reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.
It’s not what you think my dear hosts. Small Town Dicks is about detectives. We’re continuing with crime stories. What can I say? It was a long drive. Each episode features the detectives who broke the case in their small town and includes assets like jailhouse phone calls, suspect interviews, and 9-1-1 calls. It’s a seasonal show. Ohh so many great ones.
In Season 1, The sociopath and the whistleblower….what can I say. Wow. Listen, and let’s talk about it. ‘Cause my brother and I were like, can you believe it?
If you’re a woman of a certain age, you probably grew up watching Oprah when you came home. Well, this very short 6 episode podcast is a great behind-the-scenes story of her TV talk show. I loved it.
So, maybe what I considered fun you might be saying, Evelyn, you’re cray cray.
Now, here are a few podcasts that have helped me grow my business:
Growing Your Business:
I have mentioned Pat Flynn in the past. The Hosting Journey podcast would not even be possible without him. And it’s true, I actually followed his YouTube tutorial, and I listen to his show all the time. He has great advice on business. Great guests and interviews.
I actually met my mastermind group members at one of his events. You just never know how your life will change from listening to one of these shows.
I don’t know how I found Marie Forleo, but she is one of the first entrepreneurs that I started following about 5 years ago. She has a great weekly show on YouTube called Marie TV with almost 500k subscribers. There are literally hundreds of episodes to help you create a business and a life you love.
Amy Porterfield podcast offers actionable steps. My goal with my podcast is to be like her, to always provide value, and to always help. Amy invites world-class experts on her show and shares detailed plans. You need to have a notepad handy. Actually, you don’t because she provides you with a beautiful downloadable pdf of her plans.
I’m placing Brooke Castillo podcast here because if we don’t have our mind straight our business will never succeed. Every Thursday, Brooke is in my ear. Like she says, “We help you use your mind to make your dreams come true.
If you follow me on Instagram, I have seen her in person. Look, when I commit, I commit.
Airbnb & Vacation Rental Teachers:
In the Airbnb World, the first one to start a podcast was the one and only…
With over 240 episodes Jasper Ribbers was one of the first to come on the podcasting scene to talk about Airbnb. Yes, dear hosts, he has been interviewing folks and companies for a long time and even wrote a book with the same name.
Jasper interviewed me on 2015 episode 65 Airbnb NYC: Evelyn Badia Talks about Hosting and Legislation. You can spend hours upon hours listening to Jasper. By the end, you will be singing his jingle, “Get paid for your pad, get paid for your pad.”
Before there was Airbnb, there were Vacation Rentals and there was Heather Bayer. Cottage Blogger Heather Bayer has been on the vacation rental scene since 2005. She has seen it all, and she has been sharing it with a community of vacation rental owners since then. Heather and her son, Mike, run the Cottage Blogger comprehensive website, where you will find over 200 podcast episodes, blog posts, videos, and everything else you can imagine.
They also created the Vacation Rental Success Summit, where vacation rental owners (or “hosts” like we like to call ourselves), hear from industry experts, fellow owners, suppliers, all free from listing websites.
I was a speaker at the Toronto and San Antonio Conference. Of course, Heather also interviewed me for her podcast. You can find me on Episode 144 What it really means to be an Airbnb host with Evelyn Badia.
Like Johnny Cash, I’ve been everywhere, man. Well, almost everywhere…
Newer to the scene but making a big splash in the YouTube world is Short Term Rent University with Richard Fertig. He comes from Wall Street and had real estate holdings when life happened. He got into the Airbnb world, started a YouTube channel about two years ago and now has over 14k subscribers.
He talks about occupancy, mindset, real estate, and the products he sells on his website.
Danny Rusteen became a host and loved it so much that he became an Airbnb employee for a couple of years. Eventually, he started his own property management company and created Optimize My Airbnb, which is a blog, book, and now a YouTube channel with tips and tricks. Check out, Danny.
Matt Landau is all about independence, independence from vacation rental platforms, that is. Matt believes strongly in owners creating a business based on their own core strengths. He is not saying you shouldn’t be on the different platforms. He just recommends against relying solely on the platforms.
Matt created a TV show called a Sense of Place. He also has a podcast, blog, and a very active membership site. You can also find him speaking in the conference circuit. And at VRMB, which stands for Vacation Rental Marketing Blog.
From Paula Pan is not an Airbnb or Vacation Rental podcast Paula did an experiment with Airbnb. But on her show, she speaks about real estate money, mindset, and a lot more. I love her tagline, “You Can Afford Anything but not everything. What’s it’s gonna be?” It’s a great listen, a podcast and a great website.
Extras:
In addition to all of the amazing individuals I have shared, here is a short list of other educators you might want to check out. I’m not going deep into their stuff, but I wanted to let you know about them….
With Debi Hertert is a podcast out of Portland, Oregon. Debi shares stories, including everything from short-term rentals, hosts, and guests. Debi’s show evolved into community events and a trade association for hosts with Host2Host. She is doing amazing work.
Sean came out on the scene less than a year ago and already has over 17k subscribers on YouTube.
They have been on the scene for a long time with their blog, video, and course. I don’t know when they last updated their site. Nonetheless, you will find tons of articles that are still relevant.
Airbnb Entrepreneur Successes Revealed:
This is a podcast by Rachel Prince and she interviews folks and provides tips about Airbnb.
is a podcast about Airbnb live and the shareconomy with Steve and Myka. They do a lot of interviews.
I’ve saved the best for last.
The Hosting Journey the difference with my experience as a host is that I live with my guests and i been hosting since 2010. As far as I know, no one else does that, so I offer a very unique perspective.
I’m also very politically involved in the legal issues with Airbnb in NY. I always wonder about all of the different educators and why they don’t really talk about this stuff. But that’s just me. When I commit, I commit.
Every day, someone new will come out into the great wide world of information. You can either consume or create (or both!). I remember the beginning of my career as an entrepreneur. I was listening to many folks, consuming, and then I stopped. I needed to start creating. For me, it’s all about balance.
Yes, I’m still a podcast junky, but I’m also selective. Of the people I listen, the material I consume, the teachers, I don’t want to waste my time or yours.
I want to teach you, help you grow and learn. Remember the time you’re giving to someone you’re not giving it to something else that matters to you. Whether it’s your family, your business, or your yoga practice.
It’s your time. It’s your journey.
Your Host,
Evelyn
Links:
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