👉 Get a Free Revenue Review → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/report

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What separates a million-dollar Airbnb host from everyone else?

In this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Kaye Putnam (Head of Marketing at Freewyld) sits down with Eric Moeller (CEO of Freewyld and Freewyld Foundry) to reveal the real mindset, systems, and revenue strategies behind top-performing STR operators.

Forget the myth that a pricing tool alone can maximize your income. The truth? Automation is not optimization. The hosts that break the $1M+ mark know when to step out of the weeds, release control, and lean on experts.

You’ll discover:

• Why ego quietly kills STR growth (and how to fix it)
• The common revenue blind spots in $1M+ portfolios
• Why “set it and forget it” pricing is leaving six figures behind
• How growth-minded CEOs scale from 15 units to 100+
• Real proof points: Troy’s jump from $1M to $4M, and Sheboygan Vacation Rentals’ 30% lift without adding properties

Eric and Kaye also share why top CEOs value peace of mind as much as profit, and how to tell if you’re acting like a hectic host or a strategic leader.

💡 Topics Covered:

• Invisible revenue opportunities most operators miss
• How to recognize when you’ve become the bottleneck
• Practical steps to delegate pricing and reclaim your time
• Why automation isn’t enough without daily, expert oversight

🔗 Relevant Links:

Apply for a Free Revenue Report → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/report

Follow Eric Moeller → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdmoeller/

Follow Kaye Putnam → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayeputnam/

Keywords:

short-term rental, Airbnb revenue, dynamic pricing, revenue management, STR growth, hospitality leadership, Freewyld, Freewyld Foundry, property management, scaling Airbnb

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your free Revenue Report (hand-done by our team) → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

Airbnb-only is a risk. In this episode, we break down why Booking.com has become a must-have revenue channel for professional STR operators—and how to set it up so discounts work for you (not against you). We cover ratings (1–10 vs Airbnb’s binary), merchant payments, Genius/mobile promos, rate plans, markups, and how to keep owners calm when parity isn’t perfect.

• Why Booking.com’s 1–10 rating system cushions revenue impact from the occasional meh review
• How the merchant model solves the old chargeback headache
• The Genius program: why hitting 3 reviews fast matters and how to unlock the badge-driven conversion lift
• Mobile-only rates, preferred program, and visible promos that act like hotel-grade conversion boosters
• The truth about price parity (and why a 15–25% Booking.com markup is a sane default)
• Onboarding playbook: the first 30–60 days to momentum without nuking your other channels
• Listing optimization: how to use the Property Page Score to hit 100% and earn visibility

• Airbnb’s binary review culture can tank a listing with a few 4⭐ reviews; BDC’s 1–10 keeps you alive and converting.
• Use Genius + 10% mobile early to win visibility; once unlocked, apply a markup so discounts don’t undercut your floor.
• Expect imperfect parity—that’s normal on BDC. The game is markup + visible, conversion-driving discounts.
• Get to three reviews fast (follow up with guests; incentives ok) → unlock Genius → watch conversion rise.
• Treat BDC like a hotel channel: rate plans, visible offers, and merchandising matter more than on Airbnb.

• 👉 Free Revenue Report (for $1M+ STR portfolios): https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started
• VRMA Las Vegas — catch our 90-minute Pricing Power workshop & come say hi at booth #1118

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

Logo or host photo, what makes guests book on Airbnb?

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Eric Moeller and Kaye Putnam unpack the branding dilemma every STR operator faces: should your Airbnb profile lead with a polished company logo or a personal host photo?

You’ll hear why:

• A face builds instant trust and stronger guest connections
• Logos can help scale but sometimes reduce conversion
• Consistency in branding matters across multiple listings
• Choosing wrong risks making your STR look like a commodity

Mentioned in the episode:

• Freewyld (Eric’s STR brand)
• Freewyld Foundry (Revenue & Pricing Management service)
• Airbnb profile branding strategies

📍 Subscribe to Get Paid For Your Pad and explore more resources at FreewyldFoundry.com.

Airbnb profile, STR branding, host photo vs logo, guest trust, short-term rentals, Airbnb conversion, brand identity, direct bookings, vacation rental strategy, property management.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

Are you using Airbnb’s built-in merchandising tools to actually increase your revenue, or are your discounts invisible to guests?

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Jasper Ribbers uncovers the hidden power of OTA merchandising on Airbnb. He explains why most operators apply discounts incorrectly, how visible offers like strike-through pricing and banners boost both conversions and ranking, and the practical steps to set up promotions that work. Drawing from his team’s experience managing 38+ portfolios, Jasper reveals the frameworks that help Airbnb hosts win more bookings without sacrificing profitability.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why visible discounts drive more conversions than silent price drops
• How Airbnb merchandising impacts both bookings and search visibility
• The right way to use early bird, last-minute, and custom promotions

We also talk about:

• When to apply length-of-stay discounts for higher occupancy
• The risks of following Airbnb account manager advice blindly
• Why custom promotions can sometimes show a discount without lowering your price

Keywords: Airbnb discounts, OTA merchandising, Airbnb revenue management, short-term rentals, pricing strategy, booking conversions, Freewyld, custom promotions, STR growth, Airbnb visibility

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

Is it really worth paying to be featured on a TV show if you want to grow your STR business?

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Eric Moeller, Co-Founder of Freewyld, and Kaye Putnam, Head of Marketing at Freewyld, share their full experience of getting featured on the Emmy-awarded TV show Staycation. They explain why they invested, what happened behind the scenes, and the results they saw in direct bookings, brand awareness, and content creation.

In this episode you will learn:

• How Freewyld got featured on Staycation and what it cost
• The impact on website traffic, direct bookings, and STR brand authority
• Why social proof and video content can be more powerful than reach

We also talk about:

• Using podcasts, PR, and influencer collabs to grow your STR business
• How backlinks and SEO drive direct booking growth
• The future of SEO in a world of AI and ChatGPT

Keywords: STR, Staycation, direct bookings, Freewyld, short-term rental marketing, social proof, content marketing, influencer marketing, Airbnb growth, OPA strategy, SEO for STR

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

What happens when traditional STR deals no longer pencil out, Airbnb’s review system becomes harsher, and local governments push restrictive ordinances?

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Jasper Ribbers sits down with Garrett Ham, founder and CEO of Weekender Management, to reveal how he’s navigating one of the toughest markets for short-term rentals in years.

Garrett shares how he has acquired 10+ properties in the past year using creative financing strategies while fighting a legal battle before the Arkansas Supreme Court over restrictive Fayetteville ordinances. He also opens up about the risks of Airbnb’s stricter review system, where even a single four-star review can slash visibility and cost hosts thousands in lost bookings.

💡 Takeaways:

• Why traditional STR acquisitions rarely work in 2025
• How to use seller financing and other creative deal structures
• Why knowing your bottom line is key to negotiations
• How regulations could reshape property rights in Arkansas and beyond
• What stricter Airbnb reviews mean for revenue and visibility

Whether you manage 5 units or 50, this episode gives you actionable strategies to acquire properties, protect your listings, and grow smarter in a challenging market.

🔗 Relevant Links:

• Weekender Management → weekendermanagement.com
• Freewyld Foundry → freewyldfoundry.com

📌 Keywords: short-term rentals, Airbnb investing, creative financing, property management, STR regulations, 5-star reviews, Freewyld, Weekender Management

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

In this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Kaye Putnam (Head of Marketing at Freewyld) interviews Madi Rifkin, founder of Mount, about how she created the Content Army, a community of creators that is reshaping how hospitality brands, property managers, and tourism destinations collaborate with influencers.

Madi shares how she went from being frustrated with traditional influencer partnerships (expensive, inauthentic, hard to track) to building a system that now has 10,000+ applicants and dozens of active creators producing organic, aligned, and highly effective content for travel “hidden gems.”

In this episode you’ll learn:

• What the Content Army is and how it actually works
• Why “wannabe influencers” may be your strongest marketing allies
• How to organize creator retreats that multiply content and generate FOMO
• The most important lessons in matching brands with creators
• Strategies for measuring real impact on direct bookings and traffic
• Common mistakes when working with influencers (and how to avoid them)

We also talk about:

• How a viral TikTok with 1M+ views launched the project
• Partnerships with property managers and tourism boards in Jackson Hole and Aruba
• Why the future of hospitality marketing blends content, experiences, and community

🎯 Keywords:

short-term rental, influencer marketing, content strategy, direct bookings, hidden gems, tourism marketing, Content Army, property managers, hospitality growth, organic social media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

👉 Apply for a Free Revenue Review: If you’re running $1M+ in annual STR bookings, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Apply here → https://www.freewyldfoundry.com/get-started

In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Jasper Ribbers (Head of Revenue Management at Freewyld Foundry) dives deep into one of the most misunderstood yet powerful concepts in STR revenue management: pacing.

Hosts constantly ask:

• Why do short-term rentals slash prices last minute while hotels and airlines often raise theirs?
• What KPIs actually matter when tracking pacing?
• When should you pace behind, with, or ahead of the market?

Using real-world examples, from Ibiza flights to Taylor Swift concerts, Jasper explains why STR operators can’t afford to blindly follow hotel or airline pricing models. He breaks down the Market Penetration Index (MPI) as the go-to KPI for forward occupancy, reveals how pickup trends should guide your pricing decisions, and shares exactly when it pays to undercut the market versus hold firm.

You’ll learn:

• The key differences between airline/hotel inventory and STR inventory
• Why most operators panic and drop rates too quickly
• How MPI uncovers whether you’re pacing behind, in line, or ahead
• Scenarios where “last man standing” pricing can win big
• Why seasonality and booking windows must shape your pricing targets

If you’ve ever struggled with last-minute discounts, inconsistent occupancy, or uncertainty about whether you’re pacing correctly, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to approach revenue management with confidence.

Takeaways:

• Treat pacing as a leading indicator of revenue performance, not an afterthought
• Use MPI + pickup together for smarter pricing decisions
• Sometimes pacing behind the market is the winning move
• Availability settings and timing can make or break your portfolio’s revenue

Keywords:

short-term rental, Airbnb pricing, pacing strategy, revenue management, occupancy rate, dynamic pricing, MPI, Freewyld, STR success, booking optimization

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.