What if the secret to growing your revenue was shrinking your portfolio?

In this episode of Building It, I sit down with Tom Goodwin of Mountain Laurel Chalets, a 50-year-old family legacy business in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When Tom stepped in to turn the struggling company around in 2012, his first move was radical: he cut 40 underperforming properties. The result? Revenue jumped 75%.

This is a powerful story about building for quality and profitability over sheer volume. Tom shares his playbook for raising standards (even when it means letting owners and staff go), rebuilding after losing half the business to wildfires, and why they strategically reduced their direct booking percentage from 85% to find the right channel mix.

Don't forget to hit that subscribe button! This also keeps us going and creating more useful content for free!

📋 In this episode, we discuss:

00:00:00 - Intro: The Nicest Guy in Short-Term Rentals?

00:01:37 - Marrying Into a 50-Year-Old Vacation Rental Legacy (Since 1972)

00:02:46 - From Non-Profit Ops to Turning Around the Family Business

00:04:09 - The Origin Story: How Neighbours Became a Hospitality Business

00:08:06 - Taking the Reins: Preserving a Legacy While Driving Change

00:10:01 - The Turnaround Strategy: Cutting 40 Properties to Increase Revenue

00:13:20 - Unbuilding to Rebuild: The Painful Process of Raising Standards

00:14:27 - Data Deep Dive: Finding the Sweet Spot for Profitability

00:18:03 - Changing the Culture: Letting Go of Staff & Setting New Standards

00:20:55 - Disaster Strikes: Losing Half the Business Overnight to Wildfires

00:22:38 - The Evolution of STR: Navigating OTAs & Direct Bookings

00:26:36 - The Growth Plan: Quality Over Quantity (Targeting 120 Homes)

00:29:14 - Why High Margins Matter: Investing in People & Quality

00:31:09 - Acquisition Lessons: Why Organic Growth Can Be Better

00:33:32 - The #1 Focus for the Next 10 Years: Guest Experience

00:36:27 - Connect with Tom Goodwin

ACCOMMODATION OWNERS AND MANAGERS FREE RESOURCES!

📧Join the mailing list for freebies and critical industry updates: https://news.theaccommodationshow.com/

🌍The Accommodation Owners and Managers Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/AMoFacebookCommunity

🗨 Connect with Bart Sobies for more industry insight: https://www.ibooked.online/bart/

🎙 Subscribe to the podcast to listen later: https://www.theaccommodationshow.com

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🥊 Hotel - BNB - STR Owners! 🥊

Need more direct bookings or a brand new website?

The trusted tech partner you can count on. We deliver results.

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👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibookedonlinefb/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibooked.online

Strive Conferences

🌐 Website: https://www.striveconferencescom

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/striveconferences

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striveconferences

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Disclaimer: The content shared on this YouTube channel, Podcast, or associated posts reflects personal opinions and insights. This content is not intended as legal, financial, or investment advice. Always consult with licensed professionals before making decisions. The hosts and guests disclaim liability for any consequences of using this content. Actions taken should be based on your personal due diligence.

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This blog, podcast & youtube channel; will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you, if you buy something through my links.

This show aims to educate viewers and share everything I know about improving your accommodation, STR and AirBNB business. I believe in the products and services we link to and that you may benefit from them.

Welcome to Season 20! Savannah Jackson (Hello Queenstown) reveals her "go deep, not wide" strategy, building her own cleaning and linen companies, and how she funded it all without using her own capital.

It’s a powerful lesson in vertical integration, hybrid growth (acquisition + organic), and the "Screw It, Let's Do It" mindset.

SHOW LINKS

Hello Queenstown → https://www.helloqueenstown.nz

The Accommodation Show → https://www.theaccommodationshow.com

#MarketPositioning #OperationalDiscipline #HospitalityStrategy

ibooked.online Book Direct Websites

🌐 Website: https://www.ibooked.online

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibooked-online

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibookedonlinefb/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibooked.online

Strive Conferences

🌐 Website: https://www.striveconferencescom

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/striveconferences/

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/striveconferences

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striveconferences

📋 In this episode, we discuss:

[00:00] Introduction and Hello Queenstown

[01:01] From Stockbroking to Short-Term Rentals

[02:12] Retiring at 45 and Starting Again in Queenstown

[05:03] Building the Largest Cleaning and Linen Operation

[07:19] Mindset Shifts: Service Over Commission

[10:48] Lessons from Early Entrepreneurship

[14:04] Scaling from 10 to 150 Properties in Two Years

[17:56] Branding Power: The Office on Queenstown’s Roundabout

[19:59] Developer Partnerships and Long-Term Growth

[23:00] Building Without Capital: Creative Lending and Syndicates

[25:45] Service, Professionalism, and Confidence as Growth Drivers

[26:47] Community Ties in a Small Town

[29:21] Why Hello Queenstown Won’t Expand Beyond Queenstown

[31:01] Diversifying into Activities and Concierge Services

[32:03] Final Advice: “Screw It, Just Do It”

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🥊 Hotel - BNB - STR Owners! 🥊

Need more direct bookings or a brand new website?

The trusted tech partner you can count on. We deliver results.

🥊 https://www.ibooked.online ​​​​​​​​​​​🥊 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Don't forget to hit that subscribe button! This also keeps us going and creating more useful content for free!

ACCOMMODATION OWNERS AND MANAGERS FREE RESOURCES!

📧Join the mailing list for freebies and critical industry updates: https://news.theaccommodationshow.com/

🌍The Accommodation Owners and Managers Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/AMoFacebookCommunity

🗨 Connect with Bart Sobies for more industry insight: https://www.ibooked.online/bart/

🎙 Subscribe to the podcast to listen later: https://www.theaccommodationshow.com

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Disclaimer: The content shared on this YouTube channel, Podcast, or associated posts reflects personal opinions and insights. This content is not intended as legal, financial, or investment advice. Always consult with licensed professionals before making decisions. The hosts and guests disclaim liability for any consequences of using this content. Actions taken should be based on your personal due diligence.

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This blog, podcast & youtube channel; will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you, if you buy something through my links.

This show aims to educate viewers and share everything I know about improving your accommodation, STR and AirBNB business. I believe in the products and services we link to and that you may benefit from them.

If you do purchase through my affiliate links; I want to thank you for your support.

You've survived your first year. Now what? How do you break through the growth plateau and scale from 20 properties to 500+?

In Part 2 of my Building It conversation with Dennis Goedheid, founder of Casiola, we dive into the playbook for the scale-up. Dennis reveals his unconventional but brilliant growth hack: buying contracts directly from his competitors.

He gives a step-by-step masterclass on how to find, value, and structure these small acquisition deals—covering everything from asset deals and escrow to the non-compete clauses you need to protect yourself. This is one of the most tactical episodes we've ever done.

SHOW LINKS

Casiola: https://www.casiola.com

Franchise: https://www.casiola.com/franchise/

#DirectBookings #ScalingSmart #AccommodationShow

📋 In this episode, we discuss:

00:00:00 - Intro: Part 2 - After the First Year Failure

00:01:24 - The Founder's Trap: Focusing on Operations Instead of Sales

00:04:28 - Why Founders Get Stuck and Avoid Growth

00:07:41 - A Growth Hack: Buying Contracts From Your Competitors

00:13:21 - The Playbook for Acquiring STR Contracts (A Masterclass)

00:15:00 - Asset Deal vs. Business Purchase: How to Avoid Liability

00:15:40 - The Most Important Clause in a Management Contract

00:17:36 - How to Use an Escrow to Protect Your Acquisition Deal

00:23:39 - The ROI of Buying Contracts vs. Traditional Marketing

00:27:36 - The Pandemic Pivot: De-Risking by Expanding to New Markets

00:30:04 - The Aruba Case Study: From Partnership to 150 Homes in 2 Years

00:35:50 - A Crucial Lesson for Scaling: SIMPLIFY Everything

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

🥊 Hotel - BNB - STR Owners! 🥊

Need more direct bookings or a brand new website?

The trusted tech partner you can count on. We deliver results.

🥊 https://www.ibooked.online ​​​​​​​​​​​🥊 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

ibooked.online Book Direct Websites

🌐 Website: https://www.ibooked.online

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibooked-online

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibookedonlinefb/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibooked.online

Strive Conferences

🌐 Website: https://www.striveconferencescom

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/striveconferences/

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/striveconferences

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striveconferences

Don't forget to hit that subscribe button! This also keeps us going and creating more useful content for free!

ACCOMMODATION OWNERS AND MANAGERS FREE RESOURCES!

📧Join the mailing list for freebies and critical industry updates: https://news.theaccommodationshow.com/

🌍The Accommodation Owners and Managers Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/AMoFacebookCommunity

🗨 Connect with Bart Sobies for more industry insight: https://www.ibooked.online/bart/

🎙 Subscribe to the podcast to listen later: https://www.theaccommodationshow.com

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Disclaimer: The content shared on this YouTube channel, Podcast, or associated posts reflects personal opinions and insights. This content is not intended as legal, financial, or investment advice. Always consult with licensed professionals before making decisions. The hosts and guests disclaim liability for any consequences of using this content. Actions taken should be based on your personal due diligence.

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This blog, podcast & youtube channel; will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you, if you buy something through my links.

This show aims to educate viewers and share everything I know about improving your accommodation, STR and AirBNB business. I believe in the products and services we link to and that you may benefit from them.

If you do purchase through my affiliate links; I want to thank you for your support.