Hospitable Hosts: Raising the Standard in Hospitality-Driven Short-Term Rentals with Jodie Odlin

Summary and Highlights

Jodie started her short-term rental business in a small country town in the UK. After moving there with her family, she converted a separate cottage on their property into a short-term rental. What started as an experiment turned into a full-fledged business that survived regulatory changes, COVID-19, and the influx of competition in the market.

Despite the growth of the industry and increasing competition, Jodie’s focus on guest experience and direct bookings has helped her stand out.

Scaling a Direct Booking Business While Managing Remotely

Jodie shared insights on how she successfully transitioned to managing her UK-based business from Australia. One of the biggest keys to her success? Building a reliable team and systemizing operations.

• Guest Messaging Automation: Jodie implemented AI tools to handle guest communication, ensuring quick responses and a seamless experience.
• Strong Cleaning Team: She emphasized that a well-maintained property is the foundation of a great guest experience.
• Strategic Direct Booking Efforts: Through branding, guest education, and incentives, she has steadily increased her share of direct bookings.

Why Hospitality is More Important Than Ever

As more investors flood the short-term rental market, Jodie sees a major divide between those who treat it as a real hospitality business and those who chase quick profits. As Jodie said:

“A lot of people got into this business thinking they could make quick money, but they underestimated the work involved. The ones who truly enjoy hospitality and have built solid systems are the ones thriving right now”

Her advice to hosts looking to stand out? Make hospitality a core part of your business strategy.

The Birth of Hospitable Hosts: A Community Focused on Raising the Standard

Jodie is also the founder of Hospitable Hosts, a collective of professional short-term rental operators dedicated to elevating hospitality standards. What started as a book project—bringing together 40 hosts to share their stories—has grown into a movement. Hospitable Hosts aims to educate hosts on the power of putting guests first. They believe that Hospitality isn’t just about a bottle of wine at check-in; it’s about genuine care and service.

A New Initiative: The Hospitable Hosts Summit

Jodie announced an upcoming Hospitable Hosts Summit, happening in April 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Unlike traditional conferences, this summit will be hands-on, focusing on real strategies hosts can implement immediately to enhance their hospitality game and increase direct bookings.

Jodie’s #1 Direct Booking Tip

One simple strategy that has helped Jodie increase repeat guests? A tangible takeaway.

“I leave a branded postcard in every property that thanks guests for staying and offers them 15% off their next visit if they book direct. Having something physical they can take home really makes a difference.”

Transcription

Jodie: There’s a lot of people out there stating you can make X amount of money when you have an Airbnb or a property business, but it’s, it’s hard work and not everybody can keep up with that. And the hospitality side of things. So dealing with people, dealing with the guests, dealing with the public, you know, um, that’s, that can be tricky.

Gil: Hey folks, welcome back to Direct Booking Simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics of direct bookings. On today’s show, I have Jodie. Jodie, welcome to the show.

Jodie: Hi Gil, thanks for having me on.

Gil: Yeah, I am so happy to have you here. You are one of my favorite people that I met in, I think 2024. Um,

Jodie: We did meet in 2024. Yeah,

Gil: it feels like a long time ago.

Um,

Jodie: does. Yes. We’ve had lots of conversations.

Gil: yeah. Um, do you mind giving folks a quick introduction on who you are?

Jodie: Sure, sure. So, um, hi everyone. My name is Jodie. Um, I’m a host just like you, uh, listening in. Um, I have a property management company in the UK, but you can probably tell from my voice that I’m Australian. So, um, I have a pretty unique standing where I I’m a very remote host. I host from the other side of the world because I’ve not long relocated back to Australia, but I kept my business operating in the UK, which has all sorts of, uh, shall we say challenges, but it’s working.

So far, so good.

Gil: Yeah.

Jodie: So I,

Gil: how many units in the UK do you have?

Jodie: uh, so I have 15 properties that I look after. Um, I have different styles of doing that. I look after, I manage two people’s properties and the rest are mine that I have on rent to rent or rent to arbitrage as you call it there.

Gil: Wow. So you, when you started that, were you living in the UK before moving to Australia or how did you kind of land on this?

Jodie: Yeah, I was. So I’ve lived out of Australia for a long period of time, 12 years, actually, and we were living in Europe, and then we decided I’ve got three children. Um, we were homeschooling as we were traveling, and, uh, it was time for the older two to kind of knuckle down and get some qualifications in their schooling.

So we settled on the UK and we found ourselves in a beautiful little country town called Tetbury, which is actually where the the king lives. He has a house there. Um, so it’s one of those unique places. Um, you know, when you think of like stone cottages and green rolling hills. That you see on the television and in movies, that’s the type of environment that it is.

And we got a home with some land and it had a separate cottage on it and just near the house. And we thought, what are we going to do with this? And we can store bikes or we could just keep it for when friends and family are visiting. But we had done a lot of travel prior to that. And I said, um, at the time, let’s try this Airbnb thing.

That was the start of it. Uh,

Gil: That first rental?

Jodie: so that was eight years ago. So I have been in it for quite some time. I’ve gone over the seven year hump, um, which is good. And, uh, yes, I was there all through COVID and out of COVID when everything exploded. And now things have started to settle down a bit more. Um, we are going through that process too.

So

Gil: What’s been, uh, what’s been one of the biggest changes that you’ve seen since the beginning when you were first hosting just that first property to your experience now has, what’s been like the biggest change for you?

Jodie: Yeah, um, well, biggest change, lots of regulations that we need to follow, huge amount of regulations now. Um, and also just the amount of people who are trying to do it, um, trying to be a host and then dropping off because they realize it’s not all rosy and it’s, you know, there’s a lot of people out there, um, Stating you can make, you know, X amount of money when you have an Airbnb, but it’s, um, or a property business, but it’s, it’s hard work and not everybody can keep up with that and the hospitality side of things.

So dealing with people, dealing with the guests, dealing with the public, you know, um, that’s, that can be tricky, but, and also I think, um, you know, there’s a lot more stock out there, especially in my area. Um, I have 15 properties in one small country town and, you know, there was probably another 10 on top of mine when I started, but now there’s probably another 30, so competition is out there.

Gil: Yeah. Yeah,

Jodie: Mm. Mm.

Gil: that you mentioned like how people got into it and maybe they got into it because of The cash flow or the investments the gains there and I think what a lot of folks don’t realize very early on Is that you’re starting a business of its own? And there’s many parts of that business, and I think right now, a lot of folks, actually, there’s this huge spike coming into COVID, where a lot of folks got into investing into short term rentals, and now there’s this kind of shake off where a lot of folks are figuring out, is this something I want to continue to invest into?

Or do I sell it off and put my assets somewhere else? And I think the folks that are really invested, really love hosting. This is the time where they’re really thriving because they got their systems down, they started to build out their teams, they actually enjoy hospitality and everything that has to do with it.

And it’s, it’s good to kind of see that split in, in the industry right now and folks kind of like gravitating towards one end or the other.

Jodie: Yeah, I know in my area because I am in the country town, you know, people were moving out of London in droves so I’m about an hour and a half outside of London and you know, they were snapping up all of these properties and anyone who had a a cottage, you know, who wanted to put it on the market was such a great time for them because, you know, prices went really high.

Everyone was trying to move out. And then as people moved into the countryside, they realized that the infrastructure isn’t there, you know, that you have in big cities. So they saw their time in COVID. And then they’re moving back into the cities, and I’m not sure if it’s the same as in the States, but people are moving back into London.

They’re having to go back into their jobs into the city. So then we’ve got all this stock out there and they’re like, Oh, what do we do with it? Do we keep it as a holiday home that they can? You know, enjoy on the weekends or do they, they sell it. So it’s, it’s been, or do they put it on, you know, get somebody like me to manage it as a short term rental.

Um, I get lots of requests every month to, um, look after other people’s properties, but I’m pretty happy just sitting at 15 with the team that I have and the infrastructure that I’ve built and now being on the other side of the world, 15 is enough.

Gil: Yeah. Talk to me a little bit about your team. Like, so how, how is your team makeup right now? Are you still in the day to day and answering all your messages? Or have you built a team around that so that you can focus on other parts of your business and your life?

Jodie: Yeah, when I left, I had somebody that, um, took over what I do, um, in the business, which is, you know, the guest messaging and so on, and just being in contact with them. Um, but my team has kind of shifted around a little bit cause the roles completely changed. Um, I’ve got a great cleaning team there. I couldn’t do it without them.

Like they are everything in my business. I try and look after them the best that I can because. Cleaners are hard to come by, um, and really reliable, good cleaners. And I do believe, you know, they are the backbone of this business. You know, we can get the bookings in, we can do all the marketing, have all the tools and tricks and the tech stack.

But once those guests come, if they’re not looked after by simply a clean property, Then, you know, we’re, we’re going down straight away, um, with those reviews and no return guests. So I try to really look after my cleaners, um, my team. Um, I have since installed some, you know, software like AI to look after guest messaging.

Um, and I do pop back and forward to the UK quite often. And when I’m there, I’ve realized how much I do love interacting with the guys. Because I stay in one of my apartments, and I, you know, meet the guests on the stairwell and so on, and I, I do realize that I enjoy that side of it, so I do still keep my, my, uh, self involved in it.

Absolutely. Mm. Mm. Mm

Gil: side, you’re not just a host. You’re, you’re quite a, you’re

Jodie: I’m a mom.

Gil: And you’re many.

Jodie: achievement. I’m a mom of three. Yes. I’m other things too. Yeah.

Gil: There’s, there’s many parts of, of, of Jodie. Um,

Jodie: There

Gil: me a little bit about hospitable hosts.

Jodie: Um,

Gil: first off, what is hospitable hosts?

Jodie: yes. So hospitable hosts is a movement of professionals in the industry and we’ve come together and I’ll you know, how we came together, but we came together and, um, we’re trying as a collective group of individual hosts, raise the standards of the industry, um, which we all share the vision of and realize how important it is.

Um, for the industry because there’s a lot of cowboys out there, so to speak, and they’re pulling, um, the industry down, but there’s so many more professionals out there and we’re trying to help educate those people who enjoy hosting and, and want to be a host, um, and we’re trying to educate them on doing it correctly.

So, how did we get together? Um, so, in lockdown, we all had a bit of spare time, didn’t we? And there was a great app called Clubhouse. Um, I don’t know if you were on there, Gil.

Gil: I was, I was not part of Clubhouse

Jodie: you weren’t?

Gil: I was not, I, I, at that point.

Jodie: me. Mm

Gil: the beginning of COVID, I was at an e commerce company and A lot of folks were starting e-commerce brands during the beginning of the pandemic. So my, like our company grew four or five x during that period,

Jodie: Oh, wow.

Gil: and I was one of the early members of, of the company.

So I was just building out that last, that last startup that I was part of. And yeah, I unfortunately didn’t have a lot of time until maybe the second year that’s when I got into investing myself. Um, but I, I missed that first like clubhouse, wave.

Jodie: Yeah, yeah, it was really interesting. So for those who Don’t know what clubhouse was. It was an app. It’s still, it’s still around, but I just don’t think people have the time to be on it anymore. And there was no video in involved, but how I like to describe it was like going to a conference center and you could look and see what.

conversations were going on and I actually you had to be invited into it and I logged into it and I thought for another business that I have and I thought oh I wonder if anyone’s talking about short term rentals and I found this whole group of people which now I’m associated with and some of them I what most of them I would call very good friends and they were all talking about short term rentals and I didn’t even know this world existed.

I knew there were short term rentals out there, but I didn’t know who these people were. And as I listened to the stories and then when COVID Um, you know, lifted all the, all the lockdowns lifted and we could start going to conferences and again, I started talking to people about how they got into the industry, just like we’re doing now.

And I found this story is really fascinating because for me, I do have a hospitality background. I went to hospitality management school. So I just kind of. skills in my business, but other people who had had to really pivot their life in some way and they were renting out a spare room or a granny flat, or, you know, they’re a property investor and they had a spare property and they were getting into the industry in all different ways.

And so I decided I would gather up some of these key people that I found their stories really interesting. and create a multi author book. And that’s where the name Hospitable Hosts, the brand, was born, so to speak, um, where people came together and told their story. And they also give tips to hosts that are reading the, the book.

Um, and it just. I don’t know, it became a beast, Gil. So we went from one book to three books, um, being published in, um, two years. And, which created 147 hosts becoming number one best selling authors from around the world. Yeah. Um, and those people, uh, as I say, like we get together and we do all sorts of initiatives now.

So we’re a really tight group and, um, we’re doing all sorts of things. We have our own podcast that’s coming out shortly. We have other books coming out, which can we announce that you are actually a part of?

Gil: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I’m, I’m taught. Yeah. Why don’t you go through? It can kind of explain the new book that’s coming out.

Jodie: Yeah, sure. So we realized, um, you know, having these conversations, there’s a lot of couples that are in this industry together and, you know, to hear their stories is, is really interesting. Did they go into it together right from the start? Did one, um, have, you know, great success and then was able to bring their partner into it?

Um, it, It was just really interesting to me how people are doing this together. So we’ve decided to do a couple’s edition, so, which you’re a part of, and I’m really thrilled that you are, to tell your story, yours and your wife, and how you support each other through the business, because you are a host as well as having crafted stays as well.

So, um, I’m really looking forward to that coming out. We’ve, we’ve got some great couples involved and, um, we’ve also got a European version coming out of the book. So we’ve got hosts from Europe and, um, we’ve got, uh, a ladies only. So the sisters of of hospitable hosts. So if anyone’s listening and they’d love to tell their story, please get in contact.

Um, I’d love to have you a part of the project and then you join this phenomenal group of, of hosts. And, um, yeah, it’s been very impactful, I think, to the industry, bringing all these people together. Mm.

Gil: of fun and Ashley, like going back and thinking through for at least in my case, since I’m doing the couples edition, thinking through how my wife and I have worked together, but also the origin story behind it all and how she got into it. We’ve been investing for a long while now.

We’ve been investing in long term rentals and now short term rentals and just And life has been busy But we haven’t really slowed down and thought about like how we got to where we are today How we grew how we supported each other so for me There’s actually a lot of value in just writing the book as almost a not a memoir but like a ability to just reflect back on our stories and hopefully share with folks that will resonate with

Jodie: totally. You know, we, we see and hear of all these people in the industry, you know, about their hosting journey, but we don’t really know too much about them. And, you know, like you said, it’s a time for the author or the host to actually sit down and reflect on. How they got there, like how, how did we get here because you know, you’re a busy couple, you’ve got a family as well, you’re doing, you know, you have crafted stays, you have the podcast, you’ve got all these elements going on and, and one day you kind of, you know, most people don’t really realize until they retire and think, wow, I did that, but when you sit down and you actually write a 3000 word chapter, um, it is a great way to reflect and also to, you know, Think about what you did and, and what you could have done better, where you’re going, set some new goals, um, you know, it’s, it’s a great way to really put your thoughts down on paper and let other people hear about your origin story

Gil: Yeah. Yeah. And as I’m reflecting on like the couple side of it, my, my daughter, she’s part of our business as well too. She, we bring her to all the cabins whenever we onboard them and she’s a big part of it as well too. So it’s almost like I, I can imagine like you having a family edition down the road where, because I do know a lot of short term rental hosts.

They’ll bring their families along for the ride, and their kids are the one putting, putting things together. I know Debbie, Debbie’s family has gone, gotten their, like, rolled their sleeves. And it’s actually a family ordeal in many, in many ways, too.

Jodie: Yeah, well, I actually write about that in the first book, Hospitable Host, the first one. Um, my family was my first team. So, you know, on a, on a Sunday we’d be waiting because the cottage was just near our house and we’d be all sitting there waiting for them to leave. And then we were charged in and, um, my son would do the bathrooms.

The other son would do all the vacuuming. My daughter was there polishing all the glasses and the cutlery and everyone had their job and we actually used that, the money that we made from that, um, that cottage. That was our holiday fund. So we’d all go skiing, you know, once a year with the money that we made.

And actually it, it really taught them a lot. And, um, it’s actually, it’s a really great idea doing a family edition because I know a lot of people who have got their families involved. Um, there’s another lady, Rebecca Crippen, her whole family, she’s got older children. They’re involved in the whole business.

So they travel around as a family, took conferences all around the world and, you know, they all, they’re in the management property, um, property management side of things. So they all have their role in that company as well. Um, and then we, you know, it’s leaving a legacy, isn’t it? It’s, it’s leaving something for our children to read about.

And also if they want to take over the business after us. Hmm.

Gil: Yeah. There’s, um, in our space, there’s a lot of, not niches, but there’s a lot of different groups around short term rentals. At least nowadays, um, there’s a lot of Facebook groups. But For me, hospitable hosts has a different vibe to it, a different essence to it. And I don’t know if you can kind of encapsulate kind of the values behind hospitable hosts and kind of like what your mission is for the company or for the organization.

Jodie: yeah, sure. Um, well, it’s just evolved over time. Like I said, just from the book project to what it is today. And, you know, our mission really as a, as a collective group is to educate hosts, um, on really the power of putting the guests first and focusing on hospitality, because a lot of people who come into the industry, don’t have that focus.

Um, and I, I believe that is really important. You can have a mediocre property. You don’t have to have, you know, a great, big, luxurious property with all the greatest linens and, and pickle balls and, you know, everything that, All those extra add ons, but if you had a mediocre property, but you, you set the guest’s expectation that that’s what they were getting and the pricing was right, but you gave great hospitality, you know, you’re in contact with your guests, sending them a message, maybe calling them before they come.

Um, it’s not just about leaving a hamper and a bottle of wine. It goes far beyond that. Um, you know, you can have a very successful business. Um, and I believe that’s our mission is really to bring back or bring hospitality into the business and focus on that and people will have a lot more success, I believe, and for the industry as well.

We are a hospitality industry. We’re not a property business or the two of them actually go go go hand in hand. Really, it’s not one or the other. It’s both.

Gil: Yeah, I, I, I, I find that a lot, especially in like the Facebook groups. There’s a lot of talk about markets to invest into cash on cash, revenue management, a lot of the investing side of it, the cash flow side of things there, and there’s much less conversations happening around the hospitality side of things.

Jodie: Yeah,

Gil: I think that that’s kind of why I gravitated towards you and your group, because for me, I In my college days, I was working in retail and customer service was very important to me. And I think that’s where I picked up all my customer service, like, little ticks and, like, sensitivities, I would say.

Like, for me, it’s very important to me that back in my retail days, in my college years, that whoever I was serving was really happy. And that has now transpired to Me and my business but it’s also translated to me as a host as well, too. Okay. Um,

 Jodi, tell me, tell me a little bit about kind of hospitality and it, there’s a lot to it. And I think you’re working on something right now to help make hospitality much more front and center. You’re Opening up a conference. Talk to me a little bit more about not actually, you’re not calling at a conference.

You’re calling a summit.

Jodie: Yeah, actually, it is. It’s a summit. So we decided after the last three years, um, the group has met up at many conferences around the around the world. Um, and everybody. Talks about all those other things to do with hosting and being a professional business, but they don’t talk about hospitality. So we, as a group, have decided to put on a hospitality summit at the end of April this year, 2025.

It’s on the 30th to the 1st of May and it’s in Denver, Colorado and our Prime focus is on hospitality and the guest experience. So we decided to call it a summit because it’s not going to be like any conference that you go to where you just sit back and listen to somebody speak. We’ve got every speaker has, um, designed a interactive mastermind style.

Um, session, and there’s going to be a lot going on where you will walk away, not just with ideas of what you can do in your business, but actually actionable tasks that you have already been working on in each session. So it’s almost coming into a classroom or, um, an academy style of, um, summit. So we’ve got some great people lined up from all over the world.

Um, and I’m super excited. To bring this. Mm

Gil: one of our customers. We were. I was onboarding one of our customers the other day, and we just started talking about conferences, and she was mentioning to me that a lot of the conferences that she sees nowadays is around operationalizing management of Uh, short term rentals, and she had she hadn’t found anything that was around the hospitality side of it,

Jodie: Well, I hope you told her about the summit. Ha

Gil: did.

I did tell her about the summit, but I definitely think that, like, you’re right that there’s a difference with this particular summit. Um, and there’s almost a gap in the market. And if you look at your calendar, there’s not a Not another event quite like this one. So, I’m thrilled to be going, um, at the end of April, uh, to Denver.

I’m delighted to see all the other hospitable hosts and others that want to be part of the community as well, too.

Jodie: Yeah, well, we’re excited to have it and meet everybody. When we all get together, it’s like going to a school reunion. It’s a lot of fun. Because, as you know, when you’re a host and you’re working on your business, Um, it’s nice to meet up with colleagues and that’s how we all see ourselves as colleagues.

And we’re all sharing this same vision. Um, because we want to be able to go to pro, you know, um, when we go away, we want to be able to go. Book, uh, a short term rental and know that I’m going to be staying somewhere. It’s clean and it’s got, you know, great host. And that to me, that was one of the things that sparked this whole journey was that when we, uh, when I was going to events and I like to support people in the industry, I don’t necessarily want to stay in hotels, but every time I’ve stayed somewhere and.

I know it’s not just me. It’s happened to other people. I know we’ve gone to these short term rentals and it’s like, oh, come on, you know, and it’s just the basic things. Um, we’re not those picky people that go around and, you know, nitpick each other’s properties, but there is a certain level of, of cleanliness and a standard that you like to get to when you get to these.

Properties. So we’re hoping that we’re going to build this global community and well, that’s our mission to build this global community and a global website where you will be able to book a stay through that website and know that you’re going to be staying with a professional host.

Gil: Yeah. It reminds me, I, I was I was listening to Mike Strogan’s, um, I saw him post a Instagram reel the other day, and he was talking about how even though he has a pretty large portfolio, he has, I forget how many dozens of properties that he manages, and a boutique hotel, when he travels, he still chooses to travel through hotels, because there’s a level of standard that he expects out of his place, and when he’s traveling with his family, he has a very young kid, I think he actually had his kid Right off the back of last year’s WealthCon.

Jodie: Yes, yes, she’s, she’s not that old, but, and he’s got an older son as well, so, yeah, he’s got two children, yeah.

Gil: But it was interesting to hear from him. Such an influential person in our industry say that, like, we actually have a lack of quality standards in our industry and that he expects more and he expects us to really Be able to standardize the hospitality that we have in there and it really aligns with the overall mission that I’m hearing from hospitable hosts.

Jodie: Yes. Well, I agree with him. And Mike is actually a hospitable host. He wrote his story in volume two. So you can go off and read his he’s got a really interesting story. Um, yeah, he’s got some great properties. And like most people, as I said, in the industry, people choose to stay in hotels because they know they’re getting that standard, which is what we as a group are going to change.

And we are going to. Yeah. To launch something at the summit, which is going to change that entirely. And if you are a professional host, you might want to, uh, just keep an eye out on what hospitable host is doing, but you can follow us on Instagram because we share everything we’re doing on there. Um, Should I say the name at hospitable host is our name and um, we are about to launch something that is going to change that.

And as I said, if you’re a professional host, you want to come on board. So you will have other professional hosts staying at your property and not going to the hotels. That’s what we don’t want.

Gil: Yeah. And, and a lot of other guests too. Um, I, I, I’m sure that once this picks up steam and it goes outside of the hospitality space, our space, you’re raising the bar and it’s almost like right now, super hostess. because everybody has that status in there and it doesn’t really mean that you’re any better of a host than anyone else.

Um, but

Jodie: And, and actually Gil, it, if you’re only building your business on Airbnb, then yeah, you’re a superhost, but if you are getting so many bookings through your direct booking website and other OTAs, you’re not going to make that superhost status because you’re not fulfilling the criteria of the superhost, the Airbnb superhost.

Which tells me you’re an even better host. You need an accreditation badge. Which is coming.

Gil: about what you’re, what you’re working on. I’m excited about us all meeting together at the summit. And I actually like that it’s going to be a more intimate, um, some summit because I’ve been to many conferences where you barely have time to meet with the folks, but when it’s a more intimate, smaller setting.

You get to know people, you get to have conversations, get to have meals with the same folks. And I think that those are the environments where you foster really strong relationships down the road.

Jodie: exactly. Well, I’m excited to have you there as well. And, um, yeah. Um, you know, we’re planning for a really great event and it’s going to be something a little bit different to any other conference out there and, you know, if anyone wants to come along, um, just check out our website, hospitablehost. com.

You’ll find the link to our, our summit there and we’d love to welcome you in.

Gil: Awesome. Jodie, was there anything that you want to share with our listeners here that you didn’t get a chance to share already?

Jodie: Um, not really. I did give it, um, the Instagram page a bit of a plug before, but honestly, if you would like to follow our story and our journey and how we are planning to take over the industry, um, one stay at a time, just follow us on Instagram. It’s at hospitable hosts

Gil: Yeah, and for folks that don’t know, Hospitable Hosts is the organization behind Those yellow circles that you find on Facebook, everybody’s, I, I met a lot of folks that have seen the circle and didn’t know what it meant.

Jodie: Yeah.

Gil: Um, so I think like things are going to pick up and I can’t wait for, to me, this feels like the beginning.

And for you, it probably feels like ages now that you’ve been doing this and you’ve been building this brand out there. But I feel like this is just the beginning in terms of the impact it’s going to have on hospitality.

Jodie: Yeah, it certainly has been a journey girl, the last two and a half years, um, and I have to pinch myself sometimes to think. You know, how did this even happen when I’m talking on the stage or being invited to, you know, on podcasts like yourself, like, I’m just a host, um, who had an idea and it’s created, as I said, a beast, but it’s changed my life.

It’s been such a great journey and I’ve met so many wonderful people out of it, including yourself. Um, and yeah, let’s watch this space. There is so much coming. So.

Gil: absolutely. I think you know what it is. I think it’s, I think it’s your mission. I think it’s what you’re trying to strive for in the industry, how big of that dream is and how much you want to pull people into the journey with you. I think that’s why it’s become how big it is today

Jodie: Oh,

Gil: potential that it has.

Jodie: Oh, totally. I couldn’t do it with. All by myself. Um, yes, I have a lot of ideas, but I have a lot of great people in the industry who are supporting those ideas. And, you know, I thank my lucky stars every single day, and I’m truly grateful for them and their support, um, because they share my mission.

They have, um, you know, they have their vision as well, and we all come together, and it’s, it’s just fantastic. It really is. And I’m truly grateful for every single one of them.

Gil: Jodie, I typically end the show with two questions.

Jodie: Mhm.

Gil: one’s uh, I’ve been, I’ve been changing it up, mainly I’ve been changing it up because I’ve been trying to spend more time reading, and I’m always looking for good book advice. So what’s one book, you can plug your own if you wanted to, um,

Jodie: Of course. Hehe. Of course! Hospitable hosts! Of course! And it’s on audio as well. Available on audio. So,

Gil: It is! I did not know that!

Jodie: Volume one is, is available on audio. Yes.

Gil: who’s, uh, who’s narrating that one?

Jodie: Um, so we had three of the hosts who narrated it. So there’s Julie George, there’s Ruben Kenya and Tatiana Taylor Tate. And they, they, um, volunteered their time and, you know, there was 40 chapters.

It’s a, was such a big thing to put together. And Ruben, um, from Invested Talent, his company actually put it together for us. So we were very grateful for him, uh, to do that. And yeah, it’s great. It’s great to be able to have that option for people to listen to it as well.

Gil: Awesome. Alright, so

Jodie: another book, I will plug my other book, which I have here on my desk actually, because I always refer to it.

It’s this one, which a lot of people would know.

Gil: Okay.

Jodie: Can you see it?

 Oh, so it’s Unreasonable Hospitality. Um, and it’s a really, really great read. A lot of people in the industry know about it already. I actually reached out to him to try and speak at our conference, but he charges 70, 000 starting point. Plus all the, plus all the costs involved, like the, he’s um.

Um, his, uh, accommodation and flight. So unfortunately we don’t have Will coming to our conference. We have plenty of others, our summit, sorry. We have plenty of other amazing people, but this is a really, really good read. Um, he, he’s, he has a lot of great, um, knowledge and that you can use in your own business and your life actually, just looking at

Gil: Alright, I’ll definitely pick up a copy on that one.

Jodie: Mm hmm. Yeah,

Gil: with every single episode that I have.

Jodie: yeah, mm hmm,

Gil: lot of folks will give me very different advice, which I actually really love because everybody comes from a very different perspective and I’m very fortunate to have folks come from very different industries, very different backgrounds.

So the literature that they read is very different and which I get to absorb a little bit of everything.

Jodie: yeah. Unfortunately in my day I don’t have a lot of time for reading, so the audible books are great for me when

Gil: That’s, that’s my cheat. That is my cheat, is to, to put on Audible.

Jodie: yeah. We’re still learning, Gil, we’re still learning, it’s not a cheat,

Gil: You don’t, I mean, the good thing for, for me is like, it, to my kids, they see that dad never stops learning. Dad never stops growing. Um, and that’s something that I’m able to share with them. Like, for, for me, I’m, I’m trying to show them that I’m not at my final state.

I’m still constantly evolving. I’m still learning. I’m still

Jodie: Oh, sure. Yeah. And you’ll do it again when, when they’re all grown up. Like mine are grown up now and they’ve, you know, they’ve got their own lives going on. So you find yourself again, starting all over again, like, or keep, keep learning. Like, I have people who are retiring at my age and I’m like, really?

You’re retiring? Like, I’m just begun. Like, this is a whole new side of life that. You know, I’ve, I’ve now getting to experience and you’ve got to keep your mind active. You know, you’ve, you’ve got to put in, you know, to create a great life. And I don’t want just a great life, I want an extraordinary life.

And I do, and I put in a lot to get that. So I have that already and I’m just going to keep it going. So

Gil: that’s amazing. That’s amazing. Um, the last question that I usually end with, um, and I didn’t, we didn’t get to talk too much about this, um, but you do get direct bookings yourself, you get a sizable amount of direct bookings yourself. What’s one tactic or something tangible that our listeners can put into practice today to get more direct bookings?

Jodie: So I have a little card. It’s not a little card, it’s like a postcard in every property that is left and it’s a welcome note but it also talks about booking direct. Um, and it says my website, you know, it gives my website on there. So that’s what I do. And it gets a lot of traction. People have something to take away.

It’s not just another email that they, they read and so it’s having that tangible thing that they can take away with them. Put in their, um, pocket and get 15 percent off their next visit.

Gil: Yeah, it’s amazing how some of, like, even like the old school tactics of brick and mortar tactics, um, of marketing is still very effective in our space.

Jodie: effective. Because people, people like it. They like to, you know, go away with something. There’s too much to read. You know, we get bombarded with all of these emails and, um, you know, social media and stuff. And I think People still do like that. I didn’t know if it was just because of my area.

You know, it’s this oldie worldie charming type thing. So I created it like an oldie worldie postcard with um, images of the town and um, on it. Um, but it just seems to work. It works well for me. Hmm.

Gil: Thanks for sharing that. Awesome. Jodi, it was so good to hear your origin stories of how you got started in hospitality. How that led to hospitable hosts and all the things that you’ve done. Um, the summit that you’re putting together. Um, I’m, it was just a really good show and thank you for, for sharing that all with us.

Jodie: Thanks Gil. I hope people enjoyed listening to it. So,

Gil: Yeah, and I hope I see our listeners at the summit, uh, in end of April in Denver, Colorado. Uh, I would love to meet our listeners in person. So definitely if you, if you can, can spare the time, it’s going to be worthwhile.

Jodie: Yeah, absolutely.

Gil: Awesome. Thank you, Jodie.

Jodie: Okay, thanks Gil. Thanks everybody. Have a great day. Bye.

Yeah. Yeah.