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Ep 17 - STR Secrets - Automation & Optimizing Your Guest Experience with Hostfully Co-Founders Margot Schmorak & David Jacoby
Ep 17 - STR Secrets - Automation & Optimizing Your Guest Experience with Hostfully Co-Founders Margot Schmorak & David Jacoby
ratings:
Length:
58 minutes
Released:
Sep 14, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
GUEST BIO
"MARGOT SCHMORAK, CO-FOUNDER + CEO
Margot is CEO and Co-Founder of Hostfully. She has spent her career working on community-driven products that help businesses and entrepreneurs get closer to their customers. Prior to Hostfully, Margot worked at Apple, leading marketing initiatives for the first iPhone Developer Program before taking the reins at ServiceSource (NASDAQ: SREV) as VP of Marketing and Strategy. In her free time, Margot is an avid traveler, having visted Yunnan (China), Vinales (Cuba) and Paris. Margot holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a BA in economics from Vassar College. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and three young children.
DAVID JACOBY, CO-FOUNDER + PRESIDENT
David is President and Co-Founder of Hostfully. A proud Airbnb Superhost living in San Francisco, he loves welcoming guests from around the world and showing his kids the transformative experience of sharing your home with others. As a traveler, he’s couch surfed around the world, including Cairo, Lima, Jerusalem, Hanoi, and Kigali. Prior to Hostfully, David was COO at WellCall, Inc., a health coaching and corporate wellness program company, where he grew the business from its infancy until its acquisition by Health Advocate in 2012. David graduated from the Wharton School of Business."
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE
04:43 Margot’s introduction
06:20 David’s introduction
12:36 How their website/product works.
15:10 The struggles with using guide books manually.
16:58 Them going with the new web design usability practices.
18:15 What you can expect when you go to their website.
19:33 Put something in that helps you provide the support system for you.
22:25 Dedicated to being a platform product.
23:57 Owning on what you’re good at.
25:38 How the ecosystem has evolved and their Goal.
27:59 Common questions that they usually get from their guidebook.
30:03 Their guidebook breakdown.
31:30 Things that were not important before that are important now.
33:50 Corona Virus accelerated the industry even more recently.
38:14 No one graduates with the degree in vacation rental management from college.
39:15 Hostfully’s biggest focus right now.
42:00 The failed vision.
46:43 The software’s automated templates and triggers.
49:14 Giving customers a reason to come back.
49:36 Gift certificate ideas for Airbnb’s.
51:48 2 FREE months use of any guide book subscription. Use the code: strsecrets
52:21 What is their best secret for success in Short Term Rentals?
53:46 Surprise tip from Margot Schmorak.
NOTABLE QUOTES (KEY LESSONS):
"Speed people up by 6 months at getting successful in this industry, especially
for newcomers, is much more meaningful." - Margot Schmorak
"The most important thing that successful people say is the word, No." Warren Buffett
"The more you can feel and look local the more trust you're going to inspire with
your guest and I think the more likely, people will be able to book with you." -Margot Schmorak
CONNECTING WITH THE GUEST
Website: https://www.hostfully.com/
Margot's Email: margot@hostfully.com
David's Email: david@hostfully.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"MARGOT SCHMORAK, CO-FOUNDER + CEO
Margot is CEO and Co-Founder of Hostfully. She has spent her career working on community-driven products that help businesses and entrepreneurs get closer to their customers. Prior to Hostfully, Margot worked at Apple, leading marketing initiatives for the first iPhone Developer Program before taking the reins at ServiceSource (NASDAQ: SREV) as VP of Marketing and Strategy. In her free time, Margot is an avid traveler, having visted Yunnan (China), Vinales (Cuba) and Paris. Margot holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a BA in economics from Vassar College. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and three young children.
DAVID JACOBY, CO-FOUNDER + PRESIDENT
David is President and Co-Founder of Hostfully. A proud Airbnb Superhost living in San Francisco, he loves welcoming guests from around the world and showing his kids the transformative experience of sharing your home with others. As a traveler, he’s couch surfed around the world, including Cairo, Lima, Jerusalem, Hanoi, and Kigali. Prior to Hostfully, David was COO at WellCall, Inc., a health coaching and corporate wellness program company, where he grew the business from its infancy until its acquisition by Health Advocate in 2012. David graduated from the Wharton School of Business."
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE
04:43 Margot’s introduction
06:20 David’s introduction
12:36 How their website/product works.
15:10 The struggles with using guide books manually.
16:58 Them going with the new web design usability practices.
18:15 What you can expect when you go to their website.
19:33 Put something in that helps you provide the support system for you.
22:25 Dedicated to being a platform product.
23:57 Owning on what you’re good at.
25:38 How the ecosystem has evolved and their Goal.
27:59 Common questions that they usually get from their guidebook.
30:03 Their guidebook breakdown.
31:30 Things that were not important before that are important now.
33:50 Corona Virus accelerated the industry even more recently.
38:14 No one graduates with the degree in vacation rental management from college.
39:15 Hostfully’s biggest focus right now.
42:00 The failed vision.
46:43 The software’s automated templates and triggers.
49:14 Giving customers a reason to come back.
49:36 Gift certificate ideas for Airbnb’s.
51:48 2 FREE months use of any guide book subscription. Use the code: strsecrets
52:21 What is their best secret for success in Short Term Rentals?
53:46 Surprise tip from Margot Schmorak.
NOTABLE QUOTES (KEY LESSONS):
"Speed people up by 6 months at getting successful in this industry, especially
for newcomers, is much more meaningful." - Margot Schmorak
"The most important thing that successful people say is the word, No." Warren Buffett
"The more you can feel and look local the more trust you're going to inspire with
your guest and I think the more likely, people will be able to book with you." -Margot Schmorak
CONNECTING WITH THE GUEST
Website: https://www.hostfully.com/
Margot's Email: margot@hostfully.com
David's Email: david@hostfully.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
Sep 14, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Ep 10 - STR Secrets - Scaling to 200 Units & Launching a Guest Screening Software with Anton Zilberberg: <p><strong>GUEST BIO</strong></p> <p>Anton Zilberberg - Started his professional hosting career when he was traveling around the world and renting his apartment on airbnb. He brings a tech background so he started building tools to optimize his listings which turned into a property management with over 200 properties at its peak. Realizing the need for trust and safety within his space, he’s now helping the largest companies in the world, to protect their assets, validate their guests and reduce fraud through a company that he founded called Autohost.</p> <p><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE</strong></p> <p><strong>02:50 </strong>Anton’s backstory.</p> <p><strong>06:12 </strong> How he launched his management company.</p> <p><strong>09:11</strong> The most common thing Anton hears about right now.</p> <p><strong>12:50 </strong> A great analogy from Anton.</p> < by Short Term Rental Secrets Podcast