Episode 180 - One Last Booking. The Last Episode of Sarah and T

Speaker A: Foreign. You're listening to the Vacation Rental Managers podcast with Sarah and T. Sarah stands

Speaker B: for me, Sarah Bradford, a 15 year vacation rental company owner in Colorado who sold the company for big bucks last year.

Speaker A: And T stands for me, Tim Cafferty, who's still moving and shaking with two companies, Outer Banks Blue and Sandbridge Blue, in North Carolina and Virginia respectively.

Speaker B: Between us, we have managed over 700 properties, making lasting memories for over 100,000 guests and produced over 150 podcast episodes and counting, sharing all of our secrets to growing a profitable, long lasting vacation rental company.

Speaker A: We like to call those secrets Pullover moments. And it wouldn't be possible without support from our pullover partners. ICND key data.

Speaker B: And so, Jo, we're back and better than ever. I'm Sarah and I. Tim.

Speaker A: Um, Sarah, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but welcome to the final episode of the Vacation Rental Managers podcast with

Speaker B: Sarah and T. That's right, Tim. This is episode 180. Really? Probably only our fourth in the last year, but that means we've spent eight years and countless hours talking about everything in the vacation rental industry, from guest experience to homeowner relationships, operations, marketing regulations. Oh, don't, uh, like thinking about that. Bad memories, you name it.

Speaker A: And all of those people we've had on the podcast over those last eight years as well. We've had a lot of fun and today we are taking a victory lap, looking back at what we've learned, announcing what's next, and most importantly, thanking all of you who have been on this incredible journey with us.

Speaker B: Yeah, Tim, has a pretty exciting announcement coming. I'm just chilling, so grab a drink, whether it's coffee, champagne, or a commemorative glass of wine. And let's send this thing off in style.

Speaker A: Tim, I can't help but think of the episode we did when we were drunk.

Speaker B: That was the rum and Coke day.

Speaker A: The rum and Coke episode. You'll have to figure that one out on your own, folks. Sarah, we have, uh, been through a lot, and one of the things we like to do is give people pullover moments. So let's hit them with some wisdom here as we leave. What's one of the biggest things you, you've learned after 180 episodes?

Speaker B: You know, when I hear people say what I'm about to say, I think that's, uh, a bit of a cop out. But it, I can't help it. It's so true. What I've learned is this industry is all about relationships. It's not actually all about analyzing spreadsheets. It's not about getting your pricing exactly right. It's about your relationship with your guest. A first time guest, someone that stayed with you 10 times. Your homeowners. Gosh, so vital. Your vendors having true relationships with those that service your guests and homeowners. And you, software vendors included. And then of course, your employees. If you don't focus on your employees especially, you are missing the magic of running a vacation rental company. And in 2025.

Speaker A: Yeah, and you left out the relationships with fellow vacation rental managers. I can't tell you how many times I've picked up the phone or probably more likely texted a friend to say I'm having this particular problem. Have you encountered this and what did you do? This is just such a sharing and caring community. We all like to help each other.

Speaker B: How could I have forgotten that? That's probably the best part of my whole career is doing this podcast with you, Tim. And we asked each other a lot of questions. You know, I'm doing some vacation rental consulting that now I just can't stay away. And a lot of my clients say they've never been to a conference. They've never known anyone was out there until maybe they started listening to our podcast. There was no one out there to help them share ideas, ask questions. If anyone's listening to this that hasn't been to a conference, that has not really created a network of vacation rental comrades, I challenge you to do that this year.

Speaker A: Going back to that biggest things we've learned after 180 episodes, I think for me is the only constant in vacation rentals is changed from tech to regulations to guest expectations to owner expectations. If you're not evolving, you're falling behind. Or as my friend Doug Brinley has coined the phrase, you are either green and growing or ripe and rotting. I love that.

Speaker B: Oh, gosh, I hope I'm not rotting.

Speaker A: No.

Speaker B: Well, you know, you and I were just talking about this before we started recording. I won't, uh, spill the beans on your exact numbers, but, Tim, when we started the podcast, you were 100% almost getting all of your bookings from your website. And I would say of that traffic, most were calling in, most were not booking online. You weren't even thinking about OTAs. And that has changed. The phones are not ringing like they used to. Things change.

Speaker A: They do. It has, uh, flipped the script, as they say. I give you a lot of credit for that as well as many of other listeners I've talked to over time. And the bottom line is, I decided I don't care where they come from. If they come from an ota, I'm okay with that. I don't want to put all of my eggs in that basket. But yes, times have changed, people have changed and. And I have changed.

Speaker B: So there you go being the picky person I am that I love to correct you. You don't care where they come from for the first time, but the second time they stay with you. They better not go through an ota. I want to be real clear to our audience, we haven't changed our thought on that.

Speaker A: Yes, sorry. Forgot to do that for you. What else you think?

Speaker B: Yeah, another thing. Even though I just said everything about relationships, profit matters. We've taken our eye off profit. You haven't, Tim. I didn't. But many folks have taken their eye off profit. Or maybe they never put their eye on profit and it matters. So it's not just about how much you're booking a place, your occupancy, anything of that sort. It's just really, are you running a smart business? Are your expenses less than your income? Right. Sustainable growth beats short term wins every time. So I'm hoping that our podcast has inspired everybody to create a budget to really look at where am I spending my money and am, um, I making enough that this makes sense?

Speaker A: Amen m to that, sister. You can look back at our episodes. There's four or five of them on budgeting, and that's really my, uh, wheelhouse, as many of you know. But I'd add to that you can't do it alone. This industry can be overwhelming. But surrounding yourself with a great team and yes, a great podcast co host makes all the difference.

Speaker B: Oh, we had a good run, Tim.

Speaker A: Um, yes, we did.

Speaker B: So enough of that SAP. Let's talk about what's next. Because while the Vacation Rental managers podcast with Sarah and T is coming to a close, the conversation isn't stopped. Stopping.

Speaker A: That's right. I'm thrilled to announce that I'm launching a brand new podcast. All right, get your notepads out. It's called the Vacation Rental Key with T and T. H? Mhm. Okay, I'm T. Who's the other T? Well, it's going to be co hosted by the incredible Tiffany Edwards. We've had her on the podcast a few times. Sarah, huh?

Speaker B: Yes. I'm so excited. Tim has found a new podcast bride. I'm completely okay with it. I celebrate it and I'm just. I cannot wait. Actually, today is the day that the first episode releases and I cannot wait to sit back and listen as a listener and not a producer. So congrats.

Speaker A: Yes. You don't have to wait. You can go find it right now. The vacation rental key with TNT. We dropped our first episode today, March 17, 2025. And we can only hope to have half the success that you and I have had, Sarah, with 180 podcasts and over 215,000 downloads. But we're to really work on what truly unlocks. See, what I did there? Unlocks success in this industry. Deep dives, expert insights, and, uh, yeah, we'll have a little fun along the way. Any of you that know Tiffany, we like to laugh, just like Sarah and I do. And the first episode indeed drops today.

Speaker B: Congrats and welcome, Tiffany. I can't wait to hear all that you have to say. As for me, I'm stepping even further into retirement. Ish, I guess you'd call it. Of course. More pickleball, more skiing. Still being a mom to two teenagers. But I. Like I said, I'm still doing some vacation rental consulting on the side for some select clients across the US And I'm having such a blast doing it. Tim. Um, what a thrill to be able to share my knowledge. You, uh, know I'm opinionated. And to say, no, I don't think you should do that, or, yes, I think you should do that, or here's an idea. So many ideas and thoughts and projects and ways we've failed and succeeded in this industry. We need to share it with each other. So I've had a blast doing that for the past couple years.

Speaker A: I have met some of your clients at various conferences. So you've had that impact on them and. And to a person. They have come up to me and said, sarah's calling me on Tuesday and I need to make sure I've done this before she calls.

Speaker B: Oh, yeah.

Speaker A: Great gig.

Speaker B: Oh, I love it. I'm holding their feet to the fire.

Speaker A: So she may be retiring air quotes, but don't be fooled, folks. Sarah Bradford will always be a force in this industry.

Speaker B: Oh, you know me too well. I can't totally retire yet.

Speaker A: Yeah. And that's not all. You've got one more exciting project I think you're working on that I think folks will like to hear a little about.

Speaker B: Yes. Maybe by saying it, I'll actually do it. But after 180 episodes, we've created this gold mine of insights. And I always. I've heard just this week about somebody that has their new staff listened to a smattering of episodes to get trained and start Having the right vernacular. Is that the right word?

Speaker A: It works.

Speaker B: There's another blooper. Yeah. And I'm working.

Speaker A: I'm working on some things will never change.

Speaker B: Um, I'm working on repurposing all of this content and some sort of training modules. Whether it'll be written online, uh, book. I don't know what it's going to be, but there is a lot of information in there that I want to mine out and see if we can release it back to everybody in a way that you could train staff and for people to know which episodes to listen to based on the area they are, um, interested in or also just maybe their job title.

Speaker A: Sounds like training modules, for lack of a better term. Like, you could have an accounting one and you could have guest services. Owner relations.

Speaker B: Yeah, I think so.

Speaker A: Well, that's huge. So how can people stay in the loop on that? Since we're holding your feet to the fire.

Speaker B: Right. Well, I guess I'll just post it on our Facebook or our LinkedIn. Those are still up to date pages that we'll post to. So the vacation rental managers podcast with Sarah and T on Facebook or LinkedIn. If I follow through with my promise, that's where you'll find information about it. So I'll, um, update if the project takes shape. First, before we wrap up, we just really want to say thank you. Tim, I want to first say thank you to you. You did a lot more than I did behind the scenes with the podcast. In case any. Just for the record, I am indebted to you, and you were patient with me so many times, but your knowledge changed my company, and I just forever will value your friendship.

Speaker A: Wow. You're going to get me all emotional here, and I feel the same about you, so don't sell yourself short. There were many podcasts that wouldn't have happened without your cracking the whip.

Speaker B: So, I mean, that's true.

Speaker A: There you go. So to every listener, every guest, every industry leader who's joined us, you made this journey unforgettable.

Speaker B: Okay, Tim's crying. So just for the record, we have loved every moment. Except those moments, I have to say, when I couldn't get my audio to work. That wasn't a moment I loved. But just because this podcast is ending doesn't mean the conversation stops. So keep innovating, keep pushing, keep making this industry better. Keep sticking up for smaller vacation rental companies across the country who are working every day to come up with new ideas.

Speaker A: So for those 215,000 of you who have listened to this podcast and counting, Our most popular country was the United States of America, and our most popular city was Denver, Colorado. So if you're one of those folks, thank you. If you're on the other end of the scale, we had one listener in Croatia, one listener in Seychelles, one listener in Woodbury, Minnesota, and one listener in Kinsashi. Thank you all. You are a big part of why we did this.

Speaker B: Where's Kinsashe?

Speaker A: It's in Kinsashi City. Look it up. Maybe that one person can let us know. So if you want to keep hearing from me, be sure to subscribe to the Vacation Rental Key with TNT launching today on all those podcast apps. And our website is the Vacation Rental Key with T and T and is spelled out.com and so look forward to talking to you soon.

Speaker B: All right, can we also find you on social media, Tim?

Speaker A: Not me, but Tiffany's good at that, so. Yes, ma', am. We're there. LinkedIn, Facebook. What's that other stuff?

Speaker B: That's. That's good enough.

Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, you can find us there for sure. Okay.

Speaker B: Oh, one last thing before we go, Tim. Um, people might want to still see us in person. Believe it or not, I know you're going to be somewhere very soon. Where is it going to be?

Speaker A: In Savannah, Georgia. And Tiffany will be there with me. So we look forward to you guys coming up to us and introducing yourselves to Tiffany and re meeting me. We're going to be at the VRMA Foundations, the Frontline Excellence training sessions that are going on there. It's going to be a great show and hope everybody will be there. And you, my dear, are going to be a keynote speaker one day in the near future.

Speaker B: I know. I was asked to go to the Vermont Executive Summit in Miami the last three or four days of May, and I will be doing a new presentation I've never done before, creatively sharing with the audience all the things I want them to know that I wish I had known when I was building our vacation company.

Speaker A: Wait to hear more about them. So that's it, folks. Signing off. But never gone for the last time

Speaker B: that this has been the Vacation Rental Managers podcast with Sarah and T. Bye, Tim.

Speaker A: So long, everybody.