Short Term Rental Secrets Podcast

He was working 80 hours every two weeks in a hospital ICU.Open heart surgery patients. Life or death. No room for error.And in the gaps between shifts, sometimes still in his scrubs, he was quietly building a short-term rental business that would set him free.In this episode, E sits down with Jeremy Rosen for one of the most honest W2-escape stories this show has ever told.Jeremy joined STR Secrets with 4 properties and a full-time nursing job he loved but knew he had to leave. He went from 4 to 8 to 12 to 20 properties, all while clocking 12-hour shifts at the VA. Then he merged his own company into Five Star Vacation Home Rentals, where he now owns the San Antonio division, part of a portfolio of 70 properties across Central Texas. And he finally walked away from nursing for good.Today, based in San Antonio, Texas, Jeremy focuses on revenue optimization, guest experience, property operations, and scaling high performing vacation rental portfolios.In this episode:→ The exact mindset shift that took Jeremy from sick patients to happy guests, and the nurse's instinct that makes him a better host than most operators will ever be→ How he used his days off, while everyone else scrolled, to prospect, sell, and grow→ The "who not how" decision that broke him out of doing everything himself, and the one hire that changed his entire business→ Why he refused to build in secret, and how speaking his goals out loud actually made them happen→ The honest truth about quitting your W2 that almost nobody talks about, including the strange struggle of suddenly owning all of your own time→ Why "everything is figureoutable" is the only belief you need to finally make the leapIf you have a good job you're scared to leave, this is the episode you need to hear.Connect with Jeremy:Instagram and Facebook: @fivestarvhrEmail: jeremy@fivestarvacationhomerentals.comWebsite: fivestarvhr.comFree 6-step course to start your day right: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook Group

If you want to increase your revenue, automate your day to day operations and spend more time with your kids, talk to us: http://strsecrets.com/applyIf you want us to review your listing, org chart, pricing or anything related to STR business, join here:➡ https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsMost STR companies obsess over guest reviews.Blue Gems obsesses over owner profitability.And they grew to 180 properties under management doing it.In this episode, recorded live at the Freedom Factory in Beverly, MA, E and Chris sits down with Aidan Groll — co-founder of Blue Gems Management, one of Florida's fastest-growing STR companies. Aidan and his partner JB manage 180+ properties across Orlando and Clearwater Beach with a 36-person team — and grew almost entirely through organic relationships, not paid ads.In this episode Aidan breaks down:- How he went from a corporate accounting job to buying his first duplex in March 2020- How a 400 sq ft backyard ADU made $50K in its first year and convinced him to go all in on STRs- Why Blue Gems puts owners 70% over guests — and how they pitch that to new clients- Their full org chart at 180 units: 14 in maintenance, 7 in guest experience, 3 in sales and more- Why they do ALL maintenance in-house — and why speed was the deciding factor- How they automated 70% of guest communication with AI in the last year- Their 7-day contract-to-live-listing goal and how they hit it consistently- How they choose markets based on regulatory stability — not just cash flow- Why they shut down their podcast and social media for 2+ years to focus on growth- Their plan to reach 350-400 units through acquisitions of smaller operators- The Valley of Disappointment — and why most people quit right before it gets good- Aidan's #1 secret to STR success: patienceThis is a masterclass in building a real, scalable STR management business.---About Aidan Groll:Aidan Groll is the co-founder of Blue Gems Management, an Orlando-based vacation rental management company that has grown to oversee 180+ properties across Florida. Originally a real estate investor with a background in corporate accounting, Aidan and his business partner JB pivoted to short-term rentals in late 2021 — building their own management infrastructure before opening to third-party clients in early 2023. Since then, Blue Gems has scaled to a 36-person team with full in-house maintenance operations, serving property owners across Orlando and Clearwater Beach.Time Stamps:0:00 - intro0:54 - Introducing Aidan Groll and Blue Gems Management1:28 - What Blue Gems Does Differently (Owner-First Philosophy)4:14 - The Real Cost of Building This Business5:08 - Aidan's Origin Story: From Accounting Job to House Hacking in 20207:54 - The $50K ADU That Changed Everything9:10 - Scaling to 180 Properties: How Blue Gems Grew Without Paid Ads10:46 - The Contrarian Take: Why They Don't Chase 5-Star Reviews13:46 - How to Pitch the Owner-First Model to New Clients18:26 - Inside the Org Chart: 36 People, 180 Properties20:08 - Why They Do All Maintenance In-House25:38 - How AI Automated 70% of Guest Communication29:54 - From Signed Contract to Live Listing in 7 Days31:18 - How to Choose Markets Based on Regulatory Stability36:49 - Why Aidan Is Selling His Portfolio to Bet on the Management Company40:41 - The Real Cost of Building This Business43:59 - The Future: 350+ Units and Acquiring Smaller Operators47:15 - Aidan's #1 Secret to STR SuccessConnect with Aidan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aidangroll/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-grollEmail: aidan@bluegems.group📲 Connect with STR Secrets:Free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsSTR Secrets Podcast: https://strsecrets.com/podcast

YOUTUBE DESCRIPTIONMost people end Q1 the same way they started it.Behind on goals. Ahead on excuses.In this solo episode, E breaks down why that happens — and what to actually do about it before Q2 starts.This isn't a motivational pep talk.It's a direct, honest look at the real reason you keep self-sabotaging — even when you know exactly what you need to do.In this episode, E covers:- Why the brain doesn't perceive time as time — and what that means for how you're living- Tony Robbins' 3 S's framework: State → Story → Systems (and why you're skipping the first two)- The 5 core wounds that create self-sabotage: rejection, abandonment, humiliation, betrayal, and injustice- The difference between being self-centered vs. self-aware — and why it changes everything- The belief thermostat: why you always reduce yourself back to what you think you're worth- 3 questions to ask yourself right now as you close out Q1- The one question E asks himself that "terrifies the shit out of him" — and keeps him movingIf the year hasn't gone the way you planned — this episode is the reset you need.📲 Connect with STR Secrets:Free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsApply to work with us: https://strsecrets.com/applySTR Secrets Podcast: https://strsecrets.com/podcastTimestamps:0:00 - Intro2:09 - Q1 Check-In: Are You Still Holding Your Standards?3:57 - Why Time Feels Like It's Running Away (The Science of Memory Markers)6:13 - Stop Just Learning — Start Experimenting7:13 - Tony Robbins' 3 S's: State, Story, and Systems9:23 - Why Mindset Work Alone Keeps Failing You9:47 - The 5 Core Wounds Behind Every Self-Sabotage Pattern11:23 - How Your Brain's 3 Layers Are Keeping You Stuck13:38 - Self-Centered vs. Self-Aware: The Shift That Changes Everything15:37 - The Belief Thermostat: Why You Keep Reducing Yourself17:05 - Your Honest Q1 Review: Facts Only, No Stories18:38 - 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Q2 Starts20:33 - Nobody Is Coming to Save You22:56 - "Is This the Final Version of You?"

Connect with Sean:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sean_bakhtiari/Check out Seacoast 2 Summit: https://www.seacoast2summit.comCheck out our free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsWhat happens when a corporate finance guy from Boston decides he's done working for someone else — and bets on short-term rentals?Sean Bakhtiari is the co-founder of Seacoast 2 Summit Vacation Rentals and The Bakhtiari Group, a top-performing real estate sales team across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. As an active STR investor, his work sits at the intersection of real estate, hospitality, and investment strategy throughout New England.After 9 years in Boston's financial district, Sean bought his first STR. Then a second. Then started building a management company.At 12 properties, he hit a wall. He was good at business development and client relationships. But systems, operations, and scale? Not his strengths. That's when a serendipitous call from Chris changed everything.Today, Sean and Chris co-run Seacoast to Summit Vacation Rentals — managing 120+ properties across the New Hampshire seacoast, lakes and mountains region, and North Shore of Massachusetts. Almost entirely on referrals, with virtually no paid marketing.In this episode, Sean and Chris pull back the curtain on:- How they identified each other as the right partner (and what 3 things you need to align on before you sign anything)- Sean's "help first, never sell" philosophy — and why it's responsible for most of their growth- Why they've said no to 10+ deals in the last 3 months (and why that's the right call)- The two fears they stay up at night thinking about as they scale- How to delegate without feeling like you're losing control- What it takes to keep your team culture intact as you grow- Why boutique hotels might be the next frontier for this businessThis is a rare episode — a founder bringing on his business partner and pulling off the veil on how a real, values-driven STR company actually works at scale.---Timestamps:0:00 - Introducing Sean Bakhtiari: Chris's Business Partner2:45 - How Sean Went From Corporate Finance to STR Management6:30 - Building Seacoast to Summit: From 12 to 120 Properties10:15 - How Sean and Chris Found Each Other (The Serendipitous Call)15:00 - The 3 Things You Must Align On Before Partnering18:30 - The "Help First" Sales Mindset That Built the Business23:00 - Why They Said No to 10 Deals in 3 Months27:00 - The Two Fears They Have About Growing Too Fast32:30 - How to Delegate Without Losing Control37:00 - Keeping Team Culture Intact at Scale42:00 - What the Future Looks Like: Boutique Hotels and Brand Building46:00 - Sean's #1 Secret to STR Success