Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
STR Ai Summit Kicks Off tomorrow, grab your ticket from here: https://level.strsecrets.com/aisummit2 Dave Menapace is back — and he's got the receipts. In nine months he grew his co-hosting portfolio from 32 to 70 properties under management, and in this episode he breaks down exactly what that kind of growth actually feels like from the inside. Mike, Rilley, and Dave dig into the wins (hiring early during "peacetime," never asking your team to do something you won't do yourself, staying flexible without whiplash) and the hard lessons (the missing middle-management layer, why new doors carry lower margins, and how fast personalities pile up when you double a portfolio). Dave also shares the four fractional hires that changed his business — HR, CFO, CEO coaching, and legal — plus how he's using AI and the new Cortex dashboard to stand up a Director of Operations in two weeks instead of three and a half years. Plus: a preview of the STR Secrets AI Summit (Sept 29–30). In this episode: Referrals as the #1 growth engine after time in the industry The hidden cost of doubling a portfolio: managing personalities, not just properties Educating owners vs. defending opinions (pricing, minimum-night stays) Why the first 6 months with an owner are the highest-touch — and lowest-margin Task-completers vs. outcome-owners The CASPAR framework for scaling Fractional hires: HR, CFO, fractional CEO, legal counsel Using AI/Cortex to centralize sales, launch, ops & guest comms 🎤 About the Guest Dave Menapace is a short-term rental investor and the President of The 5-Star Co-Host, a co-hosting company specializing in managing high-end luxury vacation rentals across the country. In addition to investing and co-hosting, he is a best-selling author, contributing (with his wife) to Hospitable Host 2, and he is the host of the Hassle Free RE podcast. He and his wife own 2 short-term rentals, several long-term rentals with partners, and co-host 14 properties in New England and various other states across the country. Dave is a husband and father with a passion for public speaking and helping others achieve their goals through real estate. Connect with Dave: 🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/menapace_realestate 📸 Instagram (personal): instagram.com/menapace_realestate 📸 Instagram (business): instagram.com/5starcohost 📧 Email: dave.menapace@strsecrets.com
