Pushing Beyond Comfort Zones
[00:00:00] Elena: Believe in yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Nothing happens in the comfort zone. And unless you give yourself this push and make yourself the things that are sometimes not enjoyable or easy to do. Um, that's when the change happens.
Introduction to Boostly Podcast
[00:00:18] Liam: Welcome back to the Boostly podcast. This is the podcast that gives you the tools, the tactics, the training, and most importantly, the confidence.
[00:00:24] Liam: So you can go out there and get more direct bookings. We love to interview hosts from all over the world on this podcast. So you can learn from what they're doing. These are hosts who are doing something special within the industry, something that you need to know about.
[00:00:40] Liam: And today we've got an amazing host. Who's part of, uh, a project called Hospitable Hosts? Uh, they're a best-selling author from this year, which is amazing. And we're going to find out about her story, about what. It made her become an author and also just dive into the tricks and tips that she does in her business.
Introducing Elena Stepanova
[00:01:00] Liam: So you can learn from her too. So let me introduce Elena Stepanova. She's the founder of My Perfect Host, which is a STR company based in Australia. Um, so she's joined us very early today where she is. It's very late here in the UK. It's very early where she is. So thank you so much for joining me, Elena.
[00:01:19] Elena: Hi Liam. I'm so excited to be here. I was up late last night, just thinking about this morning and yes, I'm excited. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I'm pleased to have you here. So. Before we get started on, the book and on the business, can you just give a short introduction, you know, like an elevator pitch as to yourself and what it is that you do?
[00:01:43] Elena: Sure. So I'm Elena. I live in Australia. I'm based in Sydney. I've been here for the last 13 years. I wasn't born here, so I moved here with my husband and three kids in 2011. I'm a professional host. I'm a marketing professional as well. Um, and I recently started a business called My Perfect Host, which is a platform for hosts like me who are just starting or are at some point in their journey in hosting, and it's a platform that helps connect hosts with homeowners.
Becoming a Bestselling Author
[00:02:23] Elena: When it comes down to the hospitable host, I'm going to dive straight into the book. Sure. Why did you become an author? And how have the last couple of months been because you're a best-selling Amazon offer, which is awesome, and everybody listening to this, they don't realize that you can, um, become a best-selling offer through this amazing community and of hospitality?
[00:02:50] Liam: Just talk us through that. Yeah. So it's, um, really weird how I got into all of this. Um, and I never even thought about becoming an author, um, let alone a bestselling author. Um, so about a year ago, um, the interest rates were rising in Australia and I was thinking of ways how to make some extra income.
[00:03:15] Elena: Uh, and we have a spare room in our home. Uh, and I thought, well, we've done Airbnb before. Um, I've hosted for about 11 years, um, on and off when we were going away. And I thought, well, why not, um, rent the room on Airbnb and see if we can make a little extra money? So I did that and, um, I've had so many bookings, it did so well.
[00:03:43] Elena: And I just remembered how much I loved. Hosting and meeting people and, um, just, yeah, hearing about their life journey and their experiences. And then I thought, well, it works well. Um, how can I host more, but I couldn't afford to buy another property to do that? And then I started researching about co-hosting and, uh, managing other people's homes.
[00:04:11] Elena: And, uh, while I was doing it, I just realized that there's A lot of information out there, but it's all confusing. And sometimes it's really hard to find answers to your questions. Also, there are like a million or gazillion Facebook groups and everyone is asking the same questions over and over what channel manager can I use?
[00:04:35] Elena: Um, how can I find a co-hosting agreement? And then I thought, well, I have done so much research. I spent weeks, months, maybe listening to different podcasts and, uh, reading online, why don't I just package up this knowledge and, uh, make it centralised? So my initial idea was to make it a resource for Australian hosts.
[00:05:01] Elena: and have a platform where people like me who are not a big management company but still enjoy hosting and want to help other people. So what does the business look like at the moment? Um, is it, uh, you mentioned you do co-hosting, you've, uh, you let out the, the room in the house. What does the business look like?
[00:05:20] Elena: So the business, uh, in terms of management, um, I have, uh, all types of man, uh, I'm doing arbitrage. I'm co-hosting for a few clients and I also do full management as well. Um, but I didn't answer your question in the first place, about how I got into the book. So while I was researching, sorry about that. Um, I, um, came across this book and, um, Hospitable Hosts and I ordered it on Amazon and started reading.
[00:05:53] Elena: The first page, I remember it well. The first sentence that I read was being an Airbnb manager is a hard work, but being a hospitable host is a pleasure. And it just resonated with me so much. Um, because I understand that a lot of companies out there and it's, uh, for them, it's numbered, it's, uh, bottom line and performance, but, you know, There's this whole group of people who love hosting and for them, hospitality is something that's, um, that matters.
[00:06:34] Elena: And I read the book in one day and I felt inspired and motivated. Then I reached out to Jordi and Julie as well. And, um, later on, I joined, uh, I met them at the conference in Australia. So last October, there was a conference called Astra. Uh, and I decided to go and just made a network. Um, and that was life-changing.
[00:07:04] Elena: So Jody, um, kind of spoke to me and, um, I wasn't thinking about becoming an author because I thought it was for people who have successful businesses that they have already achieved something, but Uh, she convinced me that it's about hosting and hospitality and, um, that's how I joined the book. What would you say to somebody listening to this who listens, is gathering information, but isn't currently going out to network and events?
Importance of Networking
[00:07:35] Liam: What would you tell that person? Um, I would say, um, just do it because it was really hard for me. I'm not an extrovert. By nature and um, even going to Astra. So Julie George was kind and she invited me, um, to a day cruise the day before the conference. Um, and I knew that it was a smaller group of people who all knew each other.
[00:08:05] Elena: And I remember arriving in Sydney Harbour, um, and just looking at all these people running after each other and hugging and giving like big hugs to each other. And I thought, Oh my God, I'm, I'm scared. I want to go home. I can't come up to them because they, they all know each other and I'm new and I'm a stranger.
[00:08:25] Elena: So And I just did it and it was the best thing ever. I met so many people and, um, I made really good friends that I'm still in touch with and they are in different parts of Australia and different parts, parts of the world as well. Um, and actually, um, This experience at Astra inspired me to go to another conference in Nashville, which I recently, uh, went to in February, and it was an amazing time as well.
Advice on Stepping Out of Comfort Zones
[00:08:58] Liam: What piece of advice would you give Elena? Who hadn't attended some of these, uh, networking events and who was still in the full-time corporate job and hadn't thought about doing what you're doing now? Uh, my advice would be, um, believe in yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Nothing happens in the comfort zone.
[00:09:17] Elena: And unless you, um, give yourself this push and make yourself the things that are not, sometimes not really, enjoyable or easy to do. Um, that's when the change happens. And I have a little tip, um, that helped me in my life. And it's not just about hosting or business or anything, but I'm a big believer in, uh, manifestation.
[00:09:47] Elena: So my tip is You know, you have, everyone has a laptop and they have a password. So whenever you, um, type in the password, make your password some, something meaningful. And don't just type with, uh, one, two, three, but, um, you can think of something that you want to achieve this month or next month, and then make it the word and the month that you want it to happen.
[00:10:17] Elena: And that helped me. So many times you wouldn't believe it's, it's, um, yeah. I don't know how it works, but it does. , thank you so much. This has been fun. We'll see you again. Awesome. Thank you so much, Liam. Bye bye. Thank you.
