Welcome to our latest podcast episode!
In this podcast episode, Liam interviews Laura Wegner, owner of The Sweet Life Whistler, a successful short-term rental business. Laura's target audience is jet-setting couples seeking ski-in and ski-out accommodations with world-class hospitality.
After her gourmet coffee service business was hit by the pandemic, Laura turned her Whistler condo into a short-term rental. Despite her initial lack of industry knowledge, Laura's partnership with experts and networking helped her ensure the viability of her investment.
She emphasizes the importance of thoughtfulness and generosity in providing a positive guest experience, rather than solely focusing on profits.
Liam concludes by expressing gratitude to Laura and encourages listeners to prioritize hospitality.
The podcast highlights Laura's journey, her target audience, and the significance of exceptional hospitality.
- Laura Wegner, owner of The Sweet Life Whistler, is interviewed by Liam in a podcast episode.
- Laura transformed her Whistler condo into a short-term rental after her coffee service business was affected by the pandemic.
- Despite her lack of industry knowledge, Laura partnered with experts and networked to ensure the success of her rental business.
- Laura emphasizes the importance of thoughtfulness and generosity in providing a positive guest experience rather than focusing solely on profits.
- The podcast highlights Laura's journey, her target audience of jet-setting couples seeking ski-in and ski-out accommodations, and the significance of exceptional hospitality.
Here's the video for this episode:
Timestamps (audio)
Whilst you’re here
Follow Boostly on the following channels to get more tips, tactics and knowledge on how you can increase your direct bookings
Visual – YouTube
Audio -Boosty Podcast
Transcript from the Episode
Intro
[00:00:00] Liam: Hey everybody. Welcome to the next episode of the Boostly podcast. Uh, this is the podcast that gives hosts the tools, the tactics, the training, and most importantly, the confidence on how you as a host can go out there and pick up some more direct bookings. My name's Liam Caroline. I'm Mark Simpson's co-host, and today we are going behind a successful and interesting host.
[00:00:20] We're gonna be asking questions about their hospitality business, trying to extract some, uh, some juicy answers, some uh, Things that you can do and implement within your business. And I'm really excited today. Uh, I'm joined by, uh, Laura Wegner, and she's got a brilliant short-term rental business called The Sweet Life in Whistler, or Sweet Life Whistler, I should say, without Fado.
[00:00:43] Let's introduce Laura. Welcome along.
[00:00:45] Laura: Thank you so much, Liam. I'm very excited to be here and, uh, able to talk about my business and what I love most about hosting.
[00:00:53] Liam: Well, I'm, I'm excited to have you here, so, Why don't you give the audience an introduction into you and, uh, and your business?
Laura Intro
[00:01:00] Laura: Sure. So my business name is the Sweet Life Whistler in British Columbia, Canada.
[00:01:05] And, um, we offer currently a one-bedroom boutique vacation rental, uh, on the slopes of Black Home Mountain. I have to say Whistler is my all-time happy place. I've been to over 20 different countries around the world and Whistler still has my heart and it's where I love to adventure. So, uh, So grateful that I'm able to have a business there and I just launched an Airbnb management company.
[00:01:32] Um, we want to support and educate investors who are looking to build out their Whistler portfolio and, uh, maximize their ski and scout revenue potential.
[00:01:41] Liam: That sounds amazing and certainly something which, I mean, Whistler in general, I'm, I'm going, uh, snowboarding of next week. So, uh, yes, anything which is skiing, ski-out, you know, sort of anything like that I love.
[00:01:53] So, um, you mentioned the model that you use, um, and when it comes down to one thing I'd love to know, which not many other people know if we can get, uh, something interesting or may surprise people about yourself.
[00:02:08] Laura: Oh, I think this is quite surprising. I am a certified teacher and I have my master's in Applied Linguistics.
[00:02:18] I did some linguistic work in Papua New Guinea, and I'm credited in Thena Analogue, which is a language book of all the languages in the world of discovering a language called Yuba. So me and one other linguist out in the bush with a backpack to discover some languages. Of course. I say discovering cuz that's from a Western viewpoint cuz that language group knew their language, but most people don't know that, so there you go.
[00:02:44] Liam: That is amazing. What would you say is the most important thing for your guest's aspect and why? Why do people come and stay in the sweet life Whistler?
[00:02:53] Laura: What I've learned from our guests and from the reviews is that people are responsive to hospitality. And I know that seems ridiculous to say in the hospitality industry, but I think.
[00:03:07] There are some hosts out there, not hospitable hosts, mind you, but there are some who've kind of forgotten that hospitality is the golden rule in the business. They think it's all about the bottom line. So what I've, uh, stumbled upon is kind of reexamining hospitality and how crucial it is to the guest day.
[00:03:29] Um, I know I've been in 20 different countries and whenever I have stayed at a place where hospitality is the very first thing that's on the list, then. They extend to me a higher quality of service. There's a higher return on my experience and I feel valued instead of just sort of processed and pushed through the system.
[00:03:53] And people are yearning for that. The connection of that, the seamlessness of that, the thoughtfulness of that, and um, I believe if you're going to engage the Golden Rule, right, we wanna treat others the way we wanna be treated, then it's hard to do that by just considering the company's bottom line people.
[00:04:14] I completely agree with you. Yeah, people, they sense that when you are stingy on some level, people just go, oh, especially generous people. So, um, hospitality first and everything else will fall in line.
What kind of guest avatar do you host?
[00:04:29] Liam: What kind of guest avatar do you host? Who is it who comes and stays with you?
[00:04:35] Laura: Our guest avatars are jet-setting couples.
[00:04:39] They're world travellers. They're um, seasoned. They have high demands for accommodations. They need that ski and ski out. Don't even talk to them. There's no hot tub. There's no ski and ski out. Forget it. They're not gonna look at you. Um, and. You know, they've been around so they know good hospitality and world-class hospitality when they see it.
[00:05:03] So couples, that's our target avatar. We do any advertising or copywriting. We speak directly to them. We wanna attract them in. Um, and, uh, they want to. Adventure together while they connect. And that's, that's our main target avatar.
[00:05:23] Liam: What would you say is the reason that you got into hospitality?
[00:05:27] Take me back. Um, like, like you say, you've discovered languages. Yes. Take me back. How did, how did this all come about and, and
[00:05:34] Laura: why? I guess it's a story that we hear quite often in the hospitality industry. You know, some people get into it because that's their first choice. I had a gourmet coffee service business that was, um, thriving for over a decade, and then Covid came in and obliterated that business because we were in offices and when all the offices shut down, our service was no longer needed for two years.
[00:06:02] So my gourmet coffee service business died quickly. And it was, it was deeply painful. I mean, I had plans that I was gonna build that up. I was gonna sell, you know, that business and all of that got stripped away. So it's March and I'm realizing my business is dead. Nobody's gonna be needing my coffee service and.
[00:06:32] I don't have many options except for one. We had purchased a Whistler condo a few months prior and we were updating it, and that was my only financial game in town. And so I just dug in and I said, okay, I know long-term rentals. I've been doing long-term rentals for about 20 years, so I thought, well, I'm gonna get into the short-term rental, but there's a problem.
[00:06:56] I do not know the short-term rental industry. I've stayed at places, but I didn't know, so I did not know of short-term rentals. I had no reputation. That's huge in the short-term rental industry. I had no traction with online travel agents. And of course, we know occupancy rates were like, they tanked, right?
[00:07:16] They were at nothing in March. So, um, I, it's kind of a Hail Mary I threw up and, uh, like in a football game. And here it is. I didn't know that it was going to be so successful, successful and that people were going to respond so well to it. And I'm grateful. So all of you who came to stay with me, thank you.
How did you know your property was going to work?
[00:07:37] Liam: When you bought that condo, I guess that was before you knew how to track where properties work, right? But is there any, was there anything that gave you a good feeling that that was gonna work? What, was it that made you think, Hey, do you know what this probably will do well, as a short-term rental?
[00:07:56] Laura: Well look, even though we weren't going to necessarily rent that out as a short-term rental, we're still investment people and we're not gonna buy something that doesn't cash flow. So cash on cash, all of those things, we did look into that. So that was the good news. Um, We did the cash-on-cash value with the long-term rental in case we had to rent it out long-term.
[00:08:20] But, um, the main thing that I can say is we've known this area, our knowledge about 20 years. So we know that particular niche market. Mm-hmm. Now, besides that though, I'm all about networking with professionals. So we went to. This real estate agent, Danny O'Neal, she's amazing. She is an expert in her field.
[00:08:45] She knows that ski and ski out market like nobody else, and we partnered with her and she helped us with her. Resources and sources help us to know, if is this a good investment. Mm-hmm. And then after I had that information, I went out to some short-term, uh, rental management companies and I said, Hey, what do you project my income could be for this scenario?
[00:09:10] And that was kind of just what I did, not understanding that I was gonna be in the short-term rental industry. So I used the knowledge that I had at the time and the connections, the networking that I had. So I would highly recommend it to people that find an expert. Everybody says this, find the experts that you love to partner with and use them as a resource.
[00:09:33] They're happy to do that. And, Danny was invaluable. She's amazing. Any property we purchase will go through her.
Outro
[00:09:39] Liam: Thank you, Laura,, for coming on and sharing your story. And, and there's, there's something, I say this quite often, but your vibe attracts your tribes. So there'll be people who listen to this and reach out because they resonate with you and your story and, and your hospitality business.
[00:09:52] And from this podcast, I've got the, um, you know, the. It's returned us to, the warmth of what hospitality should be, that thoughtful generosity. So, uh, thank you, for sharing that. And thank you too, if you're listening to this on the Boostly podcast, we know there are a lot of places you can put your attention and, your attention is one of your most valuable resources.
[00:10:13] So we thank you for putting it with us here at Boostly and we hope we have, uh, uh, inspired you and that you've picked up some tips today. So thank you so much and, uh, thank you again, Laura. Yes. Thank you. Having a blast. Gonna get it on the Boostly podcast.
[00:10:28] Laura: Bruce Lee. Let Bruce Lee cuz it's so hard on the tee is loose leaf making
[00:10:32] Liam: up those rhymes.
[00:10:33] Don't write it just to lose.
Before you leave
Please go and rate, review and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify Google Play or Anchor or visit
Transcript from the Episode
Intro
[00:00:00] Liam: Hey everybody. Welcome to the next episode of the Boostly podcast. Uh, this is the podcast that gives hosts the tools, the tactics, the training, and most importantly, the confidence on how you as a host can go out there and pick up some more direct bookings. My name's Liam Caroline. I'm Mark Simpson's co-host, and today we are going behind a successful and interesting host.
[00:00:20] We're gonna be asking questions about their hospitality business, trying to extract some, uh, some juicy answers, some uh, Things that you can do and implement within your business. And I'm really excited today. Uh, I'm joined by, uh, Laura Wegner, and she's got a brilliant short-term rental business called The Sweet Life in Whistler, or Sweet Life Whistler, I should say, without Fado.
[00:00:43] Let's introduce Laura. Welcome along.
[00:00:45] Laura: Thank you so much, Liam. I'm very excited to be here and, uh, able to talk about my business and what I love most about hosting.
[00:00:53] Liam: Well, I'm, I'm excited to have you here, so, Why don't you give the audience an introduction into you and, uh, and your business?
Laura Intro
[00:01:00] Laura: Sure. So my business name is the Sweet Life Whistler in British Columbia, Canada.
[00:01:05] And, um, we offer currently a one-bedroom boutique vacation rental, uh, on the slopes of Black Home Mountain. I have to say Whistler is my all-time happy place. I've been to over 20 different countries around the world and Whistler still has my heart and it's where I love to adventure. So, uh, So grateful that I'm able to have a business there and I just launched an Airbnb management company.
[00:01:32] Um, we want to support and educate investors who are looking to build out their Whistler portfolio and, uh, maximize their ski and scout revenue potential.
[00:01:41] Liam: That sounds amazing and certainly something which, I mean, Whistler in general, I'm, I'm going, uh, snowboarding of next week. So, uh, yes, anything which is skiing, ski-out, you know, sort of anything like that I love.
[00:01:53] So, um, you mentioned the model that you use, um, and when it comes down to one thing I'd love to know, which not many other people know if we can get, uh, something interesting or may surprise people about yourself.
[00:02:08] Laura: Oh, I think this is quite surprising. I am a certified teacher and I have my master's in Applied Linguistics.
[00:02:18] I did some linguistic work in Papua New Guinea, and I'm credited in Thena Analogue, which is a language book of all the languages in the world of discovering a language called Yuba. So me and one other linguist out in the bush with a backpack to discover some languages. Of course. I say discovering cuz that's from a Western viewpoint cuz that language group knew their language, but most people don't know that, so there you go.
[00:02:44] Liam: That is amazing. What would you say is the most important thing for your guest's aspect and why? Why do people come and stay in the sweet life Whistler?
[00:02:53] Laura: What I've learned from our guests and from the reviews is that people are responsive to hospitality. And I know that seems ridiculous to say in the hospitality industry, but I think.
[00:03:07] There are some hosts out there, not hospitable hosts, mind you, but there are some who've kind of forgotten that hospitality is the golden rule in the business. They think it's all about the bottom line. So what I've, uh, stumbled upon is kind of reexamining hospitality and how crucial it is to the guest day.
[00:03:29] Um, I know I've been in 20 different countries and whenever I have stayed at a place where hospitality is the very first thing that's on the list, then. They extend to me a higher quality of service. There's a higher return on my experience and I feel valued instead of just sort of processed and pushed through the system.
[00:03:53] And people are yearning for that. The connection of that, the seamlessness of that, the thoughtfulness of that, and um, I believe if you're going to engage the Golden Rule, right, we wanna treat others the way we wanna be treated, then it's hard to do that by just considering the company's bottom line people.
[00:04:14] I completely agree with you. Yeah, people, they sense that when you are stingy on some level, people just go, oh, especially generous people. So, um, hospitality first and everything else will fall in line.
What kind of guest avatar do you host?
[00:04:29] Liam: What kind of guest avatar do you host? Who is it who comes and stays with you?
[00:04:35] Laura: Our guest avatars are jet-setting couples.
[00:04:39] They're world travellers. They're um, seasoned. They have high demands for accommodations. They need that ski and ski out. Don't even talk to them. There's no hot tub. There's no ski and ski out. Forget it. They're not gonna look at you. Um, and. You know, they've been around so they know good hospitality and world-class hospitality when they see it.
[00:05:03] So couples, that's our target avatar. We do any advertising or copywriting. We speak directly to them. We wanna attract them in. Um, and, uh, they want to. Adventure together while they connect. And that's, that's our main target avatar.
[00:05:23] Liam: What would you say is the reason that you got into hospitality?
[00:05:27] Take me back. Um, like, like you say, you've discovered languages. Yes. Take me back. How did, how did this all come about and, and
[00:05:34] Laura: why? I guess it's a story that we hear quite often in the hospitality industry. You know, some people get into it because that's their first choice. I had a gourmet coffee service business that was, um, thriving for over a decade, and then Covid came in and obliterated that business because we were in offices and when all the offices shut down, our service was no longer needed for two years.
[00:06:02] So my gourmet coffee service business died quickly. And it was, it was deeply painful. I mean, I had plans that I was gonna build that up. I was gonna sell, you know, that business and all of that got stripped away. So it's March and I'm realizing my business is dead. Nobody's gonna be needing my coffee service and.
[00:06:32] I don't have many options except for one. We had purchased a Whistler condo a few months prior and we were updating it, and that was my only financial game in town. And so I just dug in and I said, okay, I know long-term rentals. I've been doing long-term rentals for about 20 years, so I thought, well, I'm gonna get into the short-term rental, but there's a problem.
[00:06:56] I do not know the short-term rental industry. I've stayed at places, but I didn't know, so I did not know of short-term rentals. I had no reputation. That's huge in the short-term rental industry. I had no traction with online travel agents. And of course, we know occupancy rates were like, they tanked, right?
[00:07:16] They were at nothing in March. So, um, I, it's kind of a Hail Mary I threw up and, uh, like in a football game. And here it is. I didn't know that it was going to be so successful, successful and that people were going to respond so well to it. And I'm grateful. So all of you who came to stay with me, thank you.
How did you know your property was going to work?
[00:07:37] Liam: When you bought that condo, I guess that was before you knew how to track where properties work, right? But is there any, was there anything that gave you a good feeling that that was gonna work? What, was it that made you think, Hey, do you know what this probably will do well, as a short-term rental?
[00:07:56] Laura: Well look, even though we weren't going to necessarily rent that out as a short-term rental, we're still investment people and we're not gonna buy something that doesn't cash flow. So cash on cash, all of those things, we did look into that. So that was the good news. Um, We did the cash-on-cash value with the long-term rental in case we had to rent it out long-term.
[00:08:20] But, um, the main thing that I can say is we've known this area, our knowledge about 20 years. So we know that particular niche market. Mm-hmm. Now, besides that though, I'm all about networking with professionals. So we went to. This real estate agent, Danny O'Neal, she's amazing. She is an expert in her field.
[00:08:45] She knows that ski and ski out market like nobody else, and we partnered with her and she helped us with her. Resources and sources help us to know, if is this a good investment. Mm-hmm. And then after I had that information, I went out to some short-term, uh, rental management companies and I said, Hey, what do you project my income could be for this scenario?
[00:09:10] And that was kind of just what I did, not understanding that I was gonna be in the short-term rental industry. So I used the knowledge that I had at the time and the connections, the networking that I had. So I would highly recommend it to people that find an expert. Everybody says this, find the experts that you love to partner with and use them as a resource.
[00:09:33] They're happy to do that. And, Danny was invaluable. She's amazing. Any property we purchase will go through her.
Outro
[00:09:39] Liam: Thank you, Laura,, for coming on and sharing your story. And, and there's, there's something, I say this quite often, but your vibe attracts your tribes. So there'll be people who listen to this and reach out because they resonate with you and your story and, and your hospitality business.
[00:09:52] And from this podcast, I've got the, um, you know, the. It's returned us to, the warmth of what hospitality should be, that thoughtful generosity. So, uh, thank you, for sharing that. And thank you too, if you're listening to this on the Boostly podcast, we know there are a lot of places you can put your attention and, your attention is one of your most valuable resources.
[00:10:13] So we thank you for putting it with us here at Boostly and we hope we have, uh, uh, inspired you and that you've picked up some tips today. So thank you so much and, uh, thank you again, Laura. Yes. Thank you. Having a blast. Gonna get it on the Boostly podcast.
[00:10:28] Laura: Bruce Lee. Let Bruce Lee cuz it's so hard on the tee is loose leaf making
[00:10:32] Liam: up those rhymes.
[00:10:33] Don't write it just to lose.
Before you leave
Please go and rate, review and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify Google Play or Anchor or visit
