461. From Design Firm to Direct Booking Success

Today’s guest is a powerhouse of resilience and resourcefulness: Janice Thayer of Curated Properties in Abingdon, Virginia. As a longtime member of Hosting Business Mastery (HBM), Janice shares her remarkable journey from navigating personal upheaval to launching a thriving short-term rental business — all while living on-site.

In this inspiring conversation, Janice explains how she leveraged her design expertise and entrepreneurial background to build a luxury hosting brand, create multiple rentable spaces within her own home, and master the art of direct bookings. She walks us through the challenges of launching during COVID, navigating property renovations, and the mindset that has allowed her to double her revenue every year since opening.

We also discuss how Janice uses dynamic pricing, multiple social media platforms, and creative SEO tactics to attract guests — including how she’s achieved a 28% direct booking rate with zero paid advertising. Plus, she shares her strategies for guest screening, why she chooses to stay involved in HBM years after launching, and why resilience is every host’s superpower.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can truly take control of your STR income and build a sustainable, guest-loved business — this is the episode for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Janice’s interior design and hospitality background set her apart as a host

• Starting a STR business after a major life transition

• The pros and cons of living onsite with your guests

• Renovating and reconfiguring space to maximize bookings

• Why dynamic pricing was a game-changer for Janice’s revenue

• How she built a direct booking website that now accounts for nearly 30% of her income

• Tips for using social media and SEO to attract direct bookings

• Managing cleaners and maintaining high standards

• Why Janice stays engaged in Hosting Business Mastery year after year

• The #1 mindset shift every host needs to succeed

Resources mentioned: