Freewyld Updates & Learning Lessons (Ep454)

By Jasper Ribbers

March 11, 2022

Last September, Eric and I started building Freewyld, our new short-term rental brand. And to start, we took over an existing Airbnb business—four cabins on three acres in Idyllwild, California.

What’s happened in the six months since then? What parts of our business plan have we executed? What unexpected challenges do we face? And what lessons have we learned along the way?

On this edition of STR Conversations, Eric and I reveal what’s going well in our new venture and where we’re struggling, explaining why we’re focused on getting systems in place and building out the team.

I describe what tools I’m using to manage the cabins remotely, and Eric shares the unforeseen challenges he’s facing on the development side of building Freewyld.

Listen in for insight on marketing to prevent cancellations and learn our methodical approach to hiring new Freewyld team members to fill our greatest needs.

Topics Covered

Why we’re giving our team the budget to book a unique stay on Airbnb
The existing STR business in Idyllwild we took over last September
How managing cabins remotely pushes me to be creative with guest communication
What challenges we’re facing on the development side of building Freewyld
Why we're focused on getting our systems in place and building out the team
The additional challenges of having 4 units on the same property
How we’re using marketing to prevent cancellations at Freewyld
The 2 ways to build an Airbnb business and why we’re taking the patient approach
Eric's methodical approach to hiring new team members for Freewyld