The Vintory Podcast

Episode 55: Top 10 Mistakes — 26-Year-Old CEO Jack Zoppa’s Journey in the STR Industry

In Episode 55 of the Vintory Podcast, Brooke Pfautz sits down with Jack Zoppa, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who is already leading two companies in the vacation rental space. Jack is the CEO of Haven Vacation Rentals in the Smoky Mountains and the Co-Founder & CEO of Tendwell Cleaning Co. At just 26, Jack has built and scaled both a property management company and a cleaning operation in one of the most competitive short-term rental markets in the country. But the journey hasn’t been smooth. In this episode, Jack shares his top 10 mistakes in the industry — the lessons that shaped him as a young CEO navigating rapid growth, operational challenges, team building, and the realities of scaling service-based businesses. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes * Vacation Rental Secrets [https://amzn.to/3ub6HYe] * Brooke Pfautz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookepfautz/] * Jack Zoppa [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackathaven/] * Haven Vacation Rentals  [https://havenvacationrentals.com/] * Tendwell Cleaning Co. [https://tendwellcleaningco.com/] 🔗 Connect With Vintory * Website [https://vintory.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vintory/] 🚀 About Vintory Vintory is the first and only platform designed exclusively to help vacation rental managers recruit new homeowners and add more properties to their management program.

Episode 54: Top 10 Mistakes — Tim Fisher’s Unfiltered Marketing Journey from Newspaper Hustle to Vacation Rental Giants

Welcome to The Vintory Podcast: Top 10 Mistakes. In Episode 54 of the Vintory Podcast, Brooke Pfautz is joined by Tim Fisher, a seasoned marketing leader whose career spans from the grind of writing newspaper press releases to directing powerhouse marketing strategies for top names in the vacation rental industry—ResortQuest, Vacasa, Wyndham, and Blue Water. Tim shares his unconventional journey, starting with a job that mixed content writing with golf rounds, through major corporate shakeups that left him as the last man standing. From there, he became the marketing mind behind some of the industry's most recognizable brands, learning countless lessons along the way. Now self-employed, Tim partners with businesses of all sizes, offering senior-level marketing strategy and hands-on execution. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes * Vacation Rental Secrets [https://amzn.to/3ub6HYe] * Brooke Pfautz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookepfautz/] * Tim Fisher [https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyrfisher/] 🔗 Connect With Vintory * Website [https://vintory.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vintory/] 🚀 About Vintory Vintory is the first and only platform designed exclusively to help vacation rental managers recruit new homeowners and add more properties to their management program.

Episode 53: Top 10 Mistakes — Mark Kombrink’s Hands-On Approach to Mastering Vacation Rental Management

Welcome to The Vintory Podcast: Top 10 Mistakes. In Episode 53 of the Vintory Podcast, Brooke Pfautz sits down with Mark Kombrink, founder of Host2Coast (also known as Hilton Head Vacation Rentals), to unpack the real-world lessons that shaped his journey in the vacation rental industry. With a background in finance and a reputation as a true jack-of-all-trades, Mark built Host2Coast on one clear mission: to deliver exceptional service, peace of mind for homeowners, and unforgettable guest experiences. Whether it’s managing operations, crafting marketing strategies, or fixing something himself—Mark is always in the trenches. In this episode, he shares the top 10 mistakes that helped refine his business model, leadership style, and ability to adapt to an ever-changing industry. From scaling challenges to missteps in service delivery, Mark’s transparency offers valuable takeaways for operators of all sizes. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes * Vacation Rental Secrets [https://amzn.to/3ub6HYe] * Brooke Pfautz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookepfautz/] * Mark Kombrink [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkombrink/] * host2coast [https://www.host2coast.com/] 🔗 Connect With Vintory * Website [https://vintory.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vintory/] 🚀 About Vintory Vintory is the first and only platform designed exclusively to help vacation rental managers recruit new homeowners and add more properties to their management program.

Episode 52: Top 10 Mistakes — Taylor Gates’ Journey to Redefining Vacation Rental Management in Charleston and Beyond

Welcome to The Vintory Podcast: Top 10 Mistakes. In Episode 52 of the Vintory Podcast, Brooke Pfautz chats with Taylor Gates, founder and former CEO of Stay Duvet, to unpack the pivotal lessons, bold innovations, and entrepreneurial grit behind building Charleston’s most premier luxury vacation rental brand. From launching in his 20s to overseeing 360+ properties, Taylor transformed Stay Duvet into a hospitality benchmark—known for its 4.9 average guest review score, 6+ year homeowner retention, and innovations like in-house concierge, hotel-style amenities, and Charleston’s first off-site guest resort. In this episode, Taylor shares the top 10 mistakes that shaped his growth as a founder, operator, and community leader. But these weren’t setbacks, they were stepping stones to building a company that served guests, owners, and Charleston at the highest level. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes * Vacation Rental Secrets [https://amzn.to/3ub6HYe] * Brooke Pfautz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookepfautz/] * Taylor Gates [https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorgates/] * Stay Duvet [https://www.stayduvet.com/] * Feather PMS [https://www.featherpms.com/] 🔗 Connect With Vintory * Website [https://vintory.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vintory/] 🚀 About Vintory Vintory is the first and only platform designed exclusively to help vacation rental managers recruit new homeowners and add more properties to their management program.

Episode 51: Top 10 Mistakes — Brandon Ezra Shares His Vision For The Future That Lets Vacation Rental Managers Win Big

Welcome to The Vintory Podcast: Top 10 Mistakes. In Episode 51 of the Vintory Podcast, Brooke Pfautz connects with Brandon Ezra currently Co-Founder at Stakeholders VR Group.  After 14 years growing and scaling Grand Welcome, Brandon has seen it all, scaled it up and then exited a healthy thriving business. He shares his lessons, mistakes and learnings along the way towards that exit along with a brand-new model that's win-win for vacation rental managers. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes * Vacation Rental Secrets [https://amzn.to/3ub6HYe] * Brooke Pfautz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookepfautz/] * Stakeholders VR [https://stakeholdersvr.com/] * Brandon Ezra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-ezra-39298a8/] 🔗 Connect With Vintory * Website [https://vintory.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/vintory/] 🚀 About Vintory Vintory is the first and only platform designed exclusively to help vacation rental managers recruit new homeowners and add more properties to their management program.