In this episode, Heather Bayer welcomes back her son and business partner, Mike Bayer, for a timely New Year’s discussion on a topic that affects nearly every property manager: onboarding and training.

After a holiday season filled with family chaos (a trip to the emergency room, and a broken hot tub!), Heather and Mike shift gears to reflect on the challenges of integrating new team members into short-term rental businesses. Drawing from Mike’s personal experience onboarding at a new job in the pickleball industry, they reveal how even fast-growing companies can feel “held together by duct tape” without strong onboarding systems.

This episode kicks off a multi-part series on training, development, and systems thinking in STR businesses - highlighting why formal training is often overlooked and how it can transform team performance, guest experience, and business efficiency.
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🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why effective onboarding is the backbone of team success
• How Thrive Essentials can help you introduce core values to new hires
• What the "AI Ambassador" role can do for your business
• Why focusing on systems (like the guest journey) is more powerful than just teaching tools
• How automation and AI can enhance hospitality - not replace it
• The importance of consistency in your tech and training approach
• Real-world frustrations (Heather’s battle with Booking.com!) that highlight the human cost of poor systems
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🛠 Resources Mentioned:

• Thrive Essentials: A foundational onboarding course designed for new STR employees and VAs. Great for those new to the industry or unfamiliar with the values behind professional property management.
• AI Ambassador Program: A training solution to help one team member become the conductor of your AI systems—ensuring your tools are aligned with your business operations and brand voice.

👉 Learn more at vacationrentalformula.com
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🔥 Key Quotes:

“We’ve become too focused on tools and features instead of outcomes.”
– Mike Bayer

“If you're not training for systems - like the guest journey - you’re missing the bigger picture.”
– Heather Bayer

“AI should support the human, not replace the hospitality.”
– Mike Bayer

‍📣 Episode Sponsor: STRAIT Chat & the AI Ambassador Program

This episode is brought to you in part by the STRAIT Chat Community - an exclusive space for short-term rental pros who want deeper conversations, smarter systems, and more collaborative learning.

And if you're curious about using AI in your business - whether it's for guest communication, operations, or even marketing - check out our AI Ambassador Program. It's designed to help you learn, lead, and get hands-on with the tools shaping the future of hospitality.

🌐 Learn more and join us at VacationRentalFormula.com/AI‍

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