What exactly do you do?

I work with Airbnb and short-term rental hosts — new ones who want to get it right from the start, and experienced ones who know something isn't working but can't put their finger on what. Depending on what you need, that might mean reviewing your listing, rethinking your space, rewriting your guest communications, or just talking through a problem with someone who's seen most of them before. I've been hosting since 2011, I've co-hosted ten properties for other owners across a wide range of markets and property types, and I've hosted thousands of guests. I know what patterns hold across very different situations and what actually varies.

I'm also a boutique co-host for Airbnb properties. Translation: I make your listing exceptional, handle the day-to-day drama (there's always drama), and ensure your property earns more without you losing your mind. I craft listings, manage guests, and bring an aesthetic sensibility that doesn't come from a beige-everything design blog. Think of me as your property's advocate, stylist, and very competent handler of 2 AM guest emergencies.

What is an Airbnb Co-host?

An Airbnb Co-host is a party added to your Airbnb listing and given permission to do tasks associated with the listing. Airbnb directly pays the co-host, and you and the co-host decide in the terms. This is a more flexible way to get help with your short term rental than with a traditional property manager. But you can also radically benefit in search results form your co-host’s history with the search algorithm, in addition to your co-host’s professional expertise. There are only a handful of co-hosts nationally who offer the level of expertise with Airbnb’s software that I’m privileged to have. (Ask me about why it can be a mistake to host on multiple platforms.)

What is an Airbnb Mentor?

I like to think of short term rental mentoring as a combination of being a big sister, a cheerleader, a teacher, a decorator, and a professional organizer. It can be very nerve wracking to open your home up to strangers. Working with an expert in the industry can save you years of making mistakes, and maybe of giving up all together. I seriously LOVE hosting, and you will too!

What makes you different from other co-hosts?

I'm a former English professor, painter, and ceramic artist who actually cares about aesthetics and ethics. No investment bro nonsense here. I don't churn out cookie-cutter listings that look like they were assembled from an Amazon wishlist. My background means your listing will be written like someone who knows how words work, and your space will be styled with actual intention. Plus, I'm an Airbnb Superhost Ambassador and Community Leader—basically, I have an "in" that gives your property an unfair advantage.

Where do you operate?

I'm focused on Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, but I'm open to unique properties statewide. If your property has character and you're not trying to replicate a Hampton Inn, let's talk.

I'm already hosting. Why would I need you?

Because you could be doing better. Maybe your occupancy is fine but not great. Maybe you're spending every weekend cleaning and responding to messages about the WiFi password. Maybe your listing photos look like they were taken in 2012. I can optimize what you've got or rebuild it entirely—either way, you'll book more often and earn more without the headache.

I've never hosted before. Can you help me start?

Absolutely. I can build your listing from scratch—photos, description, pricing strategy, house manual, the works. New hosts make predictable mistakes. I've already made them for you (and learned from them), so you don't have to.

What's included in your co-hosting service?

Unparalleled attention to your property and your guests. I handle communication, booking management, guest issues, and make sure your place runs smoothly. My team and I actually love houses, which—shockingly—makes a difference. You step back, relax, and watch your calendar fill up.

Do you offer consulting without full co-hosting?

Yes. If you want to keep hosting yourself but need an expert set of eyes on your operation, I offer consulting packages. I'll audit your listing, suggest improvements, and help you figure out how to use what makes your property special to add value. Not every host needs to hand over the keys entirely.

What's this newsletter I keep hearing about?

Domestic Intelligence is my newsletter for people who want thoughtful takes on short-term rentals—not bland business advice from someone who thinks "authentic hospitality" means leaving out a bowl of fun-size Snickers. You'll get cheeky commentary, actual useful tips, and a refreshing absence of design ideas sourced entirely from HomeGoods. If you're sick of the investment bro echo chamber, you'll like it.

How do I get started?

Schedule a chat with me. We'll talk about your property, your goals, and whether we're a good fit. I'm selective about the properties I work with because I care about doing this well, not doing it at scale. If your house has soul and you want a co-host who appreciates that, let's talk.

What if my property is... quirky?

Even better. I gravitate toward properties with personality. If your place has character, history, or charm that doesn't fit the STR template, that's my specialty. Let's lean into what makes it different, not sand down the edges to make it look like every other rental

How is this different from the advice I find on Reddit or in Facebook groups?

Most Airbnb advice online optimizes for volume — more bookings, better algorithms, higher ADR. That's useful, but it doesn't touch the things that actually make hosting sustainable: whether your listing accurately represents your space, whether your house rules are creating friction or building trust, whether the experience you're delivering is one you'd want to receive. I'm not interested in the tech stack. I'm interested in whether you've built something worth staying in — and whether your listing shows it.

I've been hosting for a few years. Is your consulting only for beginners?

No. Some of my most useful sessions are with hosts who've been doing this long enough to know their numbers but can feel something is off — or who've lost the thread of why they started. Hosting should not feel like a part-time job you resent. If it does, something has gone wrong in the setup, the communications, the expectations, or all three. Listings plateau. Descriptions go stale. Design choices that seemed fine at launch stop working as the market shifts. If you've read everything and still feel stuck, a second set of eyes from someone outside your situation is usually worth more than another optimization article.

Do you only help people improve bookings, or is there more to it than that?

Bookings matter, but they're not the whole thing. Some of the most satisfying work I do is helping hosts figure out how to build something they're actually proud of — a space that expresses what they care about, not just one that photographs well. Your rental can do more than generate income. It can introduce guests to your work, your region, your aesthetic, your other projects. I'm an oil painter, and guests who stay in my space sometimes buy original art for the first time after spending a few days inside it. That didn't happen by accident. If you have something else going on — a studio, a farm, a business, a body of work — a well-designed hosting practice can be a door into all of it, not a separate operation running alongside it.

What's included in the Talk it Through session?

It's a 45-minute call, $75, and it is exactly what it sounds like. You bring your listing link, your questions, your frustrations, or a vague sense that something isn't working. I look at what you have, tell you what I actually think, and tell you what I'd do. No script, no upsell, no homework assigned at the end unless you want it. If you need more than one conversation, we can do that — but a lot of people find that one honest hour moves things more than months of forum-scrolling.

What's the difference between the Listing Audit, the Listing Refresh, and the New Listing Package?

The Listing Audit ($250) is diagnostic: I go through your existing listing with you, identify what's working and what isn't, and give you specific recommendations. You implement them yourself. The Listing Refresh ($450) is more hands-on — I do more of the actual rework with you, including rewriting descriptions and restructuring your presentation. The New Listing Package ($1,200) is for hosts who haven't launched yet and want to do it right from day one: we build the listing together, get your communications and house rules in order, and make sure you're not spending six months fixing what should have been set up correctly at the start.

Do you do design consultations?

Yes. The Virtual Airbnb Design Consultation ($350) is for hosts who feel their space is holding their listing back — wrong furniture scale, poor lighting, a room that photographs badly, a palette that isn't doing what they think it's doing. I look at photos of your actual space and give you specific, actionable direction. I am an oil painter by training, and I think about space differently than most STR coaches.

I don't want to rent to strangers but I need someone to look after my house. Do you do that?

Yes, that's the Home Concierge service — starting at $275. It's for second-home owners and seasonal residents in the Charlottesville/Nelson County area who want a house looked after without putting it on Airbnb. Property checks, vendor coordination, pre-arrival preparation. Not a management company; a trusted person.

Do you work with hosts outside Virginia?

For everything except the Home Concierge, yes. All my consulting and mentoring sessions are virtual. I work with hosts across the country.

How do I know if I need a consultation or just the free resources?

Download the free resources first. If you read them and feel oriented, you may not need me yet. If you read them and feel like the advice is good but doesn't tell you what to do with your specific situation — your odd room, your difficult guest profile, your listing that looks fine but isn't converting — that's when a session is worth it. The free PDF and the $75 call are designed to work together, not compete.

How long have you been doing this, and why should I trust your advice?

I started hosting in 2011. I've hosted thousands of guests, held Superhost status continuously, and have been co-hosting ten properties for other owners — ranging from spare rooms to standalone vacation rentals across different markets. Airbnb reached out to me in 2020 to mentor new hosts, which is how this consulting practice started. I don't sell a course. I don't have a method I'm trying to get you to adopt. I work with a small number of clients at a time so I can actually pay attention to the specific situation in front of me, not run you through a framework built for someone else's property.

What's your approach to difficult guests and problems?

Prevention, mostly. Most hosting problems — bad reviews, boundary violations, awkward situations — are downstream of ambiguous communications, listing descriptions that attract the wrong guest, or house rules written in a way that creates conflict instead of preventing it. I spend a lot of time on the things hosts tend to treat as afterthoughts: how your house rules read, what your automated messages actually communicate, what your listing description promises. Getting those right is considerably cheaper than managing the problems they prevent.