What it’s really like to be an Airbnb Host and the lesson’s I’ve learned

In this episode of Calm the Chaos, my friend and fellow Airbnb host Dana turns the tables and interviews me about my new book:  The Tell-All Guide to Airbnb Hosting, Proven Tips, and Tricks for Successful Hosting!  I share what it’s really like to be an Airbnb host and the lessons I’ve learned! 

In this interview, Dana digs into asking me what inspired me to write the book and what that process looked like for me throughout that journey 

What inspired me to write the book is that my kids encouraged me to take it on and so many people thought that hosting was an easy job!  I had many people think, “you just put a mattress in a corner and call it good”. That’s not all that is involved and not why Airbnb was created!  Back in Airbnb’s humble beginnings, the purpose of the home-sharing concept was to give people traveling a welcoming home experience and have people experience local neighborhoods to get a true flavor of traveling to that area.  

Dana goes on to ask me a bit about my home and what I make available to my guests.  We then go on to discuss how this platform has played such an important part of my life being a single mom raising two children. At the time I started this journey, my kids were older and there was college to pay for, new roofs for the home, and other home improvement projects on the horizon. Besides being able to meet people from all over the world, the financial stability that came from home-sharing was important!  

I will share some of the tips in the book on how to get started as a host and important things to think about for yourself before you embark on this journey!  Things that will help you when the going gets tough, and you ask yourself “why am I doing this?”  Because those moments will happen! In the book, I paint a realistic picture of hosting in your home but set you up for success by sharing stories and tips so you’ll learn from my years of experience! 

In the conversation, I do share some specific instances of guests, their situations, and the lessons I learned along the way from their visit. Every guest comes with a lesson and it may surprise you! 

Even if you are not thinking of hosting, this is a great conversation because it will help you to see how to be a great guest! Dana even asks me  “ What makes a great guest when using Airbnb?”  I share that in our conversation. 

We end our conversation by discussing what it was like on the author’s journey!  I had never written a book before and share how I reached out to numerous people for help!  When I didn’t know how to do something, I found the person who could help!  It’s important to just start the process. You don’t have to figure it all out ahead. Half the fun is not knowing which direction things are going to go. It’s important to have an open mind and be flexible to go “with the flow”.  

Have I inspired you through this conversation to do something you’ve always wanted to do?  It may not be to write a book and that’s just fine! Everyone has a unique journey but hopefully, you can learn from mine!