You bought a great property. You amenitized it. You listed it. And then you priced it with your emotions and left thousands of dollars on the table.

In this episode, I sit down with Julie Brinkman, CEO of Beyond Pricing, to break down why revenue management is the most overlooked lever in your STR portfolio and what the top operators are doing differently.

Julie has been leading Beyond for almost six years, and the data her team sits on is unlike anything else in the industry. This conversation will change how you think about pricing forever.

We break down:

Why 55% of STR hosts are using Airbnb smart pricing or nothing at all, and why that's quietly destroying their returns

The 15 factors Beyond analyzes for every single night of your calendar, and why a spreadsheet can never compete

How Beyond uses guest intent data to see demand shifts before they show up in the market

Why the booking window collapsed in 2025 and what that means for how you price your calendar right now

Why last minute discounting is training your guests to wait you out, and what to do instead

What private equity consolidation in the STR space means for independent operators in 2026

The bottom line: your property is a six-figure asset. It deserves a revenue management system that treats it like one.

LEARN MY STR INVESTING & STRATEGIES 🔥 https://strlikethebest.com/wealthpod

Apply to work with Michael: https://strlikethebest.com/applypod

Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelchangbnb

You've built a successful career by outworking and outthinking everyone around you. So why does building wealth outside your W2 feel so hard?

In this episode, Michael and Liz sit down to talk about the one thing that actually accelerated their journey from a few properties to a 30+ unit portfolio: community.

They share how a corporate "zero-sum" mindset kept them isolated early on, and what changed when they started asking for help, showing up at conferences, and surrounding themselves with people a few steps ahead. This isn't a fluffy conversation about networking. It's a real look at how one introduction, one conversation, or one piece of advice from the right person can unlock years of progress.

We break down:

How meeting one person at a conference in 2016 led to virtual assistants, better systems, and eventually the entire STR Like The Best education business

The mindset shift from "figure it out alone" to building a network that compounds over time

Why high earners often struggle to ask for help and how cultural and personality factors play into it

What their mentorship community actually looks like with 150+ investors, 20 team members, and resources at every stage from search to operations

The give-and-take dynamic that attracts the right people and filters out the ones who only take

Why trying to do this solo is like playing on "super hard mode" and what to do instead

The bottom line: The fastest path to building wealth isn't figuring it out alone. It's finding the right people who've already done it and learning from them.

LEARN MY STR INVESTING & STRATEGIES 🔥 https://strlikethebest.com/wealthpod

Apply to work with Michael: https://strlikethebest.com/applypod

Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelchangbnb

Usually we focus on short-term rental investing, tax strategy, and how high-income professionals can offset W2 income through STRs. Today's different. Michael sits down with his college friend Eli Cohen, who's acquired $600 million in multifamily real estate over 15 years, to talk about something every investor needs to understand: knowing when to walk away.

In 2022, Eli stopped buying. Not because he ran out of capital. Because the returns didn't justify the risk anymore. This conversation is about market timing, discipline, and deal selection principles that apply whether you're buying your first Airbnb or your tenth apartment building.

We break down:

• Why Eli stopped buying. The Fed said "we no longer have your back." Eli listened and shut down acquisitions. Groups that kept buying are now facing capital calls and wipeouts.
• The controversial REIT take. Public REITs are cheaper than private multifamily deals right now. You get diversification, liquidity, no promote fees, and better debt costs. "Why would anyone pay more for an illiquid private deal?"
• When Eli DID buy in 2024. San Francisco off a major REIT, well below pre-COVID pricing. Denver dramatically below seller's cost basis. Both below replacement cost with strong fundamentals.
• Michael's deal selection story. "I looked at dozens of STR deals. One came up with crappy iPhone photos. We knew it was different. Made an offer the next day. Strong cashflow and appreciation followed. You need the reps to develop conviction."
• The fast food arbitrage. Operating businesses and real estate trade at different multiples. If you own both, you can shift value between them. Eli's developing chicken restaurants across Texas using this strategy.
• The power of showing up. Michael drove up with his daughter in a stroller. The sellers were grandparents. They gave her a teddy bear. "That teddy bear is worth a million dollars now."

Whether you're buying short-term rentals, multifamily, or restaurants, the principles are the same. Do the reps so you recognize the right deal. Know when the market doesn't justify the risk. Walk away when it doesn't make sense. Move fast with conviction when you see the right one.

This isn't your typical STR episode, but the lessons on market timing and deal selection apply to any real estate investor.

LEARN MY STR INVESTING & STRATEGIES 🔥 https://strlikethebest.com/wealthpod

Apply to work with Michael: https://strlikethebest.com/applypod

Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelchangbnb