Episodes

Send us a text The two most experienced managers in outdoor hospitality go head-to-head. Hear insights from Scott Randall and Jacob Halverson. These two managers have worked at the industry leading properties like Paws Up, Auberge, AutoCamp, Mendocino Grove, Wildhaven, and more. What does it take to become an elite glamping operator? Find out here. Wildhaven Glampitect North America The Glamping Insider (Nick's newsletter) Posh Outdoors Sage Outdoor Advisory Nick's email: nick@posh-outdoors.c...

Send us a text In huge news for the glamping industry, The Fields of Michigan has been acquired by glamping giants, Under Canvas. Irene Wood returns to the pod to give us the lowdown: How it all went down; the advice she'd give to operators looking for a similar exit; and what's next for her. Irene is always a blast. Give it a listen! Open Sky Glampitect North America The Glamping Insider (Nick's newsletter) Posh Outdoors Sage Outdoor Advisory Nick's email: nick@posh-outdoors.com Connor's em...

Send us a text In this episode we dive in with Scott Randall who helped launch Paws Up, AutoCamp and Wildhaven over his 25 year career in outdoor hospitality. There is no person on this continent with more experience growing prominent glamping brands. Hear about creating ice wall climbing, dog sledding, and hot air balloon rides in the Montana wilderness. Learn about what makes an outdoor hospitality operation fail or flourish. Wildhaven YosemiteGlampitect North Americ...

Send us a text Familiar favourite Bygnal Dutson from Open Sky in Zion returns to the pod today, but this time he's joined by his General Manager, Wes McCloskey. Today's episode is all about the nitty gritty of running a glamping business as the GM. What roles and responsibilities does a GM carry out? What's the hardest part of the job? What's Wes' advice to prospective glamping GMs? Open Sky Glampitect North America The Glamping Insider (Nick's newsletter) Posh Outdoors Sage Outdoor Advisory N...

Send us a text Hear the story behind Sol Stay, one of America's only glamping resorts ON THE WATER. Find out how Joe Lisa and Bill Nolan built this unique property on the waters of Lake Erie in Ohio. In this episode you will learn how they: Found and reimagined this run down marinaRaised the money to renovate into a floating glamping resortBuilt a floating sauna, added a rooftop hot tub, and convinced a Venice Beach graffiti artist to paint a mural on their building. This is ...

Send us a text Learn the critical items you need to think about before your grand opening. Hear about pre-marketing, selecting a property management system, opening your booking calendar, OTA integrations, OS&E purchasing and more. Quentin Incao is the founder of Q Hospitality and has consulted on a dozen prominent glamping sites, landscape hotels, independent boutique hotels and RV resorts. He handles everything from predevelopment consulting, grand openings and day-to...

Send us a text Some of you have been listening to him for more than 4 years, but you don't know his story. Nick got to where he is today through hard work, tenacity, and a whole lotta dreaming. As he prepares to open his first mirror cabins at Skyridge Glamping, we go all the way back to his childhood and explore his journey to the present day. It's a doozy. Posh Outdoors Links: WeFunder pageSchedule a callNick's email: nick@posh-outdoors.comOther links: Glampitect North AmericaThe Glam...

Send us a text We explored beyond the world of glamping this week and interviewed Nathan St Cyr of Howzit Hostels. He broke down the hostel business model; how Howzit obsesses over the guest experience; and how to create a sense of community at your resort. Nathan's Links: Howzit HostelsThe Hotel Investor Playbook Posh Outdoors Links: WeFunder pageSchedule a callNick's email: nick@posh-outdoors.com Other links: Glampitect North AmericaThe Glamping Insider (Nick's newsletter)Sage Outdoor Advi...

Send us a text Hal Feinberg is the founder of Clear Sky Resorts. Clear Sky is the largest dome operation in the US, with resorts in Utah and Arizona. Hal joins us to discuss his journey to this point, his special interior designs, how he scaled to a second location, and much more. Posh Outdoors Links WeFunder page Schedule a call Nick's email: nick@posh-outdoors.com Live Oak Bank Links Website Email: pierce.verchick@liveoak.bank Other Links Clear Sky Resorts Glampitect North America The Glam...

Send us a text Learn what your outdoor hospitality business is worth and how you can maximize your value in a sale. In this episode Connor interviews experts Bob Kaplan of NAI Outdoor Hospitality Brokers and Shari Heilala of Sage Outdoor Advisory. Find out how your business is valued by appraisers and brokers in the current market. Learn the strategies about maximizing the value of your business whether you are looking for a property or already operating. This episode ...

Send us a text Jacob Halverson joins Connor and Nick to discuss all things recruitment. How do you find staff for your hospitality operation? What questions should you ask them in interviews? How does the process change according to job role? Links: Posh Outdoors Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors Glampitect North America The Glamping Insider (Nick's newsletter) Sage Outdoor Advisory

Send us a text In Connor's first solo-hosted episode, he speaks to Ken Barber of Wildhaven Glamping in California. Ken has pulled off the notoriously difficult task of starting and scaling a Californian glamping operation, and he dives into his initial capital raise, Wildhaven's mid-marketing positioning, and the art of scaling a glamping business. Links mentioned: Wildhaven SonomaWildhaven YosemiteSage Outdoor AdvisoryOther links: Posh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North...

Send us a text We're back! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Nick and Connor are excited to return with the first episode of the new year, and boy is it a good'un. We're joined by Michel Girardin and (rejoined by) Andrew Murphy to talk all things African glamping. This industry traces its roots back to that amazing continent, and there's a ton we can learn from the incredible resorts out there today. We cover the stage-play approach of Sabi Sabi in South Africa, the number one ...

Send us a text Jacob Halverson joins Nick and Connor for a bumper Christmas special! We discuss our favorite glamping resorts, glamping naughty and nice lists, and our favorite Christmas movies. The podcast also begins with an update on our plans for the podcast in 2025. Thanks to all the listeners, and have a very merry Christmas! Links mentioned: The Glamping Insider (my newsletter)Posh Outdoors' Looking Glass mirror cabinsBen Wolff's newsletterGet Paul Bosley's financial planner f...

Send us a text Sorry for the delay on this week's episode - my laptop is broken! Everybody thinks of glamping as a summer activity, with the sun shining and the leaves in bloom. But have you ever considered glamping in minus 40 temperatures? The good people of Saskatchewan, Canada do, and we think winter glamping will become more and more common as the industry matures. We're certainly making that bet with Posh Outdoors. We connected with Josh Turner of Blackstrap Glamping to discuss the u...

Send us a text Today's guest is the opposite of every previous operator we've had on the show. And his counter-intuitive strategy may give you your next great idea. Introducing Travis Chambers, Founder of Outpost X. Travis isn't trying to create luxury at Outpost X. He's comfortable with 20% of his guests not enjoying their experience. To him, the goal is to transport guests to a whole other world. And while his strategy is unorthodox, most guests love it. And so does social media. Tune in...

Send us a text Derry Green returns to the podcast to reveal his secrets for social media domination. He tells us how Secret Garden Glamping accumulated 1.2 million followers and became an online phenomenon; how he designs his sites around social media engagement; and why TikTok holds the key to succeeding on Instagram. Links: Posh Outdoors Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors Glampitect North America The Glamping Insider (my newsletter) The Secret Garden Glamping

Send us a text Jeremy Budge was one of the earliest hires at Under Canvas, the pioneering glamping brand that was acquired for over $100 million in 2019. He left Under Canvas at the peak of its powers to start Backland Glamping, a secluded Arizona retreat, just a stone's throw from the Grand Canyon. He joins us to discuss the lessons he learned at Under Canvas, how he applied those to Backland, and how he plans to scale the current 10-unit resort. Links mentioned Backland Glamping Under Canvas...

Send us a text Today's episode is a special co-production with the "Behind the Stays" Podcast. Zach Busekrus and I were joined by two of the biggest names in the unique hospitality space, Ben Wolff and Isaac French. You'll learn why their philosophy is "build less, spend more"; why Ben is betting big on wellness; and how their approaches to scale differ. Subscribe to Behind the Stays: AppleSpotify Ben and Isaac's links OneraOasiLive Oak Lakeisaacjfrench.com Other links Posh OutdoorsSc...

Send us a text With daily rates of $800+ per night and near-100% occupancy, Bolt Farm Treehouse is arguably the most successful independent glamping business in North America. Tori Bolt, one half of the husband-wife founding team at Bolt Farm, joins us to pull the curtain back on how they reached these heady heights. Topics covered include the secret to rave guest reviews, the personal brand approach to marketing, and the growing importance of building code. Links mentioned: Bolt Farm...

Send us a text There's a growing class of glamping consultants that cut their teeth at the venture-backed brands like Getaway (now Postcard Cabins) and AutoCamp. The experiences they gained from scaling high-end hospitality quickly equipped them with a wide range of skills that they take into client projects today. Samuel Morton and Nico Turek from Topos Ventures are great examples of this. Sam joined Getaway when they had 3 cabins, and by the time he left they'd rolled out 800+ units across...

Send us a text Connor's boss joins us on the pod this week! Shari Heilala is the Founder of Sage Outdoor Advisory, the leading provider of feasibility studies in the glamping space. Sage have been collecting data on the American glamping industry for years now, and they presented their 2024 findings at the Glamping Show in Denver earlier this month. Shari joins us to share the key findings, and we discuss what they might mean for your glamping project and the wider industry. Links me...

Send us a text Bryan Auchterlonie is one of the most knowledgeable people in the outdoor hospitality space when it comes to capital. Through his firm, Destination Capital, he's worked with some of the biggest players in glamping, including Under Canvas, AutoCamp and KSL. He joins us on the pod to discuss everything from picking the right form of capital to his favourite hospitality destinations. Links: Posh Outdoors Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors Glampitect North America Sage Outdoor Adviso...

Send us a text In what's rapidly becoming our favorite episode format, two of the best operators in the business join Nick and Connor in a wide-ranging, round-table glamping discussion. Blake Smith of Walden Retreats and Bygnal Dutson of Open Sky never disappoint when they're on the pod, and today is no exception. Links: Posh Outdoors Schedule a call re Posh Outdoors Glampitect North America Sage Outdoor Advisory Walden Retreats Open Sky Blake's last episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spo...