In this episode of Tame the Mobile Beast, Tom Butta is joined by Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts, a membership program that offers RVers unique places to overnight camp across the United States and Canada. Joel shares what inspired him to enter the space, what strategies he has leveraged to grow the community, and key lessons he has had on his entrepreneurial journey.

Harvest Hosts was originally founded by Don and Kim Greene in 2010, and once Joel discovered the service, he saw the opportunity to supercharge a loyal customer base with user-friendly technology and expanded locations. So in 2018, he purchased Harvest Hosts and got to work.

Fast forward to today, Joel and the team have grown the platform to over 9,000 unique locations with over 260,000 members. The conversation explores the keys to this continued success, including a large emphasis on consistently across platforms, which he Joel terms “web-app parity.” Through this strategy, friction and mental burden have been reduced to make booking a stay as simple as possible.

As the episode continues, Joel shares valuable lessons he’s gained throughout his entrepreneurial journey. He underscores the benefits of acquiring and scaling businesses with proven product-market fit, the necessity of strategic advertising, and the importance of building a strong team. Looking to the future, Joel outlines plans to expand Harvest Hosts' appeal without compromising its unique offerings by incorporating more community-driven features.

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Guest Quote

"Our users really didn't appreciate the disjointed experience. And we're always trying to make things easier, not harder. And so web-app parity was the easiest way to take the mental load off the user.” – Joel Holland

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Time Stamps

00:46 Meet Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts

01:39 The rise of adventuring and RV travel

04:45 Harvest Hosts: unique overnight experiences

10:15 Web and app parity for seamless experience

13:34 Joel Holland's journey to Harvest Hosts

18:08 Navigating outsider perspectives

18:28 Effective survey methods

19:01 In-app feedback strategies

21:40 Success stories and growth

22:46 Marketing and advertising insights

24:39 Referral programs and influencers

27:32 Lessons from a CEO

31:26 Rapid fire questions

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Links