How do you find the courage to take on a project that feels way bigger than you—and turn it into something you’re genuinely proud of? In this episode, I sit down with Katie Wanzer, a corporate PR crisis expert turned boutique hotel operator and co-host. We’re unpacking how she transitioned from Fortune 500 communications into running an expanding boutique hotel portfolio and co-hosting company across Door County, Wisconsin.

We talk about:

Buying a historic motel sight unseen during a corporate crisis, only to face massive infrastructure nightmares like dry wells and lifting entire buildings off their foundations.
Co-operating a growing hospitality portfolio as a four-way partnership between two couples by establishing rigid role boundaries, structured monthly board meetings, and a dedicated leadership team.
Leveraging a deep background in strategic PR to pitch local media, partner with tourism bureaus, and use nostalgia to put a revived 1940s roadside motel on the map.
Launching simple, community-minded marketing tactics like local food drives and media stays, while using AI tools to polish press releases and discover the unique story behind a property.
Battling peak-season burnout by scheduling non-negotiable self-care blocks, utilizing tech-boundaries like the Brick app to disconnect, and leaning on a steady support system.

Katie pulls back the curtain on the intense emotional realities of stepping into true hospitality leadership, including the exact moment the scale of the project hit her. You’ll hear how she and her partners divide responsibilities based on individual strengths to keep the business humming without sacrificing their personal lives.

If you are a high-achieving professional wondering how to scale from a single short-term rental into a multi-property commercial hospitality brand without losing your sanity, this conversation is your blueprint. Get ready to learn how to face the unexpected and start leading your business with absolute resilience.

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:

[00:55] A short introduction about our guest Katie Wanzer, and shares her evolution from corporate communications professional to short-term rental operator and boutique motel owner

[03:58] Katie shares how purchasing and renovating a boutique motel transformed her perspective from managing rentals to building a full-scale hospitality business

[08:11] How overcoming unexpected renovation setbacks strengthened her resilience and confidence as an entrepreneur

[10:31] Katie shares how having partial construction experience helped—but didn’t eliminate the learning curve in large-scale hospitality renovations

[12:09] Katie’s approach to overcoming overwhelm by grounding decisions in long-term vision, resilience, and support systems

[14:37] Katie on navigating real estate investing and construction projects with both a spouse and business partners while maintaining alignment and boundaries

[16:41] Katie outlines how a four-owner STR and boutique motel business is governed through structured meetings, defined roles, and consistent operational communication

[20:38] How Katie balances hands-on short-term rental operations with seasonal support while adapting daily focus across multiple hospitality businesses

[21:52] Katie describes how she uses PR to turn storytelling, nostalgia, and renovation strategy into earned media that drives early bookings and demand

[29:16] How short-term rental operators can identify PR-worthy stories through community impact, relatability, and persistence in earned media strategy

[34:42] Katie shares how intentional PR outreach, personalized journalist targeting, and strategic multi-channel follow-ups help turn hospitality stories into consistent earned media and sustained visibility

[38:33] The lightning round

Golden Nuggets:

“Even with failures, we fail forward, right? Everything that we go through, whether positive or negative, I believe is a learning opportunity.”
“Sometimes giving up a little bit of that revenue for a gain elsewhere can, can really help you long term.”
“You're already everything to everyone: you’re finance, you’re accounting, you’re marketing, you’re everything. But you can't forget that you're also yourself and you have to do things for yourself, and you still have to go and do the things that make you happy.”
“Nobody can advocate for you more than yourself.”

Let’s Connect:

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/katetheinnkeeper/

Website : https://freshcoastmotel.com/

https://spruceandshoremotel.com/

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