Michael Russell is a seasoned real estate investor and hospitality entrepreneur who turned short-term rentals on Maui into financial freedom before scaling into hostel and hotel investing. As the co-founder of Howzit Hostels—the #1 small hostel in North America—and Malama Capital, he brings over 20 years of experience across short-term rentals, long-term rentals, commercial real estate, and hospitality assets. He shares how he sources and analyzes hotel deals, leads acquisitions, and is leveraging systems and AI to create efficient, high–cash flow hospitality investments with strong equity upside. Also a co-host of the Hotel Investor Playbook podcast, he offers practical insights for investors looking to transition from Airbnb-style rentals into hotels, build scalable businesses, and design unforgettable guest experiences—all while balancing entrepreneurship, family life, and island living in Maui.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Understand why successful investors fo...

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"Dad, you should sell real estate in Hawaii!". As a suggestion from one of his kids, it was at this moment on a family trip in Hawaii, that an idea grew. Instead of having to go back home to the lower 48 states to sell real estate, what if you could go where you want to go AND make money at the same time? Today Shawn Moore runs Vodyssey, the #1 vacation rental investing education company with the goal to cut through the noise and help you find success managing profitable vacation rentals yourself. He's helped people acquire over 1,000 properties in the past 2 years and is also the host of the Vacation Rental Revolution podcast. Learn some of the top ways that Shawn helps people identify markets, review pricing, occupancy, and start building the life they've always wanted through vacation rental properties.

In this episode, hosted by Mike Swenson, we discussed:

• Customer experience is the key in the hospitality space.
• Real estate allows the av...