Welcome to Foundry Talks: The Hospitality Podcast, where we go behind the scenes with the people shaping the future of hospitality. In each episode, we sit down with hotel marketers, sales leaders, property developers, and industry innovators for honest conversations about what's working, what's not, and where the industry is headed.
Hosted by Rachel Stojanovski, co-founder of The Travel Foundry with 10+ years of in-house experience at luxury properties, this podcast delivers actionable insights you can actually use to grow your business.
How Design Drives Bookings in Lake Tahoe | April Vogt
What does it take to build a short-term rental collection that guests actually remember? We sit down with April Vogt, co-founder and owner of Modern Mountain Vacations (https://modernmountainvacations.com/), a referral-only, curated vacation rental company based in Lake Tahoe. April shares how over a decade in the food and beverage industry, real estate investing, and an eye for design led her to build one of Tahoe's most thoughtful hospitality brands.
In this episode, we talk about why she is intentional about only bringing on properties that meet her design standard and fit the vision of the collection, how lifestyle photography changed the way she tells a property's story, and why she believes design sets the guest experience before anyone even arrives. April also opens up about her next chapter: actively pursuing her first hotel acquisition in the Mountain West, what she's learned from nearly landing a deal, and why going bigger than she originally planned just makes more sense.
If you're in hospitality and thinking about how design, standards, and guest connection can set you apart from the competition, this one is worth your time.
Find April and Modern Mountain Vacations at modernmountainvacations.com (https://modernmountainvacations.com/) and on Instagram at @modernmountainvacations (https://www.instagram.com/modernmountainvacations/).
24 Jun 2026
From Airbnb to Boutique Hotel in an Arizona Hidden Gem | Adam Walz & Micah Thomas
What happens when two short-term rental investors decide to go all in on a 50-key hotel in the Arizona desert? We sit down with Adam Walz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamwalz1/?skipRedirect=true) and Micah Thomas (https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-t-35837b24a/) of Comeback Hospitality to hear how they made the leap from Airbnb operators to owners of The Wesley (https://www.thewesleyaz.com/), Page's first boutique hotel.
In this episode, we talk about how they found the property off-market for well below the area's average price per key, how Page, Arizona sits within two hours of seven national parks and monuments, and what it really costs to bring a historic roadside motel back to life (spoiler: it involves a lot of plumbing, $50,000 in internet upgrades, and a third shipping container). They also open up about their approach to affordable luxury, the role AI is playing in their operations, and what it means to build in public from day one.
If you're a hotelier thinking about what it takes to raise the bar in an underserved destination, join us for this one.
Find The Wesley at thewesleyaz.com (https://www.thewesleyaz.com/) and follow Adam and Micah on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thewesleyhotel/). Listen to Foundry Talks on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
10 Jun 2026
The Magic of Redfish Lake Lodge
We are revisiting our conversation with Jeff and Austin Clegg of Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho because summer there is simply too special not to talk about again.
Crystal-clear glacial water, a natural sandy beach, canyon views that open up to what locals call the Gates of Heaven, and a family-run lodge that has been welcoming guests since 1929 -- this place is genuinely unlike anywhere else. But beyond the setting, Jeff and Austin share what it really takes to steward a legacy property on US Forest Service land. From managing multi-generational guest loyalty to building a seasonal team culture that keeps 60-plus employees returning year after year, there is a lot here for hospitality operators to take notes on.
If you have been on the fence about visiting, consider this your sign. Summer at Redfish does not last forever.
Who has been a guest on Foundry Talks
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tyler Bender
Noël Russell
Jeff Clegg
Austin Clegg
Sarah Stahl
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
50
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
24
Social presence
0
YouTube
63
Engagement
32
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