3 Things We Did to Make Freewyld a Top-Performing STR

**Kaye Putnam:**Welcome back to another episode of Get Paid for Your Pad. I’m Kaye Putnam, Head of Marketing for Freewyld and Freewyld Foundry. I’m here with Eric Moeller, CEO of both companies. Welcome back, Eric.

**Eric Moeller:**Thanks, Kaye. I’m excited to dive in. We’ve been working on a lot behind the scenes, so this should be fun.

**Kaye:**We’re going to talk about what’s new with Freewyld, especially our Idyllwild cabins. Then we’ll dive into the growth of our revenue management service. Let’s start with Idyllwild. It’s been live for over a year. What stands out to you?

**Eric:**I remember when we were renovating and building the brand, wondering if it would actually work in a small mountain town. Idyllwild is known, but it’s not on the level of Big Bear or Joshua Tree. A year later, the demand, the guest reviews, the financial returns—it’s been incredible. I even get stopped in places like Encinitas by people who recognize the Freewyld logo. It’s amazing to see something we envisioned actually working better than expected. Wyldwood Park, in particular, was a game changer.

**Kaye:**I’m totally obsessed with this brand, even though I helped build it. I love that we’re pushing a mission forward, helping people unplug and spend more time in nature. And now we’re seeing guests embrace that. They ask about Wyld Mode boxes, they seek out Wyldwood Park. From a performance standpoint, we’re doubling occupancy and ADR compared to the market. It’s clear that what we’re doing works. Wyldwood Park was a big move. Can you walk us through how that decision came to be?

**Eric:**Originally, the plan was to build more cabins and tiny homes on that lower part of the property. It’s about an acre and a half that backs up to a creek. But after we bought it, Riverside County expanded the flood zone and setback laws. That limited our development options. We were left with this magical piece of land and had to ask ourselves what to do with it. So we leaned into the experience side of Freewyld.

We invested close to $200K to transform the space. We added trails, a fire pit and BBQ area, hammocks, and a massive stargazing net. Everything was designed to create immersive moments. And we scattered Wyld Mode boxes throughout, added magical lighting, it’s just a special place. A friend of mine came to stay recently, put his phone away, and spent the weekend journaling and connecting with other guests down in the park. That’s exactly what we wanted. He said it felt like an experience, not just a stay. That was always the vision.

I also heard Isaac French say something recently that stuck with me, landscaping is one of the best investments you can make. If you do it right and maintain it, it only gets better over time. Wyldwood Park is proof of that.

**Kaye:**There was definitely a leap of faith involved. But from the marketing side, reels that feature Wyldwood Park always blow up. People love seeing the fire pit, the stargazing net, it instantly signals that this is different. It helps sell the experience, not just a cabin.

**Eric:**That was the goal from day one. We’re not just offering a place to sleep, we’re creating transformation through design, nature, and hospitality.

**Kaye:**One of our core values is unreasonable hospitality. Whether we’re working with clients, hosting guests, or interacting as a team, it’s central to what we do. What are we doing well, and where do you see opportunities to improve?

**Eric:**What we do really well is guest communication. We have automated systems, but we personalize them. Guests feel seen and supported throughout. That came straight from the book Unreasonable Hospitality. The idea that the people serving you are genuinely connected and interested, it really shaped our approach.

This morning, we had an issue: a cabin was missing a coffee maker. The guest brought her own coffee, expected it to be there, and it wasn’t. Our cleaner didn’t flag that it was missing. The guest was understandably upset. We fixed it quickly, but the situation highlighted an internal communication gap. Our team needs to be our eyes and ears, and we need to catch issues like that before a guest ever notices. That’s a big area we’re focusing on improving right now, seamless team communication.

**Kaye:**I think we’ve built a really great foundation. Things like the Wyld Mode box, analog maps, conversation cards, and Polaroid cameras, they all create magic. But each new touchpoint adds operational complexity. So I agree with you. We need more systemization without losing the magic. And I love the feedback from your friend. That was always the vision: a place to disconnect and reconnect, with people, nature, and yourself. There’s so much more we can do to build community around that.

**Eric:**Exactly. He mentioned that while Wyldwood Park was beautiful, it lacked structure to bring people together. He wanted games, activities, ways to connect. We’ve built a strong MVP, but now it’s time to level up. And this is where most STR operators struggle, operations. One thing I want to test is a new role, maybe call it an “unreasonable hospitality host.” Someone who checks the guidebooks, stages the cabins, inspects every detail, and even welcomes guests. Our local management team does a great job, but they manage over 100 properties. We need someone fully focused on Freewyld.

**Kaye:**That’s the difference between good and unforgettable. I know we’re not the only ones dealing with this. It’s a universal challenge, especially with unique brands. And speaking of growing through challenges, let’s talk about RPM. It’s been about a year since we launched. Can you give us the backstory?

**Eric:**We had this big vision for Freewyld, and I realized that real estate takes time. We didn’t want to raise capital from outside investors if we could avoid it. So we asked ourselves, how can we fund this ourselves? What are we best in the world at right now?

We realized that revenue management was our strength. Jasper had been working behind the scenes, quietly outperforming the market with his pricing strategies. He told me he had cracked a code that others were missing. I found our first client, Troy, and we tested it. His numbers skyrocketed. We realized we had something unique. So we started offering it to more clients, people we already trusted and knew. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

**Kaye:**And they’re not just seeing more revenue. They’re getting their time back. Troy recently hired a full-time head of guest experience and is focusing on property acquisitions. He’s working on a hotel concept now. Another client, Garrett, is expanding fast too. Revenue management usually isn’t a CEO’s zone of genius. Taking it off their plate is a huge win.

**Eric:**Exactly. It’s been about a year since we launched RPM, and we’ve grown to 1300+ listings and over $50 million in bookings. But the real challenge we’ve discovered is the lack of qualified STR revenue managers. Most services are short-staffed or don’t truly understand the nuances of this space. So we made it our mission to build and train the best revenue management team in the industry. And I truly believe we’ve done that.

**Kaye:**The results are undeniable. And for anyone curious, we offer a free revenue report. It’s completely manual. A human expert looks at your data, not just an algorithm. You can request one at freewyldfoundry.com/get-started. Eric, what’s next for Freewyld and Freewyld Foundry?

**Eric:**What excites me the most is the team we’re building. We’re attracting true specialists, people who are the best at what they do. The culture is coming together. On the business side, I’ve learned the power of focus. We almost closed on a hotel, raised money, and then had to walk away after due diligence. It was painful, but the takeaway was clear, we need to double down on RPM. We have something powerful here, and the next 6–12 months are about scaling with the right partners. We’re also exploring a new development in Idyllwild, but our priority is growing RPM.

**Kaye:**And we’re relaunching our mastermind, The Foundry. It’ll be a mix of leadership, operations, revenue strategy, and community. I’m so excited. If anyone listening wants more info, reach out to me directly at kaye@freewyld.com. We’re keeping it quiet for now, but it’s already filled with incredible STR operators.

**Eric:**I’ve missed being part of a mastermind. I’m excited to lead this next chapter and bring even more value to our community.

**Kaye:**Thanks, Eric. This was such a great episode. And thank you to everyone listening. We’ll be back soon with part two.

**Eric:**Thanks, everyone. See you next time.