How Hospitality Heroes Is Revolutionizing Disaster Recovery Planning for Property Managers
September 9, 2025
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon sits down with three industry leaders who are launching a revolutionary nonprofit initiative. Rachele Hobbs (CEO of Hobbs Realty), Sue Jones (founder of HR4VR), and April Burns (ICND Senior Account Executive) introduce Hospitality Heroes, a 501(c)(3) organization born from Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on Western North Carolina. Their mission centers on one powerful truth: "The people behind the places deserve a plan." From pre-disaster education and employee preparedness to real-time crisis communication and recovery support, these women are building the first comprehensive disaster response network specifically for hospitality workers and property management teams.
This episode is sponsored by Streamline Summit 2025: Soar.
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Rachele Hobbs, Sue Jones, and April Burns about their groundbreaking nonprofit initiative that's transforming how the hospitality industry approaches disaster preparedness and recovery.
What you'll learn:
- How Hurricane Helene's impact on Western North Carolina sparked the creation of Hospitality Heroes
- Why disaster preparedness must begin with employees, not just properties
- The comprehensive approach covering natural disasters AND business crises (cyber attacks, data loss, key employee departures)
- How real-time crisis communication apps can save lives when traditional systems fail
- The importance of knowing where employees live and their evacuation needs
- Partnership opportunities for inventory storage, housing assistance, and job swapping during recovery
- Why three inches of water is the maximum safe driving depth during floods
- How property managers can leverage off-season inventory for employee housing during evacuations
- The role of Starlink communication when traditional infrastructure fails
- Why failure stories are as important as success stories for disaster education
Rachele Hobbs brings over 40 years of short-term rental expertise and leads the "Hobbspitality" philosophy at Hobbs Realty. Sue Jones, founder of HR4VR and U.S. Navy veteran, provides 30+ years of HR strategy across hospitality, tech, and education. April Burns combines 30+ years of hospitality training and culture-building as ICND's Senior Account Executive and self-proclaimed "Director of Fun." Together, they represent the collaborative spirit that defines the vacation rental industry's response to crisis.
This episode is sponsored by Streamline Summit 2025: Soar.
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Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Sofia Rossato of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
- Vacation Rental Stories: Episode 63 - Driving Innovation and Partnership
- Homeowners Become Family with Michael Godfrey, Owner of Michael’s Vacation Rentals
- Life in Maui as a Property Manager with Scott Jordan, Owner of Maui Life Realty
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