We recently connected with Austin Spitzenberger and have shared our conversation below.

Austin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I actually started as a vacation rental owner first. I bought my first property here in Central Texas and just became obsessed with learning how to run it the right way. I got really good at managing my own place — to the point where it started outperforming most of the local competition. Before long, other owners started reaching out asking how I was doing it, asking for advice, and that’s when the lightbulb went off. I realized there was a real business opportunity here, not just a side hustle.

Honestly, my first motivation wasn’t some big vision at the time — it was simple: I wanted to replace my W-2 income and work for myself. Within a year, I’d done exactly that. The business had grown enough to cover my personal expenses, and I made the jump to go all in.

Looking back, the biggest key was not overthinking it. Too many people spend months or even years in the “learning phase” — reading every book, listening to every podcast, waiting for the perfect time. The truth is, you learn by doing. I made a lot of mistakes early on, but those lessons are what built the foundation of our business today. Education is great, but execution is everything. You’ve got to take consistent action, stay in motion, and figure things out along the way. That’s how you move from idea to reality.

Austin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life, from running lemonade stands in elementary school to selling gum and candy in middle and high school, to flipping Air Jordans in college. After graduating, I started a party bus company in College Station, Texas, working with fraternities and local events. That experience taught me a lot about building something from scratch, creating demand, managing logistics, and delivering a great customer experience. After selling that business, I got into the vacation rental space and founded Blue Door Retreats, which focused on managing and optimizing high-performing luxury properties. Eventually, I merged my company with my friends over at Lazy H Retreats, and that partnership has allowed us to scale and serve even more homeowners across Texas.

At Lazy H Retreats, we manage a select portfolio of luxury vacation homes throughout the Texas Hill Country and Gulf Coast. These are properties with pools, waterfront views, and strong design that typically generate over $100,000 in annual revenue. What sets us apart is that we are by owners, for owners. Everyone on our leadership team owns vacation rentals themselves, so we understand exactly what it takes to operate a profitable, well-managed property. We also run our business with complete transparency, no hidden fees or inflated markups, just an honest, partnership-driven approach focused on helping owners succeed and delivering five-star guest experiences.

What I am most proud of is being part of a team that truly lives by our core values, integrity, excellence, growth, and unreasonable hospitality. We always do the right thing, even when it is not the easy thing.

Outside of that, I host the Co-Host Bros Podcast, where we interview leaders and entrepreneurs from across the vacation rental and hospitality space. We have had incredible guests from all over the world, and it has been an amazing way to share ideas, learn from others, and contribute to the growth of our industry.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that we are not just managing homes. We are building a brand rooted in trust, performance, and genuine relationships.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been building everything on transparency and trust. From day one, I’ve focused on helping every single person I come across in this industry, whether they end up working with us or not. I always tell people the truth about whether their property is a fit for us, because my goal isn’t just to sign contracts, it’s to help them find the right solution. Sometimes that means partnering with us, and sometimes it means pointing them in a different direction.

When you approach every conversation with the genuine intention to help, not just to sell, people feel that. Over time, that builds trust, and trust spreads fast in this business. I’ve learned that if you lead with value and integrity, the universe has a way of rewarding that energy. The more positive impact you create, the more opportunities come back around full circle.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn is that success is all about business. For a long time, I thought working harder, making more money, and building a bigger company were the ultimate measures of success. Over time, I realized that your level of success will never exceed your level of personal development. If you don’t grow as a person, nothing else truly grows.

I had to shift my entire mindset and start focusing on becoming the best version of myself first. That meant prioritizing my marriage, my family, my health, my fitness, my mindset, and my faith. It also meant cutting out toxic people, staying disciplined, and committing to a lifestyle that keeps me sharp — reading every day, staying sober, and surrounding myself with people who challenge me to level up.

I had to unlearn the idea that hustle alone equals success. Once I started betting on myself and investing in my personal growth, everything in my life and business began to elevate. The truth is, when you grow as a person, everything around you grows with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lazyhretreats.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austin_spitzz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austin.spitzenberger
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cohostbros
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cohost-bros/id1735375741

Image Credits

Eric Fossum
Katelyn Jacobson