I run a small inn. Everything I offer, I tried there first.

In 2015, a real estate client of mine bought a small inn in New Braunfels. I offered to help them get it off the ground. At the time, the only way to book was through bedandbreakfast.com and VRBO.

So we started from scratch. We built a brand, gave each room its own name and identity (the Cypress, the Mountain Laurel, the Juniper, and the historic New Braunfels Room and Cottage), and launched a mobile-friendly website where guests could book direct.

I've managed it ever since. Along the way I've worked through several booking systems and channel managers, added automated pricing, set up two-way guest texting, automated payments and door codes, and built campaigns that bring OTA guests back to book direct.

I didn't learn this from a course. I learned it one guest, one booking, and one software headache at a time.

We were still handing out handwritten check-in letters with keys when COVID hit. Overnight, guests wanted to arrive without seeing anyone. I remember thinking, we have to change this or we're going to lose business.

So we did. Guests got a text with their own door code on arrival day. That grew into automated deposits and payments, a guest portal where they accept our policies and get their code, and paid upsells like early check-in. What started as a survival move became extra revenue.

I like hospitality. But what I really love is the tech behind it.

I've sat through demos of the big all-in-one systems, the ones that promise property management, pricing, messaging, and upsells under one roof. For a property our size, picking the best tool for each job and making them work together has served our guests better every time. Getting those pieces to click is my favorite part of the job.

It's the same thing I do outside of hospitality. I'm also the IT consultant for an insurance agency, handling everything from their agency software to their phone system to their Microsoft 365 accounts.

What bugs me is watching independent properties get squeezed.

At Comal Inn we pay 15% commission on every Booking.com and Expedia reservation. Google Hotel Ads bookings cost us about 10%.

That's before the discounts. Booking.com's Genius program is opt-in, but it's hard to stay visible without it. Every Genius member gets at least 10% off, and properties can offer up to 20% to their frequent travelers. The property pays for that discount, and the OTA still takes its commission on what's left. Expedia works the same way with its member-only deal, usually 10% for logged-in members, which was switched on as part of our setup. Then come the length-of-stay deals, mobile rates, last-minute deals, and flash sales every OTA keeps nudging you toward.

The software side has its own problem. A demo can look great until you map it onto a real day at the front desk. That's why I'll never recommend a tool I haven't tested against real operations.

Most owners are experts at one thing: giving guests a great stay. Nobody has time to also be an expert in booking software, search, pricing tools, and whatever changed this month. You shouldn't have to be.

I'll explain things in plain English and I'll never talk down to you. I'll ask enough questions to find the real problem. When something's easier to show than tell, I'll record a quick video walkthrough or hop on a screen share and show you exactly what I mean.

And I'm not going to sell you.

I've been a licensed Realtor since 2008, and I've never been good at the pushy side of sales. I won't tell you what you want to hear to close a deal. I've walked away from commissions before rather than do something that wasn't in my client's best interest, and I'd do it again.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• You'll get the facts and a clear price. Then the decision is yours.
• If you don't need something, I'll tell you, even if it means a smaller project.
• I won't chase you with follow-up emails for the next year. If it's a fit, you'll know where to find me.

Doing right by people isn't just the right thing to do. It's also what works. A site that's easy to find, easy to book, and matches what guests actually get turns into great stays, great reviews, and the next booking. That's how Comal Inn grew, and it's what I'll help you build.

When I'm not working, my family and I are usually hitching our small off-road camper to the truck and heading somewhere remote. Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, the high desert of Utah, the Smokies, the national forests of Arkansas and Kentucky. No fixed plan. Our one rule is to camp near water, whether it's the Chama, the San Juan, or the Conejos.

When we're not camping, we're looking for places like Comal Inn: owner-operated, a little off the beaten path, where you can tell the owners care. Those are the stays we remember.

And on most weekend mornings you'll find me on a bike, 50 to 100 miles from home, road or mountain. It's where I clear my head, and where most of my best ideas come from.