Updated on April 29, 2024
When Sue Jones joined the Navy in 1974 at age 17 as an electronic technician, she was one of only 4% women members.
Her goal in joining the armed forces was singularly focused on paying for her college education, thanks to the GI Bill.
But her time in the Navy rewarded her not only with a tuition grant for a college education but also other benefits that continue to serve her nearly 50 years later.
“I look back now and recognize that it gave me the ability to step outside of traditional roles for women and succeed in a role typically dominated by males,” Sue said.
Now CEO of HR4VR, the vacation rental industry’s only dedicated human resources consultancy, she regularly uses the skills gained in the Navy.
“I learned how to use my confidence in my abilities to promote further success,” Sue said. “For example, I volunteered for several projects to gain greater exposure with decision makers, to be better prepared for when the next opportunity may come my way.”
Finding vacation rentals
Such an opportunity led Sue to the vacation rental industry in 2011 when Kyle Buehner, then-CEO of NAVIS Direct Booking Solutions (now Revinate), recruited her to build out the company’s HR function.
Sue had met Kyle when she was the human resources director at American Licorice Company. While participating in several CEO Vistage group meetings in Bend, Oregon, she discussed HR topics with Kyle and other CEOs.
“When Kyle learned that I had left American Licorice, we had some discussions about what I could bring to NAVIS as he was just starting to build out his Human Resources function. This was a great opportunity for me,” Sue said.
“I have a big-picture, entrepreneurial spirit and love to learn new industries. I have experience in food service/hospitality, education, teaching, and manufacturing, so I was intrigued by the vacation rental industry.”
As director of HR at NAVIS, she made presentations at the Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) and made connections within the industry. Each interaction with the people in the vacation rental industry fueled her interest and passion for the industry.
“I love the people. Everybody is so gracious and willing to share,” she said. “While I was only at NAVIS a short time (15 months or so), I knew I had landed in the right industry.”
An untapped vacation rental opportunity
As startups popped up to help serve and support the expanding industry, Sue noticed these businesses needed more human resources support to provide employee handbooks, calculate strategic hires, or effectively leverage the team to meet company goals.
But it wasn’t until she decided to leave NAVIS that she considered trying to fill the unmet need. Living in Bend, Oregon, she looked for a job there but couldn’t find another company she wanted to work for.
“I decided it was time to start my own business,” Sue said. “I was 55, and my husband was self-employed at the same time. But I just knew it was something I wanted to do.”
Seeking to fill the significant gap in HR education within the vacation rental industry, Sue founded HR4VR in 2012 with a mission to provide much-needed guidance and support to property management companies and their vendors and service providers.
“When I shared with my husband that I was going to quit my job and start my own business, he was very supportive; however, [he] thought I was limiting myself by focusing on the niche market of VR,” Sue said. “It was without a doubt the best decision I made as I absolutely love the fact that I am working directly with property managers and the decision makers educating them on the importance of human resources.”
Many of her first clients were in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives. She started in compliance and creating employee handbooks.
She built up her business by hitting the pavement at vacation rental conferences and networking with business owners.
She provided basic HR 101 sessions and helped numerous vacation rental business owners understand employment fundamentals like employee classification and compensation structures.
“I really enjoy working with business owners, versus the HR directors and companies, because the business owners are the ones going to make decisions,” Sue said. “I knew that if I were going to have an impact, it would be working with the business owners and being able to drive things.”
Shift in HR priorities
As companies increasingly recognized the importance of attracting and retaining talent, Sue emphasized the need for strategic HR initiatives focused on employee wellbeing and professional development.
“Human resources is a strategy,” she said. “When you set your goals and objectives for the years, HR develops the strategies to drive the behaviors to get you to those goals. It’s exciting because I’m working with clients who are starting to say, what do we need to do to achieve this goal, and how will we measure that? I would never have had these conversations 10 years ago.”
When Sue started HR4VR in 2012, HR in the vacation rental industry was focused on completing paperwork and compliance. But as the industry has moved into 2024, there’s been a significant shift toward valuing employees and building strong workplace cultures, Sue said. She has largely transitioned from developing employee handbooks to helping teams develop a strategic plan and providing guidance, coaching, leadership, and counseling.
“I do a lot of peer groups, and that’s where my focus is going, bringing industry professionals across the U.S. from different markets together so they can share and grow and learn from one another,” she said.
From HR professional to thought leader
Her niche in vacation rental HR has put her in a front-row seat of the industry’s biggest and most momentous mergers and given her special insight into the industry.
“Bringing together different organizational cultures requires finesse and empathy,” Sue said. “It’s about finding common ground and creating a shared vision for the future.”
This exposure and expertise have also positioned her for leadership within the industry. She served on the VRMA board between 2022 and 2023. Her presentations are staples at regional and national vacation rental conferences, and she has regularly contributed HR-related content to VRM Intel, VRMA Arrival Magazine, and other industry publications, appearing frequently on vacation rental podcasts.
Sue Jones speaking at RR Summit: Father Together
Less work, more play
She still enjoys the strategic side of human resources and helping to mentor young HR professionals and property managers as they grow into their own.
“I really want to continue to educate people and provide thought leadership in the vacation rental industry, but I’m definitely looking at this next generation of individuals to really pick up the ball,” she said.
After 12 years of operating her business, she is turning the workplace culture lens on herself and HR4VR, looking to her future and achieving more work-life balance for herself.
“I’m feeling talented but tapped out,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard to get myself to where I am in this industry, and now that I’m here, I’m like, now what? It’s a weird spot to be in, and that’s what made me really think about what I want to do for the next three to five years. I want to balance it, so I’m still involved. But I also want to play more than I work.”
Now, she looks forward to reconnecting with her love of hiking and spending more time traveling with her husband, Dave.
“Another thing I took away from my time in the Navy is my husband Dave,” Sue said. “We met in a school in Key West, Florida, and were engaged six weeks later. I act quickly and thankfully made great decisions when it came to joining the Navy and finding my soul mate.”
Sue and Dave recently took a weeklong trip to hike through the high desert of Utah.
“I want to take time now while we’re healthy,” Sue said. “This year has really been about setting boundaries, marking off all the conferences, and setting time aside for travel with my husband, family stuff, and friends.”
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