The Husband-and-Wife Team Built a Vacation Rental Business Around Their Strengths
Zach and Katie Vavak’s (above with their children) skills dovetail perfectly for running their Grand Welcome franchise at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. “I am a dreamer, thinker, idealist and sales professional,” Zach says. “Katie is an organizer, back-office ninja and scheduling savant” for the franchise, which manages short-term rental properties. “We complement each other well, and there is no other person I would prefer to do this with.”
As they’ve built the business, Zach has been bowled over by “watching my wife grow as a professional and watching my girls look up to their mom because of how hard she works at home and in the office. I know it sounds cliché, but honestly it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced as a father and husband.”
Franchise ownership meant drastic career changes for the Vavaks. Zach left a Fortune 300 company where he had managed sales and operational excellence teams; Katie worked in human resources. “Both of us had great experiences with our previous employers, but we really wanted to do something for ourselves,” he explains. “We wanted to live life on our own terms, but our former jobs got in the way of that.”
They zeroed in on the Grand Welcome hospitality brand because they enjoy serving others and love the Lake of the Ozarks. “We knew it would be our home one day. It’s the best community on the planet. You won’t find more passionate people than those who live here full time. The population changes drastically in the summer, and in the winter, you would think it’s a ghost town some days. We love bringing our love of the lake and this community to thousands of visitors every year.”
The Vavaks hope that in building their franchise, they in turn will help other area businesses grow. “We want to promote and lift up those around us. What better way to do that than through all the referrals we generate through this business? Our legacy will be helping others create their own legacy.”
Operating their Grand Welcome franchise, which launched in August 2023, has brought fulfillment — along with some stress. “It’s been scary, exhausting and labor-intensive during the short summers and long winters,” Zach says. “But it’s also exciting, humbling and extremely rewarding when you start to hit your stride.”
Running the Business
Job one for Grand Welcome franchisees is problem-solving for homeowners and guests, “but each day can be wildly different depending on the season,” Zach says. He takes on a big-picture role for the business and concentrates on helping homeowners achieve their goals. Katie tends to the nitty-gritty operational details, making it a priority to ensure their team members (14 to 18 people during peak season, eight to 10 in the offseason) are properly equipped for daily assignments.
“Katie has excelled at keeping order in the chaos I often create. We lean on each other’s strengths, which helps us run faster,” he says. And if they disagree about a business decision? The couple anticipated those situations, deciding early on that Zach would have the final say.
To preserve marital harmony, the Vavaks avoid finger-pointing. “I can’t blame my business partner for mistakes, and learning to forgive yourself keeps both of us moving forward,” Zach says. “Also, because it’s our personal money on the line every day, learning fast has been key to surviving. We put our life savings into making this successful, so our motivation to figure it out together is high. At night, we often have to slow down, hit reset and remember the business we run together is different from the marriage we have together.”
A Growing Vacation Rental Market
The Vavaks are building their business in a market with plenty of room to grow. The U.S. short-term vacation rental market was valued at about $72 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach more than $125 billion by 2033, according to Grand View Research. The firm points to growing domestic travel, easier online booking and travelers’ interest in private, unique places to stay as key reasons behind the growth.
Travel habits are helping, too. The U.S. Travel Association expects domestic leisure travel spending to reach about $909 billion in 2026 and says travelers are increasingly looking at shorter, more affordable trips closer to home. That can be good news for drive-to vacation destinations such as Lake of the Ozarks, where families and groups can enjoy the space and flexibility of a rental home while spending money at local restaurants, shops and attractions.
Learn more about the Grand Welcome franchise opportunity.
