Wister Insurance® and Freewyld Foundry announce strategic partnership that connects STR property managers with specialized business insurance and professional revenue management, plus a joint podcast episode exposing the coverage gaps threatening the industry.
BOZEMAN, Mont., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Wister Insurance® (wister.insure), the only insurance company focused exclusively on business insurance for vacation rental managers and co-hosts, today announced a strategic partnership with Freewyld Foundry (freewyldfoundry.com), a leading revenue management and education platform for short-term rental operators.
The partnership connects two specialized service providers serving the same market from different angles: Wister protects STR management businesses from liability and legal exposure, while Freewyld Foundry drives revenue performance for $1M+ STR operators. Because growth without protection is risky, and protection without growth limits potential.
To mark the partnership, Pettyjohn appeared on Episode 713 of the Get Paid for Your Pad podcast, hosted by Eric Moeller on the Freewyld Foundry network. The episode, titled "Prevent the Insurance Disaster Threatening Your STR Business," reveals a critical and widespread vulnerability in how property managers and co-hosts are insured.
"Darren was my first interview at the Airbnb Host Summit ten years ago, and this is my last episode on Get Paid for Your Pad before transitioning to a new series," said Eric Moeller, Co-founder of Freewyld Foundry. "It felt right that it came full circle with him. The insurance gaps he's talking about are real, we've seen it firsthand with operators in our network. This partnership is a natural extension of what we both care about: helping STR managers build businesses that actually last."
"Right now, you're a manager. You got insurance. You feel good. It's in your desk drawer. And you have no idea that you have zero coverage for property damage liability at any of the properties you manage," said Darren Pettyjohn, Founder of Wister Insurance. "It's not a matter of if something goes wrong, it's a matter of when. This partnership exists so that the same operators who are maximizing their revenue are also making sure their business is actually protected when that day comes."
The episode covers:
- The CG2270 exclusion: a clause buried in nearly every standard business insurance policy that eliminates property damage liability coverage at all managed properties
- Why Airbnb's March 2025 Air Cover update leaves co-hosts managing 6+ properties without platform protection
- The difference between Commercial General Liability (CGL) and Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage, and why most managers have only one
- Real wrongful death lawsuits settled for seven figures in Florida, and what managers can do to protect themselves
- How to document incidents properly so that accounts remain consistent if a lawsuit arrives years later
The episode is available at youtu.be/YUR-DGLvcbM and supplemental blog at freewyldfoundry.com/podcast/ep713-str-business-insurance.
About Wister Insurance®:
Wister Insurance® is the only insurance company built exclusively for vacation rental managers and co-hosts. Founded by Darren Pettyjohn, who previously built Proper Insurance from his spare bedroom to 160 employees and 150,000+ policies before selling to Hub International, the world's largest private insurance group. Wister exists to solve the business insurance problem that remains largely unaddressed across the STR industry. Learn more at https://www.wister.insure/
About Freewyld Foundry:
Freewyld Foundry is a revenue management and education platform for short-term rental operators. Their team delivers an average 18% performance lift for $1M+ STR operators through dedicated pricing strategy, revenue management, and professional education. Learn more at freewyldfoundry.com.
Media Contact
Darren Pettyjohn, Wister Insurance®, 1 8882411902, [email protected], https://www.wister.insure/
Melia McDaris, Wister Insurance®, 1 8882411902, [email protected], https://www.wister.insure/
SOURCE Wister Insurance®
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