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Explore every episode of the podcast Defining Hospitality

Dive into the complete episode list for Defining Hospitality. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Crafting Authentic Southern Hospitality - Amy Michaelson Kelly - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 16630 Aug 202400:51:40

In this episode, Dan Ryan interviews Amy Michaelson Kelly, a former litigator turned hotel developer and Principal of Hatteras Sky. Amy shares her path from practicing law to creating unique hospitality experiences in Asheville, North Carolina. She’s developed the Radical and Zelda Dearest hotels, both providing unique hotel experiences. Amy discusses the importance of community involvement, storytelling in hotel branding, and balancing compliance with creativity. She also talks about her firm's upcoming project, the Asher Adams Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. Throughout the conversation, Amy highlights the value of intentionality in independent hotels, the significance of making guests feel celebrated, and the influence of her legal background on her hospitality ventures.


Takeaways: 

  • Storytelling can differentiate a business and create unique connections with clients, especially in the hospitality industry, where narratives can enhance the guest experience significantly.
  • True hospitality goes beyond mere accommodation; it involves making people feel truly welcome and cared for, often through personal touches and attention to detail.
  • Leaders should not be afraid to take risks and venture into creative territories.
  • Successful leadership often involves balancing rigorous compliance and technical demands with creative freedom. This ensures both operational excellence and innovative guest experiences.
  • Building and maintaining good relationships with local communities and stakeholders is crucial. Engaging with and listening to community members can lead to more sustainable and accepted development projects.
  • Flexibility is essential in adapting to new market demands and trends, such as the shift from traditional office spaces to more dynamic living and working environments.
  • Commit to continuous learning and personal growth. Leaders should seek opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills.


Quote of the Show: “I love to be underestimated. It’s my favorite thing.” - Amy Michaelson Kelly


Links:

Shout Outs:

Ways to Tune In: 

Hospitality Through Empathy - Malcolm Berg - Defining Hospitality - Episode #16501 Aug 202401:01:12

Today, Dan finally gets to sit down and talk with Malcolm Berg, who is not only a designer, but an entrepreneur who founded Edge of Architecture. He is all about pushing the boundaries and innovating to the next degree. Malcolm provides his insights on hospitality and how important it is to bring empathy and human connection to the forefront of design and architecture. The conversation also delves into the significance of gratitude, the role of mentorship at EOA, and the enduring philosophy of reflecting values and unity in their projects. Listen along to hear Malcolm and Dan’s conversation!


Takeaways: 

  • Cultivate empathy within your team and client relationships. Understanding and responding to people's needs and emotions is crucial for creating meaningful work and strong bonds.
  • Strive beyond good enough. Aim for spectacular and aim to create experiences and designs that evoke strong, positive reactions.
  • Hire people for their enthusiasm, work ethic, and potential rather than just their current skills or experience. Develop a culture of mentorship to nurture growth from within.
  • Work with stakeholders, including clients and team members, who share similar values and vision. Avoid relationships that are purely transactional or financially driven.
  • Emphasize continuous learning and innovation. Do not settle into a routine; constantly push the boundaries to stay ahead in a world that is rapidly changing.
  • Develop a strong, cohesive concept as the foundation for all your design elements. This helps maintain a consistent narrative and creates a more immersive experience.

Quote of the Show:

“It’s how you behave in the trenches that kind of makes you who you are. Things are going to go sideways, shit happens. It’s how you fix it that counts.” - Malcolm Berg


Links:

Shout Outs:

Ways to Tune In: 

Building A Legacy Of Hospitality - John Hardy - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 15629 May 202401:06:20

Joining the show this week is an industry titan who is shaping the next generation of hospitality professionals. Our guest is none other than Founder of the Radical Innovation hospitality awards, Founder and Chairman of the Hardy Group, John Hardy!


John joins Host Dan Ryan to discuss the importance of innovation and creativity. John reflects on his journey, the challenges, and triumphs of innovative hospitality development, and the future trends shaping the industry. Discover his insights on creating unique, experiential hotels and the importance of continual innovation.

Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality is about how you treat guests whether they are in your house or hotel. It is about making them feel comfortable, providing for their needs, and surprising them with extras. 
  • Innovation in the hotel industry often comes from outsiders rather than industry insiders, encouraging radical thinking. Creativity thrives when intuition guides decision-making, paving the way for unconventional ideas to flourish.
  • Innovation often arises from challenging industry norms and embracing creativity. Embrace unconventional thinking and foster a culture of innovation to drive progress and success in your endeavors.
  • The shift towards experiential accommodations like AutoCamp and Airbnb reflects a growing trend among younger consumers who are less brand loyal. To stay competitive, big brands are adapting to offer unique experiences tailored to this trend.
  • Embrace risk, dedication, and innovative ideas to drive success. The people who will drive the industry forward are those who are willing to put in the time and effort and aren’t afraid to risk failure. 
  • In challenging times with fluctuating interest rates, it's an opportunity to elevate deal-making skills and seize smarter opportunities for future success. Success lies in mastering both the risk and reward game throughout fluctuating cycles.

Quote of the Show:

  • “I never let somebody second guess what I thought was the right thing to do.” - John Hardy

Links:

Shout Outs:


Ways to Tune In: 

An Experiment of Community - Josh Held - Episode # 06617 Aug 202200:45:54

Today’s guest has a passion for hospitality. He spearheads Wimberly interior’s entertainment, gaming, nightlife F&B, and retail design environment. Josh Held is the Vice President & Director of Entertainment at Wimberly Interiors. Josh joins the host Dan Ryan to share his passion for community and his hospitality journey.


Takeaways: 

  • The spaces that are being made in hospitality are all about making connections with others in the same space.
  • When you think about the places you tend to go back to as a guest, you go back there because you feel comfortable and it gives you a sense of belonging.
  • Burning Man created a sort of petri dish of a community with all different groups of people coming together with a common interest.
  • It’s important to open your mind and let go of preconceived notions of the world around you and instead see the experiences around you and build upon the world with that.
  • The best ideas often come from when you aren’t trying so hard to come up with an idea. Giving your mind space to breathe is an indispensable tool. 
  • The future is undefined and unpredictable, which makes it exciting for people in the hospitality industry to try and innovate for the future. 
  • Don’t be afraid to push the limit. You need to be confident and know your stuff, but pushing the boundaries is the only way to innovate with new ideas.


Quote of the Show:

 

5:59 “Think about the places that you tend to go back to as a guest. Just as being a normal person who interacts with spaces, you tend to go back to the places that make you feel comfortable, that give you that sense of belonging there.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

8:09 Marque in New York

17:29 David Allen

32:58 Rockwell Group

33:00 David Rockwell

33:02 David Mexico


Ways to Tune In: 

 

Defining Hospitality is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Backdrops to Memories - Marc DeSmet - Episode # 06503 Aug 202200:46:48

Today’s guest is highly skilled at space planning. He is known for fostering excellence within his design team and uses a client's creativity, focus and experience to turn their dreams into a reality. Marc DeSmet is the Associate Principal at TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design. Marc joins host Dan Ryan to share his #hospitality journey and what it all means to him  


Takeaways: 

  • Where you live in the world will influence the way you look at your design space, a faster paced environment will feel and produce a different look than a slower one.
  • Hospitality isn’t just about little gift baskets in hotel rooms or flowers. It’s a feeling of welcoming and greeting someone to make them feel comfortable.
  • Hospitality is about creating backdrops for memories. You want to create a positive memory for your guests and have it be something they look back upon fondly. 
  • Music can play a large role in hospitality as well, as it can influence the way a setting is received by a guest.
  • As an architect, it’s important to consider projects that are longer form and can be multi-generational as that can allow the space to really develop.
  • You want to create a location that people will want to go back to over and over again. 
  • Net Zero hotels are starting to be looked at as the way of the future for hotels to help the environment.


Quote of the Show:

 

9:24 “I don't think of it as a thing anymore. I think it's not a noun. Hospitality is a verb. It's an action of greeting. It's an action of welcoming.”

 

Links:


Shout Outs:

 

0:54 Jeffrey Beers

4:37 Platinum Circle Awards

4:52 Larry Traxler

14:31 Rockwell Group

14:34 David Mexico

15:26 Mies van der Rohe

15:27 Louis Kahn

15:47 Morris Lapidus

15:58 Philip Johnson

19:20 The Cliff House

23:12 Hotel Jackson

23:59 Omni Mount Washington

26:13 Foundation Hotel

27:13 Simone Deerie

27:53 KISS

29:57 RGA Loyal 

31:16 Phish

32:25 Mike Gordon

40:38 Hotel Marcel


Ways to Tune In: 

 Defining Hospitality is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Tales of The City - Barry Sullivan - Episode # 06427 Jul 202201:22:05

Today’s guest is responsible for guiding the design of all North American projects for the Canopy, Tempo and Motto brands at Hilton. He has a fabulous eye for interior design and it shows in his work. Barry Sullivan is The Senior Director of Lifestyle at Hilton Worldwide. Barry joins host Dan Ryan to share his #hospitality journey and what it all means to him. 


Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality is about making others feel comfortable in a place that is unfamiliar to them or a new environment. You want them to find the versions of the things they find familiar in a new setting.
  • People gravitate towards areas that they are most comfortable with. You want to create a sense of comfort with them.
  • A soft brand is a hotel that can be whatever it wants to be but the infrastructure might not be all the same.
  • As your business grows, you need to keep your passion alive and be involved enough for it to grow in the right direction and not lose sight of the ultimate goal and culture.
  • The pandemic has made some projects go on longer than were originally planned, so you want to make sure you are ready for a project to be extended in certain cases.
  • It’s a rewarding experience to see a hotel from the beginning all the way to the finished project.
  • How you treat your team members is how they will treat guests. You want to make sure you are taking care of the team so they can give the guests their best experiences.


Quote of the Show:

 

12:16 “Hospitality is making people feel comfortable, or my definition is making them feel comfortable, welcome, and warm in an environment that's not their own.”


Links:


Shout Outs:

0:57 Steve Higgins

1:11 Jim Northcut

2:04 Linda Ronstadt

2:13 Harry Dean Staton

2:19 Kevin Bacon

2:43 Eda Hallinan

2:50 Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City”

6:03 Wimberly

31:44 Larry Traxler

32:29 Sue Firestone

32:42 Design One

32:57 James Northcut Associates

42:24 Margaret McMahon

44:05 Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

49:54 Chris Nassetta

51:14 Conrad Hilton


Ways to Tune In: 

 Defining Hospitality is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Changing Institutional Practices - Dieter Cartwright - Episode # 06320 Jul 202200:59:02

Today’s guest started his hospitality career in hospitality by working in High Rise architecture, but quickly became a hospitality wizard. He has an eye for decatant design. Dieter Cartwright is a Partner at Dutch East Design. Dieter joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey through #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

  • You want to design a place where people can gather and enjoy their experience.
  • As the designer, you can build a beautiful space but it is up to the owner and manager to maintain it and keep it lively.
  • When designing a space, don’t be afraid to hand it over to and acknowledge someone else’s direction.
  • You want to create an environment that doesn’t alienate people but instead it bring others together.
  • Net Zero is a goal to go away from the dependency on fossil fuels and rather sustainable ways of providing energy.
  • The barriers to any change are institutional practices. If you surround yourself with the right team you can help to change things for the better.
  • Whatever you are considering building, none of it possible without the use of energy.


Quote of the Show:

 

9:59 ​​”As a designer, we can build the car, we can give you the keys, but you have to drive it.”


Links:


Shout Outs:

 

0:48 David Kaplan

0:50 Death and Company

1:33 Demond

3:07 Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

17:19 Hotel Marcel

19:15 Tapestry by Hilton

29:54 Rich, Brilliant and Willing

32:44 Bruce Becker

39:15 Mindclick


Ways to Tune In: 

 

Defining Hospitality is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Diversity of Experiences - Greg Keffer - Episode # 06213 Jul 202200:55:45

Today’s guest loves to take on new and unfamiliar typologies and approach them from a hospitality point of view. He has combined strengths in architecture and interior design. Greg Keffer, the Partner at Rockwell Group, leads design studios in the firm’s New York and Madrid offices. Greg joins host Dan Ryan to talk about #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

  • You want to surround yourself with people who view projects in a different way than you and bring something new to the table.
  • At the end of the day, hospitality helps to bring out the commonality and real life experiences that connect people.
  • Hospitality is all about bringing people together. There is a lot going on in the world now and hospitality can help ease the stress and find the common bond between people.
  • You need to consider the needs of your clients as every project and client is going to require a different approach.
  • When creating a hospitality space, it needs to be unique and create a memorable experience for the guests so they want to come back.
  • We all get caught up in our day to day lives but it’s important to take time to show gratitude and appreciation.
  • There is a larger sense of community now in the hospitality industry, and it’s important to be engaged with the community you are in.


Quote of the Show:

 

6:53 “To me, the true reason hospitality exists is to bring people back together. We need spaces and places and something that is a common bond between people.”


Links:

 

Shout Outs:

4:40 Imagination Playground

10:17 Neuehouse.com

10:31 WeWorks

11:31 Union Square Cafe

11:32 Danny Meyer

15:42 Glen Coben

19:32 Skidmore

19:45 Eva Maddox

20:21 Todd DeGarmo

20:35 David Rockwell

28:55 Empire Diner

37:57 Aluminairium

45:56 Aaron Richter

45:58 Equinox Hotel

47:18 Nobu Hotels


Ways to Tune In: 

Cabinet of Curiosities - Rado Ivanov - Episode # 06106 Jul 202201:03:16

Today’s guest has a keen eye for design as well as being an innovator in the hospitality industry. He is a licensed architect with the American Institute of Architects. Rado Ivanov is the Vice President of Global Design for the USA and Canada at Marriott International. Rado joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey through #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

  • When designing a space, you want to think about making that space feel like a home and feel welcoming.
  • We as humans are very good at pointing out things that we don’t like, but we can’t really define things we do like.
  • Hospitality is an experience. It is something that affects all the major 5 senses in a good way and leaves a lasting impression.
  • Hospitality makes the world a smaller and better place through the power of travel. 
  • You want people to feel comfortable with the space they are in. You don’t want to make it cold and impersonal.
  • The cabinet of curiosities is a wall that shows items that are related to the people who work at the Marriott hotels.
  • With the latest innovations in technology, there is a lot interesting ways you can incorporate that into a hotel room, ie 


Quote of the Show:

 

12:28 “Hospitality to me is an experience.”

 

 

Links:


Shout Outs:

 

1:18 Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ

3:15 Arne Sorenson

7:25 Ty Breland

10:36 Jeff Voris

24:08 David Aleman

33:16 Gensler

48:47 AC Marriott

48:48 Courtyard Marriott


Ways to Tune In: 

Surprise & Delight - Josiah Mackenzie - Episode # 06029 Jun 202201:11:13

Today’s guest began his journey through hospitality working in a small property on the California coast and then built the number one hotel marketing blog in the world. He’s the publisher of Hospitality Daily, which is dedicated to helping hoteliers provide better guest experiences. Josiah Mackenzie is the Principal at Benchmark Research Partners, and he joins host Dan Ryan to share his experiences and passion about #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality is a gift that you can give to others. It is the feeling of safety, of being creatively free and being inspired by others and what is around you.
  • The hospitality career path is more steep than it has ever been now and that makes it a perfect time to join this industry.
  • People who work in the hospitality industry have a desire to meet new people from across the world and serve these people. 
  • Hospitality is something that you learn from observation and seeing how the professionals handle themselves and clients.
  • When designing a great guest experience it is important to focus on the F&B moments as those can allow you to create moments to surprise and delight guests
  • Hospitality isn’t just welcoming people to your hotel. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into getting everything.
  • Real estate is becoming a better environment to work in and it is worth investing your money into hospitality.


Quote of the Show:

 

2:21 “I think hospitality at its core is really a gift. It's a feeling of being safe, of being free, of being inspired.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

1:00 Skift

1:28 Andrew Benioff

1:30 Independent Lodging Congress

3:55 Aaron Richter

3:58 Equinox

13:34 Adele Gutman

15:41 The Grand Hotel

16:47 Remington Hotels

20:56 Horst Schulze

35:25 Sweet Green

37:26 Hoxton Hotels

38:14 Sharan Pasricha from Ennismore

38:52 IHG

38:58 Kimpton

40:45 Zoku


Ways to Tune In: 

The Human Connection - Davonne Reaves - Episode # 05922 Jun 202201:08:11

Today’s guest has more than 14 years of experience in the lodging industry. She also has a passion for people and pineapples. Davonne Reaves is Founder/Hospitality Strategist at The Vonne Group. She is also the author of How To Buy A Hotel - Roadmap to Hotel Ownership. Davonne joins host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey in hospitality and what it all means to her. 


Takeaways: 

  • Owning a hotel requires a lot of work, you have to keep up with the land and raise capital and hire staff among many other things. 
  • When starting your own business, you want to start small and work your way up to becoming a bigger company. 
  • When looking at buying a hotel, you want to know the surrounding community and have them feel comfortable with you.
  • People are what make the hospitality industry so special and unique, most people will stay at a hotel for the human connection and interaction.
  • You need to know your purpose, if you don’t have a clear purpose for your business that it will not last.
  • Knowing how to invest the right money into the right places for buying a hotel can help you to financially be all set. 
  • There will always be people who don’t believe in your dream or help you along the way, so it’s important to have thick skin and move past it. 


Quote of the Show:

 

18:52 “You could automate the hospitality industry as much as you possibly can, it's the people, it's even some people who would prefer to stay in a hotel over an Airbnb, just because of the human connection and that human interaction.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

3:50 ACS

4:05 Hyatt

4:42 Jessica Meyers

31:30 Shannon Steel

31:45 Dr. Mina James

31:58 Andre Arbrieten

57:35 Skift

57:39 Highgate

57:41 JLL

58:43 Swiss Hotel


Ways to Tune In: 

Dovetail into Your Community - Aaron Richter - Episode # 05815 Jun 202201:04:06

Today’s guest has extensive global experience in designing mixed use developments. He has a passion for design and uses that passion to create beautiful spaces. Host Dan Ryan is joined by Aaron Richter, The Senior Vice President of Design for Equinox Brands at Equinox to talk about hospitality and what it all means to him 


 

Takeaways: 

  • Having a good sleep cycle is incredibly important to having a productive day and keeping you on track.
  • Building a community around your hospitality center and making it all in a walkable area is one way to feel a sense of community. 
  • People don’t go to hotels to drink at the pool anymore. Now, people are considerate of their health and want to travel to a place where they feel healthier and get a better experience. 
  • Being social is an important part of your well being. You want to be a part of the community that you are in.
  • You don’t need to have your hospitality space be the “cool new thing” or be a different space for everyone. Instead, just build your space to the people you want to attract to the space.
  • Make sure that you are showing appreciation for all the members of your team so they feel recognized and their hard work is being noticed. 
  • When designing a hospitality space, you want to keep the guests on the property and part of that is by having everything be visible to the guests as they are more likely to engage with something if they can see it first.


Quote of the Show:

 

13:34 “People are waking up again to the fact that oh I should take care of myself. My health is important. My immunity is important. This is all very topical and germane at the moment. People are saying I want to live a different way.”


 

Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:40 Starwood 

3:39 Barry Sternlicht

3:42 Park Lane Hotel

3:46 Patrick Jwuan

3:51 Vespa

11:09 Eurov

20:43 Josiah McKinsey

22:47 Dina Lamanna

22:49 HOK

23:00 Nike

23:09 Pottery Barn

24:30 “Rookie Smarts” by Liz Wiseman

25:07 John Hoke

32:18 Johnny Ives

32:19 Steve Jobs

46:23 Whole Foods

46:26 Trader Joe’s 

50:43 Seattle Mariners

51:00 Tiki Barber

1:00;18 Lone Tree Scout Reservation


Ways to Tune In: 

Inspiring the Next Generation - Dina Lamanna - Episode # 05708 Jun 202200:57:26

Dina Lamanna is the Principal, Director of Hospitality Interior Design at The HOK NY Studio. She is a seasoned veteran in the design and development of international hotel projects. Her passion for guiding the next generation of designers is evident in her work as an adjunct professor at New York School of Interior Design. Dina joins host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through #hospitality and what it all means to her.


Takeaways: 

  • There’s a visual aspect to learning and teaching design, and it doesn’t always come to people naturally so you have to get creative with it.
  • There’s a stigma against being a designer that tends to scare people away but it is very different from what people would expect it to be.
  • Hospitality is providing guests and patients with an experience and a feeling when they enter a certain place. 
  • People spend 90% of their time indoors, so designers have a responsibility to create spaces that are unique and feel different from other places.
  • If you can make a space feel familiar and comfortable, then the stress level for that person will go down.
  • The last two years have actually opened up a tremendous opportunity for design to create the next space of buildings and environments that define our future.
  • Collaboration with others can help to unlock a new potential or opportunities for the design space.


Quote of the Show:

7:26 “We want to bring a return on investment that isn't always measured in a spreadsheet, that there's an instant impact that our guests or our patients feel when they enter these spaces.”


Links:

 

Shout Outs:

9:52 Aaron Anderson

25:46 Rudy Ruettiger


Ways to Tune In: 

Crafting Stories in Luxury - Michael Doneff - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 15522 May 202401:03:49

Hospitality is about intuition and reading the customer. Are you doing too much, or are you not doing enough for them? The guest on this episode has left an impact on leading luxury lifestyle brands in hospitality, food and beverage, design, and wellness over the course of his 30-year career. Please welcome the Vice President of Food and Beverage Concept and Brand Development at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Michael Doneff.


Michaell joins Dan Ryan as they discuss the significance of a unique dining experience. Michael shares the power of storytelling in brand development, the importance of company culture, and offers advice for aspiring professionals in the hospitality industry.

Takeaways: 

  • Customers want to come into an environment where they feel understood, appreciated, and heard. Your job is to create an experience that exceeds their expectations.
  • For early-stage brands, everything boils down to storytelling, and you get to see that story come to life from the name to the logo.
  • If a brand is constructed correctly and thoughtfully, then it's usually meant to last. But it's only as good as its execution.
  • A brand should check off all the boxes, even in the small areas of hospitality. Making sure that their employees are genuine, truly love what they do, and love taking care of their guests.
  • An employee should have intuitive skills to know what the customer needs and if they could be doing more for them, but they should also know what the customer doesn't need and if they’re doing too much.
  • As a brand, you should strive to have your mission statement and values be true throughout every level of your company, and every team member should be living out these things.
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions, push boundaries, and try things, but also don't be afraid to fail at them and find a new way of trying to do things.

Quote of the Show:  

  • “We’re in a world where you can tell when things are scripted.” - Michael Doneff

Links:


Shout Outs:


Ways to Tune In: 

Being a Mentor - Jim Looney - Episode # 05601 Jun 202200:56:40

Jim Looney is the Owner and Founder of Looney & Associates. With over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he’s an industry leader and a mentor to many. His passion for hospitality is obvious in how he carries a tradition of integrity, quality and service in all of his projects. Jim joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey though #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

  • You want to make sure that you are always meeting your deliverables and that you are keeping the clients and your employees happy.
  • Gaining the trust of a client is a big responsibility. It is your responsibility to make sure that trust is rewarded.
  • Hospitality is making others feel comfortable in your presence. You want others to feel comfortable around you.
  • Travel is something that can inspire people and help them come up with new and innovative ideas.
  • It’s important to sit back and take time to yourself occasionally and disconnect from all the technology around you.
  • The pandemic allowed people to explore hospitality and the world around them in a different lens.
  • A design has to feel immediately comfortable. You want guests to feel welcomed by the design and enjoy being where they are.


Quote of the Show:

11:01 “Hospitality to me is making people feel comfortable in your presence.”

 

Links:


Shout Outs:

 

4:36 Michael Bedner

4:41 Lenny Parker

4:51 Trish Wilson

12:38 Dallas Independent School District

22:12 Museum of Modern Art

23:52 Marriott Wailea

24:39 John Stobbe

34:28 James Dunlop

29:24 Jim Romelspa

43:40 The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

43:43 Ayn Rand


Ways to Tune In: 

A Vision of Collaboration - Staci Patton - Episode # 05525 May 202200:56:04

Staci Patton is a Principal of Hospitality Interior Design Director at DLR Group. She's a passionate and creative designer who creates indigenous and authentically curated spaces. Staci joins host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through #hospitality and how she brings her southern hospitality charm and collaborative effort to a wonderful industry.


Takeaways: 

  • Leadership in the hospitality industry is incredibly important and it can lead to new ideas in the industry.
  • Innovation can bring different perspectives to a project and can help separate you from others in your field.
  • Hospitality is the soul and spirit of how we welcome people in. It’s not limited to just hotels and restaurants.
  • Southern hospitality is a big influence for the meaning of hospitality as it provides people with a sense of feeling welcomed and at home.
  • You want to make others feel like you are working together, especially with clients. You want them to feel like it’s a collaborative effort.
  • As a leader, it is your responsibility to teach others and have them reach their highest points so that they can become a leader themselves and continue the cycle.
  • Putting others first is a key trait in this industry. You want to make sure there is space to grow for others and have their ideas heard.
  • A lot of people have left the hospitality industry during the pandemic, and now with things returning to normal there is a staffing shortage and it makes it more complicated to work on a project.


Quote of the Show:

16:35 “It's the soul and the spirit of how we welcome people in. It doesn't have to be a hotel. It doesn't have to be a restaurant. it's really about how you welcome someone in and what are those delights that you want them to receive?”


Links:


Shout Outs:

5:56 Joe Chikora

8:28 Ed Williams

9:07 Concord Hospitality

30:26 Hilton Hotels

33:06 Sherman Associates

42:37 Joanna Abrams

42:38 Mindclick


Ways to Tune In: 

Hospitality Laboratory - Will Meyer - Episode # 05418 May 202200:44:19

Will Meyer is the Owner and Co-Founder at Meyer Davis Studios Inc. He believes that great design works on multiple levels and designs seamless physical experiences tailored to his clients individuality. Will joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey through #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

 

  • When working in a partnership, it’s important to have respect for the other person's ideas and recognize that it doesn’t matter where the idea comes from as long as it is good.
  • Residential and hospitality projects have similar demographics which can make for interesting design options. 
  • Hospitality is an elevated sense of home. You want people to feel comfortable and connected to the elements in hospitality and have it feel welcoming.
  • It’s important to encourage people and make a special environment that allows them to grow and flourish. 
  • The work that is done in the hospitality world tends to look like it is based on where it is and who it is about rather than being about the designer themselves.
  • Using the environment as inspiration for your design in hospitality is something that creates an even better experience for guests and the community.
  • Use design as a way to connect with guests and the surrounding areas. 


Quote of the Show:

 

21:37 I look at hospitality as an elevated sense of the home. A heightened sense of residential comforts and elements that create a new space within the hospitality world that make people feel comfortable, make people feel inspired that create a new turning of the dial of their experience in hospitality. But grounded by that sense of residential home feel that makes people feel comfortable.”


Links:



Shout Outs:

 

1:01 David Gaddie

1:02 “A Beautiful Dreamer” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVCNh6_YpI8 

3:30 HD Summit

3:57 Michael Bedner

3:59 Trish Wilson

5:55 “Rookie Smarts” by Liz Wiseman

7:35 Auburn University

8:42 David Raleigh

14:24 V Bar in Las Vegas

14:31 David Raybin 1

4:32 Will Regin

15:21 Venetian

17:10 Moss Farmhouse

28:30 Four Seasons

28:31 Mandarin Oriental

28:32 Rosewood

28:36 W Hotels

34:50 Baccarat


Ways to Tune In: 

Creating Memories - Jennifer Barnwell - Episode # 05311 May 202201:04:45

Jennifer Barnwell is the President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. She can see through the maze of real estate economics and is passionate about hospitality. She is also a member of and also on the Board of Advisors at the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association. Jen joins host Dan Ryan to talk her journey in #hospitality and what it all means to her.


Takeaways: 

 

  • You want to surprise and delight your guests. You want to make them feel welcomed and at home when they stay at your hotel.
  • Sometimes a switch in products or a switch in systems is something that can really help drive your bottom line. 
  • Make sure that your team is being used efficiently. You don’t want to overload them or put them on tasks that aren’t their strong suit.
  • Having the owner's finger on the pulse helps to make decisions and changes run smoother. 
  • Hospitality is about the experience. You want to peak the senses of your guest and make them feel interested and excited about where they are. 
  • You want to create memories for your guests and have them be positive and something they can take with them when they leave the hotel. 
  • Independent hotels have the ability to connect to a place in a very powerful way. It feels authentic and natural. 


Quote of the Show:

 

22:12 “For me, it's all about the experience. I step inside, how does it make me feel, what catches my eye, what do I see? That's interesting. What kind of peaks my curiosity, what about all my senses? That's how I tend to define it, because that is what is memorable to me.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:48 Pebblebrook

0:50 CapEx

1:09 Independent lodging Congress

8:49 Bill Kimpton

9:34 Sir Francis Drake in San Fransico 

28:16 Death & Company

28:17 Dave Kaplan

28:59 Bashar Wali

41:33 Cameron Sperance


Ways to Tune In: 

Service Through Hospitality - Ian Rolston - Episode # 05204 May 202201:00:34

Ian Rolston is the Founder of Decanthropy and the President at Interior Designers of Canada He knows how huge of a role that community and diversity play in hospitality and design, and he wants everyone else to see that. Ian joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey through #hospitality and what it all means to him.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality is a great opportunity to serve humanity. It allows you to connect with others and the world around you.
  • Interior design really speaks to the guests as a whole. It brings a sense of community to the guest and makes them feel welcomed and at home.
  • You want to try and collaborate with other professionals who are not like you or think differently than you, as that brings a whole new perspective to your work.
  • Align with other great organizations and community leaders so that you can better solve issues within your community.
  • It’s important to shift the conversation around diversity to how it really is a fantastic business approach for companies and organizations
  • You need to have the confidence to stand up if you are being overlooked but also some vulnerability as well.
  • Part of hospitality is about sharing. Everyone can benefit from sharing and it can help shorten other people’s journeys.


Quote of the Show:

 

5:40  “There's just something about interior design that I think really speaks to the heart, body, mind and soul of end-users that provides this real sort of connective tissue to both the community of users and how they're interacting with space.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

2:04 Yabu Pushlberg

2:07 Hirsch Bedner

31:51 AiLun Ku

31:53 Opportunity Network

35:26 Chief Robert Joseph

45:24 John Doyle

47:27 Alice Stanky

47:30 Anne Garis

47:47 Talking Heads


Ways to Tune In: 

Love and Reckless Abandon - Clodagh - Episode # 05127 Apr 202200:59:57

Clodagh is the Founder of Clodagh Design. After suffering a horrible accident, she found her passion for being a designer. Her Irish heritage gives her a unique perspective of design, which she approaches with love and reckless abandon. Clodagh joins host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through #hospitality and how she got to where she is now.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Approach design with love and reckless abandon. You need to be brave and bold to create something new and innovative. 
  • At the age of 17, Clodagh opened her first business. She used her determination to persevere through all the challenges.
  • The BBC made a documentary about Clodagh called The Fashion Designer. She has been all over the world and met many interesting people during that time. 
  • Hire people that are better than yourself. That way you can surround yourself with people who can make you better and teach you more. 
  • Focus on trying to design the irritations out of people’s lives. You want to bring them joy and make the furniture feel like it is giving them a hug.
  • Everyday, take a breath of the new day and appreciate where you are. Taking a moment to sit down and just focus on your breathing brings you a calming sensation.
  • Take some time to get outside and enjoy your surroundings. 


Quote of the Show:

 

22:00 “All of my learning comes from observation really, since I haven't had any formal training of any kind, just observing what makes people happy…I'm trying to design the irritations out of people's lives.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

9:43 Irish Cancer Society

9:48 Hibernate Hotel Ireland

9:59 Irish Times

10:26 Henri Bendel

10:29 Lord and Taylor

11:56 The Fashion Maker documentary by BBC

19:43 Ashford Castle

28:07 Cranwell

29:15 Robert Kennedy

30:46 Sarah Klymson

30:47 Hyatt

34:45 Brickell Miami

35:39 Caledonia

45:45 Edward DeBono

45:59 Dr. Richie Davidson

49:38 Coretta Scott King

49:39 Martin Luther King Jr


Ways to Tune In: 

The Generosity of Hospitality - Kristen Conry - Episode # 05020 Apr 202201:04:38

Kristen Conry is the Senior Vice President of Global Design for Marriott International. She is a hospitality design guru and is the embodiment of the spirit of generosity. She’s worked with some of the most influential leaders in this industry and she shares their passion for creating unique experiences for guests. Kristen sits down with host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey in #hospitality and what it all means to her.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Innovation and new design ideas are something that should be at the forefront of all aspects of hospitality.
  • Hospitality has influenced other settings such as corporate settings and other places. The design aspect has launched a new way of looking at spaces. 
  • Many hotels don’t live up to the value of “people first”. You want to make sure the core of your industry is reflected by how you treat your employees.
  • Hospitality is the spirit of generosity. It is the feeling you get when you give to others in a way that is selfless to you.
  • Design can’t make up for bad service. It is still important but you need to make sure the service you provide is at the top of its game.
  • Given the constraints with architecture now, it has forced companies to be more creative and create different experiences by focusing on what really matters and what has the most impact. 
  • We’ve seen the baseline for design in American culture elevate in recent years and that is a positive and exciting aspect.


Quote of the Show:

 

19:09 “To me, hospitality is that spirit of generosity. And it's when we anticipate and we delight people and we do it in that really selfless way that it delights us to do so.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:33 Hyatt

0:36 Larry Traxler

13:18 Arnie Sorenson

16:01 Marriott Bethesda Hotel

16:07 Berman Falk

16:49 Marriott Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership

16:55 Howard University

16:56 Damon Lawrence

34:40 United Nations

36:15 Ed Webber

36:23 Scott Fortman

36:24 Richard Gibbons

38:07 John Meiser

38:27 Emily Keip

38:54 Jordan Mozer

39:01 Adam Lara

39:26 Jay Pecotte

45:05 Back to the Future

47:34 Starwood

1;01:23 HD Expo

1;01:24 BDNY


Ways to Tune In: 

Thinking Outside of the Box - James Cull - Episode # 04913 Apr 202200:56:29

James Cull is the Design Director at Rottet Studio. He has had a passion for design since he was 10 years old, and he brings that passion to every project that he works on. James sits down with host Dan Ryan to share his journey through #hospitality and what it all means to him.  


Takeaways: 

 

  • It’s the job of the hospitality expert to take a hotel and make it a special place that feels warm and kind. 
  • There are two approaches to design, you want to understand the customer and the ethos of the brand. That way you can tailor the design to the guests.
  • You want the guests to leave the hotel where they feel like they had an enriching experience and make sure to interest them.
  • Hospitality is all about making people feel comfortable in a space that isn’t familiar to them. You want to make them feel like it’s a home away from home. 
  • Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. That is how innovation is created and it allows for new opportunities.
  • It’s good to have people with different views or ways of working all on the same project. That can allow for different perspectives to overlap and create new ideas. 
  • There is a lot of flexibility and openness in different disciplines of design. 


Quote of the Show:

 

15:55 “There’s a romance in that, I think ties back to this idea of hospitality and making people feel comfortable in a space that they're not typically because they're not familiar with it.”

 

Links:

 

Shout Outs:

 

0:43 Marriott Headquarters Hotel

0:52 Arne Sorenson

8:44 Pratt Institute

10:09 Barack Obama

23:00 Yabu Pushelberg

23:10 Lizette Viloria

23:15 Rockwell

23:26 George and Glenn

24:26 David Davis

24:27 Lauren Rottet

30:59 Platinum Circle Awards

31:03 Larry Traxler

31:13 Jordan Mozer

38:44 Belmond

39:12 LVMH

44:57 “Drawing From the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards


Ways to Tune In: 

The Beautiful Industry - Shari Bayer - Episode # 04806 Apr 202201:10:47

Shari Bayer is the Founder and President at Bayer Public Relations. She’s been working in the restaurant industry since she was 16, so she knows the industry inside and out. Her passion for this beautiful industry is evident, especially through her podcast “All In the Industry”. She sits down with host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through #hospitality and what it all means to her.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality has the most transferable “soft skills” that anyone can have. Hospitality isn’t just limited to hotels and restaurants, it is everywhere.
  • Every restaurant is different with what is unique and what their story is. It can be hard to talk about yourself but it’s important to be vulnerable and show the world who you are. 
  • Hospitality is all about making the guest feel welcomed and important. You want the guest to leave feeling happy and return often.
  • Design plays a huge role in the feeling of a restaurant or a hotel. It’s part of the complete package that is hospitality.
  • The pandemic has changed how restaurants work, with the guidelines shifting from outdoor to indoor dining back and forth.
  • You can’t teach someone to be a nice person, but you can teach them nice skills. When hiring someone, you want them to have the right personality. Hire for culture and not skills. 
  • Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone pieces at a time.


Quote of the Show:

 

12:44 “When people understand hospitality or get it right, they make you feel so special and so welcome, and so important and that they're genuinely happy to see you. They want you to feel good.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

3:39 Sullivan Street Bakery

4:30 Jim Lahey 

5:37 Mark Bittman

5:40 New York Times

13:33 Glen Coben

13:46 Architect's Cookbook by Glen Coben

18:30 Barbara Sibley

18:31 La Palapa

21:36 Independent Restaurant Coalition 

22:25 Prune

22:26 Gabrielle Hamilton

25:22 Danielle Boulud

31:41 Gramercy Tavern

32:34 Le Bernardin

34:36 Danny Meyer

41:37 Line Hotel

42:38 Spoken English restaurant in DC

49:32 Heritage Radio Network

49:34 Roberta’s Restaurant

51:59 Charlie Trotter

57:40 HOST Conference 

52:58 William Vale in Brooklyn

1;01:12 Jimmy Yui

1;07:03 Rock Bottom Brewery


Ways to Tune In: 

Hospitality Across the Globe - Shaun de Vries - Episode # 04730 Mar 202200:57:12

Shaun de Vries is the Founder and Director at Open Pantry Consulting as well as the co-founder and host of the long running and very popular Principle of Hospitality podcast. He sits down with host Dan Ryan to talk about what #hospitality is like in Australia and his journey working in this beautiful industry. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • North America has always been a figurehead of the best level of hospitality around the entire world.
  • Hospitality is a collection of moments. These are all very special moments to the people who are involved and people in the industry are honored to share these moments.
  • Depending on what your brand is, it might be more beneficial to start in a suburban area and then expand into cities to test if that is a viable market.
  • The hospitality industry was hit hard during the pandemic, especially in Australia. They recorded the world’s longest lockdown period.  
  • In hospitality you teach service, empathy and how to walk in someone else’s shoes to better understand where they are coming from. 
  • It’s a challenge to hire people right now so you want to make sure when you bring a new person on board, the first six weeks are positive and exciting. 
  • You want to learn and listen from those around you. People you surround yourself with have a great depth of knowledge you should take advantage of.


Quote of the Show:

 

9:05 “I think like anything in hospitality is a collection of moments. We're fortunate in the hospitality industry, the fact that we get to share some of the most important moments in people's lives. And that might be a surprise engagement, there might be a birthday, there might be some other form of celebration. It might be a first date, it might be a wedding, all these different things that people trust us with is really, really important when you think about it as a hospitality professional.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

12:03 Grilled, Australia

14:08 Facebook

21:35 Four Fingers Crispy Chicken

23:50 Kath and Kim

34:28 LA Crows

52:03 Stumptown

52:18 Grumpy’s

53:05 Nick Stone

 

Ways to Tune In: 

Reimagining Spaces - Jun Aizaki - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 15415 May 202401:09:07


For a vision to come to fruition, there must be a level of persistence to make it happen. Here to share his insight is a designer skilled in interior and custom furniture. Please welcome the Owner and Founder of CRÈME, Jun Aizaki.


Host Dan Ryan and guest Jun Aizaki discuss CRÈME’s award winning Gourd project. Jun dives into how he finds inspiration for new projects, shares his early career and what led him to be a successful designer, and reveals advice to future innovators on the mentality needed to be successful.


Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality revolves around the service you provide for guests, and the problems you solve for them. By providing meaningful solutions, you make someone’s life richer, more interesting, and more practical.
  • Persistence is key when it comes to stating your vision. Having the mentality of not taking no for an answer goes a long way, by forcing yourself to try different directions, you may stumble upon new solutions. 
  • When it comes to working towards what you want, you may have to put in extra time and effort. While it may not be time that your getting paid for, if you continue to put in the extra hours, the results will pay off
  • When creating a new project, inspiration should come from the uniqueness of the environment around you. Each design should tell a story and be special in order to capture the eyes of others.
  • Creativity can strike at any moment, and having a way to capture it is crucial. Keeping a sketchbook or digital tablet on you at all times allows you to put pen to paper whenever an idea pops into mind. 
  • The gourd project was born out of a need to replace single use plastic drinking cups in the hospitality industry. By growing a gourd in a cup shaped mold, you are left with a disposable option that biodegrades safely. 
  • Good design comes from the minds of many, rather than a solo visionary. Encouraging communication and empowering your team creates products that draw on the strength of diverse backgrounds.

Quote of the Show:

  • “If you can dream something up, there's always a way to get there.” - Jun Aizaki

Links:



Shout Outs:

Ways to Tune In: 

Inspiring the Next Generation - AiLun Ku - Episode # 04623 Mar 202200:56:43

AiLun Ku is the President and CEO of the Opportunity Network. She sees the talent in the next generation and is committed to making sure they are given the same chances as others. AiLun sits down with host Dan Ryan to talk about her view on #hospitality and how to give everyone the sense of being welcomed.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Inspiring the youth can have such a great lasting impact. They are the ones who can change the world for the better. 
  • It’s ok to admit that you don’t know everything and open up about the mistakes that have been made because that creates room for growth.
  • You want to claim your identity and be proud of who you are. You can use that to guide your journey in life. 
  • Hospitality is a state of exchanging culture. It feels warm and inviting, like it was meant to be that way all along.  
  • The way we think about social justice in mass experience injustice. You can train people so that injustices aren’t a part of your company.
  • We are not truly in a space where opinions or voices from people of color are being taken with as much weight as they should be, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change for the better with the younger generation.
  • It’s important to open the mind of the next generation to hospitality opportunities and what is going on in the world. 


Quote of the Show:

 

6:49 “We don't know everything. And when we don't know it, we'll try to figure it out together. And so for so long, our students, our alumni, they say, tell us, bring in more speakers that are willing to talk about failures and the mistakes. We gesture to the idea of mistakes and failures. And so when we normalize it right in conversation, then it becomes normalized for our young people.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

8:27 Catskill Mountains

15:39 Carl Jackman

27:48 MIT Media Lab

27:52 Local Voices Network

29:10 Worth Doing Wrong by Arnie Malham

31:08 Cortico AI

33:01 Star Trek

37:41 OppNet Gala

39:22 Brian Weinstein

39:29 Independent Lodging Congress

41:10 Damon Lawrence

49:31 NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service


Ways to Tune In: 

Building a Connection - David Tracz - Episode # 04516 Mar 202201:00:07

David Tracz is the Partner and Founder at 3877. He knows the importance of building a good relationship with your clients and making sure you are working with them on a project. He sits down with host Dan Ryan to share his thoughts on #hospitality and what it all means to him. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • You want to make your clients feel welcomed and comfortable in the environment that you build for them.
  • When working with clients, don’t treat it like it’s a job but treat it like you are working together with them. You want to build a relationship and connection with them.
  • Building trust with your clients is important. You want to prove you can get the work done in a timely manner but also have respect for them.
  • You learn something new everyday. It’s ok to not have the right answer and try something new and see if that works, that is how you grow.
  • Working with residential clients allows you to better understand your clients than you would if you work in an office or with commercial clients. 
  • There are many different types of hospitality and while they may differ, they all learn from each other and take inspiration from each other.
  • Technology allows for a greater development in hospitality allowing the experience to be more tailored to each guest's liking.


Quote of the Show:

 

12:06 “I think we really focus on just building that relationship, talking to them. It's not about the job. It's about us working together. I just hope that it's going to come eventually because we're good at what we do. And we like to execute on beautiful projects. And, I think that mentality is just a better way to look at things.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:41 Aliya Khan

0:42 Marriott

2:19 Pepe Moncayo

2:59 Boqueria Restaurant in DC

3:03 Jaan

8:29 Business of Architecture Podcast

11:26 Knead

14:22 Succotash in DC

26:19 OPX

33:05 Bashar Wali

35:24 Independent Lodging Congress

41:31 Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

44:24 James Bond

46:03 Nvidia 

46:07 BMW 


Ways to Tune In: 

It Takes A Village - Christina Flannery - Episode # 04409 Mar 202200:52:04

Christina Flannery is the Director of Design at Park Hotels and Resorts. She uses her keen eye for renovation to help the design of hotels and provide a sense of community and belonging to them. She sits down with host Dan Ryan to share her journey through the world of #hospitality and what it all means to her. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality is all about being social and feeling that sense of community and belonging when you are at home or away. 
  • There is a higher level of engagement in multifamily living spaces, which contributes to the sense of community.
  • Springtime is a time of rebirth, and it will be a great time for travel and for the hospitality industry to bounce back.
  • Your front staff is incredibly important. They are the ones who are talking with guests daily and know what it takes to make guests feel welcomed and at home.
  • It’s the little gestures of hospitality that really keep people going and keep them coming back. 
  • Technology advances for hospitality can help to make guests feel more at home. It can allow them to set whatever temperature they want or any lighting setting they want.
  • The design of a place can change the entire mood of a person walking into it. 


Quote of the Show:

 

11:21 “Springtime is around the corner and it's always a nice rebirth. You're kind of shedding that cold winter and into something new and fresh. And I feel the light at the end of the tunnel here with where we're headed. It’s exciting for hospitality because I think everybody's going to want to be traveling and they're getting out there, seeing what's out there and plan their next vacation or their next business trip. It's gonna really focus around the amenities and what the property has to offer.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

3:23 The Hilton in Ocean City, MD

3:41 Marriott

10:04 ALoft Marriott

16:27 Digital Key

29:30 Signia by Hilton

29:33 Waldorf Astoria

31:04 Hilton Hawaiian Village

46:49 Doubletree Hotel

47:38 Dave Kaplan

47:39 Death and Company

48:10 Equinox

48:11 Merivale

48:22 Tiger King


Ways to Tune In: 

A Huge Tiny Business - Karin Harrington - Episode # 04302 Mar 202200:52:43

Karin Harrington is the Principal at Studio Partnership. With almost 30 years of experience in the industry, she has a keen eye for quality design. She has won many awards from many of the major hospitality brands. She joins host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through the world of #hospitality and what it all means to her. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • The hospitality industry is full of people who love what they do. They don’t view it as a job but rather something that they are lucky enough to do.
  • Going on a vacation is aspirational. You want to go somewhere where you feel relaxed and comfortable in the environment.
  • A sense of community can bring a positive impact to a business. You want to make employees feel welcomed where they are. 
  • You need to be empathetic with others. Everyone who plays a role in hospitality is important and if you don’t have that, then your space will never see success.
  • The first step in the design process is programming. It’s your responsibility to make sure that you communicate effectively with the clients to make sure everyone is on the same page.
  • Hospitals and doctors offices are spots where hospitality hasn’t really taken hold yet. There are a lot of factors at play as to why this hasn’t happened yet.
  • COVID has changed it so that people have really slowed down and focused on what is most important to them. 


Quote of the Show:

 

16:34 “Hospitality is so different. It is really a lifestyle. People ask like how you asked me to explain it and it goes all the way to the root of my being. It is the way I was brought up as well as it is part of my personality type.  It is both of those things.”

  


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

Aaron Anderson

6:41 Rebecca Jones

14:30 ACE Hotel

15:50 Capital One

15:54 TD Bank

18:50 Verdans

19:38 Chevy Chase Club

33:01 Mercy Hospital in Baltimore

39:25 Amy Jacobowsky

41:07 Christina Hart

46:41 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


Ways to Tune In: 

A Clear Space - David Allen - Episode # 04223 Feb 202200:56:02

David Allen is the Founder at the David Allen Company. He’s also the author of many books, including “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity”. Having your mind open and a clear space can help to keep you functioning at a high level and be better at what you do. David sits down with host Dan Ryan to share his thoughts on #hospitality and what it all means to him. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Having a clear space in your mind allows you to deal with surprise and change in a better way. 
  • Hospitality is all about making others feel a welcome experience. You want those around you to feel at home. 
  • You need to have authentic conversations with those around you. If you are at a hotel and you don’t like your room, it’s ok to say so. 
  • Managing your staff in the right way is a key to success. You want to set a good standard for them to follow and make sure they keep up with it. 
  • A checklist is an incredibly important part of everyday life. Making a checklist can help to make sure that everything that needs to get done is actually done.
  • Communication is key. You want to make sure those around you feel appreciated and know that you are engaged in the conversation.
  • When working on a project, you want to think of two key components. You want to think of the outcome desired and the actual step required to reach that. 


Quote of the Show:

 

7:08 “When I think about when I have felt hospitable or being hospitable towards people with me, it was heartfelt. It was authentic and it was service oriented. It's a real communication from a caring place. It says, how can I help? How can I serve? So I think hospitality is not just for the industry. I think it's for the human being as an experience.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

0:59 Danny Passman

10:21 Raul Leal

10:24 S.H. Hotels

12:07 Four Seasons San Francisco

13:24 Nanci Sherman

13:42 Hilton Hotel Miami

16:09 The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

17:30 Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, CA

17:35 Jerry Garcia 

17:38 The Warlocks

17:39 Grateful Dead

21:05 Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

21:17 E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber

32:48 Suzuki

32:49 Alan Watts

34:32 Franklin Covey


Ways to Tune In: 

Wide Open Spaces - Carrie Tolman - Episode # 04116 Feb 202200:57:14

Carrie Tolman is the Associate Principal at KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group. She has a keen eye for interior design and uses her roots in southern hospitality to help influence the style she uses today. She joins host Dan Ryan to share her #hospitality journey and how she got to where she is now.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality by definition is temporary lodging. You want to make it feel like more than that though, you want to make it a home away from home.
  • Architecture is sculpture in motion.
  • Design can be part of a beautiful experience. It can help create a beautiful view and it is a work of art.
  • Southern hospitality is world renowned and it’s an expectation when you go there. It’s an art of how you entertain and host. 
  • Interior design and hospitality are both about the service level and how you can create an experience for your guests.
  • Reconnecting with those around you is important. It’s a nice idea to get away and really focus on those you love and share personal experiences.
  • Right now we are experiencing the great American migration. They are leaving urban environments and moving out to spaces that don’t cost as much.


Quote of the Show:

 

7:45 “If you look at hospitality, what it is by definition is a temporary lodging, a domicile away from your own home.  Whether it's an extended stay or, or not. And so those skills that I learned how to make people feel welcome and good within those spaces at a home applied, just in a much larger scale for hospitality.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

5:47 Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel

6:25 House Beautiful

6:27 Alessandra Bronca

8:19 Hirsch Bedner

8:21 Regent Beverly Wilshire

8:59 President Reagan

9:16 Warren Beatty

14:14 Whitney Museum

19:14 White Lodging

19:19 Brush Creek Ranch

38:49 Meyer Davis

41:44 The Naked Gun

45:44 Gibson’s

47:03 Nat King Cole Bar

49:00 Vincent Van Gogh


Ways to Tune In: 

Being Authentic - Dyonne Fashina - Episode # 04009 Feb 202200:44:24

Dyonne Fashina is the Principal at Denizens of Design Inc. She sees the beauty in designs and the passion it takes to create them. She sits down with host Dan Ryan to share her #hospitality journey from her memories about Canadian art culture to where she stands now. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • You have to learn to pick yourself back up when you get knocked down. In life, it’s not about how you fall but how you get back up.
  • Hospitality spaces have always been about empathy but it needs to shine through now more than ever. 
  • There needs to be a certain identity to each design. If it doesn’t have something unique to separate it from other designs, then no one will notice the difference.
  • If you are designing something based on the latest trend, it will not last. But if you design something based on the environment and a good feeling, then it will last. 
  • Life experiences will help you understand what kind of space that you need to create. Research also helps because every space is different.
  • Always bring positive energy and the feeling of being invested into every project that you do. 
  • A sense of community is incredibly important. It will help you get through difficult times and give you a strong support system. 


Quote of the Show:

 

9:45 “Empathy needs to come into the design and the business world and into the hospitality world more than it had in the past.”

 

Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:30 Stacy Shoemaker

0:37 HD Awards

12:43 Clay Restaurant at the Garden Museum

12:56 KPMB Architects

25:49 The MicMichael Art Collection

31:13 HDAC

31:23 Aaron Anderson

32:55 Bashar Wali

32:56 Damon Lawrence

32:56 Nina Grondin

34:17 Lenny Kravitz

34:20 Venus Williams

36:00 Black Architects and Interior Designers Association of Canada

36:08 Camille Mitchell

36:09 Gensler


Ways to Tune In: 

Open Door Policy - Christian Schnyder- Episode # 03902 Feb 202200:58:01

Christian Schnyder is the owner at Beleco. He’s been inspired and informed by over 30 years of experience. He specializes in hospitality and residential interiors. He’s used his roots from Switzerland to influence his view on the world and #hospitality. He joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey into the world of hospitality.  


Takeaways: 

 

  • The culture in Switzerland is driven towards service. Because of the lack of other resources, they have shifted their focus to providing good services. 
  • It’s important to keep your end goals in mind. You want to have a way to know how you want to finish a project. 
  • Giving a strong environment for people to fill a space with is part of the process of making a space more livable. 
  • Hospitality is about having an open door policy. You can have people come over and talk about anything they want, and you want them to feel a sense of belonging. 
  • We are thinking less about the impact of our words on others. Technology has advanced which is nice but it also takes us away from our human connections. 
  • Staying in touch with those around us is important for keeping us motivated and keeping coworkers focused. 
  • You’re not designing for designers, you are designing for people. 


Quote of the Show:

 

16:09 “As a designer you have a design done and it's approved and you go forward and then halfway through, they're basically saying, well, no, guess what? The design, it's not going to work. You need to go and keep what's there. And I think that's what I love about this is like, okay, now here is sort of that hurdle you have to jump over. How can you make something look effortless?” 

 

Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

1:17 Hirsch Bedner

1:19 Kirk Nix

12:12 Kimpton Gray Hotel

19:05 IHG Hotels and Resorts

19:43 Jennifer Ramsey


Ways to Tune In: 

Going to California - Avi Brosh - Episode # 03826 Jan 202201:09:11

Avi Brosh is the CEO and Founder of Palisociety. At his core, he is a modern day inn keeper. He’s been involved in real estate and hospitality for over 30 years. He joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his #hospitality journey all the way from a small school in New Jersey all the way to  Malibu, California. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • It’s better to get up earlier and accomplish some goals earlier in the day. It’s a good way to work and sets you apart from others. 
  • Hotels should be able to tell a story about their place. It can make the stay at the hotel feel more like a home and you feel connected with it. 
  • You want to manufacture an environment that doesn’t actually feel manufactured. The environment should feel like it is inviting and it all feels natural. 
  • It’s not easy to create something that makes you feel a certain type of way. It can be a difficult process but it is rewarding in the end. 
  • Every kind of hospitality is different. Once you find your style of hospitality, it needs to be something that you can do repeatedly and consistently. 
  • You need to have an uncompromising vision. Once you have an idea in your head, go for it and make that dream a reality.
  • If you are going through a tough spot, you have to keep going. You need to keep believing in yourself and keep going.  


Quote of the Show:

 

36:31  “I'm very particular at our hotels and restaurants and what have you that It's a certain kind of hospitality, which is not the same hospitality you would get at a four seasons in Paris. It's different then the motel six off a highway in Cincinnati. You have to decide what it is that you want to deliver in terms of the style of hospitality you want to deliver.” 


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

3:31 Saddle River Country Day School

3:35 Joe Auginello 

6:44 “Howard’s End” by E.M Forster

7:34 Boston University

12:17 Misha Bedner

12:39 Michael Bedner

24:42 Ian Schrager

24:43 Philippe Starck

25:22 Mondrian Los Angeles 

26:15 Royalton

28:30 Keith McNally

39:43 Aman Tokyo

47:59 Ritz-Carlton


Ways to Tune In: 

A Sense of Family - Sara Duffy - Episode # 03719 Jan 202200:41:24

Sara Duffy is a Principal Partner at Stonehill & Taylor Architects. She recalls moments from her childhood at a restaurant where they treated everyone like family, and that has led her to her career in hospitality. She joins host Dan Ryan to share some of her #hospitality experiences and what it all means to her. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality is the true sense of being welcome. You want to feel a sense of belonging and feeling like you are part of a family. 
  • When designing a space, you don’t want to pigeon hole yourself into one design style. You need to think about the different kinds of people coming in and make it welcoming for all of them.
  • You want to work with people who might see something from a different perspective than you. They could have a point of view you never thought of. 
  • Finding creative solutions to problems is a good idea. COVID made it so people couldn’t be together so people used video calls to talk with each other. 
  • The routines we have are what can set us free. It’s good to be creative and step outside of your comfort zone every once in a while.
  • You want your employees to be happy and productive. Employees tend to be more engaged in their work when they are excited to come into work. 
  • Broaden your horizons. There are so many opportunities in life and work, it’s important to grab them and take advantage of them. You’ll never know where they lead. 


Quote of the Show:

 

7:29 ​​”When I was a kid growing up on the upper west side of New York. There was this really terrific Italian restaurant that we went to on 79th street. Every Friday night and they knew us.

It was kind of like, cheers. Everybody knows your name. I loved it there and I think that was my first sort of foray into the true sense of being welcomed into a space and true hospitality. And they were so nice to me. I would get tired at the end of the night and they would let me sleep across two chairs or they'd let me sit at the bar and watch TV and talk to the bartender. It was just like I was supposed to be there.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

5:43 Paul Taylor 

8:55 Tony’s restaurant in New York

9:30 House of Gucci

12:19 Canby Hotel

12:25 Ritz-Carlton

13:02 Patrick Ewing

16:39 NBA

24:47 Revit

25:11 “Checklist Manifesto”

33:33 MTV 33:35 Beavis and Butthead

36:33 Carson Daly

36:39 Adam Perry

36:55 Kurt Loder

37:46 Remote Control

37:50 John Stewart

37:54 Mike Judge

38:44 Madonna

39:09 Kurt Cobain

39:11 Courtney Love


Ways to Tune In: 

Investing In The Guest Experience - Keith Brenan- Defining Hospitality - Episode # 15308 May 202401:03:49

As an advisor, helping guide your clients to the project of their dreams can be challenging yet rewarding. Here to shed light on the advisory process is a Principal and Managing Director at Weitzman, Keith Brenan! 


Keith joins Host Dan Ryan to discuss the nuances of investing in hospitality properties, and some of the many considerations that clients may have. Keith also shares the difference between institutional and mom and pop investors, the best way to mix hospitality and office space, and how to pick the perfect amenities. 

Takeaways: 

  • While hospitality touches on many different aspects, at its core, it is about welcoming and understanding. Hospitality is about the ability to welcome into a space and exceed their expectations in terms of what they expect from human interaction. 
  • Hospitality as an investment class presents some unique challenges. As your tenants are essentially checking in and out on a daily basis, quality amenities alone don’t cut it. To truly make hospitality excel as an investment, the human element must be there.
  • Advisors see two typical types of investors, institutional and mom and pop investors. Institutional investors are typically assessing if they want to get involved with hospitality, while mom and pop investors already have a vision and need help implementing it. 
  • Having the right amenities makes a great project. By tying the value of the amenity to the development of the building creates a cohesive experience for guests. Unique amenities serve as a focal point for guests when choosing a place to stay. 
  • Many investors are not only considering the current role of a hospitality asset, but how the building may need to transform over the years. As topics like adaptive reuse become more popular, more investors are looking for flexible assets. 
  • When mixing hospitality and office space in a single building, hospitality needs to be on the top half, however, elevated lobbies present unique challenges. Consider how guests enter the building, and simplify the path they take to get to the lobby. 
  • As an advisor, your main role is to show people all the details and help them make an informed decision. While telling someone no on a project can be disappointing, it’s better than letting someone go down a path towards eventual failure. 

Quote of the Show:

  • “It's a way of welcoming and it's a way of understanding. It's providing human interaction often in a physical space.” - Keith Brenan

Links:

Shout Outs:

Ways to Tune In: 

Spheres of Hospitality - David Kaplan - Episode # 03612 Jan 202201:00:34

David Kaplan is the Founder of Death & Company, the CEO at Gin and Luck, Co-author of several books including “Cocktail Codex”, the Co-Founder of Midnight Auteur. He likes to create human connections and memorable moments through cocktails and wonderful hospitality service. He sits down with host Dan Ryan to share his insight on #hospitality and how important it is to just be nice. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality is defined by creating moments of human connections. It’s all about connecting people within communities or total strangers to each other.
  • Walt Disney didn’t like movies because there was a finite end and no way to improve it once it was out there. Be like Walt and always strive for improvement where you can. 
  • Fans, followers and guests are the reason why a business is successful. Crowdfunding is a great way to offer equity in your business to those people. 
  • Now is the time for independent boutique hotels, as these are spaces that are often overlooked. 
  • The best hospitality feels really authentic because it is. You want the guests to feel the warmth and compassion in the bar, hotel or restaurant.
  • An experience starts at the door. You want to create a memorable experience once a guest steps right through the door. 
  • It’s a tough time with a lot of hospitality services being short staffed but it’s important to have a great culture even through these difficult times.  
  • You want to make sure what you are doing is something that gives back to the community that it is located in. 


Quote of the Show:

 

9:18 “Hospitality for me and for our company is defined by creating moments of human connectivity, moments and stages for that human connectivity.  For us it really starts with our teams, our staff, our investors, forming a community and connectivity within those folks within our worlds, and then extends out to our guests, fans, followers. Those are moments of hospitality. Those are our spheres of hospitality, and then cascading that connectivity out into the community.” 

 

Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

1:42 BDNY

3:35 EOS

4:08 Ryan Diggins

4:11 Ramble Hotel

8:01 Walt Disney

13:01 SeedInvest

15:03 “The Great Game of Business” 

15:45 New York Times

15:47 Forbes

15:48 Wall Street Journal

19:44 Star Trek

23:01 “Little Giants”

30:05 Delta

49:27 “Things To Do In Denver When You Are Dead”

49:49 Andy Garcia

54:34 Jerry Orbach


Ways to Tune In: 

A Gathering Spot - Aliya Khan - Episode # 03505 Jan 202201:01:55

Aliya Khan, VP of design lifestyle brands at Marriott, promotes a positive lifestyle for brands and global design strategy. In 2019, she was an honoree for women in design from Hospitality Design magazine. Aliya joins host Dan Ryan to discuss her view on #hospitality and how important it is to be more open to change and face it with a positive attitude. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Hospitality is about bringing people together from all walks of life. Sometimes you know them, sometimes you don't. It’s about experiencing new things in life with others.
  • The environment, the experience and the memory all add up to play important roles in delivering hospitality.
  • Often it can be the small things that make an experience so much more meaningful. You want to make sure all your guests' needs are met, even the small ones. It shows thoughtfulness and caring
  • You can learn so much from watching people. You’ll learn what they like and dislike and can use that to make a hospitality experience more relatable and enjoyable.
  • When you embrace change, you always see everything as an opportunity. You need to find a positive outlook and build that culture in your work and life.
  • Surround yourself with people who have the same view on change as you do. That way when you are going through change, they can help you get through it if you struggle.
  • Everything in a restaurant is designed to work together to create a memorable experience.
  • You want to celebrate the core foundational pieces of a hotel or restaurant when taking it over. You can update some things but it’s worth keeping some core things the same.


Quote of the Show:

 

2:54 “One of my grandmothers on one side of my family [I'm one of eight grandchildren] didn't have a big enough dining table for eight children and the parents that came with them. So she had this rug and we would literally, I'm not kidding, sit around that rug. We would go serve ourselves lunch and sit on the floor. Cross-legged on that rug. And I think to myself, when I think about that, I think about how it brought a group of people together, it always brought us back together.

 

So I sort of see it like a metaphor for hospitality. It brings people together. It brings you together from all over. Sometimes you know the people, sometimes you don't. But it literally is this gathering spot.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

10:28 “American Utopia” by David Byrne

14:59 Aaron Ritcher

22:05 Marriott

22:09 Arne Sorenson

28:22 Moxie

28:26 Westin

30:39 Aloft Hotels

31:51 Equinox Hotels

33:15 Heavenly Bed

36:27 Mitchell Gold

36:36 Robert Polin

36:41 Christine McGinnis

41:16 Kristina O’Neil 

44:11 Beverly Hills Hotel

44:14 St. Regis Hotel

45:24 Westin St. Francis

45:26 The Clift

45:53 Michael Mina

46:04 Larry Traxler

47:54 The Royalton

48:14 W Hotels

 Ways to Tune In: 

Hospitality is Being Selfless - Ron Swidler - Episode # 03429 Dec 202101:08:45

Ron Swidler is the Founder of the Hotel Tomorrow and the Chief Innovation Office at the Gettys Group for 33 years. He knows that it takes courage to be innovative and creative. Ron’s passion is to strive for the best for his company and clients. He joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his experience with #hospitality and how he views it. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • It takes many hours to become an expert in a certain area, but it also takes a certain amount of luck as well. 
  • Surround yourself with people that you trust that can be advisors or mentors. That way when you start a new project you’ll have a supporting cast helping you. 
  • It takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and admit when you need help. Asking for help isn’t a terrible thing to be ashamed of, it’s what a good leader does. 
  • Hospitality has evolved into noticing how you make people feel. When we are at our best we are caring for others. 
  • There is a bit of selflessness in hospitality, as it is about giving back to others and making others feel comfortable and welcomed.
  • You need a signature for your company. You need something that when someone thinks of your company, they have an image in mind that fits your brand (i.e. Disney and Mickey Mouse or Cinderella's Castle). 
  • Bringing people’s attention to a better way to do projects (i.e. sustainability, community focus, etc.) is important as you can influence someone to have a better impact on a community.


Quote of the Show:

 

10:02 “Most people are familiar with Maya Angelou's quote about forgetting what I've said or what I do, but remembering how I make you feel. And I think ultimately that's what hospitality has evolved into. And I have an interesting theory about how that's going to progress out into the future because we're only at one step of that evolution. But I think when we're at our best, we're caring for others. There's a bit of selflessness in that.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

3:24 “Outliers”by Malcom Gladwell

3:59 Roger Hill

4:00 Andrew Fay

6:17 Marriott

7:49 Phil Cordell

7:53 Hilton

10:04 Maya Angelou

11:52 TripAdvisor

14:12 Disney Castle

18:59 Matt Phillips

21:57 USA Today

24:54 HD Expo

25:05 Howard Wolff

25:08 Starwood

25:13 Christian Strobel

25:38 Parsons School of Design

33:37 “Exponential Organizations” by Salim Ismail

35:56 “The Inevitable” by Kevin Kelly

37:46 Blair Batwani

40:33 Kraig Kalashian

44:46 “Radical Evolution” by Joel Gero 

44:46 Bill Joy 

45:06 Ray Kurzweil

48:47 Chris Milk


Ways to Tune In: 

The Big H and Little h of Hospitality - Siobhan Barry - Episode # 03322 Dec 202100:59:16

Siobhan Barry, Principal, Design Director, Hospitality Practice Area Leader North East at Gensler has been creating what she refers to as “Instagram moments” for over 20 years. She shares her outlook on #hospitality and her journey through the industry. Siobhan discusses with host Dan Ryan how hospitality can split into two different segments and how we can bring hospitality to all aspects of life.


Takeaways: 

 

  • As a designer, you have to create moments that are memorable for people. You want it to be captured and remembered, and this is referred to as an “instagram moment”
  • Designers can find a way to make people feel certain emotions when entering a room.
  • There is the “Big H” and “Little H” hospitality. The Big H is hotels, restaurants and the likes while the little h is everything else ranging from hospitals to stadiums.
  • When you think of the best times you’ve had, they weren’t digital and probably had some element of spontaneity to them. 
  • After 9/11, Siobhan went into business with a friend to open a nightclub to try and lift people’s spirits and provide for them a place to go.
  • Designing for celebration is a key aspect when thinking about creating a space. You want the room to feel joyous and full of energy.
  • Travel is making a comeback now and it is now seen as a basic human need, along with having new experiences.
  • To create the most innovation, you have to be willing to push the boundaries and try something different and unique.


Quote of the Show:

 

8:14 “I call it big H hospitality and small h hospitality. And what I mean by that is there's sort of the realm of the industry that we know, so that's the big H. I think of that as hotels, restaurants, spas, cruise ships, the things that we kind of know are in this industry category.

And then there's this small H which to me is everything else where, or every other arena in which our clients, our customers are, are expecting a different way of engaging than they have in the past been used to.”

 

 

Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

0:43 Product Runway

1:20 ICRAVE

14:23 Sid’s Gold

16:11 Blondie

16:11 Gwen Stefani

16:21 Dusty Springfield

16:25 Patsy Cline

16:33 Fitz Gold

17:07 Calvin Klein

19:05 Swan Reserve

21:01 Lionel Ohayon

22:08 Prada

22:11 Madison Avenue

24:21 Dorsia

25:54 Crowbar

30:13 Airbnb 

 

Ways to Tune In: 

A Better Version Of Yourself - John DiJulius - Episode # 03217 Dec 202101:06:24

John DiJulius, President of the DiJulius Group, started his enterperinaul career operating a hair salon with his wife in Cleveland. Now, he is an international consultant, working with companies like the Ritz-Carlton. He’s the author of many books, including the must read “Customer Service Revolution.” John joins host Dan Ryan to talk about his views on #hospitality and what it all means to him. 


Takeaways: 

  • There are 10 rules to follow when it comes to customer service and making sure you provide a world class experience.
  • Hospitality is the emotional warmth that you get from someone. It’s not just contained to hotels and restaurants but applies in all aspects of life. 
  • The hospitality aptitude is a person's ability to recognize, meet and exceed customers expectations regardless of the circumstances. 
  • Hospitality can be defined by the five E’s; enthusiastic greeting, ear to ear smile, eye contact, engaged, and educate.
  • You want to be excited to have new clients or new guests at your hotel or restaurant. Excitement shows that you are and are interested in them.
  • There’s a gift in every conversation if you’re paying attention to it. You listen to what the other person is saying and send them a follow up, just to let them know you heard them.
  • F.O.R.D - Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. These are great ways to get to know someone and communicate with them.
  • John looks forward to the future where technology becomes better and better and makes all of our lives easier. 


Quote of the Show:

 

5:50  “I don't believe hospitality is an industry. I believe it's a piece of the experience every company should deliver. I think PricewaterhouseCoopers, lawyers, whatever industry manufacturing, we should be in the hospitality business, all of us that happens to have really smart lawyers, accountants, widget makers, whatever that means. I really believe it and how I define hospitality is, it's a feeling you give me. Ideally it's an emotional warmth, but it's emotional.”


Links:

 

Shout Outs:

 

0:03 Ritz-Carlton

1:38 Chick-Fil-A

1:40 Starbucks

1:52 Spirit Airlines

10:00 Danny Meyer

10:01 Union Square Cafe

14:01 “How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

15:30 Balthazar, Keith McNally restaurant

20:50 New Day USA

48:48 Tesla 

48:50 Peloton

48:51 Lulu Lemon

48:54 Apple


Ways to Tune In: 

Having an Open Heart Posture - Aaron Anderson - Episode # 03115 Dec 202101:00:54

A former firefighter now turned hotelier, today’s guest talks about how his experiences with his grandma’s hostel has influenced his view on hospitality. Aaron Anderson, a board member of the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) and the CEO of 26 Co, joins host Dan Ryan to talk about how the lack of diversity in higher up positions of #hospitality can be viewed as a more prominent issue and how important it is to have empathy and listen to others with an open heart. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • When coming up with a business plan, you need to have a clear goal or thesis that represents your values and what you want in the future.
  • Hospitality is providing a warm and safe environment for a guest. No matter what the guest is going through, making sure they are feeling safe and welcomed can bring plenty of relief.
  • Getting to know people on a personal level and understanding what their feelings are is a big part of hospitality.
  • It’s important to keep an open heart and listen to others, as it helps you understand not only the guest but also yourself.
  • You can always build empathy. It’s ok to admit you don’t know the right thing to say or do, but as long as you approach the situation with an open heart then you can learn.
  • The hospitality industry is diverse but only at the lower level positions. As you get higher and higher in the rankins to the c-suite level, you see less and less diversity which is an issue.
  • Don’t take any moment for granted. We get caught up in the tough love we put ourselves through, but everything will work out like it’s meant to. 


Quote of the Show:

 

6:58 “I think hospitality is really just providing that place of warmth for someone. Due to it being, traveling due to being their friend that needs to come over and to sleep over and spend some time with you because they're that they're going through something. That moment when my grandmother owned the shelter for women and children, we were in hospitality. We're providing meals, we're providing a warm bed to stay, providing clothes. Hospitality is just not hotels or restaurants. It's really providing a cozy place in a safe place.”


Links:

 

Shout Outs:

 

0:36 Hunter Conference

8:19 Jason Caldwell

8:24 HD Summit

20:53 Black Lives Matter

21:38 George Floyd

23:01 HDAC

23:27 Nina Grondin

23:28 Damon Lawrence

23:28 Bashar Wali

25:30 Entrepreneur’s Organization

28:59 Blockbuster

29:06 Netflix

29:29 Tom Healy

31:49 ACE Hotel

31:51 Brad Wilson

35:12 Malcom X College

40:00 Cliff Eric

40:04 Ralph Angerberger

40:06 Laurie Horvath

40:09 Steve Shoat

40:13 Scott Hammons

40:25 Karen Harrington

40:34 Angela Clark

41:26 Cliff Derkin

43:24 Scott Hammons

43:27 Alan Benjamin

47:20 Mikey Dobin


Ways to Tune In: 

Building for Sustainability - JoAnna Abrams - Episode # 03010 Dec 202101:08:22

Creating a sustainable environment in hospitality and all aspects of life is incredibly important; it allows us to live healthier lives and give back to the environment and the world. Sharing this view is JoAnna Abrams who is not only the Founder & CEO of Mindclick, Inc but she’s also been named a hospitality industry innovator by Lodging Magazine. She joins host Dan Ryan to talk about how sustainability plays a big role in hospitality, and how guests are becoming more aware of the need for a change in going green, and how guests are now more likely to stay in a hotel that does more for the environment than one that does not. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • Sustainability is an important part of hospitality. You want to make sure the products you are using will last for a long time and are good for the environment.
  • While it’s worth noting the profit motive for trying to have more sustainability in hotels, it’s also worth doing for the health of the planet. All big banks have committed that by 2050, 100% of their lending will be carbon neutral.
  • Guests will choose to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment and commits to a healthier lifestyle rather than one that doesn’t.
  • The power of hospitality is made from the people who work in the industry and strive to create fun, enjoyable experiences anywhere in the world. 
  • Designers have struggled with being overwhelmed by all the certifications that are out there, so if a top 100 firm hires them it’s a big help and influence. 
  • Nature continually adapts and evolves and we need to as well, in regards to sustainability and the environment.
  • Taking an idea, executing it and implementing it in your company is really the basis of what being an entrepreneur is.
  • You don’t always have to take positions that you think are the ones that you think you have to have to advance your career. Life isn’t a straight line and sometimes a new position can provide helpful life changes. 


Quote of the Show:

 

16:20: And then a huge, huge component of hospitality is service. It really is that experience that you have is based upon the environment that's created through a service orientation. And it was interesting in the research that we did, a digital marketing campaign for a courtyard that was renovated in Southern California, where we told guests about the positive impacts of products chosen for a quarter.

 

It had been following a renovation, both environmental and social, and health and so on. And we did, we then looked at the research results and saw 150% increase in satisfaction and loyalty and all these key measures. And we interviewed these folks who had seen the marketing campaign and said, okay, Talk to us about this.

 

What would this mean to you? And over and over and over again, we heard that people saying a hotel that has gone out of its way to choose products that are better for me and the planet, is really taking care of us. And that really stands out and I'm going to choose that hotel over others.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

1:57 Heather Gatineau

2:23 Toyota

4:03 Diana Dobin

4:24 Valley Forge Fabrics

7:47 Marriott

8:14 Hyatt

8:15 IHG

8:18 Wyndham

9:01 Dave Lippert

12:12 Larry Fink

13:15 Gretta Turnberg

14:49 Real Time with Bill Maher

21:00 Avinash Rajagopal

21:02 Metropolis Magazine

30:06 Paul McElroy

32:20 Susan Suhar

37:58 Prius

38:00 Tesla

39:57 Dean Witter Reynolds

40:09 Arthur Anderson

41:27 Warburg Pincus

1:03:09 Arnie Mahlham


Ways to Tune In: 

Creating Beautiful Experiences - Sarah Klymson - Episode # 02908 Dec 202101:03:40

Today’s guest started her career in hospitality in a very unusual place; McDonald’s! She focused on how architecture and design could connect with the customers at the restaurant. Now, Sarah Klymson is the Vice President of Product Brand Development at Hyatt Hotels. She joins host Dan Ryan to discuss her journey through #hospitality and how she views the industry. 


Takeaways: 

 

  • You can use architecture to create a warm and inviting feeling for guests when they come across a hotel or restaurant. The same can be done for design.
  • Hospitality isn’t just about providing a great service, it’s also about inspiring your guests so that they take that inspiration with them when they leave.
  • It’s important to remain authentic and genuine in the hospitality industry. Staying with what makes your brand stand out is always important to keep. 
  • Your hotel or restaurant should be more than just a destination. You want to bring something that no one else can bring to the table. 
  • Being present in the moment is a beautiful feeling. It’s important to take time to be away from all the technology and just relax. 
  • Being intentional is the ultimate form of mindfulness.
  • It’s important to be aware of the things in your life that upset you and try to find a way to overcome those things and better yourself as a person.
  • You can create a beautiful space, but the key point is making sure the experience itself is something that can change someone’s life for the better. 


Quote of the Show:

 

9:09 “One of the biggest things that I actually was reminded of this week when I traveled is how important inspiration is in a hospitality experience. Inspiring people and creating experiences for them that they will take into their lives. That's what hospitality is about. It's not just about caring for people and creating a wonderful experience when they're there, but it's also inspiring them, getting them to think about things in a different way.

 

When they go back into their normal lives, they take that sense of inspiration and hopefully it bleeds into other areas of their lives. I think that's really what's at the core. And I think that's why people are so passionate about this industry is because it inspires them. The sense of passion can come out and what we create either through design or the experiences that we create on property.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

1:44 McDonald’s

10:29: Miraval

14:46 Mark Hoplamazian

39:57 Hoffman Process

46:50 Jerry Seinfeld

54:05: Rookie Smarts 

56:57 Vasu Dora


Ways to Tune In: 

The Power of Gratitude - Keith Roberts - Episode # 02803 Dec 202100:35:24

Improving your life can seem like an incredibly daunting task, but if you just take some simple steps in doing so, you can accomplish anything. Keith Roberts is the Founder and Creative Director at Zenman & US Director at emBlue, as well as the Creator & Author of the “Oak Journal” and an upcoming book “Becoming Zenman”. He has searched the world to find ways that people can use to make incremental changes in their lives for the better, like setting one personal goal, one family goal and one business goal a day to become a balanced individual. He joins host Dan Ryan to share his insights on #hospitality and how mastering your goals can create a better you!


Takeaways: 

 

  • Life is too short to learn from experience. It’s helpful to provide people with roadmaps on how to accomplish goals that they have set for themselves in life. 
  • If you want to reach your goals in life, you need to work on it everyday and have a structured system to get it done. 
  • To be a balanced individual, everyday you need to make incremental improvements in one business goal, one personal goal and one family goal.
  • Hospitality isn’t just the food or the location, but it’s also the atmosphere and going above and beyond for those staying at your hotel or restaurant.
  • Start your day with gratitude. It gets your day going on a positive note and makes you a happier person overall.
  • Following Warren Rustand’s 10-10-10 rule will change your life for the better. You start your day with 10 minutes of meditation, 10 minutes of reading and 10 minutes of positive journaling. 
  • To make sure you reach your goals, the oak journal that Keith wrote created a three step process; state your goals, visualize it and then actually feel the emotion from it.
  • As Henry David Thoreau once said, “Suck all the marrow out of life”. That is advice that Keith would give to his younger self. 


Quote of the Show:

 

11:18 We've all heard that story about that, the forgotten Teddy bear. But I think it's in so many books because it's such a perfect example. Kid forgets the Teddy bear and can't sleep.

Dad calls the four seasons and says, Hey, I forgot my Teddy bear. I convinced little Billy to go to bed because Teddy bear stayed for an extended vacation. They not only sent the Teddy bear back, but they sent a photo book of the Teddy bear playing golf, the Teddy bear at the spa with cucumbers over his eyes.

So they spent an hour, the employees probably had a blast doing it, and it's in dozens of books on culture, business, customer service, leadership, that example. You never know what little above and beyond thing, and for me, for the journal, I get paid to speak. But if there's one person that I meet at an airport, I will give my keynote

If I've got time to that person and share the knowledge, the tools, and hopefully inspire them to be the best version of themselves.” 


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

2:16 Bodhisattva

3:41 Warren Rustand

4:03 Gino Wickman

28:49 Machu Picchu

32:18 Henry David Thoreau

33:08 Walden Pond


Ways to Tune In: 

The Hospitality Gene - Harsha L’Acqua - Episode # 02701 Dec 202101:02:03

Harsha L’Acqua, Founder of Saira Hospitality, wants others to develop the “hospitality gene” for others. She has created a unique business to help students interested in hospitality find their way to the industry through what she refers to as pop up hospitality schools. Harsha shares with host Dan Ryan how to grow and develop this hospitality gene and her take on defining hospitality.


Takeaways: 

 

  • When we first make hotels, walls are the first thing that are put up. To the community it comes off as that it is a boundary they aren’t allowed to enter, but they should feel welcomed by these additions to their areas. 
  • Hospitality is more a gene that people have. It is based on empathy and the ability to understand the needs and feelings of others. 
  • Not everyone has the ability to make others feel comfortable. It’s a skill that can’t be taught, some are just born with it. You can hone that skill to better serve your guests.
  • Hospitality now has a need to hire anyone and everyone, and that includes giving chances to those who were formerly incarcerated. Everyone deserves a second chance.
  • It’s important to take a minute and listen to those around you. You don’t always need to have an answer, just knowing that someone is being heard is enough.
  • Harsha’s advice to others is to be more open minded. Listen to those around you and be open to new experiences and journeys. 


Quote of the Show:

 

7:36 ​​”It isn't a universal thing to make people feel comfortable. And we talk about what we're calling the hospitality gene, and we teach that in week two. The hospitality gene is more of a mentality that we believe people have that's based on empathy and the ability to understand not only the needs of other people, but the feelings of other people. And so hospitality itself is very much along those lines. To me it's not the hotel. It's not, unfortunately, the design to me, it's the feeling they can be met if you look at the hierarchy of needs. And you're like, okay, great. I've got shelter, I've got food, I've got water. I'm good. Or they could be met hopefully in kind of true hospitality to another level where your needs are being exceeded, needs that you didn't even know that needed to be met, are being met.

 

But the beauty of that in terms of hospitality is that once there's, those needs to whatever level. And I think that really goes along the spectrum of luxury to kind of entry-level hotels. But once they're met, that leaves this space for the guest to then be able to feel, to come back to who they are as people.”


Links:

 

 

Shout Outs:

 

1:51 Rosewood

1:52 Four Seasons

1:52 Virgin

4:03 ACE Hotel

4:06 Home

10:26 Kevin Austerhouse

10:47 Soho House, London

12:40 Six Senses

24:53 Chris Voss

31:48 Coss Marte

32:20 Saks Fifth Avenue

32:44 CONBODY

38:13 Andre Balazs

38:15 William Beaver House

40:27 “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

45:13 ASG

49:14 Citibank

56:59 Mother Teresa 


Ways to Tune In: 

Showing Up With Intent - Hemanshu Parwani - Defining Hospitality - Episode # 15201 May 202401:03:13

Our guest this week has over 30 years of hospitality experience in international operations, capital markets, and strategic development. Please welcome to the show, CEO and Owner of Olson Kundig, Hemanshu Parwani!


Hemanshu joins Host Dan Ryan to dive into the importance of showing up with intent. Hemanshu shares why designers should chase meaningful work rather than all out growth, the need to take care of those who take care of others, and how mountaineering inspires his work. 

Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality for many, comes close to being a religion. Built out of a devotion to caring for others, hospitality is about how you make someone feel in a space, and how you build memories with them. 
  • When in a space, people are either thinking about what memories this space reminds them of, or how the space will build new memories for them. Building spaces around the formation of memories will leave guests with unforgettable experiences. 
  • A guaranteed way to make your guests remember your experiences is by making them feel as if they were one of your group. Allowing your guests to feel like they can be their authentic selves creates satisfaction.
  • The ethos of being an innkeeper is taking care of people. Care extends not just to your guests, but the people who are taking care of your guests. A team that is well cared for will provide even better service to guests. 
  • Everything you do should be with intent. Knowing why you are doing something is the foundation to any action. Good design comes from an intimate understanding of why you are designing. 
  • While growth is good, it should not be the end all to your pursuits. Chase aspirational, meaningful work in design, and growth will follow. Instead of simply seeking to grow, seek a challenge that forces you to work creatively.
  • Mutual learning is an important aspect of design, and helps you be more intentional about what you do. Keeping an open mind and showing genuine interest in other’s work allows you to learn quickly. 

Quote of the Show:

  • “Growth is not something that we are chasing. We are chasing aspirational, meaningful work in design.” - Hemanshu Parwani

Links:


Shout Outs:

Ways to Tune In: 

Designing for the Silver Lining - Lionel Ohayon - Episode # 02624 Nov 202101:05:09

Lionel Ohayon, Founder and CEO of ICRAVE Design, lives by the philosophy of “when one door closes, another door opens.” He has created groundbreaking designs at places like terminal 5 at JFK, as well designing parts of the Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital. Lionel joins host Dan Ryan to share how his life experiences have influenced the way he views and creates #hospitality.


Takeaways: 

 

  • Lionel designed terminal 5 for JetBlue at JFK, and when designing it he focused on trying to make people feel comfortable and relaxed with flying. 
  • Hospitality is an ever-growing part of everyday life for people. The interaction between humans can be hospitality and how we perceive it is important.
  • Understanding the essence of hospitality is more important than having the nicest hotel or restaurant.
  • Your paradigm in life shouldn’t be “why me?”, but rather “try me,” facing any issues that come into your life head on and accepting new challenges. 
  • You must be the hero of your own journey. Life can throw unexpected twists your way but it’s important to handle them the right way and see the silver lining.
  • There are great opportunities to profoundly impact our world. With the advancement of technology and virtual reality, these can be used for good to bridge the divide between people.


Quote of the Show:

 

13:10 “I tell clients so often, like I can guild your place in gold, but if you don't understand the essence of hospitality, what the triggers are to make people feel comfortable to, or to allow people, those opportunities to step through the looking glass and learn something new about themselves, right?

To experience color in a way that they haven't because you are leading, you have an expectation about what the emotional response will be. Or what the inputs are of place, that is more about placemaking than about understanding the way things look and feel. I think that hospitality today is critical. It's an ever-growing important piece of the human interaction that we're all concerned about.”


Links:


Shout Outs:

0:09 Memorial Sloan Kettering

0:59 Stacy Shoemaker

2:48 JetBlue

8:42 Tesla

9:51 Disney Cruise Ships

19:23 Tao

21:18 Crowbar

26:17 St. Jude’s

27:33 St. Luke’s

30:40 Compass Group

31:15 “Why Me?” book by 

44:14 Michael J. Fox

44:18 Doc Hollywood

49:33 The Hotel of Tomorrow

49:44 Oculus

50:10 Ready Player One

50:14 Wall-E

52:15 Ken Burns Civil War documentary


Ways to Tune In: 

Putting Energy into Hospitality - Natalya Berdikyan - Episode # 02519 Nov 202100:39:13

The most valuable asset anyone has is time, but you also need the energy to use that time. Today’s guest learned this after feeling burnt out after years of working at a chocolate production business in Belgium. Natalya Berdikyan is an energy coach, teaching people how to properly take advantage of their energy and put it to their best use. She is also the founder of Life By Design Academy. Listen as she joins host Dan Ryan to share her thoughts on #hospitality today!


Takeaways: 

 

  • Everyone likes the feeling of home away from home, and that is a key part of providing a great hospitality experience.
  • Energy attracts both the positive and negative feelings of the place and people around you. 
  • You need to be aware of yourself, where you are and the other people you are with. These all play a big role in the energy you are feeling. 
  • Taking a step back and taking a deep breath can help clear your mind if you are feeling out of sorts. 
  • Don’t take anything personally, don’t judge yourself and don’t judge others. These are tips that will help you keep your energy in a positive direction. 
  • To get ourselves out of a low energy situation we need to understand why we are in that kind of situation in the first place. 


Quote of the Show:

 

3:18 “We are all being served one way or another from which gives me, gets me to that definition. Feeling comfortable being supported, being heard and being understood, whether it is at the hotel or the restaurant at the hospital, at the airport, at the airplane, it's making people feel comfortable.

And then we have a beautiful phrase, feeling home away from home. That's great. What if you're on the way and you are feeling in the space of comfort and of being like you not being stressed and frustrated that you're on the way somewhere. I would also find as the hospitality part.”


Links:

 


Shout Outs:

 

13:36 Pick You Ups

19:54 Bruce Schneider

19:56 Energy Leadership Methodology 


Ways to Tune In: 

Hospitality is a Feeling - Damon Lawrence - Episode # 02417 Nov 202100:59:04

The hospitality industry is incredibly diverse as a whole, but not when it comes to the higher up positions. That’s what today’s guest wants to change for the better. Damon Lawrence, the Co-Founder of Homage Hospitality, is working with Howard University to create an outstanding hospitality program at his alma mater, Howard University.  Listen to this week’s episode as he shares #hospitality insights with Dan Ryan today!


Takeaways: 

  • There is a labor shortage in the hospitality industry because it’s not an employee centric industry. Employees work long hours and went from seeing no one in a pandemic to being face to face with guests again.
  • Hospitality is a feeling you give to your guests. Whether they are in your hotel, restaurant or even your home, it is all about how you treat the guests and put them in a position to succeed.
  • It’s important to have conversations regarding race in the country. To make a positive change in the world, it starts with what might be an uncomfortable conversation for most. 
  • There needs to be more African American hotel owners and developers. To help achieve this, Damon is working on building up the hospitality program at Howard University.
  • The hospitality industry is very diverse as a whole, but most of the diversity is sitting at the very bottom. The low entry, hourly jobs are the most diverse, and the further you go up the more the diversity dwindles.
  • If people listen, take notice, and then take action that could cure a lot of ills in the hospitality industry. This could also benefit society at large. 


Quote of the Show:

 

7:58 “Hospitality really is a feeling. What I've always noticed,whether it's traveling or I'll be working in this space, is how do you make somebody feel when they enter into your space or a space that you have dominion over?

Just because you are a hospitality brand doesn't mean that you wouldn't exude or create a hospitable experience. So hospitality really is how you make people feel. Whether they're dining at your restaurant or dining at your home. Like I said before, understanding what everyone goes through and making sure that you can put people in the best position to succeed, creates that hospitality experience that you want to provide to your consumers.” 

 Links: 


Shout Outs: 

1:11 Thompson Hotel

1:34 Jason Pomerantz

1:35 Stephen Brandman

1:57 St. Regis

1:59 Ritz Carlton

2:00 Four Seasons

3:33 Craigslist

10:33 Howard University

10:49 University of Louisiana, Lafayette

11:33 Mardi Gras

12:20 Halle Berry

12:22 Paula Patton

19:27 Independent Lodging Congress

20:14 Arne Sorenson foundation

20:17 Marriott foundation

23:28 ALIS Conference

25:21 Determine by Design

25: 24 Kia Weatherspoon

36:00 LGBTQ

51:39 HDAC (Hospitality Diversity Action Council)

52:58 Bashar Wali

53:00 Nina Grondin

53:03 Aaron Anderson

53:07 Stacy Shoemaker


Ways to Tune In: 

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