With all of the challenges finding jobs in the industry people are faced with the potential need to relocate. Is that scary for you? Not sure how to attack it? We talk to Rob Thorpe who just got his Green Card in Feb 2020(right before things shut down). Rob spent 18 years in the British Royal Marines and relocated to the U.S. to be with his wife(who he met while on military assignment). Aiming to get into the Hospitality Industry Rob found his way to "The Good Trends" which connects locally sourced, small-batch food items to retail and hospitality clients.

Donald Hueckels is a F&B professional who joins us to talk about the mindset that goes into potentially making a decision to relocate. We also discuss how taking a step back in your career can be exactly you need and some out of the box ideas for leaders to keep their teams engaged, even if you all aren’t currently working together. Donald also tells us how he's developing his own business in a field I don't think too many knew existed(I didn't)

Stephanie Leger is my guest to talk about how important it is to take an entrepreneurial mindset to your job search and how to stand out amongst the crowded field. We discuss what her mindset was to start her own business and how she continues to evolve through COVID. You will see someone who brings such a positive mindset.

Tell me if you've heard this story before? A person gets into hospitality out of necessity at an entry level position. They fall in love with the industry and through hard work they move themselves up the chain. Well Chastity Rivera-Santiago lived that story as well. Hear how she's been dealing with having her career stalled due to COVID and what ways she's been able to put a smiling face on at home. Her story is one that will be relatable to a lot of people in the industry.

In this special edition episode of Be My Guest we talk to David Salcfas. While this was one of the latest episodes recorded I felt it important to put out now because we talk about what it was like for David to have to be in charge of a hotel that is closing permanently. From the tough conversations, to the tremendous employees, to a heartfelt memento left in the lobby this conversation has it all.

Ken Patel joins us to talk about a 2020 filled with difficulty and trajedy. After taking a new job for career growth early in the year he faced the challenges of starting a new role as the pandemic took hold. Ken lost 3 close family members due to COVID(2 of them within 24 hours of each other) and then eventually loses his position to the pandemic. Hear how after all that he is staying positive and viewing all of this is a stepping stone to positive things.

This episode of Be My Guest is very special to me because it's the first person I've met due to this podcast. As I say every show, it's an open forum and Bruce is the first person I'm able to interview who I didn't know before the podcast and what a great interview it was! Bruce has worked hard during the pandemic to create content to help educate hoteliers and shares how he has stayed positive through it all! Check Out Bruce on YouTube at "Hotel Guest Management"

There's rightfully been a lot of focus on employees who have lost their positions. Somewhat lost in the mix are the challenges that hotel leaders are going through when having to make tough decisions and deliver tough messages. Paul Lee joins us to talk about being a General Manager in NYC, the difficulties both professionally and personally he has faced during these times, and how he is pushing forward. He tells us a story about one of the most difficult phone calls he's ever had to have.

This episode we speak to accounting professional Matt Rigoli about how he balances the mental challenges of feeling fortunate he has been able to keep his position, the impact of taking on additional responsibilities, all while facing the hardships of seeing the people he cares about suffer with job loss. We talk about how he keeps himself grounded and in the moment with so much uncertainty in the future.

This episode we talk to Calvin Tilokee of the great Instagram account @RevParblems about how his layoff due to COVID was the spark to start RevPar Media.