Defining Hospitality

Defining Hospitality turns two! Over the last two years, we’ve featured some amazing stories, and have learned so much about the hospitality industry. To celebrate, we’ve pulled together some highlights from the most listened to episodes in the past year. In this episode you’ll hear from Author and Activist: Amanda Knox, Founder of Thank You: Will Guidara, Senior Interior Design Manager at Marriott International: Stephanie Hopkins, and President of The Hardy Group: Brent Hardy.

Thank you for two great years!

Takeaways: 

• True Hospitality is identifying someone's needs, and using the resources available to you to meet those needs. This can be enacted through giving someone a comfortable place to stay, or simply being an advocate for them.
• Having board games along with fine dining provides an experience that makes the guest feel comfortable and at home. It reminds them of home-cooked meals and time with family and friends.
• Every piece of detail matters to a guest and it impacts their experience at a hotel. You want to make sure that you are planning out every detail as much as you can and using the detail to make the guest have a wonderful experience
• For Brent, hospitality is more than just a hotel building or an office space. Hospitality is about the interactions with people, and appreciating the moments throughout the whole experience.

Links:

Connect With Amanda:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandaknox 
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/amamaknox/ 
• Website: https://www.knoxrobinson.com/ 
• Website: https://innocenceproject.org/ 
• Book Link: https://a.co/d/cJDYQIK 
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/labyrinths-getting-lost-with-amanda-knox/id1494368441
• Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d13d4efd 

Connect With Will:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-guidara-b64952243/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wguidara/?hl=en 
• Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B13W5GPT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 
• Welcome Conference: https://www.thewelcomeconference.com/ 
• Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8c2696f6 

Connect With Stephanie:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-hopkins-28445a71/ 
• Website: https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 
• Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/31149cc1 

Connect With Brent:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-hardy-aia-ishc-20706353/  
• Website: http://www.jhgi.com/  
• Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/2536b25f 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

Hospitality and conservation are united through acts of caring, yet both require a delicate balance between development and preservation. Out in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya exists an experience that blends both into a seamless harmony. Joining the show this week to share his story of hospitality is Dido Dima, a Camp Manager for Kicheche Camps. Dido and Dan sit down together on location in Kenya to discuss the importance, and challenges, of blending hospitality and conservation. Dido shares some of the efforts Kicheche takes to protect the land they operate on, the ways they create a sense of safety in their guests, and why every guest is a blessing. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality means extending kindness to others. This extension of kindness continues past your guests, and further onto your staff and community. Without strong staff and a welcoming community, there isn’t much hospitality to extend to guests. 
• As a hospitality manager, you need to provide varying levels of hospitality. For a guest, that can mean assisting them when they have a luggage issue. For a staff member, that means accommodating their personal needs. 
• As Kicheche camps are on conservation land, the experiences must be developed around a minimum threshold of sustainability. Low impact footprints, solar power, and a waste management plan are all part of creating responsible recreation. 
• As a young boy, Dido grew up in a conservation area, which cemented his love for nature. After pursuing education in the field of hospitality, he realized he could blend hospitality and conservation through camps in the bush. 
• As a leader, change is inevitable. While an employee may start in one area, oftentimes they want to expand and learn more skills. By fostering their growth, you create a highly skilled employee who is engaged in the work they do. 
• A sense of safety is a requirement for a hospitality provider. When your experience is in a wildlife preserve, your requirements are more stringent. By providing guests who are out of their element with accommodations, you make them feel more welcome.  
• By pairing the camps with a conservancy, it adds a crucial lifeline for wildlife, and the local communities. Support from the camps helps carve out spaces for wildlife to live, and provides the locals with an additional source of revenue. 

Quote of the Show:

• “You have to understand the interests of people change and you try to support them in that change.” - Dido Dima

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dido-dima-a6623261/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dima.dido/?hl=en 
• Website: https://kicheche.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 00:30 - Kicheche Bush Camp
• 04:52 - Olare Motorogi Conservancy: http://olaremotorogiconservancy.com/ 
• 05:27 - The Maasai People: 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

The ideal business is one where the needs of the employees are balanced perfectly with the goals of the business. One key to finding this balance is hospitality among employees. On today’s episode of Defining Hospitality, Dan talks to an expert on working with your employees. Joining the show this week is Principal & Vice President at C+TC Design Studio, Billie Thorne

Billie and Dan Billie sit down to dive into her experiences as a leader in the world of hospitality. Billie shares ways to best work with your employees, how to be hospitable to your coworkers, and the importance of carving out time for self care. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is about kindness and finding where you are comfortable. Once you get settled in a good place, you can extend your hand to newer employees and help them learn and grow. 
• Building a team of professionals requires different forms of guidance and understanding. Some people need to be prompted to think about their goals and aspirations and others need a small push to a healthy space outside their comfort zone.
• Finding the right employees doesn’t only mean looking at a resume, rather, it involves feedback from members of the team. Team members who enjoy each other’s presence and can cooperate smoothly will be more willing to work together in person. 
• Individual employee goals have to work in coordination with functional business. There has to be a balance between allowing people to focus on personal goals and working to maintain the profit and productivity of the business.
• Work smarter not longer. Though long hours can be sometimes helpful for productivity, more often, you can achieve more on a regular day rather than working late, because as you reach the end of the day, fatigue slows your efficiency.
• It is important to be hospitable to both clients and coworkers, but often, hospitality toward coworkers is overlooked. However, it can be shown when one employee helps another reach a deadline without being asked. 
• In any industry, you may encounter problems that seem daunting. Cross-industry collaboration may prove useful to come up with unique solutions that aren’t typically used in certain situations. 

Quote of the Show:

• “There are some mistakes everybody needs to make for themselves to learn from them.” - Billie Thorne

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billie-thorne-5bbba211/ 
• Company website: https://ctcdesignstudio.com/  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctc_designstudio/ 

Shout Outs:

• 03:11 - HBA: https://www.hba.com/ 
• 36:29 - University Of Texas: https://www.utexas.edu/ 
• 36:54 - University Of Southern California: https://www.usc.edu/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

Starting your own firm can be a nervous experience, but the creative freedom it offers can be well worth it. Joining the show this week is an interior designer who draws inspiration from his 25 years of design experience around the globe. After working with multiple internationally renowned design firms he is now on the journey of running his own studio. Welcome to the show, Founder & Creative Director of Pierre & Co Design Studio, Pierre Josselin!

Pierre and Dan sit down to discuss Pierre’s motivations for starting a business, what excites him most about the design process, and the importance of having strong relationships with others in the industry. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is a shared passion. Those in the industry have an exciting passion for the work they do. It is a people driven industry with a strong sense of togetherness that is focused on creating relationships. 
• To create great designs, you need to cover every aspect of the project, and understand what it takes to get to the finish line. Avoiding unnecessary handoffs of work results in a higher quality and more consistent project that is completed in less time. 
• As a designer, it’s important to understand how your answers affect the rest of the process. A timely response to a client’s question not only results in a happier client, but a faster project. A delayed answer delays further steps of the project.
• The best coworkers you can have are ones that challenge you, but who you can also challenge. Great ideas are not born in a vacuum, and fostering a space that allows for collaboration and feedback will open your eyes to new designs. 
• While going out on your own and starting your own firm can be daunting, it offers many benefits. As you have full control over the intricacies, you have full creative freedom, and the ability to complete work at a faster pace. 
• In the design process, it is important to implement efficiencies wherever you can. Even by getting all the relevant parties in one room for the drawing process and doing instant revisions can shave weeks off of a project. 

Quote of the Show:

• “The most successful colleagues you work with are the ones which challenge you, but you challenge as well.” - Pierre Josselin

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierre-josselin-527b555a/ 
• Website: https://pierreandco.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 04:07 - Taniya Nayak: https://taniyanayak.com/ 
• 06:21 - Small Giants: https://a.co/d/af9MB4P 
• 08:33 - Fairmont Flame Towers: https://www.fairmont.com/baku/
• 17:11 - HBA: https://www.hba.com/ 
• 18:51 - Alex Kravetz: https://alexkravetzdesign.com/ 
• 19:07 - Inga Oelschlager: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-oelschlager-73640878/ 
• 19:08 - Sayeli Uysal Ayaydin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayeliu/ 
• 19:09 - Peter Balistrieri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-balistrieri-44a99aa/ 
• 27:00 - Fairmont Banff Springs: https://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/ 
• 27:49 - Fairmont Washington DC: https://www.fairmont.com/washington/ 
• 29:22 - The Orient Express
• 33:11 - Tishman Speyer: https://www.tishmanspeyer.com/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

In an environment designed to be anti hospitable, it is a daunting task to create a space of warmth and comfort. Today’s guest is someone who helps bring a sense of hospitality to otherwise unwelcoming spaces. She is an activist who fights for justice and advocates for those whose voices have been silenced. Joining the show this week is author of her memoir “Waiting to be heard” and the Host of the “Labyrinths” podcast, Amanda Knox.

Amanda sits down with Host Dan Ryan to share how she was an advocate for her community while in prison, the steps for resolving conflict with others, and the ways someone's background shapes others’ perceptions of them. 

Takeaways: 

• True Hospitality is identifying someone's needs, and using the resources available to you to meet those needs. This can be enacted through giving someone a comfortable place to stay, or simply being an advocate for them.
• Someone's background creates a lens through which each interaction they have will be viewed. For people who are previously incarcerated, they face a lens of inherent suspicion and distrust from others. 
• While tough situations require positive outlooks, those outlooks vary person to person. For Amanda, her positive outlook was accepting the circumstances, and making the best out of them. Her mother’s outlook was fighting for what was right without giving up. 
• There are four steps to resolving conflict with a person. Set the stage by finding common ground you can agree on; identify the strongest form of their argument they are trying to argue; show them compassion; and ultimately, allow yourself to be open to change. 
• When large impacts happen, they affect everyone around the individual. Families are put under undue emotional, financial, physical and emotional stress as they work to assist those affected.  
• While Amanda was incarcerated, she sought to overcome the limitations of the situation and assist others as best she could. She became a writer and translator for other prisoners, helping them write home and read court documents. 

Quote of the Show:

• “No matter what circumstance you are in, no matter what condition you're in, there's always the opportunity to connect with people and to make some kind of positive impact in other people's lives.” - Amanda Knox 

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandaknox 
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/amamaknox/ 
• Website: https://www.knoxrobinson.com/ 
• Website: https://innocenceproject.org/ 
• Book Link: https://a.co/d/cJDYQIK 
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/labyrinths-getting-lost-with-amanda-knox/id1494368441 

Shout Outs:

• 01:11 - MIT
• 13:51 - Man’s Search For Meaning: https://a.co/d/9c6N7t0 
• 17:13 - The Obstacle Is The Way: https://a.co/d/7F2gejn 
• 22:13 - Steve Martin
• 43:38 - The Innocence Project
• 43:58 - The Labyrinths Podcast

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

In the world of design, you run the risk of losing focus on the end goal, creating great experiences for guests. Here to offer clarity is a development and planning specialist who excels at creating multi faceted luxury experiences. Projects that were completed under his vision include Faena Miami Beach, and Public NYC. Joining the show is Senior Vice President at Cumming Corporation, Nicky Unkles! Nicky shares his insights with Host Dan Ryan as they explore what it means to create luxury, and ultra luxury, experiences. 

Takeaways: 

• True hospitality is a friendly reception of your guests. It means being authentic and sincere in your treatment of guests, anticipating their needs, and offering all guests the same experience, regardless if they are a CEO or an intern.
• When it comes to balancing the needs of the stakeholders, and keeping your project on time, it starts with having a defined process. It’s important to stick to the process, but when it’s necessary to deviate, ensure all parties know the impact on the timeline. 
• One of the biggest challenges for new hospitality projects during the pandemic was supply shortages. As budgets, timelines, and vendors had been set months in advance, it required a collaboration with procurement agents to find new options.
• A typical project lives or dies within the first few days. When you first sit down with a client, your job is to help put their vision onto paper. Creating a layout and budget that reflect that vision, and your ability to sell it, will decide success for your project,
• When you start a project, it’s crucial to see it to completion. While potentially grueling, you’ll quickly discover areas of improvement for the next iteration. Additionally, seeing a project from vision to closeout is invaluable experience as a designer.
• Covid changed both the hospitality industry, and what guests want from their stays. Today’s guests want more service, and better experiences, with consistency as the keystone that holds the experience together.
• The core of your design needs to revolve around the guest’s experiences. Certain design elements may seem like important additions, but if they won’t impact the guest experience, those additions are an unnecessary use of time, money, and effort. 

Quote of the Show:

• “The world of hospitality is forever changed. People aren't going to accept substandard anymore.” - Nicky Unkles

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cumming_Group 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-unkles-9035b028/ 
• Website: https://cumming-group.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 12:48 - Aman Giri: https://www.aman.com/resorts/amangiri 
• 12:51 - Canyon Equity: https://canyonequity.com/ 
• 16:22 - Faena Miami Beach: https://www.faena.com/miami-beach 
• 16:24 - Public NYC: https://www.publichotels.com/ 
• 19:50 - Finlay Cumming
• 20:01 - Glasgow Caledonian University: https://www.gcu.ac.uk/ 
• 21:05 - Leher LLC
• 31:36 - Stan Bromley
• 37:08 - Zion National Park
• 41:10 - Six Senses: https://www.sixsenses.com/en 
• 41:14 - Starwood Hotels
• 41:15 - 1Hotels: https://www.1hotels.com/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

Our guest this week is an interior designer who has become a household name. She’s an expert storyteller, creating compelling stories through both her design, and her appearances on screen. She’s been frequently featured on HGTV as a host and mentor on “Battle on the Beach” and “Build it forward”. Joining the show this week is Principal and Interior Designer at Taniya Nayak Design, Taniya Nayak!

Taniya sits down with Dan to dive into her background as a designer. She covers the ways that bartending helped her refine her design skills, the necessity of designing your spaces for a wide range of guest experiences, and how she got started as a host on HGTV. 

Takeaways: 

• For Taniya, hospitality means addressing all the small nuances of an experience. It means creating a warm and inviting space where you are thinking about every possible customer scenario. 
• Balancing operations and design is a delicate task as you will often need to choose between prioritizing aesthetics or cost. Ultimately, the choices you make need to revolve around the experience you are trying to create for your guests. 
• Creating an experience your guests want to evangelize is important because a guest’s journey begins with a review. Their expectations of your space are set by what they read beforehand, and a bad review can set guests up with a pretense of your space.
• A quality product is the cornerstone of any successful business, but the presentation around that product determines your success. An ok product with great presentation will outshine a great product with lackluster presentation. 
• As a designer, you need to tell a story that relates to the guests in your establishment. Each element should correlate either functionally or emotionally to the story of why your guest is in that space. 
• As a young designer, it can feel demoralizing to not land a design job right out of college. Retail, customer service, and food service jobs give you firsthand knowledge into how those environments run, making your future designs for those spaces more effective. 
• For leaders in the design space, you need to create environments for your employees to thrive. Encourage communication, and make your employees feel comfortable being vulnerable. From their honest sharing comes opportunities for you to help them grow. 

Quote of the Show:

• “I want to make sure that when the guest comes in, they are greeted by a warm and inviting space.” - Taniya Nayak

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaniyaNayak 
• Website: https://taniyanayak.com/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taniyanayak/ 
• Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1892187 

Shout Outs:

• 0:30 - HGTV
• 0:42 - Ellen DeGeneres
• 0:45 - QVC
• 0:46 - Rachel Ray
• 0:47 - Oprah
• 1:20 - Hotec: https://www.hotecglobal.com/ 
• 10:44 - Yelp
• 11:42 - Open Table: https://www.opentable.com/ 
• 12:37 - The Break: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1892187 
• 17:13 - Danny Meyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhmeyer/
• 19:02 - MIT
• 21:03 - Boston Architectural College: https://the-bac.edu/  
• 33:06 - Knock First: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401024/?ref_=ttpl_ov 
• 35:28 - Baccarat Hotel New York: https://www.baccarathotels.com/
• 37:16 - Craigslist
• 37:53 - ABC Family
• 38:14 - The New York Yankees: https://www.mlb.com/yankees 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

To create truly epic experiences, you need to combine both people and place. Our guest this week is a visionary leader of both extraordinary people and projects. He’s a Global Industry Group Champion in Entrepreneurs Organization and an Advisory Board Member for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University. Welcome to the show, Founder of K2M Design, Scott Maloney! 

Scott joins Host Dan Ryan to dive into the value of collecting nos, how to create epic experiences for guests, and how networks like Entrepreneurs Organization have helped him on his journey. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is about people and places coming together to create an epic experience where people are able to join to support dreams and desires. Some organizations are built to encourage the bonding of great minds.
• The Entrepreneur's Organization is the epitome of hospitality in the senses that it creates a safe and confidential space for the members to learn from other inspiring people and be encouraged by them 
• In the architecture and design space, hospitality means finding a compromise between a design being structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. Being able to fulfill the safety requirements while listening to the vision will create loyalty from the building owner. 
• Accepting a project requires a deep understanding of expectations followed by fulfillment or overachievement. In a business that heavily relies on referrals, one experience can cost or gain many million-dollar contracts. 
• When trying to level up in size and costs of projects, it’s not a straightforward job of increasing size, but instead, improving the effort and quality of your work. Increased job cost requires increased experience and added value by the business. 
• Development projects must be planned thoroughly before beginning for the sake of sustainability. Every change made will create by-products to be removed from the lot or funneled to another project and each decision needs to be made with intentionality.  
• Hospitality exists inside the organization. Care must extend to employees. Leaders and owners need to be there for coworkers, caring for each of them and making sure everyone is successfully collaborating. 

Quote of the Show:

• “You know what you need to do, follow your gut cuz it's gonna get you a long way. ” - Scott Maloney

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmaloney9101/ 
• Company website: https://www.k2mdesign.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 01:20 - Entrepreneurs’ Organization: https://hub.eonetwork.org/ 
• 07:44 - Bob Boykin
• 11:17 - Kevin Bacon
• 14:08 - Jack Daly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackdaly/ 
• 14:45 - Simon Sinek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/
• 23:26 - ULI: https://uli.org/ 
• 23:46 - Boykin Lodging: https://www.boykin.com/ 
• 24:43 - Paula Boykin
• 26:48 - Wayne Hoffman
• 37:59 - Habacoa: https://www.habacoa.com/ 
• 44:07 - Kent State: https://www.kent.edu/ 
• 46:41 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

Each and every person, regardless of profession, is in the industry of hospitality. The interactions you have with everyone create ripples of hospitality that extend well beyond a single moment. To help you create big ripples, we’re joined by an entrepreneur whose mission is to help others let their business-based superpowers shine. Joining the show this week is Host of the Podcast “Coffee with Kim” and Co-Founder of Bright Ideas Only, Kim Kaupe. Dan sits down with Kim to learn about why LinkedIn is the best platform to focus your energy on, how we are all in hospitality, and how to be more confident when evangelizing your own work. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is the stone you throw into a pond and the impacts on others are the ripples in the water. It is also how people talk about you when you’re not in the room, how you make them feel, and what people are walking away from interactions with. 
• Being the champion of your own accomplishments is difficult. Speak about yourself as you would your best friend. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge accomplishments, highlight your skills, and be direct when asked about your career responsibilities. 
• Business awards, like the “40 Under 40”, can help further your professional goals and raises. Following in the thread of being the champion of your accomplishments, you can also nominate yourself for these awards without fear of being underqualified.
• If you only have time for one social platform, LinkedIn is the best. It’s the only one that is crawled by Google so content doesn’t get lost in the archives. As only 1% of LinkedIn users post, your content won’t be lost in a heavily saturated feed. 
• Because LinkedIn shows what your connections comment on and like, it boosts the reach of any content you post, displaying it on a worldwide platform full of C-Suite Executives.
• Share your knowledge and content, whether you think it’s valuable or not. If one person or a hundred thousand people find it important, you made an impact, changed their direction, or taught them something new.
• When running a business, you are pitching not only the product or service, but also yourself in tandem with your brand. By being succinct in describing your skills, you help the client more confidently make the decision to choose you.

Quote of the Show:

• “Talking about yourself or sharing your knowledge will be like the very first pushup in the gym, but you have to keep going.” - Kim Kaupe

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimkaupe/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimkaupe?s=20
• Personal website: https://kimkaupe.com/ 
• Company website: https://www.brightideasonly.com/ 
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-with-kim/id1612158856 

Shout Outs:

• 14:23 - Shark Tank: https://abc.com/shows/shark-tank 
• 15:08 - Brendan Fraser
• 16:09 - Ben Affleck
• 16:10 - Matt Damon
• 16:11 - Matthew McConaughey 
• 16:17 - Sam Rockwell
• 16:36 - Glory Daze: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116422/ 
• 21:50 - Dolly Parton
• 21:51 - Oprah
• 21:54 - The New York Mets: https://www.mlb.com/mets 
• 24:37 - Condé Nast: https://www.condenast.com/ 
• 28:16 - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com 
• 30:28 - The Miami Heat: https://www.nba.com/heat/ 
• 33:21 - Gary Vee
• 41:11 - Daniel Roth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielroth1/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419

Our guest this week is a genuine disruptor in her industry. As the leader of a Bcorp, she strives to make real change in her community. She is a defender of civil and human rights, who works within the intersection of social and environmental justice. She’s the Host of “The School for Disrupters” podcast, a faculty member at Drexel University, and CEO and Founder of Grant BLVD. Give a warm welcome to Dr. Kimberly McGlonn!

Kimberly shares her motivations behind the work she does through Grant BLVD, and how she positions the company to provide support for those currently and formerly incarcerated. She’ll explore the process of telling a story through your partners, and how thoughtful design of uniforms can create a cohesive experience. 

Takeaways: 

• For Kimberly, hospitality is focused on creating a sense of comfort, safety, and belonging in your guests. You need to replicate your own experiences, and allow others to have access to it.
• Whether it’s a classroom, a restaurant, or hotel, hospitality is about creating a story that anchors people in the moment. Seating arrangements, uniforms, and decor are all integral chapters of that story that need to be cohesively organized.
• When creating a great business, you need to focus on your impact, and the ways you measure and communicate it. When your business strives to be a force for good, you grow both your company, and your community. 
• Business is all about telling the story of your values, and choosing the right partners can amplify those stories. By partnering with Grant BLVD or other companies that fight for good, you establish that those are the stories you want to share. 
• Grant BLVD aims to combat the effects of incarceration and high recidivism rates in Philadelphia. To best serve her community, Kimberly has created a model to provide support and job opportunities to those currently and formerly incarcerated. 
• A good uniform is well fitting and serves a purpose, a great uniform is united in design with the whole experience. By incorporating elements of color theory and aesthetic into your uniforms, customers are no longer walking into a business, but rather, a party.
• When creating a dining space, cohesion is important. Your servers don’t literally need to be wearing the same fabric as the tablecloths, but every aspect should be tied into each other in one fluid design. 

Quote of the Show:

• “That moment of feeling received is what I think we're all seeking to do in the ventures that we build.” - Kimberly McGlonn

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlymcglonn 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-mcglonn-ph-d-4798b0134/ 
• Instagram: @kimberlymcglonn 
• Website: https://www.grantblvd.com/ 
• Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/schoolfordisrupters 
• Home & Hospitality Catalogue: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0059/1619/6962/files/H_H_Product_Catalog_Optimized.pdf?v=1687543185  

Shout Outs:

• 02:38 - The EPA: https://www.epa.gov/ 
• 04:28 - Ava DuVernay’s ‘13th’
• 14:25 - B Corporations: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/ 
• 16:54 - Jenkintown School Color Day
• 18:58 - Marriott: https://www.marriott.com/ 
• 19:00 - LaColombe Coffee: https://www.lacolombe.com/ 
• 28:05 - W Hotel Philadelphia
• 30:26 - The Standard: https://www.standardhotels.com/
• 30:48 - Kimpton Hotels
• 30:55 - SoHo House: https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/ 
• 30:56 - Fitler Club: https://fitlerclub.com/ 
• 31:01 - The Viceroy Hotel Group: https://www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/ 
• 31:27 - Graduate Hotels: https://www.graduatehotels.com/ 
• 33:52 - Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’
• 45:32 - Netflix’s ‘The Crown’

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419