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:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemanshuparwani/ 
• Website: https://olsonkundig.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 1:22 - ALIS: https://www.burba.com/ALIS 
• 18:20 - Bill Marriott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmarriottjr/ 
• 20:49 - Harvard Business School: https://www.hbs.edu/ 
• 21:56 - Ian Schrager: https://www.instagram.com/ianschrager/ 
• 21:58 - Adrian Zecha
• 39:59 - Bashar Wali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/basharwali/ 
• 48:55 - Barry Sternlicht
• 49:29 - W Hotels: https://w-hotels.marriott.com/ 
• 50:02 - 1 Hotels: https://www.1hotels.com/ 
• 51:18 - HD Expo: https://hdexpo.hospitalitydesign.com/ 
• 52:24 - Populus: https://populusdenver.com/ 
• 53:06 - Sonu Shivdasani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonu-shivdasani-obe-a46217/ 
• 54:34 - Bermanfalk: https://www.bermanfalk.com/ 
• 59:07 - Ed Viesturs: https://www.instagram.com/ed_viesturs/?hl=en 
• 1:02:05 - Aggie Zamir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggie-zamir-a750982b/ 

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