The Leadership Lounge

In this Leadership Lounge episode, host Cindy Hook sits down with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palate America (parent company of Pepper Lunch in the U.S.). Troy shares the uncommon arc of his career, moving from back-of-house culinary roles at Michelin-level restaurants into front-of-house leadership, a formative chapter at Procter & Gamble leading large teams, and ultimately into hospitality turnarounds, concept building, and brand scaling.

The conversation explores what it really takes to lead teams through change, select markets, and operationalize a brand so it can grow. Troy explains how he approaches executive focus in high-growth phases, why he still obsesses over blocking and tackling in operations, and how he thinks about the balance between concept integrity and local adaptation. He also opens up about the hardest career pivots he has made, what “tough love” mentorship did for his leadership maturity, and the habits that keep him effective while on the road.

What you’ll learn

• How culinary depth and front-of-house experience combine into a practical leadership style for scaling hospitality brands
• The role of systems thinking and team development in turnarounds and new market launches
• A practical view of franchising readiness, site search, and how to compare comps when entering a new market
• Why mentorship and a strong network are force multipliers for career growth
• How to evolve your leadership style as responsibilities and team size expand

Timestamps

• 00:00 Welcome and guest intro
• 02:00 Troy’s path from kitchen to leadership and early lessons shaping his management style
• 08:00 The Procter & Gamble chapter and running large teams with discipline
• 14:00 Turnaround management, consulting, and moving into brand leadership
• 20:00 Pepper Lunch in the U.S. and what it takes to operationalize growth
• 28:00 Franchising considerations, market selection, and location strategy
• 36:00 Mentorship, tough feedback, and the network effect on career acceleration
• 42:00 Final advice for emerging leaders in hospitality

Key takeaways

• Leadership is learned in the trenches and refined through honest feedback
• Consistency in operations is the foundation that makes creative concepts scalable
• The best mentors do not just cheerlead, they challenge your assumptions
• Growth requires both a repeatable playbook and the humility to localize execution

Guest

• Troy Hooper — CEO, Hot Palate America (Pepper Lunch)

Host

• Cindy Hook — Leadership Lounge

Overview

In this Leadership Lounge conversation, Cindy Hook sits down with Jeff Brainard (JJB Leadership Solutions) to unpack a 30-year journey from PR to resort operations, multi-property leadership, and ultimately the leap from a VP role to entrepreneurship. Jeff shares what it really takes to lead: being “brave for a minute,” building teams that outgrow you, hiring for hunger over résumé, and protecting life balance so you can show up at 100%. You’ll hear practical frameworks, candid stories, and the mindset shift from managing to leading, where people choose to follow.

What You’ll Learn

• Why work–life balance isn’t optional and how it fuels better leadership.
• The difference between managers and leaders (hint: one-word followers).
• How to be “brave for a minute” and make decisions with incomplete information.
• The hiring litmus test: hungry vs. experienced (and why hunger wins 10/10 times).
• How to define success by the growth of your people, not just your P&L.
• A practical mantra: make “better mistakes tomorrow.”

Highlights & Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome & origin story: From PR to hospitality leadership.
• 04:30 – Stretch roles that accelerate growth: Running Sales and Revenue at once.
• 09:10 – The big leap: Leaving a VP seat to build a consulting practice.
• 13:45 – Balance as a performance tool: Why 100% at home enables 100% at work.
• 18:20 – Decision-making under uncertainty: Being “brave for a minute.”
• 22:10 – Hiring without regret: Spotting character, drive, and true pride points.
• 26:40 – Redefining success: Track records of people you’ve developed.
• 30:45 – One book that changed his thinking: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John C. Maxwell).
• 33:10 – Closing: Permission to fail and to learn faster.

Memorable Lines

• “To be a hero doesn’t mean others aren’t it’s just being brave for a minute or two longer.”
• “I’ll hire hungry ten times out of ten over experienced.”
• “Make better mistakes tomorrow.”
• “Leadership vs. management? One word: followers.”

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell.

About the Guest

Jeff Brainard is the founder of JJB Leadership Solutions and a veteran hospitality leader with deep experience in sales, revenue, operations, and multi-property management. He helps teams elevate performance through practical leadership, hiring for character and drive, and culture-first execution.

Connect & Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonated, share it with a leader who could use a nudge to be “brave for a minute.” Subscribe for more candid, tactical leadership conversations from the field.

Hospitality veteran Hans Schatz joins Cindy Hook for a candid masterclass on people-first leadership,how to build trust fast, earn followership, and create teams that deliver without drama. Hans breaks down why mentorship (not just management) accelerates careers, the “three-calls” networking rule for solving real problems, and how a disciplined 1% daily edge compounds into standout performance. He shares practical tactics for running service-driven operations, owning outcomes, removing excuses, and treating culture as a living organism, not a static org chart. They also unpack AI’s role in hospitality, where tech should streamline workflows, but never replace human judgment or guest empathy.

You’ll learn:

• How to find (and be) the right mentor, and why it changes everything
• The playbook for being a great follower so you can become a better leader
• The 1% rule for sustainable growth and career momentum
• A simple framework to turn networks into solutions within three calls
• Where AI helps, and where human discernment must lead

Perfect for: emerging leaders, multi-unit operators, and executives scaling people-dependent organizations who want practical, no-fluff guidance they can apply on Monday morning.

Host: Cindy Hook

Guest: Chris Kehn - Principal, KH Hospitality

Summary

Cindy sits down with second-generation hotelier Chris Kehn to trace his path from ROTC/Army discipline to hands-on leadership across independent hotels and resorts. Drawing on early lessons at the Hawthorne Hotel and years of owner-side advisory work, Chris explains why execution; not just planning, creates results, how a tough setback taught him more than a string of wins, and what it really takes to build teams, protect culture, and keep standards when the pressures on.

What you’ll learn

• Why independent properties can be the fastest classroom for owners and operators
• The operating cadence that turns strategy into outcomes, consistently
• Hiring for attitude and fit (and when to make the hard call to protect culture)
• How to stay even-keeled and decisive through uncertainty
• The difference owner education makes in project success

Notable quote

Guest bio (short)

Chris Kehn is a hospitality operator and advisor who has led teams across independent hotels and resorts, helping owners align strategy, people, and process to deliver sustained performance.

Host: Cindy Hook

Guest: Rian Kirkman - hospitality & marketing leader at VAI Resort (AZ)

Episode summary

Rian shares his journey from agency roles to leading marketing and guest experience on the client side, first across eight Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas and now at VAI Resort in Arizona. We dig into pre-opening realities for a 60-acre, 1,100-room property with 12 restaurants and a built-in live entertainment venue, what “culture fit” really means when hiring (and when you must let people go), and why steady, mindful leadership beats adrenaline when everything is moving fast.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome & Rian’s path into leadership
• 01:20 – How LinkedIn opened the door to VAI Resort
• 02:00 – Pre-opening realities: construction, pivots, and protecting guest experience
• 03:56 – Lessons from Nobu Hospitality: standards, brand, and mentorship
• 05:36 – Inside VAI: 60 acres, ~1,100 rooms, 12 restaurants, and balcony-view concerts
• 06:41 – Hardest decision: when (and how) to let someone go for cultural health
• 07:27 – Leadership philosophy: don’t get too high or too low—stay calm, stay present
• 07:58 – Book that changed his thinking: The Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Key takeaways

• Pre-opening at scale demands ruthless prioritization: ship what’s “right” for guests, not just what’s ready.
• Culture compounds. Hire for values and protect the team, even when the hard call is letting someone go.
• Steady beats flashy: leaders who stay even-keeled help teams navigate complexity and speed.
• Serendipity favors visibility: consistent LinkedIn engagement can create career inflection points.
• Design for energy: blending luxury with live entertainment can transform the guest experience.

Notable quote

Guest links (optional to add)

• VAI Resort information
• Rian’s LinkedIn

Call to action

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show and share it with a colleague who’s building teams or launching new concepts. Send guest suggestions or feedback to [email protected]

In this Leadership Lounge conversation, Cindy sits down with Todd Felsen, CEO of OTH Hotels & Resorts, to trace a 40-year arc in hospitality from falling in love with the show of Disney’s Polynesian Village as a kid, to starting as a doorman, to leading multi-property operations across the U.S. and Caribbean and ultimately running a hotel platform. Todd unpacks the operational heartbeat of great hotels, why he teaches teams the “circle of trust” (every function affects every guest touchpoint), how to hire better, and what today’s younger talent expects from leadership. He also shares lessons from island postings (Puerto Rico, Aruba), the link between guest delight and financial performance, and a surprising source of inspiration: the entertainment-driven reinvention of the Savannah Bananas a reminder that brand, community, and experience win.

What you’ll learn

• The formative spark: seeing hospitality as theater and why showtime still matters.
• Todd’s path: doorman → front-of-house → GM → multi-unit leader → CEO.
• The Circle of Trust: how housekeeping, F&B, concierge, finance, and maintenance rise or fall together.
• Island leadership: operating as a guest in someone else’s country cultural humility, consistency, and standards.
• Hiring correctly: the selection discipline and interview questions that prevent costly misalignments.
• Developing Gen Z/younger teams: meeting them where they are (social platforms, rapid feedback, growth signals).
• Metrics that matter connecting guest experience to COGS, labor, RevPAR, and owner outcomes.
• Brand & experience: lessons from the Savannah Bananas on turning a business into a movement.

Mentioned

• Disney’s Polynesian Village & Contemporary Resort (the early “showtime” spark)
• The Savannah Bananas story (Jesse Cole’s “fans-first” philosophy) as a branding/experience case study

About our guest

Todd Felsen is the CEO of OTH Hotels & Resorts, leading strategy, operations, and growth across a portfolio of properties. His leadership DNA blends hands-on operations, rigorous selection, and a guest-first, owner-aware mindset.

Connect

If this episode resonated, follow the show, share it with a hospitality leader, and drop us a note with the toughest leadership challenge you’re facing we may feature it in a future episode.

In this Leadership Lounge episode, Cindy sits down with Mark Hatch, founder of The Nest, a peer community built “like YPO for restaurant chain executives.” From a post-pandemic promotion to moderating calls with dozens of CMOs, Mark shares how relentless execution, small experiments, and the right room accelerate leadership growth. It’s a candid, fast-moving conversation about creating momentum in your career and building communities that lift everyone.

Guest

Mark Hatch, Founder of The Nest, a private network for restaurant chain executives focused on real-time problem solving, peer learning, and collaborative growth.

Highlights

• 00:00–00:01 – Cindy’s welcome and the Leadership Lounge ethos: real stories over polished scripts.
• 00:00:54–00:01:18 – “The Nest” origin story: a support group for restaurant chain leaders.
• 00:02:19–00:02:42 – Who gets in: C-suite or head-of; skin in the game, no passengers.
• 00:03:03–00:03:25 – Mark’s leadership inflection point: stepping into VP post-pandemic.
• 00:03:44–00:03:53 – Hitting stride: moderating calls with ~30 CMOs.
• 00:07:24–00:08:23 – Advice to your younger self: execute every time, and run smart experiments that drive revenue.
• 00:11:29–end – Cindy on launching her first book and closing reflections.

Key Takeaways

• Be the executor. “Be that person that executes every single time” credibility compounds.
• Experiment small, aim real. Try low-risk, high-signal tests that move revenue or outcomes, not just activity.
• Choose the room. A curated peer group (like The Nest) multiplies learning and shortens the path to better decisions.
• Own more than your job description. Growth often comes from value you create outside the lines.
• Momentum > perfection. Post-pandemic promotions and new communities happen when you ship, learn, iterate.

Quotable

“Do something outside your job responsibilities and be the person who executes every single time.”

Connect & Support

If today’s episode sparked ideas, follow the show for more candid conversations, and share it with a leader who needs a nudge to start their own “nest.”

Host: Cindy Hook

Guest: Ed Dodd (hospitality/restaurant leader)

Series: Leadership Lounge — honest conversations over polished speeches

In our premiere, Cindy trades scripted soundbites for real stories with hospitality leader Ed Dodds. From busy Friday-night service to team hiccups and hard resets, Ed shares how leadership is forged in the “messy, meaningful moments” owning mistakes, setting standards, and standing back up. If you manage people (or aspire to), this is a practical, no-gloss conversation about culture, accountability, and resilience.

• Why leadership isn’t lived in press releases or LinkedIn posts it’s built in day-to-day choices
• How service-industry pressures sharpen decision-making and team trust
• Tactics for coaching after a stumble: name it, fix it, and move forward
• Building culture intentionally (clarity of standards, feedback loops, role-modeling)
• How to stay calm in chaos: prioritize, communicate, execute
• Owning the room without burning people out (consistency > intensity)

• 00:00 – Welcome: Why “Leadership Lounge” centers honest conversations
• 02:00 – Ed’s path: From restaurants to leading teams
• 10:00 – Messy moments: Stumbles that shaped his leadership
• 20:00 – Culture & accountability: Standards, feedback, recovery
• 30:00 – Operating under pressure: Service mindset and calm execution
• 38:00 – Takeaways & close

• “Leadership isn’t lived in press releases or LinkedIn posts, but in the messy, meaningful moments that define us.” — Cindy Hook
• “You don’t learn much from perfection. You learn when you stumble—and how you stand back up.” — Ed Dodds

Leadership isn’t lived in press releases; it’s forged in the messy moments. 🎙️ Cindy Hook x Ed Dodds on culture, accountability, and standing back up. Listen now.

In this episode of Technically Speaking, we are joined by Bill Chrysler, Vice President of Operations at Southworth Clubs. With a career that started on a cherry farm in Montana and led him to managing some of the most prestigious private clubs worldwide, Bill shares his incredible journey through the hospitality industry. From overcoming imposter syndrome to leading multi-course luxury clubs, his insights offer valuable lessons for aspiring professionals and seasoned executives alike.

In this insightful conversation, Bill discusses key lessons on:

Bill shares his unconventional journey from a small town in Montana to becoming a leader in luxury hospitality. He recalls how an unexpected opportunity at a golf real estate development changed the trajectory of his career and led him to pursue his passion for club management.

Bill opens up about the challenges of feeling like an outsider in the exclusive world of country clubs. He explains how gaining expertise, embracing learning, and consistently proving his value helped him grow into leadership roles with confidence.

Bill shares two pivotal career moments—transitioning from a general manager role to Hilton during the Great Recession and later moving into multi-club management with Southworth. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and seizing opportunities when they arise.

Bill discusses how leading diverse teams across multiple locations requires strong communication, trust, and empowerment. He highlights the importance of supporting team members, giving them the tools they need to succeed, and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Bill recalls a memorable challenge when a restaurant renovation delay forced his team to rethink Thanksgiving at their Bahamas property. Their creative solution—a tented dinner on the driving range—was so well received that it became a club tradition. He shares how adaptability and quick thinking are critical in hospitality leadership.

As an advocate for mentorship, Bill reflects on the guidance he received throughout his career and the importance of paying it forward. He discusses his involvement in the Club Managers Association of America and his dedication to mentoring young professionals entering the industry.

Bill advises those starting their careers to be patient, focus on excelling in their current roles, and trust that opportunities will come. He warns against frequent job-hopping, explaining how consistency and long-term commitment are valued by hiring managers.

Bill shares insights on evolving trends in hospitality, emphasizing the increasing demand for personal touch and authentic experiences. He explains how post-pandemic consumers seek meaningful connections, immersive service, and high-end tailored experiences beyond just transactions.

Bill discusses the role of AI in hospitality, noting that while AI can streamline operations and enhance data-driven decision-making, it cannot replace human interaction. He believes that technology should be used to support—not replace—the personalized service that defines luxury hospitality.

• Your career path may not be linear—embrace unexpected opportunities and follow your passion.
• Overcoming imposter syndrome is about gaining expertise and trusting your experience.
• Leadership is about empowering your team and creating an environment for them to succeed.
• Problem-solving and adaptability are essential in the hospitality industry.
• Networking and mentorship play a crucial role in professional growth.
• Patience and commitment are key—hopping between jobs too quickly can hinder long-term success.
• The future of hospitality is personal—consumers crave connection, exceptional service, and curated experiences.
• AI and technology should enhance, not replace, the human touch in luxury hospitality.

Spotify | iTunes

For more insights and to connect with Bill:

LinkedIn: Bill Chrysler

Website: Southworth Clubs

In this episode of Technically Speaking, we are joined by Erin Smith, the VP Of Sales at Auto Camp. Erin shares her fascinating journey in the hospitality industry, shaped by a lifetime passion for hotels and her unique upbringing living on hotel property.

This engaging conversation dives into Erin's leadership philosophy, her innovative approaches in hospitality, and the strategies she employs to create memorable guest experiences at Auto Camp.

Erin reflects on how growing up in the hotel environment with her mother as a General Manager inspired her passion for the industry and provided her with hands-on experience in all facets of hotel operations.

Discover how Erin has redefined the hospitality experience by integrating luxury and sustainability into Auto Camp's business model, offering guests unique, nature-inspired accommodations.

Erin shares insights on how strong leadership, collaboration, and team empowerment are critical to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Learn how Erin tackled operational and guest-related challenges during her career, emphasizing adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving.

Erin highlights Auto Camp’s commitment to sustainability and how incorporating eco-friendly practices into their operations has been a cornerstone of their success.

For those aspiring to make their mark in hospitality, Erin offers valuable advice on pursuing passion, staying resilient, and embracing opportunities to innovate.

• How growing up immersed in hospitality shaped Erin’s career.
• The role of innovation in creating unique guest experiences.
• Why sustainability is critical to the future of hospitality.
• Leadership lessons on collaboration and team empowerment.
• Practical advice for aspiring professionals in the industry.

Spotify | iTunes

To connect with Erin Smith:

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn Profile
• Email: [email protected]​