The Room Block

Conventional wisdom tells us that forward momentum and continuous movement is a good thing - and it is, as long as you're on the right path. How can you be sure? A full year after the pandemic forced me to take a hiatus from working a traditional job within the events industry, I share my thoughts about what I've learned from this unexpected change of course in this week's episode of The Courtesy Block. Gain a new perspective on loss, learn what it actually means to live in harmony, and see what's possible when you try on something new for size - even when you're convinced it won't fit.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

Do you or your company have what it takes to become, ICONIC? Join me for an engaging and fun conversation with Calvin Stovall, Chief Experience Officer and Iconicity Enthusiast for ICONIC Presentations, and John Avola, a digital marketing leader with 15 years of experience and currently Digital Marketing Principle at FedEx. After a 25-year career in hospitality, Calvin took what he learned about some of the stand-out brands he worked for and created a practical and systematic technique called The ICONIC Framework™ to help organizations achieve and maintain iconic status in the eyes of their customers. In addition to presenting The ICONIC Framework to audiences via speaking engagements and workshops, Calvin and John discuss the essential components to creating staying power and how to build a lasting emotional connection with customers on their podcast, The ICONIC Mindset. In this episode, they share the highlights of The ICONIC Framework, provide expert insight on how to attract and keep customers, and offer predictions on what it's going to take to stay ICONIC in 2021 and beyond.

Calvin Stovall is the Chief Experience Officer and Iconicity Enthusiast for ICONIC Presentations, LLC. Calvin specializes in delivering high-energy, customized keynote presentations for organizations that desire to reach or maintain ICONIC status. Calvin focuses on delivering the perfect blend of business concepts, story-telling and music themes to bring home an impactful message that touches both the heads and hearts of his audiences.

Armed with more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality and non-profit services industries, Calvin’s audiences learn real-life, hands-on practical customer experience and leadership principles which can be easily applied to business challenges today. Calvin designed a practical and systematic technique called The ICONIC Framework™ to help organizations achieve and maintain iconic status in the eyes of their customers. Calvin is also host of The ICONIC Mindset podcast where he and his co-host John Avola share the secrets behind what it takes to make your business, idea or movement iconic.

The pinnacle of Calvin’s hospitality career was his promotion to vice president of brand marketing with Hilton Worldwide where he was responsible for the marketing and public relations efforts for more than 150 Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels. While under his leadership, Homewood Suites by Hilton was voted best in class by numerous consumer advocacy publications, including Consumer Reports and recognized four times by J.D. Power and Associates for its unwavering commitment to customer service quality.

John Avola is a digital marketing expert and entrepreneur with experience across three business sectors: corporate, nonprofit and sole proprietorship. His resume includes starting his own business as well as working for some of the world's most ICONIC brands including Universal Orlando, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and FedEx. As the co-host of The ICONIC Mindset, John leverages his experience to reveal the secrets behind what it takes to make your idea, business or movement ICONIC.

Throughout his career, John has successfully developed, planned and executed digital marketing campaigns to drive brand awareness, engagement and revenue. Some of his most successful initiatives include managing earned, paid and owned media for national campaigns, launching consumer-centric promotions and developing integrated marketing technology strategies that connect customer experiences.

John has a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising and Public Relations.

In his spare time, you can find John collaborating with like-minded people and giving back to the community. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, training for marathons and cheering on his favor

Do you ever notice how some people seem to attract success? Chances are, they’ve been taught the rules of etiquette and business protocol, and have picked up the soft skills that allow them to seamlessly guide and influence others. In this episode, I am joined in the Courtesy Block by Nancy O’Brien, who after an award-winning career in hospitality and destination marketing founded The Magnetic Truth Advisory, where she is dedicated to teaching her clients the confidence-building skills that are necessary to achieve personal and professional goals. Nancy shares how her 25 years of working in sales and leadership roles for some of the biggest names in hospitality taught her the skills that continually propelled her onward and upward. She also shares some helpful hints that we can all use as we learn to not only adapt, but thrive in our “new normal.”

Nancy O’Brien is an Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker and the CEO & Founder of The Magnetic Truth Advisory, LLC, a personal performance advisory dedicated to assisting clients in successfully navigating corporate and social landscapes with the necessary skills and confidence to achieve personal and professional goals. Clients master subtle, yet critical interpersonal skills by enhancing soft skills that hit hard on the bottom line.

The Advisory serves a clientele including colleges students, professional athletes, newly minted MBA’s, mid-level managers, C-Suite executives and corporate sales forces focused on achieving more and distinguishing themselves from the competition.

Prior to founding The Magnetic Truth Advisory, LLC, Ms. O’Brien enjoyed an award-winning career in sales and marketing with over 25 years of experience in hospitality, destination marketing and consumer brands/B2B including senior sales and leadership roles at Garrett Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Choose Chicago and Tishman Hotel Corporation.  Ms. O’Brien is a multi-year recipient of Starwood Hotels & Resorts prestigious Sales Executive of the Year award, and Executive Leadership Award. Throughout her career she has cultivated strong client relationships, mentored countless individuals, and created meaningful connections while driving significant results.

A native of Chicago, Ms. O’Brien holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from DePaul University and a license to instruct intercultural etiquette and protocol from the renown Protocol School of Washington. Additionally, Ms. O’Brien is a member of the Driehaus College of Business School of Hospitality Leadership Council, Vistage International Trusted Advisor Group, Greater Chicago Food Depository volunteer and former member of the United Way Women United.

Ms. O’Brien and her husband, Ken Widelka, reside in Chicago and enjoy traveling, cooking, cycling, hiking, and spending time with their two sons.

It takes a lot of heart to work in the hospitality industry. Yet, this concept is not always embodied across all who work in it and as a result, something is bound to suffer; guest satisfaction, survey scores, even your employees. In this episode I am joined by co-founders and managing partners of HospitalityMD, Kyle Allison and Greg Fregoso. Kyle and Greg believe that whether you are working in the C-suite or the front office, "Hospitality is Everyone's Business." We explore their mission, what inspires, drives and rewards them, and how they use the power of storytelling to build empathetic communities and hospitable atmospheres.

About Kyle Allison: As a founding member of HospitalityMD, Kyle develops and leads the company’s operations through innovative initiatives. As a self-proclaimed “relationalist,” Kyle drives long-term results by establishing and maintaining relationships with thoughtful industry leaders. He recognizes the power of storytelling, listening to the stories of his guests and colleagues to create a personalized environment for his team to thrive.

Kyle’s hospitality story began when he was just six years old and transformed his home into a “hotel.” Even as a child he understood the power of good service, and offered housekeeping and in-room dining options for his parents to enjoy. Since then, he’s taken that can-do spirit and turned it into a career spanning nine hotels in four states, working in hotels ranging from 209 to 1,190 rooms.

The idea that “Hospitality is Everyone’s Business” doesn’t stop at the revolving door. Kyle hosts the HospitalityMD podcast, where he interviews hospitable people from all over the world working all sorts of jobs. He is leading the revolution in hotel management, building a community of like minded people who believe the need for good hospitality is universal.

About Greg Fregoso: Greg is a founding member of HospitalityMD, and his role with the company is versatile. His wheelhouse includes consultation, training, task force ideation, and business and content strategy.

A true team architect, Greg has a long track record of building high-performing hospitality families. His experience as a team leader in both successful and struggling properties has led him to believe that a happy hospitality team makes for a happy guest experience.

Greg’s 13-year career includes management roles in full-time and task force capacities at six hotels ranging from 209 to 860 rooms in two states. Most recently he led the Rooms Division in a renowned Downtown Chicago boutique hotel, located at the busiest intersection in the city.

As a key voice in HospitalityMD’s mission, Greg is eager to revitalize the hotel industry with his team-building ingenuity.

HospitalityMD exists to reform how progressive hospitality is approached. With nearly 20 years of combined experience in hotel operations management, HospitalityMD leads with an insider’s eye to revolutionize the industry. HospitalityMD offers Hotel Management and Receivership services, Hospitality Consulting, and Hotel Task Force. Filled with anecdotes from the front desk and beyond, the HospitalityMD podcast started as a hobby for co-founders Kyle and Greg. It has since evolved into an engaging space to discuss the driving forces behind the industry’s most hospitable people.

No matter what your day job may be, we all negotiate for a living.  In this Courtesy Block episode, I review some basic negotiation skills as well as show you how to apply them to your personal life to ensure the spirit of partnership stays alive in all of your relationships - including the one you have with yourself. Learn why maintaining a win-win mindset is an effective strategy when dealing with those close to us and how negotiation skills can help guide you through difficult conversations. 

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

There is great power in experiencing significant moments with others. Liz Lathan and Nicole Osibodu of Haute Dokimazo understand this power and have harnessed it, packaged it, and regularly deliver it to companies who want to enhance the way they connect with each other, as well as their customers. By creating magical shared experiences that break down walls and stimulate conversation (even virtually!), Liz and Nicole show you how to build genuine connections that lead to profitable relationships. Their main requirement? It has to be fun. 

Liz Lathan, CMP has devoted her career to engaging people face-to-face (and virtually) for collaboration, ideation and experimentation. She is obsessed with applying modern marketing principles to a segment of the marketing industry that has historically been an afterthought — live events. Dedicated to bridging the gap between sales and marketing, Liz’s experience has encompassed leading event marketing strategy teams from Fortune 500 companies such as National Instruments, Dell and IBM, to consulting with nonprofit associations and small to medium businesses on how to optimize their events within broader marketing programs. She’s created events from 10-person C-level hospitality experiences up to 40,000-person multi-venue conferences. Liz was nominated for the 2018 Event Marketer B2B Dream Team and was awarded 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year from Smart Meetings. In addition to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Haute Dokimazo, Liz is also partner and Chief Experience Officer of Haute Companies.

Connect with Liz at linkedin.com/in/lizlathan/

Nicole Osibodu’s zeal for genuine human-to-human connection, building strong communities and brand partnerships is the heart and soul of Haute Dokimazo. Her fearless pursuit of meaningful business relationships that can be a change for good is one of the reasons she was voted one of Smart Meetings’ Event Planners of the Year in 2019. Her past experience has included working in marketing, sales and business development, and as an event designer for many different organizations. Among Nicole’s memorable experiences were working on a special event for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions; Christmas at the White House 2011; and for Comer Children's Hospital of Chicago, as well as working as general manager and director of special events under "Top Chef: New Orleans" finalist Chef Carlos Gaytan. She’s taught business event planning at San Diego State University and was also the founder and president of Operation Morale, supporting wounded troops and their families. In addition to her role as President of Haute Dokimazo, Nicole is also a partner and Chief Customer Officer of Haute Companies.

Connect with Nicole at linkedin.com/in/nicoleosibodu/

Haute Dokimazo creates rousing shared experiences anchored in conversation that drive genuine connections. The award-winning company facilitates high-energy roundtable sessions, community think tanks, and strategic planning sessions for businesses and nonprofits both large and small. Their clients have included Fortune 500 list regulars Dell, Adobe and Google. The company’s unusual name combines “Haute” (pronounced “hot” by the founders but defined as the French word meaning “high” or “quality”) — with ‘Dokimazo’ (a Greek word, pronounced dok-im-ad’-zo). Co-founder Liz Lathan states, “Dokimazo means trying to prove something is genuine — our conferences focus deeply on genuine connections and genuine learning.”

Learn more at https://www.hautedokimazo.com.

Are you making any critical mistakes in your daily interactions with others? Strong customer service and communication skills can earn you and your business loyal guests and clients, as well as respect. On the other hand, weak skills in this area can cost you everything. I am joined by Nancy Friedman, who is founder and chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions for companies of all types and sizes. In addition to offering a multitude of training programs, Nancy is also the author of 9 books covering communications, sales, and customer service. She has worked with the hospitality industry over the years sharing tips, ideas, skills and techniques that stand the test of time, creating service rock stars who garner 5-star ratings.

Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor, is one of America’s most sought after speakers on sales, customer service and communication skills. In between the humor, laughter and fun are well-oiled tools that have been proven to help thousands of companies.

Nancy received the Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame Award from the St. Louis Small Business Monthly as well as being selected as one of meeting planner’s favorite speakers by Meetings & Convention Magazine. Nancy has appeared on Oprah, Fox News, CNN and every morning show on all networks and brings a wealth of information to help your business. You can connect with Nancy at linkedin.com/in/nancyfriedmanspeaker/ or visit nancyfriedman.com for more information.

Telephone Doctor, Inc., an international customer service training company, provides onsite programs for conferences and meetings as well as their popular customer service learning platform (www.serviceskills.com) for small and big businesses alike. Nancy and her staff of 21 have helped over 30,000 organizations improve the Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSat) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) of their Customer Service Reps, Help Desk Staff, Call Center Agents, Tech Support Staff and other team members.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

What do boutique hotels, big box convention hotels, resort properties and vacation rentals ALL have to do in order to thrive? Wil Slickers, host of Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast, and Adam Knight, host of The Proven Principles Podcast and Principal at Knowing Hospitality share their expertise on the world of property management, from a one-room vacation rental to a branded city center hotel. With a focus on strategic operations yet a heart for hospitality, Wil and Adam are creating content and companies dedicated to giving back to an industry that has given so much to them.

Wil Slickers started working for a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Spokane, Washington and shortly realized his passion for people and hospitality was his dream life and career! Wil played many roles in the hotel of over 700 rooms, and after a few years there, he moved to the Oregon Coast to manage a small collection of independent properties and restaurants while starting a podcast.

Now, with a high demand for content, tools, and resources for anything involving hospitality, as well as a Hospitality & Revenue Management Certification through Cornell University, Wil has dedicated his time to individual and big name operators in the vacation rental and boutique hotel segments of hospitality while still growing the show and industry network globally.

You can find Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast and learn more about Wil by visiting www.slicktalkthepodcast.com/

Adam Knight is the Creator and Host of The Proven Principles Podcast and Principal at Knowing Hospitality, a full service hotel management company that operates hotels on behalf of owners and lenders. He brings 25 years experience across luxury brands and independent companies. 

A hospitality veteran and operations expert, he has lived and worked all over North America and the Caribbean. He loves the left brain/right brain dichotomy of the hospitality industry. One minute you’re diving into a P&L, the next you’re tasting the new seasonal menu in the restaurant. His passion lies in understanding how things work and making them better, be it small service experiences or large-scale project management.

You can listen to The Proven Principles Podcast at www.theprovenprinciplespodcast.com/ and learn more about Adam and Knowing Hospitality at www.knowinghospitality.com/

In today's world, authenticity seems to be more valued than ever before. However, it's one thing to speak your truth and another to live it, especially when our private lives are becoming increasingly public. This Courtesy Block episode explores a few ways that I've discovered the additional responsibility, but also the reward, that comes with having your own platform, and speaking out.

This is The Courtesy Block, a chip off The Room Block podcast.

What is stopping you from turning your dreams into reality? Whether you need tactical advice on how to set and achieve goals, or simply permission to honor your vision of who you are and what you want in the first place, Judi Holler and Courtney Stanley are here to help. As former meeting industry professionals, Judi and Courtney transformed their side-hustle into the main event and are showing others what it takes to do the same. Join me for a true power hour where Judi and Courtney offer ideas on how to inspire courage through action, alternative ways to look at and deal with anxiety, and explain why setting goals and establishing intentional daily habits are the foundation to building the life of your dreams. 

Judi Holler owns a creative company that uses humor to help people live braver lives, protect their mental health, and build high-performance habits that last. Her work takes the experimental principles of the improv theatre and helps you apply them to the unscripted stage of everyday life. These ideas will teach you that while you’ll never be “fearless” … you can get really good at …FEARING FEAR LESS! Judi is a professionally trained improviser and alumni of Second City’s Conservatory in Chicago and she uses her training every day to smash self-doubt and experiment with fear.

Judi’s book, Fear Is My Homeboy, became an instant bestseller on Amazon, and was endorsed by the inspiring Mel Robbins calling it …. “relatable, relevant and most importantly ACTIONABLE!” Additionally, Judi is the creator of the Fear Boss Community, The Vibe and Thrive goal-focused planner, and her top-rated podcast “Yes, And” which are all on a mission to help you fear LESS so you can DO more.

You can find Judi on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @judiholler and Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/judiholler

Learn more by visiting www.judiholler.com

Courtney Stanley of Courtney Stanley Consulting, LLC is recognized globally as an award-winning changemaker, keynote speaker and event emcee, and acclaimed creator of the women-inspired podcast, Dare to Interrupt. With a background in experience design, leadership studies and business hospitality, Courtney helps ambitious professionals from all walks of life lean fiercely into the power of leading with empathy, advocating for themselves and others, and seizing “silver lining” opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

Courtney is the youngest member to have ever been elected to Meeting Professionals International's (MPI) International Board of Directors. She is the recipient of Smart Meetings' 2020 Women in Events Entrepreneur Award, Meetings Today's 2019 & 2020 Trendsetter Award, MeetingsNet’s 2019 Changemaker Award, the Association for Women in Events (AWE) 2018 Disruptor Award, the 2015 MPI Chairman’s Award and 2011 MPI RISE Award, named Collaborate and Connect Magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2011, and is recognized as one of the event industry’s most impactful change-makers. Courtney serves on the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force, MPI's Women's Advisory Board, is a Meetings Mean Business Ambassador and is the co-founder of the award-winning movement, #MeetingsToo. 

You can find Courtney on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @courtneyonstage and Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/courtneystanley

Learn more by visiting www.courtney-stanley.com