Top Floor

Laura Lee Blake is the president and CEO of AAHOA, the largest association for hotel owners in the U.S., representing nearly 20,000 members. With a background in law and extensive experience in industry advocacy, she returned to AAHOA in 2022 to champion issues like the LIONs Act. Susan and Laura Lee talk about advocacy, innovation, and Oscar the ghost.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

From Journalism to Hospitality: Laura Lee Blake shares her unique journey from aspiring journalist to law, then leading AAHOA, the U.S.'s largest hotel owners association.

Breaking Barriers for Asian American Hoteliers: Laura discusses AAHOA's history, from fighting discrimination against immigrant hotel owners to helping them thrive in the industry.

Lobbying for the LIONs Act: Laura explains AAHOA's push for legislation to increase SBA 7(a) loan caps, essential for hotel owners adapting to rising operational costs.

Advocacy Tips: Laura shares practical advice for newcomers to advocacy, emphasizing the power of personal storytelling to make a lasting impact on elected officials.

Ghostly Encounters at the Columbia Gorge Hotel: Just in time for Halloween, Laura recounts eerie experiences during a recent AAHOA women's event at a famously haunted Oregon hotel, complete with mysteriously appearing cigar smoke and ghostly fingerprints on mirrors.

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Aurora Dawn Benton is a sustainability consultant and author of Exponential Impact: Harnessing Human Potential to Drive Sustainability in Organizations. With a diverse career spanning tech, finance, education, and hospitality, Aurora is known for food waste reduction, data-driven sustainability, and workforce engagement strategies. Susan and Aurora talk about rolls, melons, and expensive trash.

Episode Highlights:

Changing the Hospitality Mindset: Aurora explains how sustainability in food and beverage goes beyond cost-cutting. By reimagining food services, event planners can transform dining from "calories between sessions" into meaningful experiences.

Overcoming the BEO Nightmare: Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) need a redesign! Aurora shares her vision for streamlining these documents to cut down on waste, reduce costs, and enhance guest experiences.

Empowering Line-Level Staff: Aurora emphasizes that line-level employees are critical for sustainability success. From dishwashers to banquet captains, these staff members hold the keys to impactful change—and Aurora dives into strategies for engaging them.

The 80/20 of Waste Reduction: Instead of tackling every waste item, Aurora advocates a focus on the 20% of items—like bread and pastries—which make up 80% event food waste, sharing some eye-opening case studies on how small changes led to big savings.

Future of Sustainability in Hospitality: Predicting increased regulations and data requirements, Aurora says the future will demand both tech-driven efficiencies and genuine human engagement, particularly in the people-centric field of hospitality.

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Michelle Pascoe is a Sydney-based expert in hospitality and customer service with over 30 years of experience. As the founder of her own consultancy and host of the Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast, she helps businesses improve customer engagement and operational efficiency. Susan and Michelle talk about navigating the complexities of a multigenerational workforce.

Can we still ask employees to smile? Michelle digs into employee morale and the changing expectations of customer-facing roles.

A career-defining bad interview: Michelle recounts a shocking job interview that tested her values and ultimately led her to start her own business.

Navigating generational differences: Learn Michelle's strategies for managing a workforce that spans Baby Boomers to Gen Z.

Leadership built on values: Michelle shares her no-nonsense leadership philosophy—know your values, live by them, and lead with integrity.

Consistency is king: From setting service standards to handling customer complaints, Michelle emphasizes the importance of consistency.

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Jared Lerner, co-founder and CEO of Nappr, transformed his personal challenges with sleep and travel into a platform offering short-term hotel stays designed for rest. With a background in software engineering and startup culture, he pivoted Nappr from brick-and-mortar spaces to a tech-driven marketplace. Susan and Jared talk about sleep health, travel convenience, and company culture.

What you'll hear about:

• Pivoting in Business: Jared discusses his experience pivoting Nappr from a brick-and-mortar concept to a marketplace model, focusing on what makes a pivot successful.
• Startup Culture: Jared shares insights from his time in New York startups and the importance of company culture, especially in smaller, more agile teams.
• Founding Nappr: Inspired by personal sleep issues and a gap in the travel market, Jared launched Nappr to offer short-term hotel stays focused on improving sleep.
• Overcoming Challenges: From co-founders leaving to airline bankruptcy chaos, Jared explains the hurdles he faced while growing Nappr.
• Tips for Travelers: Advice for getting better rest while traveling, including using an eye mask, meditating, and embracing short naps during long travel days.

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Liz Owens is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Vacations by Rail, North America's leading provider of train vacations. With over 20 years of experience in marketing and brand growth, she has played a key role in expanding the company's reach and doubling its size. Liz and Susan discuss trains, travel tips, and the timeless appeal of rail vacations.

What you can expect to hear:

• Are trains the new planes? Liz shares all things rail travel, from packing tips to navigating the onboard experience.
• No tiny shampoos here! Are luggage restrictions and security on trains anything like on planes?
• From retail to the rails: Liz shares how her background in advertising and retail shaped her career journey.
• Train travel = nostalgia unlocked. Why the slower pace of rail travel brings a unique magic you can't find in air travel.
• The art of packing for the rails: Tips for packing light and staying comfortable, especially when traversing cobblestone streets or small European villages.
• Unexpected train quirks: Wondering what it's like to sleep on a train? Liz compares it to a cozy camping trip and spills the secrets to a peaceful night on the rails.
• Sustainability with a twist: Liz talks about how rail travel fosters economic sustainability by supporting small towns and villages along the routes.
• A brush with the paranormal? Liz shares a funny and mysterious story from her time at Paper Source that involves a celebrity tweet, a store ghost, and social media chaos.

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Gustavo Viescas is the president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for Latin America and the Caribbean. After more than two decades in finance, Gustavo's role has grown to encompass launching a new all-inclusive brand and leading 266 hotels. Susan and Gustavo talk about balancing financial acumen with leadership that emphasizes emotional intelligence.

• What soft skills Gustavo had to develop to become President.
• Why consistency between price and product is key to customer satisfaction.
• Why balancing short-term and long-term decisions is a critical challenge in leadership.
• How Gustavo and team launched the all-inclusive Wyndham Ultra brand during the pandemic.
• What branding initiatives Gustavo has championed, including all-inclusive travel for all.
• How branding plays a crucial role in long-term business success, despite challenges in measuring ROI.

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Stephen Galbreath is the Chief Development Officer and Head of Design and Construction at Garfield Public Private, specializing in the development of convention centers, hotels, and essential municipal buildings. Stephen helps cities and government entities build impactful infrastructure that drives economic growth and revitalizes communities. Susan and Stephen talk about the benefits of convention business and bullet-proof vests.

• What challenges arise when working with municipalities on hotel projects.
• When Steve transitioned from architecture to public-private partnership development.
• Where Garfield Public Private operates and the types of projects they specialize in.
• How the ownership structure of a convention center hotel differs from typical hotels.
• What economic impact a convention center hotel can have on a local community.
• How Steve's experience in architecture influences his current role in hotel development.

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Kevin Fedarko is a magazine writer, adventurer, and author of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon. Kevin traversed the 800-mile distance of the Grand Canyon over a year and was surprised that he lived to write about it. Susan and Kevin talk about silence, light, and hubris.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How to pack light
• Who helped Kevin avoid certain death
• Why the Grand Canyon is so difficult to hike
• What the transformational power of silence is
• What makes the Grand Canyon's landscapes and silence such valuable, fragile resources
• When Kevin realized the journey would evolve from a magazine article to a full book
• Why Kevin believes difficult experiences, like his hike, lead to deeper personal growth

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Tim Hentschel is the founder of HotelPlanner, which sought to digitize the analog process of booking group business in hotels. HotelPlanner has changed a lot since it launched, and Tim is now exploring other ways to digitize analog processes in the hotel industry. Susan and Tim talk about automating relationships, over-managing rate strategy, and innovating in a tech resistant industry.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Why AI might not fully replace human agents in high-touch services.
• How the flexibility of gig work is gamified for customer service agents.
• How AI is being integrated into HotelPlanner's customer service operations.
• Why the hospitality industry is resistant to fully automating meeting space bookings.
• What challenges revenue management systems face during high-demand events like the Olympics.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

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Adam Tuttle is a luxury hotel veteran and founder of Yipy, an app that helps hotels digitize their service standards so that nothing gets missed. After working with a multitude of hotels of all types, Adam realized that the burden of managing standards from multiple sources was too big, so he came up with a way to combine them in one spot. Susan and Adam talk about why luxury hotels are so expensive and what to do when confronted with royal vomit.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Where Susan picks up trash
• What service should feel like
• When Adam picked the hotel business
• How much luxury hotel rooms sell for
• Why there are so many standards in the hotel industry

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Top Floor!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps other people like us find the show and makes our guests feel good about being on it.

Tap to give us five stars, and select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know what you liked most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast or restart automatic downloads. It's the best way to make sure you don't miss out.