Top Floor

In this short and sweet solo episode, Susan reports on her recent trip to Rome and discovers the similarities between hoteliers and birds. If you have ever seen a starling murmuration on video or in real life, you'll want to listen to this and check out the video.

Rachel Humphrey likes to pretend that she is retired, but a quick glance at LinkedIn makes it clear that she is staying very busy. A former trial attorney and past CEO of AAHOA, Rachel now spends her time giving back to the hospitality industry through DEI Advisors and the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance. Susan and Rachel talk about left turns, broken rungs, and the quest to visit all 50 states in this episode recorded live at the 2022 Cayuga Hospitality Consultants Annual Conference.

Sean Folkson is neither a chef nor a hotelier, but he is founder of a food business with a distinctly hotel-appropriate spin. As a serial entrepreneur, Sean has built companies in a number of sectors, but his current business, Nightfood, is the one he believes will put a dent in the universe. Susan and Sean talk about pocket protectors for bacon, billion dollar snacks, and category creation.

Peter Van Dorn's LinkedIn profile reads like a history of travel technology, from his start during the early days of Hotwire to his exit as CEO of a loyalty-focused OTA. As head of business development for Sensible Weather, Pete is helping guests see nothing but blue sky or green cash. Susan and Pete talk about avoiding cardiac arrest, complicated tech stacks, and getting walked at 2 AM.

Welcome back past guests Kaylon Beck, Vonda Freeman, Stephanie Coradin, and Annie Holcombe for some nerve-wracking tales!

In this solo episode, Susan answers questions from the Emergency Call Button, including why she doesn't do social media anymore, whether LinkedIn is worth the time, how to gain insights from your competitors, and what you can do to make people read what you write. There's also a charming tale of workplace embarrassment for those who celebrate.

Craig Sullivan preferred pumping gas to washing dishes, and yet he was still ultimately drawn in by the pull of hospitality. As a deal-maker and development guy, Craig helped to underwrite and close nearly $25 billion worth of transactions, but his real passion was ignited when California started to get a bad rap. Susan and Craig talk about industry conferences, LA ballot initiatives, and vacation homes across the ocean.

Renee Bagshaw's first experience is hospitality left her family stranded under a thatched roof, but that didn't stop her from rising to the C-suite of a major hotel renovation company. As COO at Continental Contractors, Renee has followed the career path that she blazed for herself by saying yes and filling in holes. Susan and Renee talk about why it matters to partner with your contractor, what you can learn about business development from bartending, and how to make magic with children's toys.

Stephanie Coradin has worked in nearly every hotel department, but her real passion lies in learning and development. As a leadership trainer and executive coach, Stephanie focuses on managing mindset and emotion. Susan and Stephanie talk about putting the sparkle back in hospitality and using deep breaths to calm down.

Vonda Freeman may have gotten her start by inadvertantly breaking a child labor law or two, but her integrity remains firmly intact. As wine director for Indigo Road Hospitlaity Group, Vonda guides the lists of almost 30 restaurants and never stops learning, recently becoming a sake advisor. Susan and Vonda talk about the restaurant business, wild nights, and courage.