Hospitality Daily Podcast
Learn to delight people, make money, and thrive each day with Josiah Mackenzie and the best in the business. Voted #1 hospitality podcast and the most-listened-to podcast in the hotel industry.
Most Popular Episodes
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Recent Episodes
Aug. 3, 2026
How We're Leading AI Adoption With a Human-First Approach - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Giving people access to AI does not guarantee that they will use it or that your organization will benefit. Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz explains why he sees AI adoption as a change-management challenge and walks through how he and his team are helping both on-property and home-office leaders build AI fluency. Matt also shares how Sage measures progress toward its adoption goals, addresses fear and resistance to AI, and focuses its AI initiatives on a human-first goal: helping their peopl
Aug. 2, 2026
The Weekend Class That Changed My Career - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Before Matt Schwartz became Chief Technology Officer at Sage Hospitality, a weekend HTML class changed the trajectory of his career. In the first episode of our six-part series with him, Matt shares how that unexpected experience led him from environmental economics into technology and ultimately hospitality technology leadership. Learn more about the Destination AI Forum in Washington, DC (where Matt will be speaking) Want more? Learn more about Sage Hospitality Listen to Matt discuss bringi
Aug. 1, 2026
A Brand Builder Turned Baker on Building Community - Kevin Masse
Kevin Masse is the founder and owner of Small State Provisions (IG: @SmallState), a Connecticut bakery and café built around one simple idea: create a place where people want to gather. In this conversation, Kevin shares how a career in marketing, advertising, and food media shaped his approach to hospitality, why thoughtful design and local sourcing matter, and how he's navigating the transition from hands-on baker to visionary leader as the business grows. Listen to hear practical insights on
![FDEs: How Innovative Hotel Companies Are Building Better AI - Joseph McGroarty, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]](https://img.podpage.com/-imn0XdXLzLc4hKOQqV75lSa1TZKIavjjyZFV9xO_hE/rs:fit:480:0:1/q:75/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tL3ZqbmJ6bjJjbjUwdjE3OTlyZHN3YjE1M2YxcjI_LmpwZw.webp "FDEs: How Innovative Hotel Companies Are Building Better AI - Joseph McGroarty, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]")
July 31, 2026
FDEs: How Innovative Hotel Companies Are Building Better AI - Joseph McGroarty, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
In this sponsor bonus episode, Joseph McGroarty of Actabl shares what he learned working on site with a hotel company in the Forward Deployed Engineering model. He explains how observation and careful listening revealed the language, workflows, and operating knowledge needed to build AI around how hotel teams work and make decisions. You'll also hear how Actabl's Altitude product provides verified answers about hotel and portfolio performance, and why co-creation between hotel companies and tec
July 29, 2026
Great Guest Experiences Start With Employee Wellbeing - Emily Johnson, Joli Barfield, and Kristi Ellingsworth
In this episode, Emily Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Elevate Hospitality Collective, brings together Joli Barfield, Corporate Director of Human Resources, and Kristi Ellingsworth, Director of Hospitality, both at Dartcor Enterprises, to explore why great guest experiences begin long before a guest arrives. Drawing on experience across hotels, restaurants, HR and operations, they explain why employee wellbeing is more than a benefits program. It's a leadership and operational practice that sha
July 24, 2026
What I'm Learning From AI Companies as a Hotel Leader - Christina Poon, Detroit EDITION
In this episode, Christina Poon, the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION, shares what watching AI companies can teach hospitality leaders: continuous improvement as a way to win in a business that's "always done it this way," AI as a research tool, and rethinking how you communicate with the next generation joining your team. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to ge
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About the Host
Josiah Mackenzie
Host and Producer
Josiah is the founder of Hospitality Daily. Through its podcast, newsletter, and social channels, Hospitality Daily helps you stay informed and inspired each day by the most interesting people in hospitality. After getting his start in hospitality working at the front desk of a small property on the California coast, Josiah went on to hold leadership roles in technology companies serving tens of thousands of hotels around the globe with operations, revenue, and investment management before founding Hospitality Daily.